Illinois Rural HealthNet

Illinois Rural HealthNet (IRHN) is a high-speed, fiber optic network connecting rural Illinois hospitals with specialists at larger facilities throughout the state and nation.  When completed, IRHN will transform healthcare delivery in many areas of the state where access to specialty care is currently unavailable.

Healthcare services provided over high-speed internet lines are part of a growing trend known as “telemedicine”.  Examples of telemedicine services include:

• Nearly-instantaneous transfer of diagnostic images such as MRI or CT scans
• Real-time virtual consults for trauma patients whose injuries surpass the capabilities of small-hospital practitioners
• Psychiatric services made available in real time to patients in areas with no psychiatric specialists
• Home monitoring of at-risk patients
• Better access to important patient information via electronic medical records

Made possible by an initial $21 million grant from the Federal Communications Commission (FCC), IRHN was created and is overseen by a 12-member consortium of public universities and health care providers.  Construction of the IRHN network will begin in 2008 and conclude in 2010, connecting 85 rural health providers to the network in its first phase.  Subsequent network expansion will eventually include all hospitals in Illinois.