WORCESTER, Mass., June 3 -- UMass (University of Massachusetts) Memorial Health Care, a health care system serving central Massachusetts, has signed a seven-year, $9.6 million agreement with Verizon for managed high-speed broadband services that will allow medical specialists to collaborate in the diagnosis and care of patients throughout the region. Managed SONET (synchronous optical network) services, operating at roughly 10 Gb/s over Verizon's Enterprise Advance network, will transport patient history and diagnostic data to the academic medical center from three campuses, four community hospitals and several additional care facilities. UMass Memorial Medical Center is the region's designated trauma unit and provides health care services in areas including hematology and oncology, cardiology, emergency medicine, neonatal and pediatric care and women's health. Upgraded network services will enable UMass Memorial to archive and share patient test results and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) records in real time, and will allow specialists to quickly consult with physicians and health care professionals at community-based facilities. The health care group also sees the improved technology as a key to retaining top medical specialists. UMass Memorial CIO Pamela Arora said, "Leading physicians demand the most advanced facilities and latest techniques to provide their patients the finest health care. High-speed, broadband communications are an essential part of their required resource base." Verizon will also provide UMass Memorial with local, point-to-point and long-distance services. High-speed and long-distance services are delivered through Enterprise Advance, a Verizon initiative that includes the extension of a high-speed, broadband data network across the country. Rather than running over a point-to-point or privately built network, UMass Memorial traffic will flow over Verizon's Enterprise Advance network. For more information, visit: www.verizon.com