Marina Salud Hospital de Dénia achieves top-rating for paperless, digital workflows; second Stage 7 hospital in Europe.

LEIPZIG, GERMANY and DENIA, SPAIN – (May 7, 2012 ) – HIMSS Analytics Europe has announced today that the Marina Salud Hospital de Dénia in Spain has achieved Stage 7 of the Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM). It is the first hospital in Spain and the second hospital in Europe to achieve the highest rating on HIMSS Analytics’ EMRAM scale, which evaluates the digitization level of a hospital. Stage 7 is awarded for achieving a paperless medical record environment. The Hospital de Dénia will be officially recognised for their achievements at the pan-European eHealth Week 2012 conference in Copenhagen, 7-9 May 2012.

A role model for the hospital of the future

Hospital de Dénia has implemented electronic systems for every part of the healthcare process, making it a truly paperless hospital. All the nurses and physicians document their clinical notes online, thus the latest results and impressions are available for all care givers to see instantly. The medical imaging department is completely digital making all images available online across the hospital network. Physicians enter orders electronically, supported by an intelligent clinical decision support system. A sophisticated clinical and business intelligence program enables staff to analyse care quality and efficiency, making it a ‘data driven’ organization, which is a key factor for a Stage 7 hospital.

“Spain is the country with most Stage 6 EMRAM hospitals, so it was just a question of time before we identified the first Spanish Stage 7 winner. Hospital de Dénia is a rare example of a 100% paperless hospital and is a role model for what the hospital of the future should look like. This is a milestone for healthcare in Spain and we look forward to hosting our upcoming CIO Summit in Mallorca  in November 2012, where representatives from the hospital will be talking about how they reached Stage 7”, said Uwe Buddrus, CEO, HIMSS Analytics Europe.

In Europe, Spain have the highest number of Stage 6 winners and the highest number of candidate hospitals in the pipeline to be scored. To date, 300 Spanish hospitals have participated in the HIMSS Analytics Europe survey.

“This eagerness to participate in the survey is a clear reflection of a country that wants to be a leader and transform healthcare through information technology,” said Uwe Buddrus.

Meeting the healthcare leaders at eHealth Week 2012

Representatives from Marina Salud Hospital de Dénia, together with other high-performers from the European hospital sector, will be recognized for their achievements at eHealth Week 2012 (Copenhagen, 7-9 May 2012); HIMSS Analytics Europe will host their EMRAM award dinner on Monday, May 7th.

eHealth Week is Europe’s most comprehensive event on the application of information technology in healthcare. Organised by the European Commission and HIMSS Europe, this year’s event is hosted by the Danish Presidency of the Council of the European Union. This year’s theme for the three-day main conference is the continuity of care and patient centric health services through the use of innovative eHealth solutions. The programme also includes the 10th High Level eHealth Conference 2012 aimed at health ministers, government officials and stakeholders, the HIMSS mHealth Symposium, an exhibition and a range of networking events for delegates to interact with colleagues from across Europe.

EMRAM: A road-map for digitizing hospital IT

The Electronic Medical Record Adoption Model (EMRAM) identifies the levels of electronic medical record capabilities of hospitals ranging from limited ancillary department systems through a fully paperless environment. Hospitals can be assessed for their EMRAM rating by taking part in a free survey conducted by HIMSS Analytics Europe. This collects detailed healthcare IT data and tracks the implementation and adoption of EMR applications through each stage. Final evaluation of Stage 7 status is conducted via an on-site visit. Hospitals who want to evaluate their EMRAM score should visit www.himss.eu.

About HIMSS

HIMSS is a cause-based, not-for-profit organization exclusively focused on providing global leadership for the optimal use of information technology (IT) and management systems for the betterment of healthcare. Founded 51 years ago, HIMSS and its related organizations are headquartered in Chicago with additional offices in the United States, Europe and Asia. HIMSS represents more than 44,000 individual members, of which more than two thirds work in healthcare provider, governmental and not-for-profit organizations. HIMSS also includes over 570 corporate members and more than 170 not-for-profit organizations that share our mission of transforming healthcare through the effective use of information technology and management systems. HIMSS frames and leads healthcare practices and public policy through its content expertise, professional development, research initiatives, and media vehicles designed to promote information and management systems’ contributions to improving the quality, safety, access, and cost-effectiveness of patient care. To learn more about HIMSS and to find out how to join us and our members in advancing our cause, please visit our website at www.himss.org.

System Optimization Will Enhance Care and Streamline Workflow

Andover, Mass., and Hackensack, N.J. – Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG,  AEX: PHI) and Vidyo are collaborating to offer health system providers an approach for extending telehealth solutions across the enterprise to improve patient care and clinician workflow while also reducing costs. Enterprise-wide deployment of these next-generation telehealth services will require scalable and flexible advanced video technology to adapt to the full range of clinical workstations and mobile devices such as smartphones, tablets and laptops.

Philips enterprise telehealth solutions will incorporate remote physiologic monitoring, advanced clinical decision support, and Vidyo’s Adaptive Video Layering Technology™, into a powerful clinical platform for communications and collaboration. This interoperable platform, based on the proven eICU® program, will aggregate clinical informatics solutions designed to improve the quality of patient care, and key performance indicators such as patient mortality, length of stay, hospital-acquired infections, and hospital readmissions across health system enterprises.

