Construction Begins on 750-mile Nebraska Fiber-Optic Medical Network that will Revolutionize Healthcare for the Panhandle

OMAHA, Neb. — G4S Technology Company, Adesta, LLC, a systems integrator and project management company for communication networks and electronic security systems, has begun construction on the Rural Nebraska Healthcare Network (RNHN); a 750-mile, $18M fiber- optic network that will span 12 counties in western Nebraska.

RNHN is a consortium of nine primary care hospitals and dozens of clinics. The 750-mile network will connect these entities, and provide connection to national research networks such as National Lambda Rail and Internet 2 in Denver, Colorado. Once construction is complete, RNHN will be one of the most progressive and robust medical networks in the state. The project utilizes federal funding under the Rural Healthcare Pilot Program of the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), in conjunction with additional funding from Zayo Group and the support of RegionalWest Foundation and Fiberutilities Group.

“This advanced medical network will improve the way healthcare is administered in the panhandle by providing patients with many new benefits including  real-time access, and electronic medical records,” said Bob Sommerfeld, President of Adesta. “It will lower costs, reduce error and ultimately, save lives. We are proud to be a part of something that makes such a difference in our home state of Nebraska.”

To underscore the significance of what it can mean to go from the current T1 line system to this type of fiber optic capacity, Dr. Sorenson, President and CEO of
Regional West Health Services, had this to say. “A patient’s CT scan was sent via T1 line to a receiving hospital at the same time the patient was placed in an ambulance for transfer to that same hospital. The patient arrived before the CT scan transmission was completed. While it might not be the norm, it illustrates how much can be gained by the nearly instantaneous transmission this network will offer.”

Box Butte General Hospital CEO Dan Griess expanded on this calling the network “a dirt road to autobahn upgrade for the RNHN.”