Health IT Behind Bars
Government Health IT
October 8, 2008

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HEALTH IT: Guest Blog Post by Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse
The New Health Dialogue Blog
October 6, 2008

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IHA Sees Clinical Performance-IT Link Improving
Government Health IT
October 6, 2008

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Robin Strongin
Founder
Disruptive Women in Health Care

I was thrilled to host last week’s launch of a new women-based, collaborative blog called Disruptive Women in Health Care (www.disruptivewomen.net). The blog is dedicated to bringing together diverse voices in the field to disrupt the status quo of health care that too often is inadequate for many women. The blog promises to provide a unique and dynamic venue thanks to the participation of 24 founding “Disruptive Women,” including myself, as well as guest bloggers and the participation of the public through their readership and comments. There are already several postings representing numerous health-related non-profits, trade associations, industry and think tanks. Click here to read my most recent contribution to Disruptive Women, which provides my top 10 priorities for the next Secretary of Health and Human Services (http://www.disruptivewomen.net/2008/09/29/bailing-out-health-care-my-top-10-priority-list-for-the-next-secretary-of-hhs/).

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Very few people will argue that technology – especially broadband – improves our quality of life. But just how, exactly, does technology accomplish this? This question was answered in a ground-breaking new report released by ITIF titled “Digital Quality of Life: Understanding the Personal and Social Benefits of the Information Technology Revolution.” The report details the ways technology is infiltrating our society – and further how it’s making it better.

Technology plays a crucial role in every day life – from solutions to many of our health care challenges, helping to clean up the environment and saving us money at the gas pump, access to education, and it’s vital role in sustaining an innovation economy. These important issues have been revolutionized thanks to broadband. We have seen the percentage of college courses offered online multiply exponentially in just the last couple of years, as more and more people are afforded the opportunity to pursue educational goals while continuing to work. We have seen more Americans going online for health information. A recent study found that three-quarters of Internet users in the U.S. go online for health information. Broadband also provides the opportunity for remote monitoring and electronic health records.

But what few people realize, or notice, is that behind the majority of these great technologies is the network – the broadband network. Broadband is what enables increased access to information, better and faster communication, and the ability to accomplish more in real-time.

Aside from the societal benefits, individual quality of life has also improved thanks to new entertainment avenues offered via broadband. More Americans than ever are going online to watch TV, something that would not be possible without a robust, high-speed Internet network. Shopping and other activities have also become popular online, providing more free time.

No matter what activities you do online, the fact of the matter is that broadband has improved quality of life for everyone who has access. For most Americans, it’s hard to imagine what life would be like without it.

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Telecommuting On State House Candidates’ Radar As Election Nears
Greenwich Post
October 2, 2008

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Access to broadband, and furthermore use of broadband, is imperative for U.S. citizens to maintain their competitive edge in an increasingly global economy. Broadband allows educational, employment and healthcare opportunities that would otherwise remain out of reach for many. At Connected Nation, our goal is ubiquitous broadband availability and a radical increase in household and business broadband adoption, and we realize that collecting accurate data and mapping out broadband penetration is an important first step. There is good news on this front as the Congress is poised to give final approval to S.1492, the Broadband Data Improvement Act.

At Connected Nation, I have personally seen communities go to great lengths to gain access to broadband. I have pictures of telecom workers using mules to run fiber in hilly rural Kentucky. I have pictures of entire towns turning out to receive their broadband matching grants. I have met Valerie Davis. Valerie has multiple sclerosis, but with broadband she can work from home, and care for her children, and maintain a sense of normalcy that before broadband was unattainable.

These stories and thousands of others show that the need for broadband transcends cities, towns, and communities. It’s not just urban areas who want and need broadband. Urban and rural areas, alike, have much to benefit and gain from broadband deployment and use. We have seen in Kentucky, Tennessee and Ohio that public-private partnerships can help us reach our collective goal of a connected nation, but I cannot stress enough the need for effective broadband mapping policies and the critical role of public/private partnerships. S. 1492 is a positive step forward in the right direction.

Based on what we have seen that has proven effective, four principles are necessary to create an effective broadband mapping policy. First, it must be relevant to consumers - consumers need to be able to see that they can indeed get broadband at their address. Second, it must be relevant to providers - we need to be able to demonstrate where and why providers should extend and improve their networks. Third, we need to make it relevant to policy makers - we must assure policy makers that there is suitable infrastructure throughout the country and help pinpoint rural and other areas where public resources may be necessary. Fourth, we need to incorporate digital literacy – understanding that access to broadband’s opportunities hinges not only on connectivity, but understanding how to use that foundation to lead a higher quality of life. Mapping policies that serve the needs of consumers, the public sector, the private sector, and communities, can make national broadband deployment a reality.

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Eye on the Environment: Commuters urged to save money, air
Ventura County Star
September 28, 2009

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Vermont to Rate EMR Impact
Government Health IT
September 26, 2008

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Broadband has taken center stage these past 24 hours. In last night’s debate, Senator Barack Obama cited the need to get broadband to all Americans as part of his plan to get the economy back on track. Senator McCain calls broadband deployment a “top priority.” The Senate has heeded the call by their two most prominent members by passing legislation late last night that would improve the way broadband is mapped throughout the U.S. Better mapping will make it easier to identify those areas throughout the U.S. who are missing out on the broadband promise – from more access to health care, access to the nation’s best education resources as well as the environmentally-friendly practices associated with broadband – like telecommuting.

The House of Representatives has 48 hours to get this bill on its suspension calendar. Don’t waste any time!!! Call your representative’s office and encourage them to get S. 1492 to the floor!! Stay tuned for additional coverage and help us get the word out on the importance of passing S. 1492!

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