Issue link: http://www.insightdigital.biz/i/1205592
26 | I NSIGH T • F e b r u a r y 2 0 2 0 w w w . i n s i g h t o n b u s i n e s s . c o m > insight insider B y J e s s i c a T h i e l Efforts help expand broadband access in small communities Rural connection While living in a rural community can offer benefits including less traffic and crime, lower cost of living and increased access to recreation and outdoor amenities, it also brings some hurdles. For several reasons, providing reliable broadband service has long proven difficult in many of Wisconsin's smaller communities. Without that connectivity, however, residents may be cut off from amenities urban dwellers take for granted — using the internet to research a school project, binging a series on Netflix or taking advantage of telemedicine services. For residents in the Northwoods community of Florence and surrounding areas, having access to telepharmacy services through Crivitz Pharmacy has cut down on travel times and reduced the logistical headaches of navigating differing state laws between Wisconsin and Michigan. (Florence County borders Michigan's Upper Peninsula.) Ezra Gruszynski, pharmacist and owner of Crivitz Pharmacy, purchased the pharmacy in 2006 and began offering telepharmacy services at Florence Medical Center about three years ago. It's an arrangement that underscores the importance of having broadband service in rural areas. For Gruszysnki, who grew up in Crivitz, returning to his hometown was a natural choice. He likes the slower, more relaxed pace of life and plentiful outdoor activities the Northwoods offers. "(I like) knowing the customers, knowing the names and faces of people when you're out and about, not just at work," he says. Crivitz Pharmacy rents a space in the Florence Medical Center. Pharmacy technicians staff the satellite location. ey fill prescriptions as they would if they were working in Crivitz. A pharmacist in Crivitz remotely oversees the technician's work and ensures prescriptions are filled correctly. When the patient picks up the prescription, the pharmacist consults via a video conferencing tool, going over medications and answering any questions. It's an experience just like a patient would have in person, Gruszynski says. Prior to the availability of the service, Florence area patients had to travel farther to get their prescriptions. Patients who tried to pick up certain medications across the border in Michigan also encountered another issue. e laws differ between the two states for some medications, including narcotics. In Wisconsin, mid-level practitioners such as physician assistants can write prescriptions for narcotics, but in Michigan, a medical doctor or osteopathic physician must write the prescription. is meant people either had to travel farther to get the prescription filled in Wisconsin or seek an MD or DO in Michigan to write the prescription. An everyday expectation In 2019, Florence County wrapped up two years of broadband expansion work, funded in part through a state rural broadband expansion grant. Wendy Gehlhoff, director of the Florence County Economic Development Corp., says the county was lucky in that Nsight had laid a lot of fiber throughout the county, meaning many areas — especially more populous ones — already had relatively strong connectivity. e county, however, wanted to provide connectivity to residents in outlying communities such as Fence, Long Lake and Fern. Gehlhoff says the grant process took a year and required surveying and getting partners to help raise $66,000 in donations. It worked with Northwoods Connect, which extended the connectivity reach by placing equipment on three existing towers in the more rural areas. Gehlhoff says Florence County's population doubles with seasonal residents, and providing more reliable connectivity means those folks may stay longer. In addition, being connected to the internet has become an expectation among visitors, she says.