Advanced Solutions for Health Care Providers Overview LET FRONTIER HELP YOUR ORGANIZATION USE COMMUNICATIONS TECHNOLOGY TO LOWER OPERATIONAL COSTS AND INCREASE THE QUALITY OF PATIENT CARE. For health care providers, robust broadband is essential to delivering cost-effective communications services that support quality patient care. Both wireless and wireline connectivity are needed to facilitate the fast exchange of patient information required in medical environments. Health Care Trends Related to Communications Telemedicine is expanding the number of options for costeffective patient care, particularly for those who live far from needed facilities or specialists. Key to telemedicine are high-bandwidth files containing X-rays, MRIs and ultrasounds and high-bandwidth applications such as high-resolution video conferencing. Electronic health records (EHRs) streamline the process of storing, processing and retrieving patient information. Their use also increases bandwidth and data storage requirements for participating health care providers. Mobile medical devices are fueling the widespread adoption of Wi-Fi in hospitals. Wireless mobility is helping health care providers provide more accurate and timely patient monitoring. Opportunities Offered by the Healthcare Connect Fund The Healthcare Connect Fund is the newest component of the Rural Health Care Program. It provides funding to eligible health care providers (HCPs) for telecommunications and broadband services necessary for the provision of health care. The goal of the Healthcare Connect Fund is to improve the quality of health care available to patients in rural communities by ensuring that eligible HCPs have access to telecommunications and broadband services. Participants in the Healthcare Connect Fund, whether an individual HCP or a member of a consortium, can receive up to a 65 percent discount on eligible expenses related to broadband connectivity, including equipment. Using telemedicine and electronic transfer for health care records, HCP networks can save costs and expand access to health care. The Healthcare Connect Fund capitalizes on the benefits of these networks by encouraging the formation of state and regional health care consortia in addition to individual HCP applicants. To learn what Frontier can do for your business, please visit us at frontier.com/businessedge. innovative. Not all Frontier products and services are available in all markets. Terms and conditions apply. Actual speeds may vary and are not guaranteed. 2015 Frontier Communications Corporation. Advanced Frontier Solutions Business for Edge Health brand Care guidelines Providers Overview February 2015 frontier.com/businessedge 201
With Frontier as your partner, you can explore your opportunities with respect to the Healthcare Connect Fund. Frontier provides a full suite of communications solutions that support health care providers of all sizes. These solutions include, but are not limited to, the following: Ethernet Solutions Dedicated Internet Access Wi-Fi Hotspots and Anchors Hosted VoIP Equipment Solutions Learn more about these solutions below and how your hospital or clinic can take advantage of the wide array of products and services available from Frontier. Frontier Ethernet Solutions Solutions to Match Growing Bandwidth Needs Many factors contribute to the increased bandwidth needs of today s health care providers. Among them are the highbandwidth applications used in telemedicine, the transition from paper records to electronic, and the demand for wireless coverage throughout facilities for use by staff, patients and visitors. Frontier is helping HCPs meet these challenges with solutions like Ethernet Solutions. Frontier Ethernet provides secure data exchanges exceeding speeds of 1 Gbps. We ll partner with you to develop a solution that meets your needs. Options include: Ethernet Virtual Private Line (EVPL) Frontier EVPL is a point-to-point or point-to-multipoint Ethernet data transport service delivered over Frontier s private layer 2 network infrastructure. Through service multiplexing, a single connection to the Frontier network supports virtual connections to multiple sites. Frontier EVPL service includes Quality of Service (QoS), Class of Service (CoS) and industry leading Service Level Agreements (SLAs). Ethernet Internet Access (EIA) Frontier EIA provides highspeed access up to and beyond 1 Gbps. Our solution includes integrated Internet access solutions with a single point of contact for service needs, limited susceptibility to peak time usage fluctuations, and enhanced service reliability and performance. Strengths of Frontier Ethernet Solutions At Frontier we take pride in delivering quality service, a reasonable price and the expertise you need from a Advanced Frontier Solutions Business for Edge Health brand Care guidelines Providers Overview February 2015 frontier.com/businessedge 202
communications provider. Here are just a few characteristics our Ethernet services deliver: MEF 2.0 certification - highest standard of Ethernet services certification Easy integration with existing networks and infrastructures High availability and performance including QoS. Engineered lines configured for performance to limit noise and environmental factors Symmetrical upload and download speeds enable uncompromised traffic flow Well-planned and coordinated migration from other carriers with minimal downtime Commercial grade network with a coast-to-coast data backbone Frontier Dedicated Internet Access As a complementary service to Ethernet, some health care providers choose Frontier Dedicated Internet Access. It provides serious Internet connectivity with greater bandwidth and reliability than traditional data connections such as xdsl and cable services. With Dedicated Internet Access, your medical practice, clinic or hospital needs will be linked directly to Frontier s dense access network. A dedicated Frontier connection uses a range of access technologies to give you symmetrical bandwidth on a survivable high-speed nationwide IP backbone. This helps support critical health care services including EMS mobility, teleradiology, and diagnostic and monitoring applications. Dedicated Internet