Distance and consequently, communication is a barrier to healthcare services in rural America (Republic). When distance problems are combined with the current information explosion, the gap between access to state-of-the-art and present rural practice patterns is astronomical. We must move from the old healthcare model to the new Internet-based healthcare model (information collection and sharing). Ferry County Public Hospital District #1(FCPHD#1) dba Ferry County Memorial Hospital (FCMH), is a 25 bed (14 LTC and 11 acute care) sole community """"""""frontier"""""""" hospital in NE WA state, seeks to overcome its communication deficiencies by maturing its Information Technology (IT) infrastructure. Our goal is to establish Internet Technologies that use network based tools and applications to increase organizational communications, to streamline processes through electronic workflow improvement, and to leverage intellectual capital through the use of collaborative utensils and databases. Closing the digital divide will enable FCPHD#1 to control cost, while improving care delivery and enhancing patient satisfaction. Improved Internet linkage will increase professional partnership, and influence erudite wealth through advanced information sharing. An Internet connection will help: a) our medical providers consolidate and re-engineer their care delivery and information-sharing processes to provide cost-effective integrated health services across the continuum of care; b) reduce the cost of healthcare administration while providing high-quality, cost-effective care; c) recruit and retain productive, and informed healthcare employees at a reasonable cost; and d) assist our consumers take informed control of their health and work in partnership with their provider to receive high-quality medical outcomes in the most appropriate clinical setting their home town.