“We are excited to collaborate with Vidyo to leverage its cutting-edge telepresence technologies to enhance the flexibility and scalability of our telehealth solutions,” said Mike Mancuso, senior vice president & general manager, Enterprise Patient Informatics Solutions and Patient Monitoring Systems, for Philips Healthcare. “Philips is committed to working with industry leaders to better address healthcare needs by expanding telehealth services beyond the ICU, as well as externally to remote clinics, physician offices, and into the home.”

Vidyo’s unique Adaptive Video Layering Technology dynamically optimizes the video for each endpoint.  By continuously monitoring the performance of the underlying network and capabilities of endpoint devices, video streams are adapted in real-time to optimize communications.   The Vidyo Application Programming Interface (API) supports greater customization and integration of telehealth solutions into clinical work flows.  Additionally, solutions can be deployed on both private and public networks, using standard off-the-shelf hardware — allowing for simple, cost-effective implementation and maintenance.

“The collaboration between Philips and Vidyo is not only a boon to our respective companies, but to the telehealth industry, in general,” said Dr. Amnon Gavish, Vidyo’s Senior VP of Vertical Solutions. “Telehealth has now come of age, driven by global demand and, in the U.S., empowered by new laws and legislation like the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA). There is an ever-increasing need for easier access to affordable, high-quality telehealth which the Philips-Vidyo platform will uniquely satisfy. Healthcare providers and patients alike will benefit from this solution’s extremely natural interaction experience, enabled by the very low latency of Vidyo’s technology. This high-quality experience enhances the remote physician – patient interaction, promoting a higher level of patient trust.”

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is a diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people’s lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in healthcare, lifestyle and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the brand promise of “sense and simplicity.” Headquartered in the Netherlands, Philips employs approximately 122,000 employees with sales and services in more than 100 countries worldwide. With sales of EUR 22.6 billion in 2011, the company is a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home healthcare, energy efficient lighting solutions and new lighting applications, as well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with strong leadership positions in male shaving and grooming, portable entertainment and oral healthcare. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.

About Vidyo, Inc.

Vidyo, Inc., pioneered Personal Telepresence enabling natural, HD multi-point videoconferences on tablets and smart phones, PCs and Macs, room systems, gateways that interoperate with H.323 and SIP endpoints, telepresence solutions and affordable cloud-based broadcast solutions.  Vidyo for Healthcare™ eliminates the access, performance and cost issues of traditional systems that require expensive MCU equipment and dedicated QoS.  With its amazing quality, unmatched accessibility and market-shifting cost-efficiency, Vidyo for Healthcare (see video) provides hospitals, specialized medical centers and physician clinics with low latency telepresence-quality video conferencing from any mobile, desktop or room-based endpoint over the Internet, WiFi and 4G networks.  Vidyo delivers end-to-end encryption, provides HIPAA-compliant security, and easily integrates into existing healthcare environments with support for a variety of medical devices and interoperability with existing conferencing infrastructure. Learn more at www.vidyo.com, on the Blog or follow @vidyo on Twitter.

The VIDYO logo is a registered trademark of Vidyo, Inc.  VIDYO and the trademarks of the VIDYO family of products are trademarks of Vidyo, Inc.  eICU is a registered trademark  of Philips.  All other trademarks referenced herein are the property of their respective owners.

Healthcare RTLS app now available through Apple’s App Store

Fargo, ND – April 18, 2012 – Intelligent InSites, Inc., the leading provider of enterprise real-time location systems (RTLS) software helping hospitals improve operational performance and patient satisfaction while supporting multiple RFID and RTLS technologies, today announced that its InSites Connect™ RTLS mobility solution is now available in Apple’s App Store. This solution will enable healthcare providers to improve their workflow processes, positively impacting quality of care and increasing staff satisfaction.

InSites Connect for the iPhone, which is an integrated part of Intelligent InSites’ enterprise real-time location system (RTLS) software, enhances the use of real-time location information and other workflow-related messaging to improve staff efficiency at the point-of-care.

“Healthcare providers have an inherently mobile workforce that requires on-the-go access to information,” said Trevor Gruby, Chief Technology Officer at Intelligent InSites. “We are pleased to provide our healthcare customers new ways to improve and streamline their ability to deliver efficient and high-quality care.”

The InSites Connect app allows healthcare personnel to view instantly, on their iPhone, the location and status of medical equipment, as well as patients and staff, eliminating non-value-added time spent searching the facility for equipment or people.

Through InSites Connect, staff can also receive time-sensitive alerts, messages, and tasks. They can then easily acknowledge that they are handling the alert or task, or they can update a task status with a simple finger tap. The iPhone voice capabilities further enhance workflow, as voice messages can be attached and sent to the appropriate personnel with more detailed information.

In addition, InSites Connect is extremely helpful in facilitating group collaboration, allowing a staff member to quickly notify a designated group of staffers about a particular event or assignment. This capability saves time and eliminates potential gaps in the communication loop.

According to Mary Jagim, RN, BSN, CEN, FAEN, and Chief Nursing Officer at Intelligent InSites “With InSites Connect, care providers can now be more productive and responsive, leading to better outcomes. By enabling medical staff to spend more time with patients, healthcare organizations will see higher satisfaction levels among their patients and employees.”

InSites Connect can be used by existing Intelligent InSites acute and senior care customers by downloading the app from Apple’s App Store (http://itunes.apple.com/us/app/insites-connect/id504618722?mt=8) and subscribing to the RTLS mobility service from Intelligent InSites. In addition, Intelligent InSites’ existing RTLS applications are also accessible on the Apple iPad, making it easier for users to access all aspects of the InSites solution while “on the go.”

