Hospitals and Health Systems News

BURLINGTON, VT–(Marketwire – December 9, 2010) – Marathon Health today announced that health program engagement rates achieved for Accellent, Inc exceeded prediction by 27%. Marathon Health achieved a 97% engagement rate of the target population identified in March 2009 as being at high risk for a chronic condition or who had an existing chronic condition. The Marathon Health definition of engagement is any person who has met with the nurse health coach and selected a risk- or condition-related goal to work on with health coaching as appropriate.

Accellent, a leading supplier of supply chain solutions to the medical device industry, offers its employees face-to-face health assessments and health risk reduction coaching at their 15 US locations. Marathon Health provides these services with traveling nurses who visit Accellent sites at regularly scheduled intervals. Marathon Health also provides onsite health services at three of Accellent’s sites.

“Achieving this rate of engagement with a distributed workforce can be attributed to several factors,” said Tricia McCall, Accellent Vice President of Human Resources. “We have strong program champions at the local level to coordinate the activities. We offer an incentive program to get people involved with the screenings and assessments. And through Marathon Health, we provide high-quality coaching and outreach programs. Together, these factors combine to create the level of involvement we are seeing. This effort is one more way we are staying true to our company vision of ‘Helping People Live Better Lives’.”

The focus on engaging individuals with health risk factors has played an important role in the -3% medical trend experience at Accellent.

“It is well documented that individuals with high risk factors, such as hypertension, smoking, and obesity, will consume healthcare resources at two — five times the rate of a healthy person,” said David Demers, MPH, director of strategic planning at Marathon Health. “And while the numbers speak volumes, the real success is found in the hundreds of individual stories of employees who have improved their health. That is what we are most proud of at Marathon Health.”

About Accellent
Accellent provides fully integrated outsourced manufacturing and engineering services to the medical device industry in the cardiology, endoscopy and orthopaedic markets. Accellent has broad capabilities in design and engineering services, precision component fabrication, finished device assembly and complete supply chain management solutions. These capabilities enhance our customers’ speed to market and their return on investment by allowing them to focus their internal resources more efficiently. For more information, please visit www.accellent.com .

About Marathon Health
Marathon Health of Colchester, VT, offers a proven solution for helping employers reduce the total cost of healthcare. The Marathon Health approach integrates the best practices of onsite primary care, health assessment with risk identification, coaching and advocacy, and disease management for high cost chronic conditions. Marathon Health supports its unique model with an eHealth Portal delivering medical content, interactive diet and fitness tools, a personal health record, and an electronic medical record to manage care. For more information, please visit www.marathon-health.com.

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CHICAGO, IL–(Marketwire – December 8, 2010) – Marketwire announces that the following releases were included in the Health/Fitness/Wellness Features Package. Below is the list of headlines included in the package.

EmpowHER Offers Resources to Help Women Manage Holiday Stress
http://www.marketwire.com/press-release/EmpowHER-1365614.html

Marketwire’s Media Relations Department serves the information needs of the media. As a liaison between the media and Marketwire clients, our Media Relations team utilizes a variety of means to ensure that journalists, analysts and online communities receive news and information on companies, industries and topics of interest in the formats and via the distribution mechanisms they desire. To that end, our Media Relations staff, located throughout North America, the UK and Asia, manages relationships with media around the world, specializing efforts across 140 vertical industries, traditional and specialty markets, and various media.

NEW YORK, NY–(Marketwire – December 8, 2010) – Labs using DNA sequencers are more concerned with accuracy than cost in future purchases, according to a survey conducted by Kalorama Information. The healthcare market research publisher reported the survey findings in its recent report, “DNA Sequencing Market Trends (Kalorama Survey of Labs Using Next-Gen and Capillary Systems).”

“A significant number of respondents chose accuracy over cost, ease-of-use or speed,” said Justin Saeks, Kalorama Information’s biotech analyst and author of the report. “This was true both for labs using first-gen or next-gen systems.”

The Kalorama Information survey of 120 laboratories using next-gen and capillary systems was carried out from July to September of 2010, with the majority in the latter portion. About 70% of the labs were academic; the remainders were hospital, government or independent labs. 70% of the hospitals were in North America, 12% in Europe and 18% in ROW. The bulk of respondents were core labs with more than a third doing contract work. Respondents were asked for the most important criteria in considering a new sequencer purchase. Accuracy rated highest for 78.8% of respondents. Cost per sample run was also important, rating second as a criterion with 63.6% of respondents. 

Kalorama Information found that the preference for accuracy occurred regardless of whether the survey respondent used a 454, SOLID, Illumina or Capillary System. Saeks, who has been analyzing sequencer markets for the past decade, was not surprised at the ranking of accuracy over other qualities in purchasing new sequencers.

“One of the things we heard from respondents was that accuracy is proportionately more important because in sequencing the margin of error is low,” said Saeks. “Even a .01% error rate adds up to a lot. And accuracy drives other areas — a clean sequence, for instance, will enable software algorithms to work well.”

Kalorama Information has been covering developments in the DNA sequencing markets since 2007. More information on this report, “DNA Sequencing Market Trends (Kalorama Survey of Labs Using Next-Gen and Capillary Systems),” can be found at: http://www.kaloramainformation.com/redirect.asp?progid=80130&productid=2657156.

About Kalorama Information
Kalorama Information supplies the latest in independent market research in the life sciences, as well as a full range of custom research services. We routinely assist the media with healthcare topics. Follow us on Twitter (http://www.twitter.com/KaloramaInfo) and LinkedIn (http://www.linkedin.com/groups?gid=2177845&trk=hb_side_g).

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PRINCETON, NJ–(Marketwire – December 7, 2010) – More employers and insurance companies are providing domestic medical travel incentives such as waived deductibles; coinsurance plans and covered travel expenses if employees will simply travel within the United States for healthcare travel or to another region or city for medical care. “The savings are significant and therefore insurers and third party administrators are partnering with healthcare providers for new revenue sources, especially in these times of reduced revenues thanks to healthcare reform,” said David Goldstein, president of Health Options Worldwide (HOW), an online medical tourism agency that provides high-quality low-cost healthcare options domestically and internationally.

In fact, large employers are negotiating with American hospitals located in other states and encouraging employees to seek healthcare for major illnesses and surgeries in other regions of the country. “Employers are partnering with insurance companies and hospitals to save money on their employee health plans,” said Goldstein. “They are accomplishing this by negotiating single rate packages with high-quality hospitals in other states, to include all fees for medical services in a single treatment program.”

Employers who adopt “domestic medical travel” can reduce healthcare costs 20-40% simply by referring employees to American facilities with higher-quality care and lower negotiated prices than in their own hometown. Health industry analysts believe that medical tourism, and more specifically domestic medical travel, could improve overall quality of care and help drive down costs with national competition.

Healthcare savings in domestic medical travel programs are realized from lower prices, which are negotiated between the company and the out-of-state hospital. Reduced complications from procedures performed at these high-quality hospitals also help the bottom line. Follow-up care is handled at the local hospital and covered as part of the treatment program, under the company’s insurance plan.

“Domestic medical travel is not a new concept as employers and insurers have always referred patients to high-quality facilities elsewhere for complex procedures,” said Goldstein. As healthcare costs continue to rise nationwide, domestic medical travel is a way for major employees to control escalating costs and provide their employees with the best quality care.

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SCOTTSDALE, AZ–(Marketwire – December 7, 2010) – Stat Health Services Inc. and Scottsdale Healthcare announced today that they are offering Stat Health’s innovative STAT DOCTORS™ eHealth service as a supplemental health and wellness benefit for Scottsdale Healthcare’s employees and their covered dependents. 

