In the South, distance can be an obstacle. Towns may be miles apart, making it difficult for residents to access information and services. In the Mid South, for example, a lack of adequate healthcare manpower requires many residents to travel to seek care. If one lives in a rural area, accessibility can become even more difficult, particularly for those who may have economic or transportation challenges. Geography can often create impediments to follow-up visits, lost time from work, and significant travel expenses.  
Despite the obstacles, the South and its people have always found a way to adapt, and the situation of long distance healthcare is no different. By utilizing the Internet and establishing networks of hospitals, clinics, medical resources, records and professionals, some Mid Southerners can now access medical information—as well as other vital health and community services—through technology. One challenge is that many communities in the Mid South do not have broadband Internet connectivity.

Connect-Arkansas is working to increase broadband access by creating a competitive high-speed Internet network for the state of Arkansas. But the network isn’t just about Internet access, it connects people to information as well as education, business, government and health resources throughout Arkansas.
“To make a real impact, you have to touch every part of the community,” said Sam Walls, President of Connect-Arkansas.

The network has the potential to revolutionize the way people in the region access healthcare. With funding from the Foundation for the Mid South, Connect-Arkansas expanded broadband Internet connectivity into several counties, including Columbia, Desha, Faulkner, Mississippi, Sharp and Woodruff. Residents in these counties can now access important health information, such as vital health records, prescriptions, bill payments, diagnoses and other resources from their homes.

For those less tech savvy, a partnership with the University of Arkansas at Monticello has allowed Connect-Arkansas to provide technology training classes to students and parents in 77 counties across Arkansas. These classes train residents to increase their computer skills and to use the new technology.
As more healthcare organizations create an online presence, Connect-Arkansas is working to ensure residents have access to and are able to understand and use the technology.

Along with funds from the Foundation, and partnerships with different healthcare organizations, Connect-Arkansas is now looking to expand into 17 additional counties.

“It is important we realize we are in a race to compete with the world in using this tool wisely and to our greatest advantage,” said Walls. “This is a race Arkansas cannot afford to lose.”