By leveraging InSites Connect and other Intelligent InSites’ RTLS applications, such as asset management, patient flow, temperature monitoring, and business intelligence; hospitals are able to improve patient satisfaction, through better responsiveness of hospital staff and quietness of the hospital environment, as well as achieve meaningful and measurable hard-dollar cost savings attained by improved healthcare efficiency.

About Intelligent InSites

Intelligent InSites helps healthcare organizations improve care and reduce costs by transforming automatically-collected data into actionable insights. Through its interoperable, hardware-agnostic, healthcare real-time location system (RTLS) software platform, Intelligent InSites gathers data from real-time location, condition sensing, and other systems; then delivers meaningful information to the right person, at the right time, on the right device. Intelligent InSites’ customers gain enterprise-wide visibility and are able to impact continuous process improvements, resulting in remarkable financial and quality of care outcomes. For more information, visit www.IntelligentInSites.com.

Nverge™ enterprise system manager increases availability and visibility of data to improve efficiency and reduce risk

Phoenix, March 8, 2012 – Ingersoll-Rand plc (NYSE:IR), a world leader in creating and sustaining safe, comfortable and efficient environments, released Nverge™ enterprise system manager for healthcare organizations at the American Society of Healthcare Engineering (ASHE) 2012 International Summit & Exhibition on Health Facility Planning, Design & Construction™ (PDC Summit) in Phoenix, Ariz.

Nverge was developed to improve healthcare provider intelligence through the convergence of disconnected technologies such as building management and automation, physical security, patient interaction and business management.

“Healthcare customers have told us the inability for data to flow across systems within or across departments inhibits their ability to maximize performance,” said Laura Rygielski Preston, vice president of the global healthcare practice at Ingersoll Rand. “With Nverge, healthcare organizations have the power to bring new visibility to chosen applications, make more intelligent business decisions and demonstrate the link of the physical environment to business objectives.”

While creating a connected environment is at the core of the Nverge, aggregating the connected systems data to provide new levels of visualization and decision support is what can truly elevate the performance of healthcare organizations. Whether it is real time situational awareness, or customized dashboards and reports, Nverge enables healthcare organizations to be more informed and better-equipped to make mission critical decisions.

Nverge In Action

Children’s National Medical Center (CNMC) in Washington D.C. is one of the nation’s premier children’s hospitals. But like most hospitals, many of its systems didn’t talk to each other. However, with the investment and implementation of a new human resources system, the need for a connection to other systems was greater than ever to increase staff productivity. “With our transition to PeopleSoft™, we wanted to optimize our operations,” says George Lei, HR Technical and Interface Coordinator at CNMC.

Ingersoll Rand worked with CNMC’s management, physical security and information technology teams to implement Nverge and optimize the connection between their new PeopleSoft system, their existing Schlage access control system and the time and attendance system. According to Keith McGlen, Physical Security Director at CNMC,

“The system integration using Nverge is calculated to reduce data entry hours by 50 percent and data entry errors by 70 percent.”

CNMC also believes the automated communication between the systems that Nverge enables will reduce the risk of previous employees retaining access to secure areas and improve the employee onboarding process. “Nverge has enabled us to look at our opportunities to enhance operations with the systems we have already invested in,” added Doug Myers, CFO and acting COO of CNMC. “We look forward to exploring the full extent of our new connected vision.”

For more information on Nverge, visit www.ingersollrand.com/nverge.

About Ingersoll Rand

Ingersoll Rand (NYSE:IR) is a world leader in creating and sustaining safe, comfortable and efficient environments in commercial, residential and industrial markets. Our people and our family of brands—including Club Car®, Ingersoll Rand®, Schlage®, Thermo King® and Trane®—work together to enhance the quality and comfort of air in homes and buildings, transport and protect food and perishables, secure homes and commercial properties, and increase industrial productivity and efficiency. We are a $14 billion global business committed to sustainable business practices within our company and for our customers. For more information, visit www.ingersollrand.com.

The New Force in Accountable Care Software Set for Unprecedented Growth in 2012

Revolutionary Patient Centered Platform Guiding Light to Accountable Care Organizations

OMAHA, Nebraska (March 1, 2012) – Building on the heritage of the powerful OTTR™ brand, HKS Medical Information Systems announced this week it would officially change the Company’s name to OTTR, Inc. doing business as OTTR™ Chronic Care Solutions.  “Brand recognition is critical in a competitive market. Since the acquisition and recapitalization of HKS, we’ve been visiting customers and they always refer to us as the ‘OTTR guys,’” said OTTR™ Chronic Care Solutions’ CEO, Lou Halperin.  “This happens with our core customers in Solid Organ Transplant as well as with our customers using OTTR as a chronic care solution for tracking long term care of patients in heart failure, nephrology, hepatology, BMT, or VAD. It’s a natural fit for us to become OTTR.”

Over the next few months, OTTR™ Chronic Care Solutions will be releasing a number of solutions that will revolutionize the healthcare industry. OTTR™ software extends the pioneering Accountable Care Organization (ACO) approach of Solid Organ Transplant beyond the transplant center.  Unique chronic care solutions, similar to those already in use, will be released to various markets such as the Advanced Heart Failure segment. The new company name reflects the new product releases targeted at the needs of ACOs and requirements for compliance with the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS).

OTTR™ Chronic Care Solutions will optimize in-hospital and ambulatory Electronic Medical Records(EMR) and Health Information Systems (HIS) by delivering external lab interoperability and long-term continuum of care across a provider’s region or nation. Simultaneously, the solutions will provide customers a proven long-term national care tracking record in answer to CMS, UNOS, AGNIS, INTERMACS, and other regulatory bodies.  These activities will extend the impact of OTTR™ Chronic Care Solutions beyond the transplant enterprise specifically targeting the need to manage the care of patients with chronic conditions across their many providers and to provide appropriate reporting to regulatory bodies for this complex patient population nationwide.

