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Service Providers
The latest news and information about the Texas Rural Hospital Telecommunications Alliance is updated regularly. Keep in touch with developments of the Alliance by returning to this page often.
Purchase
Order on PH3 about to be Released
(August 1, 2000)
The Texas Rural Hospital Telecommunications Alliance is in final negotiations
with SBC DataCom (Project Integrator) in preparation of the release of
the Purchase Order to them for the TIFB PH 3 Connectivity Grant. The Purchase
Order is expected to be released this month with installations to begin
around October 1st.
If you have wondered why equipment
hasn't reached you yet, you should understand that the Alliance does a
lot of front end work before issuing the purchase order. This is a large
project with 103 sites involved. By doing our homework up front, we expect
to have a smoother installation as we go forward. According to Project
Director, Dr. Robert Brecht.
If you have a greater need than others
in terms of timing of installation contact Dr. Brecht or Deborah Minor
at 281-280-8228. The Alliance will make every effort to accommodate individual
facility needs. Mr. Ernie Davis of SBC DataCom will contact you on installation
issues as we get closer to the install date.
Alliance
to Get Its Own Network on the TEX-AN 2000 State Backbone
(August 1, 2000)
The Alliance and SBC DataCom have been meeting with the General Service
Commission and AT&T to discuss quality of service issues. In order
to provide the service needed by the Alliance for video, Internet access,
voice services, etc., GSC has offered to provide the Alliance with its
own network as a subnetwork of the GSC's TEX-AN 2000 network. The GSC
will host the Alliance's enterprise router, firewall and application servers
a their Network Operations Center (NOC) in Austin. This will dramatically
improve the Alliance's capability to provide quality video, voice and
data services over the network and to keep the network secure. We are
delighted to have the GSC and AT&T work with us to make this happen.
In essence the Alliance will operate a private network over the state's
backbone. For further information contact Dr. Brecht or Rick Salazar.
Alliance
Submits Grant to Develop a HIPAA Compliance Program for Rural Hospitals
(August 1, 2000)
In August of 1996 the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability
Act of 1196 P.L. 104-191 (HIPAA) became law. In order to ensure the protection
of privacy of electronic heath records, the law provides for standards
of security, confidentiality and electronic signatures. There are legal,
regulatory, process and security issues in addition to the technology
aspects to the standards that must be carefully understood, planned, implemented
and then monitored to assure compliance. Violations of HIPAA standards
carry significant penalties and fines. Final rules for implementation
are expected in the near future. Health providers will have two years
to come into compliance with the new standards once adopted. The overall
purpose of this proposal is to build upon existing Alliance activities
and assist rural hospitals by developing a generic HIPAA compliance program
specifically geared to the average size rural hospital, which can then
be customized for each hospital's unique environment. In order to accomplishing
this goal we propose providing assistance in seven main areas:
1. Education about HIPAA regulations and compliance issues.
2. Provide an compliance assessment for tool for self assessment
3. Develop generic administrative policies and procedures for facility
compliance.
4. Implement network technology necessary for secures transaction across
the Alliance network.
5. Provide data backup and disaster recovery services using the Alliance
network
6. Provide implementation training
7. Provide on-going support and advice
Sam Tessen, Director of the Center for Rural Health Initiatives wrote
in support of the application, "This proposal offers rural hospitals
a significant contribution to the ability of providers to prepare for
and be ready for the implementation of HIPAA provisions. For the sake
of the financial health of our rural hospitals, this proposal deserves
the most serious consideration and should be approved by TIFB."
CRHI Awards
Alliance Contract to Produce IT Manual for Critical Access Hospitals
(August 1, 2000)
CRHI recently awarded the Alliance, in a competitive RFP, a contract to
produce a manual and CD ROM on information systems for Critical Access
and other rural hospitals. The Alliance elected to take this on because
it is part of the mission it hopes to serve for rural hospitals. Drs.
Robert Brecht and Jim Barrett of E-Health Solutions will develop the materials,
with Dr. Barrett assuming the lead role.
The Alliance will be seeking out
hospital administrators to share their experiences in preparation for
the development of the manuals. If you would like to participate in the
"beta" testing of this product please contact Dr. Barrett at
jbarrett@ehealthsolutionsinc.com.
For further information contact Dr.
Brecht at bbrecht@ehealthsolutionsinc.com
or jbarrett@ehealthsolutionsinc.com
or call 281-280-8228.
Alliance
Working with Local Health Departments to Create Health Alert Network
(August 1, 2000)
The Alliance and Texas Association of Local Health Officials (TALHO) are
teaming together to submit a grant to TIFB to create a statewide Health
Alert Network. The project will be funded under the TIF PH5 Connectivity
Grant Program). Texas Department of Health is providing matching funds
through a grant from the Center for Disease Control. The project will
build upon what has already been done by the Alliance in developing its
network and desktop. The current capability of the state to detect and
respond to bioterrorist events or emerging infections is severely limited
by the lack of communications technologies among the LHDs (these are independent
agencies that are often funded as part of county and municipal governments,
not part of TDH). There is no coordinated and integrated state, regional
and local system for public health network connectivity in Texas. This
Project will develop the communications and applications infrastructure
to provide easy communication among LHDs, Texas Department of Health,
and local health providers. Sharing a network infrastructure with TRHTA
provides access to hundreds of hospitals and clinics across the state
and can improve communication between LHDs and these facilities. For additional
information, contact Dr. Brecht at brecht@trhta.net
Alliance
Working with Dept. of Human Services to Provide Medicaid Eligibility
(August 1, 2000)
The Alliance has sent a letter of intent to the DHS to provide Medicaid
eligibility information across its network. The Alliance will connect
with DHS's mainframe so that Alliance hospitals will be able to access
information on eligibility with just a click of an icon on the Alliance
desktop. The DHS will work with the Alliance to make this happen. The
General Services Commission will create a virtual circuit (PVC) between
the Alliance's network and the DHS Network. The Alliance hopes to emulate
this model with other state agencies accessed by Alliance member facilities.
Alliance
to Provide Telephone Access to Austin under PH3
(August 1, 2000)
The Alliance is working with the General Services Commission to connect
its new pending private network with the capital telephone system. The
routers that will be installed under PH3 will allow up to four everyday
analog telephones to connected to it. These phones will have access to
a local dial tone in Austin so that Alliance member facilities will be
able to make local calls to Austin without long distance charges. This
is only one way the Alliance hopes to make the network more valuable to
its members. We began with Austin because it is the city with all of the
state agencies with which our members communicate. In the future the Alliance
hopes to find other partners in metropolitan centers which will allow
Alliance members access to their PBX for local calls.
Previous
News Stories
• May 2000
• March 2000
