Oct. 25 ribbon-cutting set for high-speed data project at Harbin Clinic Armuchee Family Practice

Media release: Harbin Clinic, Parker FiberNet, The Appalachian Valley Fiber Network and the Greater Rome Chamber of Commerce invite you to celebrate the New Data Speed Limit for Harbin Clinic Armuchee Family Practice with a ribbon cutting on Thursday, October 25, 2012 at 11 a.m. at their offices at 5470 Martha Berry Highway.

The Harbin Clinic electronic medical record system and imaging transport network is nationally recognized as a leader in EMR conversion and utilization. Data speed, capacity, dependability and security are all essential components in the development of a sophisticated system of this type. Immediate access to vital patient records has become an essential part of healthcare and will play an increasing role in the containment of costs and patient care for years to come.

According to Dr. Ken Davis, Harbin President and CEO, "Harbin operates in 17 locations. One of our goals is to have the same high speed network access in all locations. We are fortunate to have Parker FiberNet as a true partner who has worked alongside our staff in the development of this network. The Parker contribution has been a critically important asset in our ability to make these advancements for our patients' well-being. Harbin and Parker are celebrating another milestone with an upgrade of capacity and speed powered by AVFN at Armuchee Family Care".

David Parker, founder of Parker FiberNet, points out "This upgrade in service has been accomplished as the result of the Appalachian Valley Fiber Network (AVFN) fiber construction project. One of the primary goals of the AVFN project is to bring high speed and capacity broadband to healthcare providers in the region".

In 2010, the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Telecommunications and Information Administration (NTIA), awarded AVFN (Appalachian Valley Fiber Network, LLC) a Broadband Technology Opportunities Grant (BTOP) in the amount of $21 Million. Parker FiberNet (Founding Partner of AVFN) provided the $6M local match required to secure the grant. No local or state funding was required. The network upon completion will include over 500 miles of high capacity infrastructure that will benefit medicine, education, government and business. It's one thing to build fiber optic infrastructure. The real story is witnessing the application of the technology and tangible benefits to the area.

The AVFN project was a collaborative success based on the effort of the Northwest Georgia Regional Commission and the Governments of Floyd, Polk, Walker, Haralson, Paulding, Bartow, Gordon and Chattooga Counties, the Alabama Broadband Initiative, the East Alabama Regional Planning and Development Commission, multiple state agencies, Development Authorities within the region and the Georgia Tech Enterprise Innovation Institute along with private partner and founding member Parker FiberNet, LLC of Summerville and Rome, GA.