About OTTR™ Chronic Care Solutions

Headquartered in Omaha, Nebraska, OTTR™ Chronic Care Solutions develops unique state-of-the-art software products that improve the quality of patient care, workflow management, and provide operational efficiencies for the healthcare industry. The Company’s premier product, OTTR™, was developed as a break-through patient tracking application and clinical information system (CIS) developed specifically for solid organ transplant centers. OTTR™ has been extended to support bone marrow transplant (BMT), stem cell, ventricular assist devices (VAD), and bariatric surgery.

For more information visit:  www.ottr.com

CenTrak’s unique combination of its highly accurate room and bed-level RTLS with Wi-Fi locating delivers a new alternative for the Healthcare market.

(Newtown, PA – February 22, 2012) CenTrak, a leading provider of Real-Time Location Systems for healthcare, is pleased to announce availability of the first-ever combination Wi-Fi and Second Generation Infrared (Gen2IR™) solution as part of a unique platform that does not compromise on CenTrak’s best-in-class accuracy and performance. For the first time, the healthcare industry can enjoy broad access to Wi-Fi RTLS while having highly accurate Gen2IR technology to satisfy the types of use cases solution providers require for their valuable and innovative offerings.

Early adopters of healthcare RTLS were often caught in a quandary – start with relatively simple to deploy, less accurate technologies with limited ROI, or invest in high accuracy high performance technologies that would unlock the true value of enterprise asset management and patient and staff workflow.  CenTrak’s new platform removes the need for this type of compromise and prevents the dissatisfaction often associated with legacy RFID offerings.

The new platform allows CenTrak’s 100+ solution providers to receive location data from an increasing number of generic Wi-Fi tags and Wi-Fi clients including Computers on Wheels, IV Pumps, and phones. The integration provides the same Gen2IR performance that CenTrak partners and customers have come to rely upon for addressing hi-resolution use-case requirements such as Hand Hygiene Compliance, High Acuity Workflow and Nurse Call Integration.  The result is a future-proof RTLS platform that hospital executives can feel comfortable in choosing as their starting point for any RTLS initiative.

“We are thrilled to be in position to offer a smarter, future-proof RTLS. Our partners’ valuable and often ground breaking RTLS-based solutions can now be easily extended.  We feel privileged to be part of these solutions and to provide hospitals with a world-class platform in terms of scalability, accuracy and performance”, said Dr. Ari Naim, President and CEO of CenTrak.

Stop by CenTrak’s Booth #3272 at HIMSS 2012 in Las Vegas to learn more about the new CenTrak solution.

About CenTrak

CenTrak™ is The Smarter Real-Time Location System™ (RTLS) – the leading provider of precise, adaptable, and cost-effective location solutions for healthcare facilities. The patented CenTrak Hybrid RTLS Technology™ uniquely combines Gen2IR and active-RFID technologies to deliver certainty-based location data, a requirement for workflow and other key healthcare applications. CenTrak delivers unmatched speed, performance and power-efficiency making it a smarter technology investment. www.centrak.com

PC23d wristband and label printer boosts Intermec’s healthcare offerings to help customers improve productivity and patient care

EVERETT, Wash., February 22, 2012 – Intermec, Inc. (NYSE: IN) today announced the PC23d – an intuitive, flexible and smart desktop printer designed to set a new standard for user-friendly, efficient printing operations in healthcare environments. With a compact and purpose-built design, the two-inch PC23d direct thermal printer is ideal for hospital settings and an affordable choice for healthcare organizations performing wristband and labeling applications including patient tracking,  sample and bedside labeling as well as pharmacy and medical records.

“As the healthcare industry continues to face mounting pressure to improve efficiency and accuracy, the PC23d fits perfectly into Intermec’s broad portfolio of healthcare industry solutions, including the recently announced SG20 handheld barcode scanner, designed specifically to address these needs,” said Chuck Dourlet, Intermec Vice President of Printers & Media. “In collaboration with our partners and customers, we have tailored our proven industrial printing capabilities into a desktop printer design optimized for healthcare.”

Ideal for healthcare customers new to barcode printing or who are making the switch from laser or inkjet, the PC23d is designed for quick set-up and trouble-free use. The PC23d is equipped with either a universal Icon interface or color LCD in 10 languages for immediate notifications – ultimately reducing training and support needs without relying on IT.

With the fastest print speed in its class at eight inches per second, simple one-handed media loading and the ability to configure on the spot with a USB flash drive – no computer required – the PC23d is ideal for the fast-paced healthcare environment. It’s also optimized with a disinfectant resistant case, built to resist chemicals and cleaners. Additionally, Intermec’s INband wristband media offers a tested and proven wristband solution with the ability to withstand repeated exposure to moisture, water and sanitizers.

The PC23d keeps IT administrators informed and productive with remote status update tools to minimize downtime. It also offers off-the-shelf compatibility and certifications with a wide range of healthcare software applications to enable users to be up and running quickly, with minimal IT support. Additionally, each printer comes with its own webpage for easy remote device management via the Internet.

The PC23d takes a modular approach to connectivity, so it will easily fit into existing network environments. USB comes standard along with optional user installable serial, parallel, secure Ethernet and dual wireless card with Bluetooth and CCX-compliant 802.11 b/g/n.  The PC23d is also available with HF RFID for tracking high-risk patients and valuable assets.