Scottsdale Healthcare is the city of Scottsdale’s largest employer, operating three hospitals, a cancer center and several ambulatory care facilities with approximately 10,000 covered lives included in its employee medical plan. The agreement is Stat Health Services’ first contract with a major employer.

Like a virtual house call, STAT DOCTORS offers online on-demand care from a physician for many non-emergency minor illnesses or conditions. Effective today, Scottsdale Healthcare is launching the new employee benefit, just in time for the cold and flu season.

“With STAT DOCTORS our health plan participants will have the convenience of online access to board certified emergency physicians for care of common minor medical conditions, any time of the day or night. We believe this will be a popular benefit that our employees will take advantage of when they need care,” says Carol Henderson, senior vice president/chief talent officer for Scottsdale Healthcare.

55 percent of the 114 million visits to an emergency room are for non-emergencies¹. STAT DOCTORS leverages the Internet, advanced and proprietary technologies — including secure single sign-on, electronic health records (EHRs), ePrescribing and video conferencing — to bring patients a modern day virtual house call for treating minor medical emergencies.

By offering STAT DOCTORS, employers may benefit from increased employee satisfaction and retention, reduced employee absenteeism and decreased costs. Hospital employers such as Scottsdale Healthcare are also expected to benefit from their employees utilizing the STAT DOCTORS eHealth service for urgent care needs instead of hospital emergency rooms.

“In the past, patients had no choice but to either delay treatment or waste precious time and money waiting in emergency rooms or urgent care centers, exposed to seasonal viruses,” explains Alan C. Roga, M.D., Chairman and CEO of Stat Health. “Our STAT DOCTORS service solves this problem by using advanced technologies to provide convenient access to quality health care, 24 hours a day, 7 days a week.”

¹ “Addressing the Problem of Low Acuity Non-Emergent ER Visits,” Mercer Human Resources Consulting, January 2006.

About Scottsdale Healthcare
Scottsdale Healthcare is the community-based, nonprofit parent organization of the Scottsdale Healthcare Osborn Medical Center, Scottsdale Healthcare Shea Medical Center and Scottsdale Healthcare Thompson Peak Hospital, Virginia G. Piper Cancer Center at Scottsdale Healthcare, Scottsdale Healthcare Research Institute and Scottsdale Healthcare Foundation. A leader in medical innovation, talent and technology, Scottsdale Healthcare was founded in 1962 and is based in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, visit www.shc.org.

About Stat Health Services Inc.
Stat Health Services Inc. is an eHealth services company. Its STAT DOCTORS™ service provides members convenient and affordable online access to emergency medicine physicians for the diagnosis and treatment of urgent common minor medical conditions. STAT DOCTORS™ brings patients a modern day virtual house call. By providing such features as a secure single sign-on, a virtual waiting room, online medical consultations (eVisits), electronic health records (EHRs), and electronic prescribing (ePrescribing), STAT DOCTORS™ delivers a personalized, secure and superior health care experience. Stat Health’s network of emergency medicine physicians includes top board certified physicians who share a passion for delivering high quality health care, efficiently and effectively, by using the Internet and advanced technologies to treat today’s connected patients. Stat Health is headquartered in Scottsdale, Arizona. For more information, visit www.STATDOCTORS.com.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI–(Marketwire – December 7, 2010) – St. Clair Hospital Outpatient Surgery Center in Pittsburgh, PA has selected the Versus Advantages Real-time Locating System (RTLS) from Versus Technology, Inc. (Versus) (PINKSHEETS: VSTI) to improve nurse-to-patient assignment and continue automated nurse call cancellation functionality throughout the 34,000 sq. ft. same-day surgical center. The center anticipates an increase in patient volume and looked to RTLS automation to enhance workflow processes.

Versus has provided location information, call cancellation and patient flow to St. Clair for many years. This was primarily to automate a separate system (part nurse call, part scheduling) provided by a nurse call vendor that no longer fully supports the product. The Outpatient Surgery Center genuinely relied on this system for displaying patient and nurse location, assigning nurses to patients and patient readiness. However, the system required manual data entry and is no longer supported.

Working with Intelligent Electronic Systems, Inc. (IES), the local Pittsburgh GE Telligence dealer, Versus designed a new solution for St. Clair which utilizes much of their existing RTLS network, retains well-liked features from their old system and automates several additional features to improve patient care and efficiency. The most notable of these features is Versus’ new Schedule View, which offers caregivers a consolidated view of scheduled appointments and other applicable data. It can be sorted by provider or date, allowing users to filter information relevant to their own responsibilities. This view is an extension of Versus’ Enterprise View, which provides real-time, Glance-and-Go^™ clinical information on Floorplans, List Views, Wait Views, etc.

Versus automates nurse-to-patient assignments based on a nurse’s physical presence in the patient room. However, St. Clair’s process required assignment of nurses to patients the night before based on the patient’s acuity and the nurse’s expertise or skill level. The current day’s appointments and assignments are then displayed in a single view. St. Clair’s current system was not equipped to address their pre-staffing requirement, so Versus developed and delivered this capability. Versus receives an inbound HL7 message from St. Clair’s Account Manager Patient Financial Management system allowed current scheduling procedures to be maintained while extending necessary features for nurse pre-assignment and automated nurse notification upon patient arrival.

Additionally, St. Clair’s staff will transition from relying on nurse call lights to determine patient readiness to the web-based Versus Advantages solution. This allows all staff, including those in other departments like radiology or surgery, to determine patient readiness and room availability. Staff will continue to benefit from real-time locating of patients, staff and equipment, as well as wait time alerts and the traditional automated nurse registry and call cancellation that results from Versus’ integration to any nurse call system.

Versus is working closely with St. Clair’s HIS staff (contracted Allscripts employees) and IES to finalize the workflow process that will drive their Enterprise interfaces and communication configurations to pagers.

About St. Clair Hospital
St. Clair Hospital is an independent, acute care facility that provides advanced, high quality health care to more than 400,000 residents of southwestern Pennsylvania. With 525 physicians and more than 2,000 employees, St. Clair is the largest employer in Pittsburgh’s South Hills. Providing virtually every health care service that residents might need throughout their lives, the Hospital combines advanced technologies with exceptional medical expertise to ensure that the community’s health needs are met. For more information, please visit www.stclair.org.

About IES
IES is a life safety sales and service company. They provide Fire Alarm Systems, Nurse Call Systems, CCTV/Security Systems, Access Control Systems, and Fire Alarm Testing/Service Agreements. IES has been chosen by GE Healthcare above all others as their preferred healthcare communication systems company in Southwestern Pennsylvania.

About Versus Technology, Inc.
Established in 1988, Versus Technology, Inc. specializes in real-time location systems (RTLS) for healthcare. Used for enterprise patient tracking, bed management, asset tracking, and nurse call automation, Versus Advantages™ improves patient flow and documentation of caregiver and patient interactions, while enhancing communication and efficiency. Exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association, the Versus Advantages infrared (IR) and Active RFID solution is responsible for clinical-grade location and automation at a number of hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities worldwide. To learn more about Versus Technology, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: VSTI), our technology and client successes, visit www.versustech.com and take the Advantages Tour.

