Illinois Rural HealthNet Home

FAQ

What is the IRHN?

The Illinois Rural HealthNet (IRHN) is a not-for-profit corporation of health care providers that have come together to deploy and maintain a high-speed network to connect rural hospitals and health care clinics in Illinois. Over 80 rural health care entities are being linked to each other and to urban medical centers, allowing them to transmit electro-cardiograms, CT scanner files, digital mammography files, and other diagnostic information that will facilitate consultation with specialists, faster medical treatment, and a reduced need to transport elderly citizens to distant hospitals. The IRHN fully meets the broadband recommendations of the National Institute of Health and the Health Care section of the National Broadband Plan.

Where is the money coming from?

Funding for the initial network of over 80 locations is being provided primarily by the Federal Communications Commission, through their Rural Health Care Pilot Program. Via the Pilot, 85% of the initial cost, $21 million, is being used to link rural health care facilities with fiber optic cable and point-to-point wireless. The IRHN is providing the required 15% match, about $3 million, two-thirds of which was generously provided by the State of Illinois.

Most of the hospitals currently working with the IRHN utilize T-1 circuits for data connectivity. T-1 circuits allow for 1.5 Mbps. The IRHN will provide a minimum of 100 Mbps upstream and downstream, and can provide 1 Gigabit/second.

The FCC’s Pilot Program is paying for the capital cost of building the network. The hospitals that choose to become part of the IRHN are asked to pay 15% of the last mile cost (one-time payment) to be linked to the network, and a monthly cost for network maintenance and equipment refresh.

The monthly cost ranges from $750 to $1000, depending on requirements, and is similar to what many rural hospitals in Illinois are paying monthly right now for two to three T1 circuits. For approximately the same cost, hospitals will receive much greater bandwidth.

What happens when the initial funding from the FCC runs out?

The IRHN has designed the network implementation such that ongoing costs will be manageable. Here’s a summary:

The funding from the FCC is being used for long term assets, whether in equipment, facilities, or long-term service contracts which are front-loaded.
As a result of the investment in long term assets, the ongoing annual costs will be financially sustainable.
Users of the IRHN will pay a reasonable cost for their connection, which will be fully laid out before hospitals are asked to make the decision to proceed. Each of the health care facilities is currently paying for broadband services. Once the locations are brought onto the IRHN, the hospitals will make payments to the IRHN instead of to their current provider.
Many of the health care facilities that will become part of the IRHN are currently receiving some level of rural healthcare broadband funding support from USAC. During the period of the FCC Pilot Program transition, the Pilot funding will replace the “regular” USAC annual funding for these facilities. After the FCC funding is used, the rural health care facilities can again apply for the regular annual USAC health care broadband funding.

Who will actually be providing the broadband services that the IRHN provides to rural hospitals and clinics?

The IRHN posted every request for services on the federal USAC website, and the best responses were chosen to build the network. All telecommunications providers were encouraged to respond to the RFPs.

The IRHN worked with USAC to pick the best RFP responses, and is coordinating the deployment of the high-speed network by several service providers. The IRHN picked INOC to provide the Network Operations Services for managing and operating the integrated network and the Network Operations Center on a 24/7/365 basis, with two mirrored NOC locations for backup.

Who will I call to ask for changes to my service, or if there’s a disruption in service?

For disruptions in service, hospital users will call a 1-800 number that is solely for the IRHN, which will be answered at the Network Operations Center any time day or night by NOC staff and network engineers. The NOC will proceed immediately to resolve the problem and keep the hospital updated. The NOC will also provide monthly reports on service levels and adherence to the IRHN Service Level Agreement, which matches those of major broadband carriers.

For planned changes in services to hospital locations, hospitals will contact the IRHN, which will coordinate the adjustment in service with the appropriate network provider and with the NOC.

How will the IRHN hospitals and clinics know when they should prepare for connection to the network?

The IRHN recently sent information to each hospital concerning the connection and the cost for each specific location, to continue the discussion about timing and the technical ramifications for separate locations.

If my hospital is getting some funds from USAC now via the rural health care program, how will that work when it’s time to become part of the IRHN?

The IRHN has developed a schedule that shows which health care facilities will be connected in each year. IRHN locations that are currently participating in the annual USAC rural health care funding program for broadband connectivity should continue to do so.

The IRHN will coordinate the timing with each facility, working with each facility and also directly with USAC, and we will agree on the target date to move each facility onto the new network. Once the facility is on the IRHN, it can then apply for the “regular” annual USAC health care funding process for telecommunications.