“The new PC23d will offer our customers a reliable patient ID solution that makes wristband printing easier and more cost-effective than laser solutions,” said Kathy Lawson, President of SK&T Integration, Inc. “The small foot print of the PC23d, coupled with its reliability and ease of use, makes it a great fit for healthcare providers.”

“Intermec’s new PC23d wristband and label printer for health care is empowering to both the user and the health care organization (HCO),” said Drew Nathanson, Vice President of AutoID at VDC Research Group. “Its feature set and capabilities not only enhances usability for the multi-tasking, ever-busy health care worker, but it also enables the HCO to adapt and future proof.”

For more information, visit www.intermec.com. To follow more from Intermec, visit Intermec’s Trends & Technology blog, www.intermec.com/realtime, or www.twitter.com/intermec.

About Intermec

Intermec Inc. (NYSE:IN) develops and integrates products, services and technologies that identify, track and manage supply chain assets and information. Core technologies include rugged mobile computing and data collection systems, voice solutions that increase business performance, bar code printers, label media, and RFID. The Company’s products and services are used by customers in many industries worldwide to improve the productivity, quality and responsiveness of business operations. For more information about Intermec, visit www.intermec.com or call 800-347-2636.

In today’s hospitals, new health reform guidelines and value-added functionality like digital signage and clinical display applications are transforming the healthcare display space. Advances in technology and evolving hospital and healthcare missions have created a paradigm shift for hospital administrators, facilities directors and other decision-makers, who now are investing in hospital-grade display solutions that extend beyond the basic entertainment function.

Today Panasonic is announcing a white paper by BizTechReports titled “Digital Concierge: Flat Panel Display Technologies In Hospital Settings Serve As Ubiquitous Point Of Interaction Among Patients, Families, Healthcare Professionals And Hospital Administration,” that explores the role modern flat panel display technology can play in supporting the core mission of hospitals and other healthcare facilities to improve patient experience and care outcomes.

The white paper will be exclusively available at the Panasonic HIMSS booth during the show. Following the show, the report will be available for download from the Panasonic website at: http://www.panasonic.com/business/toughbook/pdf/PSC_Digital_Concierge.pdf.

Advances in technology and evolving hospital missions have created a paradigm shift for decision makers, investing in hospital-grade display solutions that extend beyond the basic entertainment function

LAS VEGAS, NV (February 21, 2012) – Panasonic, a provider of professional plasma and LCD display and digital signage solutions, today announced the release of a white paper exploring the role modern flat panel display technology can play in supporting the core mission of hospitals and other healthcare facilities to improve patient experience and care outcomes. The report is being released during the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference & Exhibition, February 20 – 24, 2012 in Las Vegas, NV and will be available exclusively at the Panasonic booth (#3907) during the show.  Following HIMSS, the white paper can be downloaded from the Panasonic website.

The white paper “Digital Concierge: Flat Panel Display Technologies In Hospital Settings Serve As Ubiquitous Point Of Interaction Among Patients, Families, Healthcare Professionals And Hospital Administration,” highlights the growing market and application examples for professional display technology in healthcare. The study, authored by BizTechReports, found growing evidence that taking a strategic and integrated approach to deploying a professional display solution, in tandem with other clinical and digital signage applications, creates a real value proposition for hospitals and healthcare facilities.

In today’s hospitals, where new health reform guidelines and value-added functionality like digital signage and clinical display applications are transforming the healthcare display space, even consumer-grade flat-panels are not enough. Advances in technology and evolving hospital and healthcare missions have created a paradigm shift for hospital administrators, facilities directors and other decision-makers, who now are investing in hospital-grade display solutions that extend beyond the basic entertainment function.

“Panasonic recognizes the power and potential of professional display technology. In today’s high-tech hospital environments, professional displays can be leveraged to increase communication and collaboration hospital-wide,” noted Brian Simmons, Panasonic Healthcare Area Sales Manager. ”Panasonic commissioned this white paper, in an attempt to share a deeper understanding of how digital signage and display technology can impact a healthcare organization,  with healthcare administrators, IT managers, AV departments and stakeholders.

Whether hospital-grade or professional, flat panel displays are not simply tools for infotainment or digital signage. These displays represent an opportunity for healthcare providers to engage with patients and their families to advance the core mission of a hospital facility, which is of course, to take care of patients and help them to achieve healthy outcomes.

Download the Full Report

The white paper will be exclusively available at the Panasonic HIMSS booth during the show. Following the show, the report will be available for download from the Panasonic website at: http://www.panasonic.com/business/toughbook/pdf/PSC_Digital_Concierge.pdf.

Visit Panasonic at HIMSS (booth #3907)

During the HIMSS Annual Conference & Exhibition, Panasonic will highlight its LRH30 Series of hospital-grade, in-room patient displays and digital signage solutions. The company’s booth will also feature areas attempting to replicate various hospital environments, including a nurses station, operating room, lobby, patient room and conference room. In these environments, Panasonic will showcase its full suite of healthcare solution, including Toughbook and Toughpad mobile computers, projectors, medical-grade monitors and recorders, full HD visual communication systems and surveillance cameras. Booth visitors will have the chance to win prizes including a Panasonic Toughpad, a 50” Panasonic Viera® HDTV, and several smaller instant giveaway items.

