CONCORD, N.C. -- A technological breakthrough will help connect residents who live in rural areas of North Carolina to more than a dozen health care facilities in 11 counties.

The Cabarrus Health Alliance received a $6 million grant from the Federal Communications Commission.

“The FCC has put together a pilot program to help share information technology so that rural patients can be connected with their providers who then can be connected with regional medical centers, providing the ultimate in health care,” said Rep. Robin Hayes, R-N.C.

Health care workers currently rely on cell phone networks to send a patient's data back and forth when they're in the field, but in rural areas the signal can drop, and that's where the pilot program comes in to play.

"Today, across rural America and especially rural North Carolina, many patients are monitored for diabetes, for congestive heart failure, not weekly or monthly, but every minute," Sen. Richard Burr, R-N.C., said.

The particular pilot counties that will kick off the project are Alexander, Catawba, Gaston, Rowan and Union. Once the broadband wireless access is in place, officials say there's no limit on what the technology can do.

"Once all of the clinics and all of the hospitals are connected, you're going to be able to take advantage of what the hospitals might offer in Baltimore or Chicago or Atlanta," said FCC chairman Kevin Martin.

The FCC will provide the funds for the project immediately, and they hope to have the system up and running sometime in 2008.

Health officials say this technology will eventually be available throughout the entire state.