Safe Harbor Provision
This release may include forward-looking statements which “bespeak caution,” and which are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The statements are made only as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

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HOUSTON, TX–(Marketwire – December 7, 2010) – StepStoneMed™, the emerging leader in innovative solutions for medical education, today announced a new and innovative virtual patient module, Classic Cardiac Codes^©. Designed to teach the latest advancements in Advanced Cardiac Life Support (ACLS), Classic Cardiac Codes is a series of web-based interactive lessons designed to teach clinical medicine to students and physicians. The module features ten virtual-patient encounters specifically created to advance learning and retention of some of the most urgent conditions faced by healthcare professionals, regardless of their area of specialization. Traditional resources in medical education and CME are text-based and often dry and boring. StepStoneMed lessons feature memorable, well-developed characters designed to personify the medical conditions they each represent. Learners are guided by the “StepStones,” a navigational progress bar and electronic flashcard system, designed to teach and reinforce the correct sequence of evidence-based medical management decisions. Each case ends with a review of the appropriate protocols, standards of care, and additional resources for the learner. Preliminary studies have demonstrated that medical students using StepStoneMed test at significantly higher levels of mastery and retain their knowledge longer than students depending on traditional methods alone.

Medicine is best learned at the bedside, where book-based facts about diseases, symptoms, and appropriate interventions are translated into patient-based knowledge. Unfortunately, exposure to patients with a variety of conditions is severely limited during traditional medical education. The result is insecure young doctors, inefficient patient care, and escalating costs for diagnostic testing. StepStoneMed has been designed specifically to address this limitation, using the proven educational psychology principles and the latest e-learning technologies.

“This novel approach to medical education incorporates the best of how students, residents and practicing physicians learn. It is interactive, accurate, and simulates the complex way that doctors learn to make decisions in emergency situations. This is a great way to learn how to navigate emergency situations, or to practice these scenarios from time to time to keep these critical skills up to date,” said Mary L. Brandt, MD, Professor and Vice Chair, Michael E. DeBakey Department of Surgery, Baylor College of Medicine.

According to one of StepStoneMed’s founders, David Eagleman, PhD, Department of Neuroscience, Baylor College of Medicine, “This is the future of learning. As neuroscience demonstrates, we learn best when we’re presented with active decision-making, emotional salience, and memorable narrative. These patients — and the lessons they teach — are impossible to forget.”

Caroline Popper, MD, MPH, President, BCM Technologies, Inc., said, “StepStoneMed combines great medical education with innovation in information technology. The confluence of Healthcare and Technology is a major market trend, and BCM Technologies is very excited to work with terrific Baylor entrepreneurs in this company.”

“StepStoneMed bridges the gap from books to bedside with our virtual patients, cleverly designed to personify disease in a memorable way. Our structured guidance through correct diagnosis and intervention protocols ensures effective learning for every medical specialty,” said Cynthia Sheridan, Chief Executive Officer, StepStoneMed. “This new module of cases has been proven to dramatically increase med students’ understanding and long term retention of information.”

StepStoneMed’s interactive learning module, Classic Cardiac Codes, is available today. The module is cost-effective and priced specifically for medical students. For a limited time, students can get two of the cases at no charge by using their medical school email address when they register at www.stepstonemed.com. StepStoneMed modules are also available for academic institutions on a departmental or campus-wide basis.

About StepStoneMed

StepStoneMed was created by a medical student at Baylor College of Medicine, under the mentorship of Professors of Surgery and Neuroscience. Their application is the only virtual patient case tool that offers structured, evidence-based learning in the form of case modules for all the medical specialties. StepStoneMed provides a memorable connection between patient and disease, is readily available to every student over the web, and contains the most current protocols and standards of care.

StepStoneMed is led by a team of seasoned professionals with a unique blend of experience in medicine, medical education, e-learning, software commercialization and serious game design. For more information, visit www.stepstonemed.com.

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LEEDS, UNITED KINGDOM–(Marketwire – Dec. 7, 2010) – Cosmetic surgery is booming all over the UK, especially in the thriving West Country. MYA have seen a good level of new enquiries for the Bristol region over the last couple of years and with over five thousand enquiries since the launch of the company, MYA have decided to open a flagship clinic in the area.

John Ryan, Chairman of MYA and key industry figurehead, comments, “We’re really happy to move into our own building. This will really allow us to deliver the quality of care we’re famous for and put the ‘MYA touch’ on the new clinic.”

Amy Lansdown, manager of MYA Bristol said, “We’re really excited to have our new clinic. We’ve settled in nicely and since it’s just off Whiteladies Road, it’s a place that everyone knows about!”

Breast enlargement continues to be the most popular procedure enquired about in Bristol with other procedures following closely behind.

The top five procedure enquiries for Bristol are:

• Breast Enlargement
• Fat Removal/Liposuction
• Nose Re-shaping
• Tummy Tuck
• Breast Uplift

With MYA’s successful Advanced Laser Liposuction launch in late October, the company is continually expanding and the new Bristol clinic is a great example of this. The new clinic is in a traditional Victorian-style building, boasting four floors, nine consulting rooms and a spacious reception area. “The new clinic and consulting rooms really allow for a cosy, personal feel when we’re meeting and chatting with our patients. The patients who have visited us in our new clinic absolutely love the traditional exterior and the modern, contemporary décor. It all adds to the truly amazing MYA experience” says Amy.

“We pride ourselves on providing a patient orientated service and we strive to offer the best care possible which includes having modern, comfortable clinics filled with helpful, friendly MYA staff” Says John. “We’re glad to be a part of this historic city’s culture and lifestyle and we hope you come and visit us soon.”

For more information about MYA Cosmetic Surgery visit the website www.mya.co.uk.

Notes to editors:

MYA Profile

MYA (Make Yourself Amazing) Cosmetic Surgery Ltd is a pioneering cosmetic surgery provider brought to you by John Ryan, the former owner of Transform Medical Group. John has over 25 years experience and has returned to cosmetic surgery enlisting the experience of the very best cosmetic surgeons and medical professionals in the industry. MYA pride themselves on their commitment to high quality service and medical supplies and have a comprehensive after-care policy. MYA’s world class expertise, competitive finance and state of the art national consultation centres are designed to ensure that Making Yourself Amazing is a reassuringly unique experience.

TUSTIN, CA–(Marketwire – December 6, 2010) – In its 12 year history, cardiovascular, dermatology and metabolic CRO Integrium has developed and managed over 150 successful clinical trials for clients, consistently beating patient enrollment goals and reducing costs. Integrium provides a therapeutic focus based on deep experience in cardiovascular, dermatological and metabolic trials of all sizes in regions around the world. On the basis of this experience the company offers a full range of services that combine innovative cutting-edge science and technology with practical clinical operations and involve working hands-on with clients, investigators and vendors to deliver high quality service with a sense of immediacy.

Integrium’s smaller size enables it to be far more nimble, and develop a personal rapport and trust with its clients in a way that “mega CROs” simply cannot. 2011 will mark the beginning of Integrium’s 13th year in this highly competitive market, a year the company will usher in with a large cadre of return clients and a team of passionate employees whose dedication is underscored by some of the lowest employee turnover in the business. Its exceptional performance recently caught the attention of the prestigious British pharmaceutical industry journal Scrip Clinical Research, which included Integrium in a cover story on specialty CROs, citing the launch of its dermatological practice as an example of a niche strategy worth watching.

