Hospital Council of Northern and Central California Announces Support of BayWEB Project

SAN FRANCISCO, June 28, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- Today, the Hospital Council of Northern and Central California announced its support of the Bay Area Wireless Enhanced Broadband System (BayWEB), citing the proposed wireless broadband network's benefits to the health care system and improved delivery of patient and emergency care.

"BayWEB will strengthen broadband access for hospitals and health care providers at our organizations hospitals across Northern California," said Ron Smith, Senior Vice President of the Council. "Coordination among health care professionals can be improved significantly as a result of the access the BayWEB project provide, and this will strengthen our ability to deliver health care services to patients."

The Council is a non-profit hospital and health system association established in 1961, representing 185 hospitals in 50 of California's 58 counties, from Kern County to the Oregon border. Its membership includes hospitals and health systems ranging from small, rural hospitals to large, urban medical centers.

"Hospitals will benefit from access to this state-of-the-art, broadband network, and improve coordination among hospitals and emergency responders," said Smith. "This coordination is crucial to tap into technology-enabled patient care solutions for emergency responders in route to our hospitals as well as patients when they arrive, resulting in more advanced care for all our patients."

In addition to serving key anchor institutions such as hospitals, community colleges, schools, and libraries with increased broadband access, the BayWEB project also includes a state-of-the-art, 4G LTE (Long-Term Evolution) interoperable broadband network for public safety.  It will also create over 1,300 local jobs, and improve wireless access in un-served and underserved areas across the Bay Area.

The Council joins a growing list of BayWEB supporters. The project has recently been endorsed by the Alliance for Jobs and Sustainable Growth, a coalition of business and labor leaders in San Francisco, and the Peninsula Coalition, consisting of leaders in the business, labor and political communities in San Mateo County.  

The BayRICS Authority, the governing body for BayWEB, has been joined by a host of local government jurisdictions including: the State of California, the City and County of Francisco, the City of San Jose, the City of Oakland, San Mateo County, Alameda County, Santa Clara County, Sonoma County, Contra Costa County, the East Bay Regional Communications System Authority and the South Bay Regional Communications System.

"We are proud to back this innovative public-private partnership that will bring so many advantages to hospitals and health care providers across our region," concluded Smith.

BayWEB facts:

• BayWEB is estimated to create more than 1,300 jobs; local job creation will be boosted by the public broadband component of BayWEB.

• After 10 years, ownership of the BayWEB system will be transferred to the Bay Area governing authority, providing local jurisdictions the opportunity to operate these systems and generate revenue.

• The $72.4 million project is jointly funded through a federal BTOP (Broadband Technology Opportunities Program) grant of $50.5 million and $21.9 million in private funding from Motorola Solutions. The company was awarded the federal grant following a competitive review process administered by the U.S. Department of Commerce as part of the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act.

Contact: Ron Smith, Senior Vice President
Phone: (415) 616-9990

SOURCE Hospital Council of Northern and Central California