Insights

Happy New Year 2025!!  May we all look forward to a promising year filled with good work, good health, and precious time with family. 

Last month, the New England Telehealth Consortium (NETC) held its Annual Meeting of Members and the Annual Meeting of the Board of Directors. Notably, these meetings are the foundation of NETC. The meeting of members welcomed Brett Niland as a new Board Member representing Down East Community Hospital. 

The Annual Meeting of the Board elected NETC Officers and Executive Committee members to serve for the next year. Brian Thibeau, was re-elected President, as were Red Hutchinson, Vice President; Scott Reid, HealthReach Community Health Centers, Secretary; Tim Smith, Treasurer; Greg Van Buren, University of Vermont Medical Center, At Large Member; David Valcik, Northern Light Health, At Large Member; Mark St. John, MaineGeneral Health, At Large Member; and Robin Winslow, Hometown Health Center, At Large Member. These individuals give of their time and energy to guide, direct and oversee NETC’s operations and its managing agent, ProInfoNet. The Executive Committee meets at least ten times a year to develop operating budgets, review financial reports, assess network operations and service levels, and monitor Healthcare Connect Fund (HCF) applications, Funding Commitment Letters (FCLs), forms processing, invoicing, and subsidy reconciliation. With NETC now managing operating revenues and subsidies of nearly $7,000,000 each year, it is the fiduciary responsibility of the NETC Executive Committee to ensure activities are conducted correctly, efficiently, and in compliance with applicable regulations.

The Board of Directors approved the 2025 Network Common Cost budget and fair share allocation, and the 2025 Administrative budget and dues. Thanks to the budget development work of our Managing Agent, common costs and dues remained at 2024 levels. In fact, despite inflation and expense increases, dues and billing entity fees have been unchanged since 2022!

Jim Rogers, President of ProInfoNet, reported to the Board that the NETC private network achieved a 99.972% uptime performance through November 2024. Most notably, since its inception in 2012, the network has achieved a 99.982% uptime performance and a 99.999% internet uptime performance. The network now has 87.67 Gbps of site bandwidth installed to date. The network has experienced very significant growth in bandwidth over the last twelve years.

In other business, Jim presented an update on the legal challenge threatening the Rural Healthcare Program and the Healthcare Connect Fund. Consumers’ Research, a non-profit legislative action group, brought a case challenging the Universal Service Fund Contribution mechanism’s constitutionality in three circuit courts of appeal. The Universal Service Fund Contribution mechanism entirely funds the Rural Healthcare Program, and the Healthcare Connect Fund. Most recently, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals declared that a constitutional violation existed and that the Universal Services Administrative Company (USAC) has operated without sufficient oversight from the FCC. The U.S. Supreme Court has agreed this term to review the constitutionality of the program as 2 of the 3 appeals courts upheld the constitutionality of the program. Currently, the New England Telehealth Consortium is joining with ADS Advanced Data Services, Inc., Community Hospital Corporation, the North Carolina Telehealth Network Association, the Colorado Hospital Association, and the Southern Ohio Healthcare Network to jointly file an Amicus Curiae (friends of the court) brief supporting the Petitioners (the Federal Communications Commission) in defending the constitutionality of the program. Until the Supreme Court rules, the program remains in jeopardy. If the Court finds the mechanism unconstitutional, the resulting loss of HCF subsidy support to thousands of non-profit healthcare providers across the country would be devastating. 

The Board also received an update on the planning and development of the Next Generation of its private network. The objectives of NextGen are to future proof the network, adopt state of the art technology, support future growth and demand, and plan for end of support hardware replacement in 2026 -2027. This planning project was initiated in 2023. Currently, a SD-WAN lab environment is being set up to test, monitor, and document performance. Later this year, NETC plans to deploy SD-WAN equipment to three pilot locations for proof-of-concept testing. It is projected that full deployment will occur in late 2026 through mid-2027.

Concurrently, NETC will be issuing requests for proposals on the USAC website for the NextGen SD-WAN components later this year. Vendor selection should occur this year as well.  Applications for HCF funding will be submitted during the funding window (December 1, 2025, to April 1, 2026) for FY 2026 (7/1/2026 -6/30/2027) funding as NextGen is deployed.

As you can see, the New England Telehealth Consortium is not sitting still. NETC has experienced significant growth and success. With the professional expertise and knowledge of Jim Rogers and the ProInfoNet staff, and the continued guidance of the NETC Board of Directors and its Executive Committee, NETC anticipates continued growth and success as it supports the telehealth and telecommunication needs of New England Healthcare providers. Thank you for your continued support of NETC and feel free to reach out if you have any questions.