Panasonic Solutions for Business

Through its broad range of integrated business technology solutions, Panasonic empowers professionals to do their best work. Customers in government, healthcare, production, education and a wide variety of commercial enterprises, large and small, depend on integrated solutions from Panasonic to reach their full potential, achieve competitive advantage and improve outcomes. The complete suite of Panasonic solutions addresses unified business communications, mobile computing, security and surveillance systems, retail information systems, office productivity solutions, high definition visual conferencing, projectors, professional displays and HD and 3D video production. As a result of its commitment to R&D, manufacturing and quality control, Panasonic engineers reliable and long-lasting solutions as a partner for continuous improvement. Panasonic solutions for business are delivered by Panasonic System Communications Company of North America, Division of Panasonic Corporation of North America, the principal North American subsidiary of Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC).

All brand and company/product names are trademarks or registered trademarks of the respective companies. All specifications are subject to change without notice. Information on Panasonic solutions for business can be obtained by calling 877-803-8492 or at www.panasonic.com.

About Panasonic Corporation of North America

Based in Secaucus, NJ, Panasonic Corporation of North America provides a broad line of digital and other electronics products and services for consumer, business and industrial use. The company is the principal North American subsidiary of Osaka, Japan-based Panasonic Corporation (NYSE: PC), and the hub of Panasonic’s U.S. branding, marketing, sales, service and R&D operations.  Panasonic was the only Consumer Electronics company to be listed in the top ten brands on the Interbrand Best Global Green Brands 2011 ranking (http://www.interbrand.com/en/best-global-brands/Best-Global-Green-Brands/2011-Report/BestGlobalGreenBrandsTable-2011.aspx).  As part of its continuing efforts to reduce its carbon footprint, Panasonic Corporation of North America will relocate its operations to a new eco-efficient office tower adjacent to a mass transit hub in Newark, NJ in 2013.  Information about Panasonic Eco Ideas initiatives is available at http://panasonic.net/eco/ecoideas/.  Information about Panasonic and its products is available at www.panasonic.com. Additional company information for journalists is also available at www.panasonic.com/pressroom.

At HIMSS today, global technology distributor Avnet Technology Solutions announced that it will help to bring Oracle’s Health Sciences solutions to small and midsize hospitals. These solutions focus on accountable care, electronic health records and healthcare information exchange, and include Oracle’s Healthcare Information Exchange and Oracle Enterprise Healthcare Analytics solutions.  Avnet will bring these solutions to hospitals through its community of experienced healthcare IT solution providers who understand how technology can be used to solve the business challenges facing small and midsize hospitals.

Avnet’s experienced healthcare IT solution provider community to help small and midsize hospitals implement accountable care, electronic health records and healthcare information exchange solutions

HIMSS 2012 – Las Vegas, Nev. – February 21 , 2012 — Avnet Technology Solutions, the global IT solutions distribution leader and an operating group of Avnet, Inc. (NYSE: AVT), announced today that it is now authorized to distribute Oracle’s Health Sciences solutions in the U.S. and Canada, including Oracle’s Healthcare Information Exchange and Oracle Enterprise Healthcare Analytics solutions.

Based on Avnet’s proven ability to develop and foster an ecosystem of highly-skilled healthcare IT solution provider partners through its SolutionsPath® methodology and HealthPath® practice, Oracle’s Health Sciences has authorized Avnet to distribute these specialized solutions. Under this agreement, Avnet will support a uniquely qualified team of healthcare IT solution providers and enable them to solve the business challenges facing small and midsize hospitals related to accountable care, electronic health records (EHRs) and health information exchanges (HIEs).

“Interoperability and business intelligence are top IT priorities facing the healthcare industry in 2012 and for the foreseeable future,” said Chris Swahn, vice president and general manager for Avnet Technology Solutions, Americas’ Oracle Solutions group. “Federal mandates and patient demands all point toward an increasing need for hospitals and healthcare providers to share data electronically while still ensuring patient privacy and data security. Avnet is working with Oracle to foster a core team of knowledgeable solution providers that can help small and midsize hospitals prepare for the changing IT landscape. Our partners have the in-depth healthcare expertise and deep data center experience needed to create complete technology solutions that address the business intelligence needs associated with accountable care, EHRs and HIEs.”

Avnet partners providing Oracle Healthcare Information Exchange and Oracle Enterprise Healthcare Analytics solutions to hospitals have honed their industry insight through Avnet’s SolutionsPath practices. These practices include an end-to-end engagement process with strategic planning consultation on high-growth vertical markets and data center technology areas. They also offer access to industry experts, business analytics and other supportive resources, including specific training related to vertical markets. For example, Avnet’s healthcare practice includes HealthPath University, which has been educating partners on the specialized healthcare industry since 2006. Additionally, Avnet offers a week-long HealthPath University Internship held on-site at Scottsdale Healthcare hospitals. This unique program takes participants into a hospital to provide a true “on-the-job” educational experience. The curriculum is structured to enable participants to view the realities of the healthcare world through the eyes of patients and healthcare professionals and to provide a better understanding of the challenges healthcare providers face every day.

“The ability to effectively and seamlessly manage, exchange and analyze health data is fundamental to healthcare transformation. IT environment complexity, security concerns and regulatory requirements, however, often present formidable challenges,” said Neil de Crescenzo, senior vice president and general manager, Oracle Health Sciences. “Oracle Healthcare Information Exchange and Oracle Enterprise Healthcare Analytics solutions help hospitals overcome these challenges by unlocking the operational and medical value of electronic information. Avnet and its solution provider community are well qualified to bring these solutions to small and midsize hospitals.”

Participating partners will also be able to leverage Avnet’s Data Center Lifecycle Services to provide hospitals with complete IT solutions. These services span the entire IT lifecycle, including planning, acquisition, integration, deployment, management and disposal of IT assets.