Key Integrium Milestones/Metrics

• 12-year anniversary
  • Founded in 1998 by clinical research thought leaders Dr. David H.G. Smith, MD and Dr. Joel M. Neutel, MD. Dr. Smith and Dr. Neutel continue to lead the company today.
  • Established formal alliances with regional partner CROs in Europe, Australia and India, with numerous additional Integrium locations in North America and South Africa
• 150 successful clinical trials for clients
  • Tightened patient enrollment timelines dramatically and reduced study spend for clients such as Graceway Pharmaceuticals and Resverlogix
  • Consistently differentiated itself by demonstrating a deep understanding of the complexities and nuances of clinical research in its three core focus therapeutic areas: cardiovascular disease, metabolic disease and dermatology
  • Underscoring its success in these trials, 63% of Integrium’s business is with clients for whom it has managed clinical trials before
• Added Dermatology Clinical Research Group in June 2010
  • Helps Integrium clients design scientifically rigorous yet feasible dermatology studies, leveraging its relationships with reliable, high-quality investigators to help identify and recruit study patients, and effectively manage their studies from start to finish
  • Led by noted dermatology drug development expert Dr. Mary Spellman
• In a business where qualified, motivated professionals are critical to success and turnover is high, Integrium has some of the lowest turnover in the industry, with over 90% of the team remaining intact

Commentary
Dr. David Smith, MD, Founding Partner and Chief Medical Officer, Integrium: “Patient recruitment, enrollment and retention continue to represent a critical bottleneck in clinical research and drug development. We are proud of the results we’ve achieved with clients like Graceway and Resverlogix to ensure that they have the patient subjects they need to get the highest-quality data to run better, safer trials.”

Eileen McAuley, RN, BS, MPA, Chief Operating Officer, Integrium: “We take our mission statement seriously, focusing on integrity as a core value. This translates into our dedication to personalized service from the start of a client’s clinical trial to its completion, rigorous scientific protocols, and unyieldingly high research standards. We are not striving to be the biggest CRO — just the best.”

Dr. Sharon Levy, MD, Senior Vice President of Product Development, Graceway Pharmaceuticals: “Integrium’s keen understanding of our specific therapy areas allows us to stay focused on our primary trial objectives. For a multi-center Phase 2 trial they helped us enroll and randomize many more patients than we thought possible — and did so with a very small drop-out rate and 19 weeks ahead of schedule.”

Dr. Allan Gordon, MD, Ph.D, Senior Vice President, Clinical Development, Resverlogix: “Integrium understands that trial efficiencies come from the ground up. The services team understood that we required a ‘true’ partnership and that success would come from understanding our needs and the complexities inherent in running a 40-site study — and their results exceeded our expectations. That they reduced our cycle so dramatically — by nearly six months — allowed us to come in under budget and see the site results we hoped for.”

Resources

• Press release announcing successful trials with Graceway Pharmaceuticals and Resverlogix
• Press release announcing launch of Dermatology Clinical Research Group
• Overview of Integrium’s expertise as a cardiovascular, dermatology and metabolic CRO
• Follow Integrium on LinkedIn

About Integrium, LLC
Integrium is a therapeutically-focused, full-service contract research organization that specializes in dermatology, cardiovascular and metabolic clinical research. It has a strong reputation for delivering high-quality management of global clinical development programs and service to its clients. Combining the Integrium Clinical Excellence (ICE) study start-up and management methodology, and therapeutic expertise leads sponsors to more confident, better-informed drug and device development decisions. For more information please visit http://www.integrium.com.

MOUNT PLEASANT, MI–(Marketwire – December 2, 2010) – Following more than two years of exploration, comprehensive study and due diligence, Central Michigan University will establish a relationship with Synergy Medical Education Alliance, Covenant Healthcare and St. Mary’s of Michigan in Saginaw, Mich., through its College of Medicine.

The CMU Board of Trustees, at its Dec. 2 meeting, voted unanimously to establish a new 501(c)(3) Michigan nonprofit corporation, Central Health Advancement Solutions, to serve as the University’s participant in clinical practice entities and medical education relationships.

The boards of St. Mary’s of Michigan and Synergy Medical Education Alliance must approve the agreement. It is anticipated that the required board approvals will be secured by mid-December. Covenant Healthcare’s board has already approved the agreement.

Under the terms of the agreement, if approved, CMU will join in the Synergy Medical Education Alliance partnership and the organization will be renamed CMU Medical Education Partners.

CMU has been engaged in the Saginaw community since the 1970s providing extended and distance learning programs and remains committed to enhancing its engagement through a facility in the Saginaw area to support medical education and clinical practice needs.

In other College of Medicine action, CMU trustees established a Doctor of Medicine degree. The four-year curriculum, with an emphasis on placing doctors in rural settings, will focus on evidence-based practice, patient-centered care, team-based learning and practice, and self-directed lifelong learning.

To view today’s PowerPoint presentation to the board visit http://www.cmich.edu/documents/college_of_medicine/collegeofmedicinepresentation_120210.pdf.

To learn more about CMU’s College of Medicine visit http://www.cmich.edu/med.

For additional news from Central Michigan University, visit the CMU Media Channel at http://www.cmich.edu/mediachannel.

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REDWOOD SHORES, CA–(Marketwire – December 2, 2010) – Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL)

News Facts

• To provide the best patient care, the University of Chicago Medical Center is running its critical patient care applications on Oracle’s Sun SPARC Enterprise M-Series Servers with Oracle Solaris.
• The University of Chicago Medical Center (UCMC) is an academic medical center comprised of numerous hospitals, including Bernard A. Mitchell Hospital, Comer Children’s Hospital, Chicago Lying-in Hospital, Duchossois Center for Advanced Medicine and the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine, as well as physician offices in several Chicago locations.
• UCMC chose Oracle’s Sun SPARC Enterprise M-Series servers running Oracle Solaris for their high level of performance, scalability and availability to run its mission-critical applications, including the Epic Electronic Medical Record (EMR) and Computerized Physician Order Entry (CPOE) systems.
• More than 6,000 clinical staff rely on the Epic EMR system to deliver 24×7 secure access to all relevant information necessary to provide high-quality patient care, including lab results, orders, documentation on care plans, operating room management and scheduling, reporting and patient portals.
• With Oracle’s Sun SPARC Enterprise M-Series servers running Oracle Solaris, UCMC has increased performance by 40 percent, decreased maintenance costs and reduced power and cooling by 63 percent in the datacenter.
• With the new platform, nurses and physicians experience rapid response times, enabling them to provide patient care in a more timely and efficient manner, which is key in hospital and critical-care environments.
• Part of UCMC’s strategic five-year plan, the SPARC servers provide the capacity to support new initiatives and continued growth, including the deployment of new EMR modules and technology to support a new hospital coming online in 2013.
• UCMC invested in Oracle’s Sun SPARC Enterprise M-Series servers with Oracle Solaris in March 2010.

Supporting Quote

• “Oracle’s Sun SPARC Enterprise servers provide us with a secure and reliable platform to run our mission-critical patient care applications and the ability to easily scale to accommodate future growth,” said Michael Sorensen, Executive Director and CTO, IT Services, the University of Chicago Medical Center. “The new platform has delivered dramatic results, including significantly faster response times, which is instrumental in our ability to provide patients with the best care.”

Supporting Resources

• University of Chicago Medical Center
• Oracle’s Sun SPARC Enterprise M-Series Servers
• Oracle Solaris
• Oracle in Healthcare
• Follow Oracle Health Sciences on Twitter
• Join the Oracle Health Sciences Community on Facebook

About Oracle
Oracle (NASDAQ: ORCL) is the world’s most complete, open and integrated business software and hardware systems company. For more information about Oracle, please visit http://www.oracle.com.

Trademarks
Oracle and Java are registered trademarks of Oracle and/or its affiliates. Other names may be trademarks of their respective owners.