When is the IRHN going to be completed? And when will the first hospitals come on board?

Most of the fiber backbone network is now in place, and the first connections to hospitals will go live in June and July. Most locations will be connected in either 2011 or 2012.

What do we need to have in place at our health care facility in order to connect to the IRHN?

The IRHN will be providing either 1 Gbps Ethernet or 100 Mbps Ethernet connectivity to each facility, and will provide a link to your router to connect your facility to the network via a copper patch cord and RJ45 jack. (A fiber connection can also be provided at many locations if preferred.) In order to make full use of the network, facilities should have a 10/100/1000 base-T capable device, to distribute the data to your facility’s end users. Your router must be capable of supporting the IPV6 protocol that is used throughout the IRHN backbone. You will not be required to use IPV6 within your organization.

As is typical in best network practices, a firewall is recommended to provide security to your internal network.

If you have existing devices, you will want to make sure that they have the data throughput capabilities to handle the data rate provided by the IRHN.

Who’s in charge of the IRHN?

The IRHN is managed by a not-for-profit corporation, designated as such by the State of Illinois and the federal government via tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status.

What kind of health care entities are eligible to be connected to the IRHN? Is it restricted to Not-for-Profit hospitals?

The following are eligible to be connected to the IRHN, per the FCC rules for the Health Care Pilot Program:

Public and not-for-profit health care providers;
Post-secondary educational institutions offering health care instruction, teaching hospitals, or medical schools;
Local health departments or agencies;
Dedicated emergency departments of rural for-profit hospitals;
Community mental health centers;
Not-for-profit hospitals;
Rural health clinics;
Consortia of health care providers consisting of one or more of the above entities;
Part-time eligible entities located in otherwise ineligible facilities.

For-profit hospitals and medical facilities are eligible to be connected as well, but are required by the FCC Pilot Program to pay their “fair share” of costs to be connected to the network. This means that for-profit entities must pay the full cost of the last mile connection to their facility and a portion of the overall network cost. These costs can be provided by the IRHN for consideration.

If you have questions, please call or email: Alan Kraus, 815-753-8945, akraus@niu.edu, or Doug Power, 815-753-8947, dpower@niu.edu



