Prognosis good for NY healthcare broadband access

Modern health care is growing increasingly dependent on broadband Internet. But according to the governor's office, nearly 7 million New Yorkers – 70 percent of them upstate residents – don't have access to an Internet connection with the minimum 100 megabits-per-second bandwidth that the National Broadband Plan determined is needed for health information technology and telemedicine. So when Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced plans to expand broadband access across the state, he won support from more than 30 health care providers and organizations. "Technological infrastructure is key to health care innovation such as telemedicine and electronic medical record transmission, and expanding broadband will allow for expanded access for patients across the state, particularly in underserved communities," said Melissa Mansfield, a spokeswoman for the Healthcare Association of New York State.