Innovation after Helene: BRRH installs BlueNet to prevent communication outages
Spruce Pine, N.C. — Following the widespread impact of Hurricane Helene on Western North Carolina last year, a new satellite-based communication system designed to ensure hospitals remain connected during major emergencies is being piloted by HCA Healthcare at the hospital.
The system was developed in response to real challenges faced by hospital teams during the storm. At Blue Ridge Regional Hospital (BRRH) in Spruce Pine, communications were down for three days. Joe Seely, a Wireless Architect for HCA Healthcare, was deployed to the area and played a key role in restoring connectivity.
“I had no idea what I was flying into,” Seely said, recalling his arrival by helicopter at BRRH. “When I got there, I was met by a lot of emotion. The team had been working under incredibly difficult conditions — without communication, without access to digital systems — but they kept the hospital running.”
Working around the clock alongside local staff, Seely was able to help restore systems at BRRH. On returning to Nashville, he began developing a more resilient solution — BlueNet — to help prevent this type of outage in the future.
Named in recognition of Blue Ridge Regional Hospital, where the concept began, BlueNet uses low Earth orbit (LEO) satellite technology and 5G cellular technologies to maintain communication even when traditional infrastructure is compromised. The system went live this week at BRRH and will serve as the pilot site before broader rollout across HCA Healthcare hospitals.
For frontline caregivers like Carrie James, who has been an RN at BRRH for 15 years and was working in the ER the night of the storm, BlueNet represents a meaningful step forward. James, who lives in Yancey County, was working the night of the storm and stayed at the hospital through Saturday, unable to reach her husband and three daughters due to the outage.
“Like many staff, I was asked to remain at the hospital ahead of the storm as part of our emergency plan,” she said. “We had no outside communication — no way to know who EMS was bringing in or what condition patients were in. We weren’t able to access electronic records. It was a challenge.”
Despite the conditions, James and her colleagues were able to care for every patient who came through the doors, working together to create a temporary offline process.
“We’re all incredibly grateful for the support we received during and after the storm from HCA Healthcare,” James said. “And we’re excited about BlueNet. It’s reassuring to know that we’ll have such reliable communication going forward.”
Seely emphasized that reliability was the driving force behind the project. “Our goal was simple: to ensure that no matter the situation, patients and providers can stay connected.”