TOLEDO, OH–(Marketwire – December 2, 2010) – Cardiothoracic Surgeons for Northwest Ohio and The Toledo Hospital are now in the nation’s top 12% of hospitals for heart surgery. This is according to a three-star comprehensive rating system, developed by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), which compares the quality of heart surgery in hospitals across the country. A three-star rating is the highest designation that a hospital can attain for quality and clinical excellence. Cardiothoracic Surgeons for Northwest Ohio was compared to more than 1,000 surgical groups.

Hospitals are scored on performance in the following four categories — patient survival, absence of surgical complications, recommended medications, and optimal surgical technique. The ratings reflect results from isolated heart-bypass operations called coronary artery bypass grafting to newer versions, which include minimally invasive bypass and other complex cardiac procedures.

“I am grateful to my partners and colleagues at The Toledo Hospital who have worked diligently for years to reach this incredible milestone,” said Michael Moront, MD, senior partner, Cardiothoracic Surgeons for Northwest Ohio. “When patients enter our doors, they can feel confident that they will be receiving the very best care from one of the nation’s leading medical groups.”

Consumers can easily see how surgical groups compare with national benchmarks for survival, complications, and other measures by visiting www.consumerhealthreports.org.

About STS
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons is a not-for-profit organization representing more than 6,000 surgeons, researchers and allied health care professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus as well as other surgical procedures within the chest. Founded in 1964, the mission of STS is to enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality patient care through education, research, and advocacy. Its National Adult Cardiac Surgery Database includes more than 4 million surgical records and covers roughly 90% of the more than 1,000 surgical groups in the U.S. that perform cardiac surgery, making it the largest such registry in the world.

About Cardiothoracic Surgeons for Northwest Ohio
Cardiothoracic Surgeons for Northwest Ohio is a member of ProMedica Heart and Vascular Institutes, a collaboration of physicians, technology and specialty services. The group provides a comprehensive scope of leading edge patient care and state-of-the-art surgical procedures, including minimally invasive procedures, bloodless surgery, pediatric cardiac surgery, aortic valve repair and replacement and more. Its team of board-certified physicians, specialists and medical staff make up the largest cardiothoracic surgical program in northwest Ohio.

For more information about cardiac services at ProMedica Health System, visit www.promedica.org

Cardiothoracic Surgeons for Northwest Ohio and The Toledo Hospital are members of ProMedica Health System. ProMedica, a mission-based organization, was formed in 1986 and is a Toledo, Ohio-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization with more than 14,000 employees; 3,000 physicians and more than 306 facilities in Ohio and Michigan. ProMedica serves more than 2.73 million patients annually and includes 11 hospitals; ProMedica Continuum Services with senior, hospice, rehabilitation, and integrative services; ProMedica Physician Group, a network of more than 315 primary care and specialty physicians; and Paramount Health Care, the largest HMO in northwest Ohio. For more information, please visit www.promedica.org.

CHATHAM, NJ–(Marketwire – December 2, 2010) – Today, MediMedia announced the consolidation of two of its largest divisions: Krames Patient Education and StayWell Custom Communications. Industry-leaders in their respective fields, the two organizations will join forces to create a combined company that will be the largest provider of interactive and print patient education solutions and consumer health information in the country. The Krames StayWell team will have an unmatched market presence including nearly 80 sales and account executives, more than 80 product developers and designers, nearly 45 interactive solution developers and technology specialists, and 25 dedicated client services professionals. The two companies will combine into one organization effective January 1, 2011, to be called Krames StayWell.

“There is really only one reason we are taking this action, and it is a powerful one,” said MediMedia CEO Steve Simcox. “We believe that by consolidating our extensive technology and content assets, product development expertise, and client services resources, we can drive greater value for our clients.”

The consolidation is designed to build on the combined strengths of both organizations, allowing Krames StayWell to more easily offer seamless access to a wider breadth of products, consultative professional expertise, technology, and content assets. “There is no question that we can serve client needs better together than separately,” said Patrick Clifford, StayWell Company Chairman.

“Our goal is to make it even easier for our clients to do business with us,” said George Parker, President and CEO of Krames, who will serve as CEO of Krames StayWell. “We will be able to provide enterprise-wide and market-specific solutions designed to drive consumer engagement, improve health outcomes, and lower healthcare costs with unmatched ability to integrate print and interactive solutions. Krames StayWell is uniquely positioned to deliver ROI to our clients across all healthcare markets.”

The executive leadership teams of Krames and StayWell Custom Communications will remain intact, and will combine in new roles. “This is a team that has worked together for an extensive period of time, knows each other well, and thrives on the spirit of collaboration and innovation offered by this consolidation,” said Trent Sterling, President and CEO of StayWell Custom Communications, who will serve as President for the new organization. The company will have more than 330 employees located throughout the country. 

Krames StayWell will represent best-in-class health communication solutions across the entire spectrum of consumer engagement. Products from the combined organizations are used by more than 85% of American hospitals, as well as leading health plans, employers, pharmaceutical companies, retail organizations, and thousands of healthcare professionals in multiple care settings.

Krames Patient Education has a long history of creating exceptional patient education solutions, in print and interactive formats, rooted in patient-centric content created in consideration of health literacy design principles. Krames flagship products designed to initiate positive patient health self-management at the point of care include:

• Krames On-Demand™ — an electronic, print on-demand system featuring more than 5,300 single topic HealthSheet™ articles covering 38 medical specialty areas and spanning 12 languages.
• Krames Exit-Writer™ — an electronic emergency department discharge instruction program featuring more than 1,400 discharge instruction covering the most common diagnoses addressed in the ER/Urgent care environment plus a prescription writer and medication reconciliation tool.
• Krames Video Solutions™ — A suite of tools enabling delivery of more than 430 Patient Education videos spanning nine languages via websites, point of care tools, kiosks, CCTV systems and DVDs.
• Krames Patient Consent™ — An electronic system designed to standardize and streamline the informed consent process. Via the creation of personalized, procedure specific legal forms and companion patient education written in plain language, Krames Patient Consent™ ensures better patient-provider communication improving outcomes while mitigating legal risk.
• Krames Go-to-Guides™ — A suite of interactive, multimedia disease management workbooks featuring narrated text, embedded video, and quizzes for learning verification designed to match the learning preferences of almost any patient.
• Krames Print Materials™ — An award-winning library of more than 1,300 booklets, brochures, tear sheets, and other formats featuring Krames signature art-text synergy.

StayWell Custom Communications has a legacy of creating print and interactive health information and health management communications designed to help healthcare organizations engage and motivate consumers, and deliver measurable ROI. The company will contribute a wide range of award-winning solutions to the new organization, ranging across digital, mobile, print, SEO and professional services:

• Digital — interactive health libraries and health portals offer more than 30,000 interactive content assets, and include the widely used StayWell Solutions Online™ and StayWell Engage™; microsites, video, email, animations, podcasts and symptom checkers;
• Mobile — text messaging programs, mobile sites, symptom checker for the iPhone, event promotion, contact center solutions and custom applications;
• Custom Print Solutions — more than 100 million copies each year of award-winning publications and other print communications for community, member, disease management and client-selected audiences;
• Search Engine Optimization (SEO) — local search, keyword optimization and conversion optimization; and
• Professional Services — content integration consultation, Return-on-Investment (ROI) measurement, media integration strategy, and consultative strategy support for creating comprehensive multi-media communications solutions that engage consumers and deliver results.

Both organizations have been committed to helping their clients achieve better health outcomes for consumers for decades. Now united, Krames StayWell is uniquely positioned to provide comprehensive, multimedia health information and communication solutions across multiple consumer touch points — delivering the engaging healthcare information patients and consumers want, when they want it and how they want it, and with a focus on generating measurable results for their clients.

