Doctors in Central Massachusetts Collaborate in Patient Diagnosis and Care Across Customized Verizon Data Network

WORCESTER, Mass. -UMass Memorial Health Care, the largest health care system serving central Massachusetts, has signed a seven-year, $9.6 million agreement with Verizon for managed high-speed, broadband services that will allow medical specialists to collaborate in the diagnosis and care of patients throughout the region.

Managed SONET Services, operating at roughly 10 gigabits per second over Verizon's Enterprise Advance network, will transport critical patient history and diagnostic data to the academic medical center from three campuses, four community hospitals and several additional care facilities. UMass Memorial Medical Center is the region's designated Level I trauma unit and provides a full spectrum of health care services including hematology and oncology, cardiology, emergency medicine, neonatal and pediatric care, and women's health.

By upgrading network services, UMass Memorial will provide its staff with some of the most advanced capabilities in health care, including the ability to archive and share patient test results and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) records in real time. Specialists at the academic medical center will be easily able to consult with physicians and health care professionals at community-based facilities.

UMass Memorial expects its new network service to speed and refine diagnosis and treatment as patients benefit from the collaborative efforts of experts throughout the system. Even while the service was still in planning, members of the UMass Memorial IT team referred to it as a key to retaining top medical specialists. UMass Memorial CIO Pamela Arora said, "Leading physicians demand the most advanced facilities and latest techniques to provide their patients the finest health care. High-speed, broadband communications are an essential part of their required resource base."

Verizon will also provide UMass Memorial with local, point-to-point and long-distance services. High-speed and long-distance services are delivered through Enterprise Advance, a Verizon initiative that includes the extension of a high-speed, broadband data network across the country. Rather than running over a point-to-point or privately built network, UMass Memorial traffic will flow over Verizon's Enterprise Advance network.

Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group manages the design, operation and maintenance of end-to-end integrated network solutions for large business, government and education customers across the United States. With over 7,200 employees in 35 states, Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group offers a complete range of basic and advanced communications products and services to meet the voice, video, data and IP-related needs of its customers. In addition, over 5,200 field operations personnel support enterprise customers nationwide. In the enterprise market, Verizon Select Services Inc. provides Verizon long-distance service. For more information on products and services available through Verizon Enterprise Solutions Group, visit www.verizon.com/enterprisesolutions.

A Dow 30 company, Verizon Communications (NYSE:VZ) is one of the world's leading providers of communications services, with approximately $68 billion in annual revenues. Verizon companies are the largest providers of wireline and wireless communications in the United States. Verizon is also the largest directory publisher in the world, as measured by directory titles and circulation. Verizon's international presence includes wireline and wireless communications operations and investments, primarily in the Americas and Europe. For more information, visit www.verizon.com.

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