§ 54.637   Off-site data centers and off-site administrative offices.

   (a) The connections and network equipment associated with off-site data
   centers and off-site administrative offices used by eligible health care
   providers for their health care purposes are eligible for support under the
   Healthcare Connect Fund, subject to the conditions and restrictions set
   forth in paragraph (b) of this section.

   (1) An “off-site administrative office” is a facility that does not provide
   hands-on delivery of patient care, but performs administrative support
   functions that are critical to the provision of clinical care by eligible
   health care providers.

   (2) An “off-site data center” is a facility that serves as a centralized
   repository for the storage, management, and dissemination of an eligible
   health care provider's computer systems, associated components, and data,
   including (but not limited to) electronic health records.

   (b) Conditions and Restrictions. The following conditions and restrictions
   apply to support provided under this sections.

   (1) Connections eligible for support are only those that are between:

   (i)  Eligible  health care provider sites and off-site data centers or
   off-site administrative offices,

   (ii) Two off-site data centers,

   (iii) Two off-site administrative offices,

   (iv) An off-site data center and the public Internet or another network,

   (v) An off-site administrative office and the public Internet or another
   network, or

   (vi) An off-site administrative office and an off-site data center.

   (2) The supported connections and network equipment must be used solely for
   health care purposes.

   (3) The supported connections and network equipment must be purchased by an
   eligible health care provider or a public or non-profit health care system
   that owns and operates eligible health care provider sites.

   (4) If traffic associated with one or more ineligible health care provider
   sites is carried by the supported connection and/or network equipment, the
   ineligible  health  care provider sites must allocate the cost of that
   connection  and/or  equipment  between  eligible and ineligible sites,
   consistent with the “fair share” principles set forth in § 54.639(d).

   [ 78 FR 13987 , Mar. 1, 2013]

   return arrow Back to Top