JUNE 21, 2013
COMMUNITY MOURNS:
A THRIVING MARKET FOR BIG-TICKET ITEMS
Purchasing Power
Carbon monoxide blamed for couple’s death
What’s in store for Pete Hollis Boulevard?
PAGE 15
PAGE 16
COMPL IMENTA RY
GREENVILLEJOURNAL JOURNAL MIX ED REACTION TO NEW UNION LAW PAGE 7
FLUOR LOOKS FOR A FEW GOOD VETS PAGE 12
Business owners in the Upstate are still finding a market for big-ticket items
An oblong table by custom furniture maker Michael McDunn . Customers for his handmade pieces want to own something unique that can be handed down, he says.
PR FIRM FOCUSE S ON GLOBAL REL ATIONS PAGE 14
GATEWAY PLAN:
UPSTATE HOME SALE S CLIMB IN MAY PAGE 22
Friday, June 21, 2013 • Vol.15, No.25 GREENVILLEJOURNAL.COM
T
DOCS GET
DIGITAL
Around the Upstate, technology is helping save lives at 2 gigabytes per second
APRIL A. MORRIS | STAFF
amorris@communityjournals.com
o watch cute cat videos or stream episodes of a favorite TV show, you need a fast Internet connection. But what about diagnosing a stroke or analyzing a pediatric echocardiogram? Digital connectivity is allowing health care providers to offer more services to people who would otherwise have had to travel hours for diagnosis or treatment. This summer, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) will be awarding its first grants in a revamped program that allows both rural and urban health care providers to apply for funding to gain or improve broadband access. The new Healthcare Connect Fund will support high-capacity connectivity for health care providers, many of whom will receive 65 percent of the cost of eligible expenses. The FCC has set aside $400 million annually. Health care providers with access to high-capacity networks are already using them to transfer patient records to a specialist or other clinic, hold telemedicine sessions over a high-definition (HD)
connection and consult with primary care physicians.
PROVIDERS LINKED BY BROADBAND One funding recipient in a pilot program is the Palmetto State Providers Network (PSPN), a consortium that worked to establish a broadband network throughout the state for health care providers. In 2009, the network went live and now has nearly 150 health care providers statewide, including more than 50 hospitals, signed on, said Roger Poston, PSPN associate program coordinator in administration and associate professor at the Medical University of South Carolina. PSPN initially received roughly $8 million in federal grants, said Poston. Approximately 75 percent of the state’s counties are rural, which equals a dearth of health care, especially from specialists, he said. Through PSPN, he said, hospitals and clinics get a minimum of 10 megabytes per second speed and some locations get up to 2 gigabytes per second. DIGITAL DOCS continued on PAGE 8
Delivering You More... For All The Right Reasons! No minimum balance
No per check charge
Free eStatements
No monthly service charge
Unlimited check writing
Free online banking and bill pay
*Customer purchases checks and is responsible for any NSF’s (non-sufficient funds).
NASDAQ:BNCN
bncbanksc.com
To learn more call 250-9800 550 E. McBee Ave | Greenville, SC 29601