Join the Southern Ohio Health Care Network

The SOHCN's high-speed fiber-optic network gives your facility Internet connection speeds up to 100 megabits per second — faster than T1, cable or satellite. With that kind of power, your health care organization can offer 21st-century health care right here in rural Ohio:

• Share large files such as ECGs and MRI images with specialists outside the area
• Implement electronic health records (and be eligible for Medicare and Medicaid EHR incentive programs)
• Consult with specialists worldwide by videoconference
• Monitor the vital signs of patients from their homes
• Participate in continuing medical education courses from your office
• Create robust, interactive health education Web sites
• And more!

And, if your facility is in one of these counties, your organization is eligible for reduced monthly rates:

These rates are made possible with a subsidy from the Federal Communications Commission. We are seeking further grant funding to offer reduced rates in other SOHCN counties, too.

What Does Becoming a SOHCN Member Mean?

Advocacy: The Southern Ohio Health Care Network is committed to advocating for the advancement of health care through collective partnership among rural health care providers. Your organization's membership in the SOHCN ensures the privileges of collective representation on the regional, state and national levels, without any required financial commitment or obligation to participate in any of the SOHCN partnerships. All that is required to join the SOHCN is the completion of a Letter of Agency (LOA), signed by an authorized designate of your organization.

Click here for a PDF of the LOA-Single Site.
Click here for a PDF of the LOA-Multi site.

Fiber Connection: Your facility may be eligible for reduced service rates as SOHCN members. A fiber connection is the fastest type of Internet connection available and Horizon has led the way in installing this cutting edge fiber-optic network in our region. For more information on fiber connections, email inquiries@sohcn.org or call (740) 592-2950.

Telemedicine: What is telemedicine? According to the American Telemedicine Association’s Website, telemedicine is defined as:

…the use of medical information exchanged from one site to another via electronic communications to improve patients' health status. Closely associated with telemedicine is the term "telehealth," which is often used to encompass a broader definition of remote healthcare that does not always involve clinical services. Videoconferencing, transmission of still images, e-health including patient portals, remote monitoring of vital signs, continuing medical education and nursing call centers are all considered part of telemedicine and telehealth.

Click here for the American Telemedicine Association’s (ATA) Website.

Beyond Broadband

The SOHCN is more than an Internet connection. We are committed to advocating for the advancement of health care through collective partnership among rural health care providers. Your organization's membership in the SOHCN ensures the privileges of collective representation on the regional, state and national level, without any required financial commitment or obligation to participate in any of the SOHCN partnerships. All that is required to join the SOHCN is the completion of a Letter of Agency, signed by an authorized designee of your organization.

Letter of Agency for FCC Rural Health Care Pilot Program:

• Single site: PDF | DOC
• Multi site: PDF | DOC

Contact the SOHCN

For more information about how the SOHCN works and how it can help your health care organization, e-mail inquiries@sohcn.org.

Ready to get connected?

Email the SOHCN at inquiries@sohcn.org or call (740) 592-2950.

What Facilities Are Eligible for SOHCN Membership?

Any healthcare facility in the southern Ohio region can become a SOHCN member and become connected to this robust fiber-optic broadband network, currently the fastest kind of Internet connection. The following counties are included in Phase 1 of the SOHCN:

• Adams
• Athens
• Fayette
• Gallia
• Highland
• Jackson
• Lawrence
• Meigs
• Pickaway
• Pike
• Ross
• Scioto
• Vinton

Health care facilities in Fairfield, Hocking, Perry, Morgan, Washington, Monroe, Noble, Muskingum, Licking, Knox, Coshocton, Guernsey, Belmont, Harrison, Tuscarawas, Holmes, Carroll, Jefferson and Columbiana are also eligible for membership into the SOHCN. These counties are part of another fiber network building project by Horizon, funded by the National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA, an agency of the U.S. Department of Commerce). This project is called Connecting Appalachia and more information about it can be found here.