Avnet is a Platinum level member in Oracle Partner Network (OPN) and helps its partners quickly obtain Oracle Health Sciences specialization through its exclusive Under Our Wing program. Avnet will also provide training and certification assistance to participating partners related to Oracle HIE and Analytics Solutions. Additionally, Avnet’s Under Our Wing program will enable partners to demonstrate to hospitals the benefits of incorporating the Oracle Exadata Database Machine into their data center and IT environments, both in-person and virtually.

Supporting Partner Quotes

“In today’s healthcare industry, a robust integrated data warehouse that enables actionable analytics is a must,” said Lisa Davis, CEO, Analytics Partners. “It is no longer okay just to capture the information. Now, healthcare organizations must also integrate and produce actionable analytics that enable the business and medical units to make the right decisions at the right time. We see Avnet and Oracle’s collaboration within the healthcare industry as a great advantage not only for us as a partner, but for our customers as well. Avnet and Oracle are providing the capabilities and industry expertise that enable all of us to innovate the way healthcare providers utilize their IT environments.”

“BizTech was selected to be a partner in this initiative because of our deep expertise in implementing advanced analytic solutions based on Oracle technology,” said Tom Connolly, president and CEO, BizTech. “The Avnet and Oracle’s health sciences initiative addresses a critical need for healthcare providers, particularly around Health Sciences Analytics, and offers a tremendous opportunity to combine Oracle product leadership with BizTech domain expertise. BizTech’s mission has been to provide business value through the use of technology. Being part of the health sciences initiative with Avnet and Oracle gives us the opportunity to expand that mission to provide solutions that can have a tangible impact on health outcomes for patients.”

“There is a lot of excitement at Enkitec around Avnet’s new healthcare initiatives,” said Wade Nicolas, president, Enkitec, LP. “Regulatory and other pressures are driving up demand for solutions that protect and manage healthcare data. Avnet is leading the pack by including truly innovative programs with great support for services companies that round out their offerings with products from Oracle.”

“Our business partnership with Avnet has allowed us to grow our business exponentially,” said Wayne Owens, CEO, Health IT2. “Avnet has the comprehensive end-to-end healthcare initiatives, unparalleled services and support offerings for its partner network that enable us to successfully target this highly specialized market. Avnet’s new health sciences initiative with Oracle will help us take our business to the next level and meet the dynamic challenges the healthcare industry will face over the next 20 years.”

“LCN has specific expertise in all levels of meaningful use in the highly-specialized healthcare market,” said Phil Stiles, managing partner, LCN Services, LLC. “Our long-term relationships with both Avnet and Oracle position LCN perfectly with the capabilities to provide complete integration and security solutions for clinical and financial healthcare applications that help our customers meet the ever-changing requirements in healthcare.”

“With technology constantly evolving, the healthcare industry is very exciting! Maplesoft is committed to growing our healthcare industry expertise,” said Jack Gulas, chief technology officer, Maplesoft Group. “We fundamentally believe that the improvements in electronic health records will improve overall Canadian patient care while protecting patients’ sensitive medical data. By participating in this unique health science initiative with Avnet and Oracle, Maplesoft can fast track our time to market by leveraging Avnet’s SolutionsPath® industry best practices and Oracle’s proven technology to create customized solutions for Canadian healthcare providers.”

At HIMSS 2012, visit Avnet Technology Solutions at booth #1463.

Follow Avnet Technology Solutions, North America, on Twitter: http://twitter.com/AvnetAdvantage

About Avnet Technology Solutions

As a global IT solutions distributor, Avnet Technology Solutions collaborates with its customers and suppliers to create and deliver services, software and hardware solutions that address the business needs of their end-user customers locally and around the world. For fiscal year 2011, the group served customers in more than 70 countries and generated US $11.5 billion in annual revenue. Avnet Technology Solutions (www.ats.avnet.com) is an operating group of Avnet, Inc.

About Avnet

Avnet, Inc. (NYSE:AVT), a Fortune 500 company, is one of the largest distributors of electronic components, computer products and embedded technology serving customers in more than 70 countries worldwide. Avnet accelerates its partners’ success by connecting the world’s leading technology suppliers with a broad base of more than 100,000 customers by providing cost-effective, value-added services and solutions. For the fiscal year ended July 2, 2011, Avnet generated revenue of $26.5 billion. For more information, visit www.avnet.com.

Today, CareFusion announced the introduction of three new applications that will enable easier use of infusion pumps at hospital bedside. helps bridge the gap between medical devices, patient EMRs, and a hospital’s HIT system. Now hospitals have the information they need to drive workflow efficiencies and improve clinical practice.

New Alaris® infusion technologies to be featured at Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Conference, booth #2855

SAN DIEGO, Feb. 21, 2012 /PRNewswire/ — CareFusion today announced new Alaris® infusion technologies, connectivity services and analytics offerings to improve interoperability with health care information technology (HIT) systems and help health care providers increase efficiency and deliver better patient care.

The new solutions from CareFusion include three applications in its Alaris Connectivity Services portfolio, part of the CareFusion Coordination Engine, to enable clinicians to pre-populate infusion parameters, automate infusion documentation and better manage their fleet of infusion pumps. The company also announced new data, analytics and reporting capabilities to support clinical workflows through its Alaris Infusion Viewer for Pharmacy Logistics, Knowledge Portal for infusion technology and a mobile-ready version of its Knowledge Portal for ventilation therapy.

