A fiber-optic project currently in the works by NW Commnet will soon allow all four locations of Advanced Medical Imaging (AMI) to transmit and share digital data. The connectivity will mean electronic files will no longer have to be physically carried from one location to the next.

“They understand the market pressure on medical imaging to provide speed and quality,” said John Stockwell, NW Commnet vice president of operations engineering. “This will allow AMI to position themselves as a leader in imaging in Kitsap County.”

The AMI fiber-optic network builds on the backbone of Commnet’s medical network already in place. The dedicated network, which has been in place for more than one year, connects Harrison Hospital with nearby medical facilities located around the Bremerton and Silverdale campuses.

“We are really excited about it. It’s really cutting edge for Kitsap County,” said Jim Kendall, NW Commnet president. “We are the only ones dedicating our network to the medical community.”

NW Commnet was launched in 2000 as a joined venture of Kendall’s Telebyte Northwest and Stockwell’s Convergence Technologies. After working together on various projects and doing joint marketing, the two companies joined forces.

With medical imaging relying on digital test results and electronic images such as X-Rays, having a fast and reliable network for transporting those images is crucial. However, the medical profession has strict security requirements, and data must be stored and transmitted over closed networks, ones that are not accessible to the general public via the Internet.

Recognizing that need, Kendall and Stockwell started approaching the local medical community about three years ago with the idea of constructing a dedicated fiber-optic network. Now, they say more medical professionals are becoming interested in the possibility, and they receive inquiries from people who were approached three years ago. Connections like DSL with time will become too slow to carry all the medical data, and they see the interest continuing to grow. A dedicated network also allows better data backup and liability.

“We have invested in the infrastructure, and we are ready,” Stockwell said.