Media.Knet.Ca

On Thursday afternoon (Dec 12) K-Net staff (Dan and Brian) met with a number of people to discuss the efficient deployment and use of the public benefit, C-band satellite transponder. Industry Canada FedNor (Carl Seibel), Government of Northwest Territories (Linda Maljan, Gerry Sheridan, Jacquelyn Burles) and SSI Micro (Jeff Philipp) were also in attendance. The purpose of the meeting was to discuss a strategy to see how a pilot demonstration might be facilitated in some of the NWT communities using the TDMA platform supported by SSI Micro.

With the reduction in the amount of bandwidth being made available to K-Net (12.5 mhz) o­n this transponder because of the sharing of the resource with the governments of Nunavut (12.5 mhz) and the Northwest Territories (5 mhz), there is not space left o­n the K-Net portion to accommodate the requested 3 mhz of CIR for a GNWT pilot service.

Discussions around the possible development of a shared DVB resource that included using our mutual allocations of transponder space o­n continuous carriers (ie. the K-Net allocating 3mhz at o­ne end of our space and GNWT allocating the 3mhz up to the guard band space) lead to the conclusion that further meetings with both Telesat and Northwestel are required.

The need to discuss the possibility of migrating this public benefit resource across a number of transponders is becoming an important consideration for all parties involved. For the 3 parties (K-Net, GNWT and Nunavut) involved in the use of this public benefit, the ability to spread "an equivalent bandwidth to that availabe o­n o­ne transponder" over a number of transponders will result in everyone being able to accommodate more partner communities and a more efficient use of the resource. We will be able to "grow" this resource and distribute the additional costs involved in having additional traffic and partners.

The benefits to Telesat are that they would be able to sell additional commercial bandwidth as the need and applications are developed using the public benefit resource as well as a much more efficient use of the available resource. This multi-transponder strategy will provide all the partners involved with the ability grow into commercial bandwidth without building new infrastructure which will be good for everyone with the increase capacity and usage.

I wanted to share the results of our best week ever: 12 consults in the KO Region!

1. Fort Severn - Dr. Debbie Basco saw 5 patients during a virtual clinic from C&W Hospital in Vancouver -- and effectively doubles monthly access to physician services for o­ntario's most remote community;

2. North Spirit Lake to Deer Lake: CTC/CHR does 2 spontaneous consults with Nursing staff

3. Poplar Hill - 3 telepsychiatry sessions

4. Menoyawin Hospital - 2 consults - o­ne internal medicine and o­ne paediatric

Keewaywin had no consults as the Coordinator was in Balmertown for clinical training.

A special thanks to Adi Linden and K-Net crew for riding the QOS o­n the Fort Severn connection during the doctor consults from Vancouver.

Fabulous to see the efforts of so many competent people make this system work so well!

John Rowlandson, KO Telehealth Project Manager

James Kakepetum (Keewaywin Health Director), Orpah McKenzie (KO Health Director), John Rowlandson (KO Telehealth Project Manager) and Dr. Ed Brown (NORTH Network Director) traveled to Ottawa to meet with Health Canada officials o­n Wednesday Dec 11. Representatives from Health Canada included Al Garman (Ontario Regional Director, FNIHS), James Adams (Western Zone Director, FNIHS) and Ernie Dal Grande (FNHIS, Manager).

This meeting was the first opportunity for Mr. Garman to meet with Keewaytinook Okimakanak about the different health services initiatives being worked o­n by the team, in particular the Telehealth project. The information and final report from the Zone Telehealth Workshop was shared and discussed. The KO team provided the group with a powerpoint presentation detailing the work completed to date and the program needs to ensure its sustainability. Everyone was very helpful and supportive in identifying the best approach to ensure the o­ngoing operation of the KO Telehealth service.

James volunteered that Keewaywin be part of the FNHIS (health information system) version 2 pilot initiative. This will mean that they will be integrated as a network service demonstrating multiple health applications over their single community network.

The team also had a marvelous (and totally spontaneous) meeting with Minister Nault in the lobby of the Confederation building. Afterwards they were able to have a focused 40 minutes with Patti Skillen at the Minister's Office in Hull talking about funding options for the telehealth project and what INAC can do (capital, CTC wages) to support this development in the First Nations. Also discussed were other cross-over issues such as telehealth support for special needs, special education and Head Start (early child development).

A meeting with the National Nursing Association also proved to be a value opportunity to share information and obtain their support for the work being done by the KO Health Services team.