GoogleConnects KC

With Google’s gigabit network on the horizon, Kansas City’s telehealth arena sits on the brink of the next frontier in American health care.

High-speed broadband will assist already-established telehealth entities to expand health care in metro areas, making services more accessible for low-income and underserved populations. Using Internet and televisions for group consultations between a doctor, patient and family, or between a patient and several specialists can address serious or several health issues in one interaction without a patient having to enter a doctor’s office or an emergency room.

Telehealth specialists hope to cut down on hospital admissions all together by placing medical kiosks in schools and public libraries, so patients can easily access medical advice and prescription information. Improvements in telehealth services can provide enhancements in medical records and health information exchange capabilities. The Kansas City medical community with the efforts of Children’s Mercy Hospital, KU Medical Center and others have already initiated plans and services for telehealth, and with the inclusion of a new fiber network, Kansas City is one step closer to becoming one of the nation’s most revolutionary health care systems.

Below, Barbara Atkinson, former executive vice chancellor for the University of Kansas Medical Center, explains the important advancements that a faster network can provide for telehealth in Kansas City. Up next, Caregiv CEO Jeff Pfaff will illustrate an entrepreneur’s opportunity in expanding telehealth innovations.

Other Telehealth Interviews:

• Jeff Pfaff, CEO and Co-Founder of Caregiv
• Sandra Lawrence, executive vice president and chief financial officer for Children's Mercy