Access provides a direct connection to the Frontier Core Internet Router and gives your health care organization a wide array of bandwidth choices with speeds up to 10 Gbps. Dedicated Internet Access can be the backbone for services such as: IP VPN Wi-Fi Hotspots and Anchors SIP Trunking Data Backup and Recovery Audio, Web and Video Conferencing Frontier Wi-Fi Wi-Fi Benefits for Health Care Providers Wi-Fi networks and wireless devices are creating new ways to help improve patient care, streamline staff workflow and reduce costs. For example, clinicians are rapidly adopting tablets as a tool for mobile patient management. Most medical equipment is now Wi-Fi enabled including wireless EKGs, infusion pumps, and blood pressure cuffs to permit the electronic transmission of real-time patient data. Nurses are able to monitor multiple patients remotely from one main station, and patients can move about while still being monitored. By leveraging a Wi-Fi network designed to deliver wiredlike performance, you can take advantage of sophisticated applications and services throughout your health care facilities, improving both patient safety and data accuracy. Planning Considerations Frontier will work with you from the ground up to design and install a Wi-Fi network that meets the unique requirements of your health care organization. Planning considerations will include: Compliance with privacy and security regulations Identification and prioritization of critical health services and applications Delivering robust system reliability with built-in redundancy Advanced Frontier Solutions Business for Edge Health brand Care guidelines Providers Overview February 2015 frontier.com/businessedge 203
Meeting the differing access needs of health care providers, patients and visitors Thorough coverage throughout all areas including nurses stations, waiting rooms, labs and surgical suites, patient rooms and even outdoor areas When lives are at stake, there is a critical need for your Wi-Fi network to deliver uncompromised wireless access. Frontier Offers Wi-Fi Solutions Frontier s Wi-Fi network services are a convenient and cost-effective way for your medical practice or hospital to implement wireless connectivity. We offer managed, hosted and premised-based Wi-Fi options. By choosing Frontier, you can remain focused on health care and leave the rest to us. We have the experience and resources to take care of all your Wi-Fi needs, including: Security Frontier will set up your Wi-Fi network to give staff, patients and authorized visitors the wireless access they need, without giving them access to your facility s main network. Ongoing Support Leave the hard stuff to Frontier. Our professionals will handle installation, provide support and monitor network performance 24/7. Frontier Hosted VoIP Health Care Providers Need Cost-Efficiency and Flexibility One of the first reasons that most organizations, including health care providers, look at VoIP and hosted PBX solutions is the cost savings, which can be substantial. The cost of calling is reduced by using the Internet for transmission, and there are lower infrastructure investments and maintenance costs. Hosted VoIP services also bring health care providers more flexibility. Hospitals and clinics can easily connect remote employees and contractors as if they were working at the same physical site. It s also possible to adapt the system as circumstances demand, with calls being able to route to any hospital or health care worker s cell phone or hunt group until the needed party answers. Additional benefits for health care providers include: Better interaction between staff and patients and better collaboration among medical professionals Improved workflow and operational effectiveness Enhanced customer service by better contact center processes, enabling mobility and making critical staff more accessible Frontier s Hosted VoIP is an affordable and feature-rich phone system that uses Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) technology. You receive great call quality, industry-leading reliability and an easy-to-manage phone system. Everything is included in one low monthly rate. Advanced Frontier Solutions Business for Edge Health brand Care guidelines Providers Overview February 2015 frontier.com/businessedge 204
Frontier Equipment, Solutions and Services Frontier is ready to supply your medical practice or hospital with end-to-end solutions. You can be confident that Frontier is fully equipped to be your single provider for equipment, network services and managed solutions. The Frontier Equipment Advantage Single provider of seamless end-to-end voice, data and video solutions ideal for health care providers Partnerships with industry-leading equipment manufacturers and specialty services providers Extensive equipment portfolio for virtually any health care application or infrastructure Specialized solutions to support VoIP, mobility and virtual applications Manufacturer-certified field technicians and technical support Expert professional and managed services options Wide range of maintenance programs to fit your medical facility s needs and budget Flexible financing options including options with no upfront capital investment Frontier Certified Partners Frontier only partners with industry-leading equipment manufacturers and specialty solutions providers to offer you the best seamlessly integrated voice, data and video systems. Network Infrastructure and Security ADTRAN, Cisco, HP and Avaya Communications Solutions Voice/Data: ADTRAN, Avaya, Cisco, Plantronics, Mitel and Phybridge Video: LifeSize, Avaya Radvision and Mitel Vidyo Professional Services Equipment maintenance and structured cabling Partner With Frontier Frontier works with health care providers across the country and we understand that you face increased expectations from patients, stringent data privacy requirements and pressure to control costs. We are thoroughly familiar with those challenges and stand ready to offer solutions like those available through the Healthcare Connect Fund. innovative. Advanced Frontier Solutions Business for Edge Health brand Care guidelines Providers Overview February 2015 frontier.com/businessedge 205