About Krames

Krames (a MediMedia Company) is the market leader in patient education and consumer health information solutions. More than 85 percent of American hospitals, as well as leading health plans, employer groups, private practices and pharmaceutical companies use Krames’ solutions to improve quality of care, streamline workflow and lower healthcare costs. Krames also brings health literacy expertise to American Heart Association/ American Stroke Association and American Lung Association patient education through exclusive partnerships with these respected organizations. Founded in 1974, Krames remains at the leading edge of patient education with innovative programs that utilize a comprehensive suite of print, electronic and video content.

For more information, please visit www.krames.com

About StayWell Custom Communications

StayWell Custom Communications (a MediMedia Company) is the leader in custom health content solutions delivered via a variety of sophisticated technology platforms. Our interactive offerings include robust web platforms, online health libraries, e-mail and mobile marketing programs, an extensive range of multimedia tools including video, podcasts and animations, and health management tools and programs. StayWell Custom Communications also offers a comprehensive range of print and print/interactive integrated solutions to meet a broad range of clients’ marketing and communication needs. The company serves hundreds of clients representing several channels in the healthcare industry: hospitals and health systems; health plans; employers; and retail organizations.

For more information, please visit www.staywellcustom.com

About MediMedia

Headquartered in Yardley, PA, with 1,700 employees in offices throughout the U.S., MediMedia changes consumer and professional behaviors through superior engagement, education and end-user preferences. Our health information services group creates, publishes, distributes, and syndicates on and off-line health information to help consumers make informed health decisions on behalf of a variety of sponsors, including providers — both hospitals and physicians, payers, and online media companies. Our health management services group provides population health management services which help consumers lower their health risk, enabling employers to lower their risks, utilization and ultimately their health care expenses. And finally, our professional segment derives its revenues from providing online/off-line professional promotion, engagement, and education services targeted to healthcare professionals and their patients

MediMedia is a Vestar Capital Partners portfolio company.

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HUDSON, NY–(Marketwire – December 1, 2010) –
Taconic, un proveedor líder de soluciones de ciencias de la vida para investigadores en todo el mundo, anunció que su programa de producción en Colonia, Alemania obtuvo acreditación de la AAALAC International (la Asociación internacional para evaluación y acreditación de cuidados de animales en laboratorio). Con esta acreditación, todos los programas en el mundo hoy están acreditados AAALAC lo que garantiza a los clientes que Taconic cumple con el más alto estándar de la industria en términos de calidad, salud, integridad genética y cuidados para sus modelos animales.

AAALAC International promueve el tratamiento humanitario de animales en ciencias a través de programas con acreditación y evaluación voluntaria. Taconic fue uno de los primeros proveedores acreditados por la AAALAC International en 1969.

“Desde hace más de cuatro décadas, a través de su participación voluntaria en el proceso de acreditación AAALAC, Taconic ha demostrado su compromiso con el tratamiento humanitario y seguro de los animales de investigación vitales para las ciencias biomédicas de nuestros clientes”, dijo Jeffrey J. Lohmiller, DVM, MS, ACLAM, director global de ciencias veterinarias de Taconic. “El obtener la acreditación AAALAC para todos nuestros programas en todo el mundo es un logro que refleja el enfoque firme de Taconic en calidad y responsabilidad”.

El rigoroso proceso de acreditación requiere una revisión estricta por parte de Taconic y una evaluación exhaustiva en el local por parte de los evaluadores de la AAALAC y una revisión del programa integral de uso y cuidados animales del sitio en Colonia. Para mantener su status de acreditación, todos los programas de Taconic se someten a una reevaluación cada tres años de conformidad con los requisitos de la AAALAC.

Según AAALAC International, más de 800 compañías, universidades, hospitales, agencias gubernamentales y otros instituciones de investigación han obtenido esta prestigiosa acreditación.

Acerca de Taconic
Taconic es un proveedor líder de soluciones de ciencias de la vida para investigadores de todo el mundo, ofrece modelos innovadores de animales de laboratorio y servicios científicos que facilitan estudios “in vivo” y fomentan el descubrimiento de fármacos. La vasta gama de soluciones avanzadas de Taconic comprende el diseño, la generación y la producción de modelos personalizados, los repositorios de modelos comerciales, la caracterización de compuestos, la investigación por contrato, la crianza por contrato, el monitoreo genético y las pruebas de salud. Taconic, con sede en el valle del río Hudson en Nueva York, opera siete plantas de reproducción y crianza y tres laboratorios de servicio en Estados Unidos y Europa y mantiene un personal de más de 1.000 especialistas científicos dedicados a la innovación tecnológica. Información adicional acerca de Taconic está disponible en, www.taconic.com.

HUDSON, NY–(Marketwire – December 1, 2010) –
A Taconic, provedora líder de soluções em vivo para pesquisadores de ciências da vida de todo o mundo, anunciou hoje que o seu programa de produção em Colônia, Alemanha, recebeu a acreditação AAALAC International (Associação Internacional de Avaliação e Acreditação de Cuidado de Animais em Laboratório). Com esta acreditação, todos os programas Taconic em todo o mundo agora são acreditados AAALAC para garantir para os clientes que a Taconic está em conformidade com os mais altos standards de qualidade, saude, integridade genética e cuidado dos seus modelos animais.

A AAALAC International promove o tratamento humano dos animais na ciência através de acreditações e programas de avaliação voluntários. A Taconic foi uma das primeiras fornecedoras a ser acreditada pela AAALAC International em 1969.

“Há mais de quatro décadas, com o nossa participação voluntária no processo de acreditação da AAALAC, a Taconic demonstra a sua dedicação para com o tratamento seguro e humano dos animais de pesquisa que são vitais para a pesquisa biomédica dos nossos clientes”, disse Jeffrey J. Lohmiller, DVM, MS, ACLAM, Diretor Sênior Global de Ciências Veterinárias da Taconic. “A obtenção da acreditação AAALAC em todos os nossos programas do mundo é uma conquista que demonstra o foco inalterável da Taconic na qualidade e responsabilidade”.

O processo rigoroso de acreditação exigiu uma revisão interna por parte da Taconic e avaliação compreensiva no local pelos avaliadores da AAALAC, que fizeram uma análise de todo o cuidado animal e programa de uso nas instalações na Colônia. Para manter o status de acreditada, todos os programas da Taconic passam por uma reavaliação a cada três anos de acordo com as exigências da AAALAC.

De acordo com a AAALAC International, mais de 800 empresas, universidades, hospitais, agências governamentais e outras instituições de pesquisa receberam esta acreditação tão prestigiada.

Taconic
A Taconic é a provedora líder de soluções de ciências da vida para pesquisadores de todo o mundo, oferecendo modelos inovadores de animais de laboratório e serviços científicos que facilitam os estudos in vivo e o avanço da descoberta de medicamentos. Nas soluções avançadas da Taconic estão incluídas a geração e a produção de modelos de ratos e camundongos geneticamente modificados, reprodução de contrato, repositórios de modelos de prateleira, perfis de compostos, pesquisa de contrato, imagem, monitoramento genético e testes de saúde. Com sede no Hudson River Valley em Nova York, a Taconic opera sete locais de reprodução e três laboratórios de serviço nos EUA e Europa, e tem uma equipe de mais de 1.000 especialistas científicos dedicados à inovação tecnológica. Para mais informações sobre a Taconic, acesse www.taconic.com.