These new technologies join a broad offering of CareFusion solutions that benefit pharmacy, nursing, respiratory therapy, quality and information technology (IT) departments by:

• Enabling a safer, more efficient workflow for medication management and administration;
• Equipping health care providers with real-time and retrospective data and analytics to improve clinical practice and workflows; and,
• Advancing interoperability between CareFusion’s medical systems and HIT providers to enable more accurate and timely documentation of clinical therapies into hospitals’ electronic medical records (EMRs).

“In today’s evolving health care landscape, interoperability between devices and information systems is among our customers’ most critical priorities,” said Tom Leonard, president of Medical Systems at CareFusion. “As a leader in critical care devices for acute care hospitals, CareFusion is uniquely able to equip customers with actionable information that helps bridge the gap between medical devices and a hospital’s HIT system. Armed with these insights, hospitals have the information they need to drive workflow efficiencies and improve clinical practice.”

The three new applications on the Alaris Connectivity Services platform, which enables hospitals to enhance infusion safety, workflow and quality through wireless interoperability between the company’s Alaris Connectivity Gateway, HIT systems and EMRs, include:

• Infusion Parameter Pre-population, helping to improve patient safety and reduce medication administration errors by enabling pharmacists to remotely program IV medication orders on the Alaris® System. This application reduces the number of manual steps required to program an infusion order, helping to improve clinician workflow and reduce the risk of harmful and costly IV medication programming errors at the patient’s bedside.
• Infusion Documentation, automating IV medication administration documentation from the Alaris System to the patient’s EMR, equipping health care providers with more timely and accurate infusion data to aid in clinical decision-making.
• Asset Management, helping hospitals automate equipment inventory management by providing online visibility to the location, status and availability of each Alaris System within a facility. This application is integrated with a Wi-Fi-based Real-Time Location System from AeroScout, a global market leader in Enterprise Visibility solutions for health care and other industries.

Both the Infusion Parameter Pre-population and Asset Management applications are in limited market release and are anticipated to be commercially available in the coming months.

CareFusion also announced the Alaris Infusion Viewer for Pharmacy Logistics, a Web-based dashboard that displays Alaris infusion data from around the hospital or health system and provides near real-time* status of infusions administered through the Alaris System. Using the Alaris Infusion Viewer for Pharmacy Logistics, pharmacists can make timely, informed decisions to improve pharmacy workflow and medication management specific to infusion preparation and management.

In addition, the company recently expanded its CareFusion Knowledge Portal platform beyond its offering for Pyxis® dispensing technologies to include ventilation therapy and infusion technologies:

• The Knowledge Portal for ventilation therapy is an analytics and reporting tool that measures clinical and process variability in ventilator therapy and provides clinicians and management actionable information to help improve patient care. The reporting capabilities, accessible from any Web-enabled device, focus on ventilator weaning and notifications on important patient trends to measure compliance with or variance from best practices.
• The Knowledge Portal for infusion technologies is a Web-based analytics and reporting tool pharmacists and clinicians can use to access retrospective infusion device data. These insights can help health care providers develop safer medication practices, improve clinical practice and increase infusion workflow efficiency.

“These technologies are among more than 10 innovative new products CareFusion has announced in the past three months,” added Leonard. “At the same time, we continue to develop and strengthen our partnerships with HIT providers to further promote interoperability. These combined efforts reflect our ongoing commitment to bring to market solutions that help meet our customers’ evolving needs to increase safety, improve efficiency and lower operating costs.”

Other recently announced CareFusion technologies featured this week at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society conference in booth #2855 include:

• CareFusion Coordination Engine, a single, fault tolerant interface engine for CareFusion products connected to a hospital’s network. This solution enables both hospitals and health systems to significantly reduce the number of interface connections that a customer needs to create and maintain for multiple dispensing systems, infusion pumps and ventilators within their facilities, simplifying the ability to integrate with a hospital’s EMR.
• Pyxis Enterprise System (ES) platform, the company’s next-generation automated dispensing platform that provides flexible, enterprise-ready solutions for centralized system management across a health system. Notable product releases on the platform are the Pyxis® Enterprise Server and Pyxis MedStation® ES system, which help streamline workflow processes across IT, pharmacy and nursing to enable safer medication management and increased cost control.
• Interoperability between Pyxis medication and supply technologies and HIT systems, helping hospitals improve nursing and pharmacy productivity by minimizing redundant processes, documentation and disruptions and enabling caregivers to automatically capture and manage patient data to help improve patient care, workflow efficiency and financial performance.
• CareFusion Ventilation System, which combines its industry-leading AVEA®, VELA® and EnVE™ ventilators with interoperability and analytics software to better address the clinical and operational challenges and costly variances in patient care. The software includes the CareFusion Respiratory Documentation Application, a handheld, positive patient ID application that automates the collection of ventilator documentation data at the point of care, and then wirelessly transmits it to a hospital’s EMR system to more accurately and efficiently document the patient’s therapy.

About CareFusion

CareFusion (NYSE: CFN) is a global corporation serving the health care industry with products and services that help hospitals measurably improve the safety and quality of care. The company develops market-leading technologies including Alaris® infusion pumps, Pyxis® automated dispensing and patient identification systems, AVEA®, AirLife™ and LTV® series ventilation and respiratory products, ChloraPrep® skin prep products, MedMined® services for data mining surveillance, Nicolet™ neurological monitoring and diagnostic products, V. Mueller® surgical instruments, and an extensive line of products that support interventional medicine. CareFusion employs more than 14,000 people across its global operations. More information may be found at www.carefusion.com.