The GoldHealth Network

As part of the $60 million Access to Broadband Technology initiative, the Goldfields Esperance GP Network (GEGPN) was chosen in 2003/2004 to be Australia’s only ‘Reference Site’ to test, measure and demonstrate the benefits to health care providers of having high-speed, continuous, higher quality broadband through which they may effectively and securely access a range of relevant information and communication applications.

This Project, funded by the Department until the 30 June 2006, was called the Eastern Goldfields Regional Reference Site and involved the telecommunications provider IP Systems developing a high-speed Virtual Private Network (VPN) across the region that provides secure and managed connectivity with a guaranteed Quality of Service (QoS) for phone, data, and video applications.

Despite a range of challenges experienced throughout the Reference Site period, as of the 1 July 2006 EGRRS is now a sustainable project called the GoldHealth Network that is ‘owned by the region’, funded by the participants and supported by the Goldfields Esperance GP Network.

The GoldHealth Network currently connects 19 GP practices including some GP homes, 2 medical specialists, the Goldfields Specialist Rooms, 2 Aboriginal Community Controlled Health Services (ACCHS), the EGMDGP, a major regional hospital, a district hospital, the Rural Clinical School, 2 local Pharmacies and 1 Aged Care Facility.

Current services available to GoldHealth participants include:

• Access to a secure broadband connectivity;
• Secure Internet access, including firewall, antivirus and filtering services;
• Remote access capability;
• Secure email;
• Desktop videoconferencing capability;
• Voice over IP (VoIP);
• HIC Online;
• Electronic Radiology and Pathology reports;
• e-Discharge Summaries;
• Online Education and Resources.

The Goldfields Esperance GP Network is currently working on the next phase of the Network which will be the development of a Shared Regional Electronic Health Record for the Goldfields region.