FREMONT, CA–(Marketwire – December 1, 2010) – GammaTech Computer Corp., a major international manufacturer and supplier of innovative notebook and tablet computers, brings its military-grade rugged design and versatile computing to the fast-paced healthcare environment with the MT10L clinical tablet PC. Featuring advanced Intel® Health Mobile Clinical Assistant Solutions reference architecture, a recognized leader in the industry, the MT10L is an ideal mobile solution for healthcare providers searching for an easier way to maintain accurate, timely and instantly accessible records.

“Our MT10L clinical tablet PC is both a simplification and an innovation when it comes to record-keeping for healthcare professionals,” stated Steven Gau, GammaTech president. “Its myriad features allow healthcare workers to make notes in patient-care records at the point of care and document patients’ conditions in real time, ensuring heightened accuracy in documentation. This leads to a reduction in medical errors, enhanced workflow, faster, safer patient care, better transcription efficiencies, better insurance practices and more accurate billing.”

At under three pounds, with a slim, clipboard-style design and molded ergonomic handle, the GammaTech MT10L clinical tablet PC is easy to carry and hold during those long shifts. The 10.4″ high-resolution (1024×768) XGA TFT LCD display features brightness adjustment, eliminating eyestrain, while the resistive touchscreen responds to both fingertips and the included stylus pen. Your shift will never be interrupted by the need to recharge, as hot-swappable twin battery packs provide up to eight hours of life. The fully sealed fan-less design offers ingress protection to guard internal components. In an environment where technology is susceptible to damage from slips and liquids, the MT10L is military-grade in its durability: the fully sealed design ruggedly protects internal components, making the tablet drop-proof, spill-proof, shock-proof, dust-proof, watertight and alcohol and disinfectant wipe resistant (to protect against cross contamination).

Recording patients’ progress as it happens is a snap — literally. The MT10L’s two-megapixel camera with auto-focus enables quicker, more detailed documentation of wounds, surgical sites, range of motion and other conditions, and photos can be saved directly to a patient’s electronic medical record. The MT10L is specifically designed to take advantage of all the features and innovations inherent in Electronic Medical Record advancements. Furthermore, the introduction of this line advances the fiscal incentive programs offered by the Federal government in order to promote electronic healthcare record adoption by clinicians and healthcare facilities. Other features include a docking station, AC power connector, built-in RFID reader and a barcode reader to help reduce prescription errors.

The GammaTech MT10L clinical tablet PC supports both Wi-Fi and Bluetooth technologies and runs on Windows 7 Professional, Vista Business and XP Tablet Edition operating systems.

Availability
The MT10L — along with the entire GammaTech product line — is available to healthcare professionals, hospitals, group purchasing organizations, government entities and universities through authorized GammaTech resellers nationwide. For more information, please visit www.gammatechusa.com.

About GammaTech Computer Corporation
For over two decades, GammaTech Computer Corporation is a leader in the design, manufacturing and sales of rugged and hardened notebook and tablet computers throughout North America. GammaTech promotes its award winning, built-to-order durable mobile computers to businesses, government, healthcare, fire, law enforcement and public safety entities. GammaTech is headquartered in Fremont, California, which provides the final assembly, inventory, service and technical support.

For more information, please visit GammaTech at www.GammaTechUSA.com.

All products/services and trademarks mentioned in this release are the properties of their respective companies.
© 2010 GammaTech Computer Corporation. All rights reserved.

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SCOTTSDALE, AZ–(Marketwire – December 1, 2010) – The holidays are the perfect time to show loved ones just how much you care. This year give your family and friends the miCARD Gift Card. The only holiday gift card that could save their life in a medical emergency.

At $14.95, the miCARD Gift Card (www.micard.com/migift) is the perfect stocking stuffer to help ensure the health and safety of those you care about most. miCARD’s wallet card gives first responders a readable summary of a loved one’s vital medical information 24/7, worldwide. In less than one minute, miCARD ensures that medical personnel have the essential information they need to make lifesaving decisions from any location. The miCARD Gift Card can be created securely online and is offered as either a printed gift certificate or it can be emailed for those hard-pressed to meet holiday postal deadlines.

“The holiday season reminds us of how much we care about family and friends. Most of us would do anything to ensure their health and safety,” said Dr. James Kelley, a practicing ER physician and co-founder of miCARD. “We wanted to create a holiday gift that offered real value and could actually save lives. Carrying medical information is a proactive step that could both improve your care and save your life.”

Are You Prepared for a Medical Emergency?
1 in 3 Americans will experience a medical emergency this year, yet most of us carry nothing that describes our unique medical background or identifies loved ones to contact in the event of a medical emergency. It’s critically important that individuals of all ages organize and manage their personal medical information in preparation of an unexpected medical event.

miCARD is the only medical information card and online Personal Health Record designed by an emergency physician. miCARD’s wallet card is designed to provide emergency personnel, in the field, a readable summary of a users vital medical information such as: medical conditions, critical medications, emergency contacts, allergies and more. The portable medical card is further supported by an online Personal Health Record containing additional medical information: advance directives, physician contacts, EKG, lab results, and current medications. All personal medical information is stored securely online and viewable at the miCARD website 24/7 by treating medical providers worldwide.

miCARD’s Holiday Gift Card is a low cost solution to the problem of emergency preparedness and care. To order your miCARD Gift Card visit www.micard.com/migift

About miCARD®
miCARD® is a physician-designed, medical information card and online Personal Health Record designed to optimize emergency medical care. miCARD’s proprietary solution improves the flow of critical care information and ensures medical personnel have immediate and secure access to a user’s vital medical information 24/7, worldwide. For more information about miCARD, please visit www.micard.com or contact us at (866) 596.2956.

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TOLEDO, OH–(Marketwire – December 1, 2010) – Cardiothoracic Surgeons for Northwest Ohio and The Toledo Hospital are now in the nation’s top 12% of hospitals for heart surgery. This is according to a three-star comprehensive rating system, developed by The Society of Thoracic Surgeons (STS), which compares the quality of heart surgery in hospitals across the country. A three-star rating is the highest designation that a hospital can attain for quality and clinical excellence. Cardiothoracic Surgeons for Northwest Ohio was compared to more than 1,000 surgical groups.

Hospitals are scored on performance in the following four categories — patient survival, absence of surgical complications, recommended medications, and optimal surgical technique. The ratings reflect results from isolated heart-bypass operations called coronary artery bypass grafting to newer versions, which include minimally invasive bypass and other complex cardiac procedures.

“I am grateful to my partners and colleagues at The Toledo Hospital who have worked diligently for years to reach this incredible milestone,” said Michael Moront, MD, senior partner, Cardiothoracic Surgeons for Northwest Ohio. “When patients enter our doors, they can feel confident that they will be receiving the very best care from one of the nation’s leading medical groups.”

Consumers can easily see how surgical groups compare with national benchmarks for survival, complications, and other measures by visiting www.consumerhealthreports.org.

About STS
The Society of Thoracic Surgeons is a not-for-profit organization representing more than 6,000 surgeons, researchers and allied health care professionals worldwide who are dedicated to ensuring the best possible outcomes for surgeries of the heart, lung, and esophagus as well as other surgical procedures within the chest. Founded in 1964, the mission of STS is to enhance the ability of cardiothoracic surgeons to provide the highest quality patient care through education, research, and advocacy. Its National Adult Cardiac Surgery Database includes more than 4 million surgical records and covers roughly 90% of the more than 1,000 surgical groups in the U.S. that perform cardiac surgery, making it the largest such registry in the world.

