9318043 Kassam-Adams The proposed project's primary objective is to create a multi- campus network, to be referred to as MedNet, based on the INTERNET and connecting clinicians, librarians, educators, students, researchers, and administrators working at several regional care centers and hospitals in the central Virginia region. Connecting these patient care providing institutions to the INTERNET will provide them easier access to the information services available at the University of Virginia (UVA) Health Sciences Center along with the many resources available through the INTERNET. This project will also be the basis for a demonstration proto-type for connecting isolated, rural health care centers to regional hospitals via an existing network (INTERNET) in order to facilitate clinical consultations, patient care, and continued education. As a result, the project will serve as a limited test of a larger, more robust, regional health information network. The project's goals can be achieved by connecting the various regional health care centers and hospitals to the INTERNET and by building an easy-to-use, menu driven, system to coordinate access to the services offered by the University of Virginia Health Sciences Center and other institutions linked to the INTERNET. The University of Virginia Health Sciences Center will purchase and install all the necessary hardware and software to connect upto five (5) regional care centers and hospitals to the INTERNET. UVA will also develop an INTERNET accessible MedNet Information Center that provides electronic mail-boxes, bulletin board services, electronic conferencing, and an events calendar for use by MedNet participants.