About the IRHN Map Current Projects Completed and Under Construction Radiology Transmission on IRHN What is Telemedicine? News and Presentations FAQ Links and Resources Contact Us IRHN Home	FAQ What is the IRHN? The Illinois Rural HealthNet (IRHN) is a not-for-profit corporation of health care providers that have come together to deploy and maintain a high-speed network to connect rural hospitals and health care clinics in Illinois. Over 80 rural health care entities are being linked to each other and to urban medical centers, allowing them to transmit electro-cardiograms, CT scanner files, digital mammography files, and other diagnostic information that will facilitate consultation with specialists, faster medical treatment, and a reduced need to transport elderly citizens to distant hospitals. The IRHN fully meets the broadband recommendations of the National Institute of Health and the Health Care section of the National Broadband Plan. Where is the money coming from? Funding for the initial network of over 80 locations is being provided primarily by the Federal Communications Commission, through their Rural Health Care Pilot Program. Via the Pilot, 85% of the initial cost, $21 million, is being used to link rural health care facilities with fiber optic cable and point-to-point wireless. The IRHN is providing the required 15% match, about $3 million, two-thirds of which was generously provided by the State of Illinois. Most of the hospitals currently working with the IRHN utilize T-1 circuits for data connectivity. T-1 circuits allow for 1.5 Mbps. The IRHN will provide a minimum of 100 Mbps upstream and downstream, and can provide 1 Gigabit/second. The FCC’s Pilot Program is paying for the capital cost of building the network. The hospitals that choose to become part of the IRHN are asked to pay 15% of the last mile cost (one-time payment) to be linked to the network, and a monthly cost for network maintenance and equipment refresh. The monthly cost ranges from $750 to $1000, depending on requirements, and is similar to what many rural hospitals in Illinois are paying monthly right now for two to three T1 circuits. For approximately the same cost, hospitals will receive much greater bandwidth. What happens when the initial funding from the FCC runs out? The IRHN has designed the network implementation such that ongoing costs will be manageable. Here’s a summary: The funding from the FCC is being used for long term assets, whether in equipment, facilities, or long-term service contracts which are front-loaded. As a result of the investment in long term assets, the ongoing annual costs will be financially sustainable. Users of the IRHN will pay a reasonable cost for their connection, which will be fully laid out before hospitals are asked to make the decision to proceed. Each of the health care facilities is currently paying for broadband services. Once the locations are brought onto the IRHN, the hospitals will make payments to the IRHN instead of to their current provider. Many of the health care facilities that will become part of the IRHN are currently receiving some level of rural healthcare broadband funding support from USAC. During the period of the FCC Pilot Program transition, the Pilot funding will replace the “regular” USAC annual funding for these facilities. After the FCC funding is used, the rural health care facilities can again apply for the regular annual USAC health care broadband funding. Who will actually be providing the broadband services that the IRHN provides to rural hospitals and clinics? The IRHN posted every request for services on the federal USAC website, and the best responses were chosen to build the network. All telecommunications providers were encouraged to respond to the RFPs. The IRHN worked with USAC to pick the best RFP responses, and is coordinating the deployment of the high-speed network by several service providers. The IRHN picked INOC to provide the Network Operations Services for managing and operating the integrated network and the Network Operations Center on a 24/7/365 basis, with two mirrored NOC locations for backup. Who will I call to ask for changes to my service, or if there’s a disruption in service? For disruptions in service, hospital users will call a 1-800 number that is solely for the IRHN, which will be answered at the Network Operations Center any time day or night by NOC staff and network engineers. The NOC will proceed immediately to resolve the problem and keep the hospital updated. The NOC will also provide monthly reports on service levels and adherence to the IRHN Service Level Agreement, which matches those of major broadband carriers. For planned changes in services to hospital locations, hospitals will contact the IRHN, which will coordinate the adjustment in service with the appropriate network provider and with the NOC. How will the IRHN hospitals and clinics know when they should prepare for connection to the network? The IRHN recently sent information to each hospital concerning the connection and the cost for each specific location, to continue the discussion about timing and the technical ramifications for separate locations. If my hospital is getting some funds from USAC now via the rural health care program, how will that work when it’s time to become part of the IRHN? The IRHN has developed a schedule that shows which health care facilities will be connected in each year. IRHN locations that are currently participating in the annual USAC rural health care funding program for broadband connectivity should continue to do so. The IRHN will coordinate the timing with each facility, working with each facility and also directly with USAC, and we will agree on the target date to move each facility onto the new network. Once the facility is on the IRHN, it can then apply for the “regular” annual USAC health care funding process for telecommunications. When is the IRHN going to be completed? And when will the first hospitals come on board? Most of the fiber backbone network is now in place, and the first connections to hospitals will go live in June and July. Most locations will be connected in either 2011 or 2012. What do we need to have in place at our health care facility in order to connect to the IRHN? The IRHN will be providing either 1 Gbps Ethernet or 100 Mbps Ethernet connectivity to each facility, and will provide a link to your router to connect your facility to the network via a copper patch cord and RJ45 jack. (A fiber connection can also be provided at many locations if preferred.) In order to make full use of the network, facilities should have a 10/100/1000 base-T capable device, to distribute the data to your facility’s end users. Your router must be capable of supporting the IPV6 protocol that is used throughout the IRHN backbone. You will not be required to use IPV6 within your organization. As is typical in best network practices, a firewall is recommended to provide security to your internal network. If you have existing devices, you will want to make sure that they have the data throughput capabilities to handle the data rate provided by the IRHN. Who’s in charge of the IRHN? The IRHN is managed by a not-for-profit corporation, designated as such by the State of Illinois and the federal government via tax-exempt 501(c)(3) status. What kind of health care entities are eligible to be connected to the IRHN? Is it restricted to Not-for-Profit hospitals? The following are eligible to be connected to the IRHN, per the FCC rules for the Health Care Pilot Program: Public and not-for-profit health care providers; Post-secondary educational institutions offering health care instruction, teaching hospitals, or medical schools; Local health departments or agencies; Dedicated emergency departments of rural for-profit hospitals; Community mental health centers; Not-for-profit hospitals; Rural health clinics; Consortia of health care providers consisting of one or more of the above entities; Part-time eligible entities located in otherwise ineligible facilities. For-profit hospitals and medical facilities are eligible to be connected as well, but are required by the FCC Pilot Program to pay their “fair share” of costs to be connected to the network. This means that for-profit entities must pay the full cost of the last mile connection to their facility and a portion of the overall network cost. These costs can be provided by the IRHN for consideration. If you have questions, please call or email: Alan Kraus, 815-753-8945, akraus@niu.edu, or Doug Power, 815-753-8947, dpower@niu.edu