Sally Kozak, deputy secretary of the Pennsylvania Department of Human Services, recently testified in front of a state Senate committee on the critical role broadband access plays in healthcare.
The hearing was held at the request of Sen. Mario Scavello (R-Monroe/Northampton). It featured experts discussing the challenges residents have finding healthcare options and communities face with an emergency response when high-speed internet access is nonexistent.
“Lack of broadband prevents healthcare and emergency medical service providers from delivering the best treatment possible,” Kozak said. “When it comes to medical services, providers need access to robust, reliable broadband to ensure they are able to communicate with patients and hospitals effectively, transmit and receive crucial data, and implement the latest technology.”
The hearing featured three panels with other speakers including the Pennsylvania Medical Society, St. Luke’s University Health Network, the Broadband Cable Association, Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative, the Public Utility Commission, AT&T, Motorola, and the Pennsylvania State Police.
Funding is the largest obstacle, according to Tri-County Rural Electric Cooperative.
The public hearing was held at the Monroe County Safety Center before the Senate Communications and Technology Committee.
The committee is scheduled to meet next today in Fayette County to discuss how high-speed broadband internet access impacts education and agriculture.