Spotlight: Norsat Aids California’s Telemedicine Thrust

British Columbia, Canada-based Norsat International [Toronto: NII] found a willing partner in the Center for Health and Technology of the University of California, Davis Health System to deploy a new telemedicine initiative. The university agreed to buy a portable Norsat SecureLink terminal and a fixed-earth station to support the medical center’s endeavors.

The benefit of having access to highly portable, broadband satellite links for telemedicine applications is significant. Smaller and lighter terminals can be flown into remote regions by helicopter, reducing response times in emergency situations and facilitating better care.

“We believe portable satellite terminal technologies have the potential to revolutionize the delivery of complex health care to rural areas and expand services to patients and physicians who reside in some of the most remote areas of California where access to health care is often hampered due to inadequate telecommunications infrastructures,” said Thomas Nesbitt, associate dean for outreach, telehealth and continuing medical education at UC Davis. He established the telemedicine network that brings care to more than 60 clinical sites in California.

The Norsat terminals are well-suited for applications such as telemedicine where reliability and versatility of the equipment are critical, said Cameron Hunter, Norsat’s President and CEO.

–Paul Dykewicz

(Chris McCormack, Norsat International, 604/292-9092)