About Cardiothoracic Surgeons for Northwest Ohio
Cardiothoracic Surgeons for Northwest Ohio is a member of ProMedica Heart and Vascular Institutes, a collaboration of physicians, technology and specialty services. The group provides a comprehensive scope of leading edge patient care and state-of-the-art surgical procedures, including minimally invasive procedures, bloodless surgery, pediatric cardiac surgery, aortic valve repair and replacement and more. Its team of board-certified physicians, specialists and medical staff make up the largest cardiothoracic surgical program in northwest Ohio.

For more information about cardiac services at ProMedica Health System, visit www.promedica.org.

Cardiothoracic Surgeons for Northwest Ohio and The Toledo Hospital are members of ProMedica Health System. ProMedica, a mission-based organization, was formed in 1986 and is a Toledo, Ohio-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization with more than 14,000 employees; 3,000 physicians and more than 306 facilities in Ohio and Michigan. ProMedica serves more than 2.73 million patients annually and includes 11 hospitals; ProMedica Continuum Services with senior, hospice, rehabilitation, and integrative services; ProMedica Physician Group, a network of more than 315 primary care and specialty physicians; and Paramount Health Care, the largest HMO in northwest Ohio. For more information, please visit www.promedica.org.

TRAVERSE CITY, MI–(Marketwire – December 1, 2010) –  Just ten weeks after Versus Technology, Inc. (Versus) (PINKSHEETS: VSTI) was selected to support the Bethesda Hospitals’ Emergency Preparedness Partnership (BHEPP) Real-time Locating System (RTLS) initiative, the Versus Advantages^™ system was recently utilized during the organization’s disaster preparedness drill.

The October 14, 2010 drill was the sixth annual Collaborative Multi-Agency Exercise (CMAX-10) since the BHEPP was formed in 2004, and the first to utilize RTLS for continuity of patient information. Participating organizations included Suburban Hospital, Johns Hopkins Medicine, the National Naval Medical Center (both trauma centers), the U.S. NIH Clinical Center, and the National Library of Medicine. The drill was designed to test the medical readiness and response proficiency supposing a mass casualty in the National Capital Region. Surge capabilities and patient tracking were key components to be tested.

The BHEPP began exploring RTLS options after the inability to track patients during a mass casualty event had been documented as a gap in multiple real disasters. The U.S. Navy produced a video for CMAX-09, in which, Brian Grangnolati, President, Suburban Hospital states, “If you think about what the biggest problem is in any crisis, it’s communication and moving information” as he explains the need for RFID / RTLS. Versus’ RTLS was selected to enhance communication and keep information tied to patients, even as they are moved from facility to facility.

The BHEPP’s goal is to create a sustainable response model that can be replicated in other areas, especially densely populated areas at risk for national disasters or terrorist attacks. “Having real-time information related to the victim’s arrival and location was immensely helpful to the first-time Incident Commander in his decision making,” says Cindy Notobartolo, Division Director ED/Trauma, Safety & Security Services at Suburban Hospital. “Within our patient information system, the patient’s location was tied to triage and treatment data and made available in real-time to all emergency care personnel. The external evaluators were impressed that our tracking ability was 100% throughout the exercise.”

During the drill, as victims arrived at Suburban Hospital triage area, they were decontaminated, triaged and assigned Versus ID badges which were worn clipped to the victim’s clothing. A photo of the victim was also taken to support Lost Person identification and family reunification efforts. Emergency personnel then transported the patient to the appropriate treatment area.

The Versus ID badges, which emit digitized infrared (IR) and radio-frequency identification (RFID) signals, immediately communicated the patient’s location and triage level to care providers and Central Command via the BHEPP’s patient information system. When patients were reassessed, treated or moved to other areas, their locations were updated in real-time. Location of key personnel and equipment was also provided in real-time.

Versus prepared views and rules to support the key RTLS drill functionality as outlined below.

1. Real-time locating of all patients from decontamination and triage through discharge or hospital admission. 
2. Rules-based pediatric monitoring, with location-based alerts to help ensure children are secure and monitored at all times. The CMAX-10 drill did not take advantage of the dedicated pediatric area; however, the rules for monitoring and securing pediatric patients are in place and fully functional for future use. 
3. Real-time locating of critical equipment to decrease time to locate, improve utilization and support sharing across participating facilities. 
4. Web service integration with National Library of Medicine’s Patient Tracker for badge assignments, triage level and patient demographic information as it became available to the provider.
5. Real-time locating of key mass casualty incident personnel to improve communication and enhance decision-making capabilities of the Incident Commander. 
6. Tracking the evacuation of current hospital patients and their arrival at remote partner facilities for expanded surge capacity.

CMAX-10 was a valuable exercise for both the BHEPP and Versus; each organization identified areas for improvement related to expanded use, patient identification, training, information availability, advanced rules for patient transfer and make-ready operations. They look forward to building on this foundational experience to enhance communication and safety during future drills and in the event an actual response is required.

About BHEPP
This partnership is a first-of-its-kind collaboration that links military, federal, local and private mass disaster medical response efforts within the national capital area. Established in 2004, the partnership is now a model for other health care agencies throughout the country.

About Versus Technology, Inc.
Established in 1988, Versus Technology, Inc. specializes in real-time location systems (RTLS) for healthcare. Used for enterprise patient tracking, bed management, asset tracking, and nurse call automation, Versus Advantages™ improves patient flow and documentation of caregiver and patient interactions, while enhancing communication and efficiency. Exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association, the Versus Advantages infrared (IR) and Active RFID solution is responsible for clinical-grade location and automation at a number of hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities worldwide. To learn more about Versus Technology, Inc. (PINKSHEETS: VSTI), our technology and client successes, visit www.versustech.com and take the Advantages Tour.

Safe Harbor Provision
This release may include forward-looking statements which “bespeak caution,” and which are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The statements are made only as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation to update them to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.

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CINCINNATI, OH–(Marketwire – November 30, 2010) –  “Using Benchmarks: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly,” a new guide from Compass Clinical Consulting authored by Shawna O’Neill, RN, MHA; Eric Dam, MHA and Compass Clinical President Cary Gutbezahl, MD, reveals the positives and negatives of hospital benchmarking.

THE BENCHMARKING PROBLEM — ONE-DIMENSIONAL MEASUREMENT

Measurement is the cornerstone of assessing the performance of a hospital department. But, the problem is that benchmarks are one-dimensional, while real work is not. Designing productivity processes using benchmarks can cause problems if not done correctly.

BUILDING A CULTURE OF PRODUCTIVITY

“Using Benchmarks: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” shows how hospital leaders and managers can employ benchmarks to build a culture of productivity and provides strategies to:

• Help struggling managers meet their productivity targets while gaining buy-in from staff members
• Optimize workforce productivity using realistic benchmarks as guidelines, not mandates
• Ensure that leaders, managers, and employees “speak the same language” by establishing common definitions of key terms
• Create appropriate staffing levels to meet department workloads

ADD VALUE AT EVERY STEP

In hospital productivity design, every step within every process change should add value to the patients and the financial stability of the hospital. Whether you choose to approach productivity department by department or house-wide, the strategies in “Using Benchmarks: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly” will guide your productivity transformation process.

To learn more download “Using Benchmarks: The Good, The Bad, and The Ugly.”

RELATED LINKS:

• Hospital Productivity Without Fear 
• Hospital Decisions Today Will Shape Your Hospital’s Future Workforce

About Compass Clinical Consulting
Compass Clinical Consulting helps hospitals reduce the cost of providing safe, quality patient care. Founded in 1979 and based in Cincinnati, OH, Compass has helped hundreds of hospitals and health systems prepare for accreditation, optimize labor cost management, manage clinical resources, and improve patient throughput and physician relations.

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