Agfa, Sun and ICW join Open eHealth Foundation, an Open Source initiative.

Open eHealth Foundation to Provide Solid Basis for Interoperability

Orlando/FL, February 26, 2008 –The Open eHealth Foundation announced that Agfa HealthCare, eHealth specialist InterComponentWare (ICW), and Sun Microsystems, Inc. have joined as foundation members of the new Open eHealth Foundation, an Open Source initiative. The Open eHealth Foundation will provide software components under an Open Source license that will boost the open standards-based exchange of medical information.

The eHealth market growth is driven by growing challenges to healthcare systems in industrialized societies, as well as new medical information and communication technologies. Recent research suggested that the eHealth industry has the potential of a global budget of 73 to 88 bn US$1. In order to capitalize on this huge market potential and to improve medical care, interoperability of electronic medical records and personal health records by different vendors is critical.

The founding members of the Open eHealth Foundation have recognized the necessity to:

• Create a worldwide community-driven software development platform to speed up the digitization of the healthcare industry.
• Enable members and healthcare organizations to create compelling solutions based on existing global clinical and administrative standards, and increase interoperability with a wide array of third-party components and platforms.

Specifically, the foundation aims to leverage existing open source projects to develop a platform that enables its members and health organizations to build free open source software components and reference implementations to help achieve a high degree of semantic interoperability in the global eHealth sector based on open standards.

The Open eHealth Foundation is open for additional members who want to participate in the joint effort of promoting an open, consensus-based healthcare industry forum. While the eHealth framework of the foundation is available for all interested parties, formal members of the foundation may actively participate in the future development of the strategy and roadmap of the initiative.

Three levels of membership are available: (1) Contributing members can add their components to the Open Source code base of the foundation; (2) Participating members can own projects in the foundation and are represented in the board through a fixed number of directors; and (3) Promoting members who have a high level of influence on the direction of the foundation due to their significant involvement. Membership negotiations with leading healthcare IT providers are currently underway.

According to Geert Claeys, Agfa HealthCare’s Technology Manager, “Quality and efficiency improvement of healthcare provision is hampered by a lack of a common open infrastructure, accessible for care providers, patients and other stakeholders. The foundation aims to tackle this need, offering the eHealth community the necessary foothold and opportunity to grow. This will, in turn, allow vendors to focus their efforts on delivering software applications that bring value to the end users.”

Additional information on the Open eHealth Foundation and possibilities for participation are available at www.openehealth.org

Neoteric Recognized for Protecting Infants at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center

Vancouver, BC — Feb. 25, 2008 — Neoteric Technology Ltd has been recognized as a winner of a 2008 MS-HUG (Microsoft Healthcare Users Group) Healthcare Innovation Award in the category of Delivery Transformation. The company was awarded its first-place prize yesterday at a ceremony held at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) conference in Orlando, FL.

Neoteric’s LacTrack® SafeLx solution was honored for preventing infant feeding errors at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Center’s Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU) in Toronto. The LacTrack solution manages virtually every aspect of the milk administration process including collecting, tracking, ordering, preparing and feeding using wireless mobile computers and printers. Both the infants and the milk containers are positively identified at the bedside with two-dimensional (2D) barcodes, which are scanned throughout the process to ensure the right milk is given to the right baby.

According to Dorothy Dougherty, Lactation Consultant at Sunnybrook, “The LacTrack solution fundamentally changed the way we provide care to the vulnerable infants in our NICU, essentially this technology speaks for those patients that can’t speak for themselves.”

LacTrack is a suite of applications deployed on Motorola mobile computers with Microsoft’s Windows Mobile wirelessly connected to Microsoft Windows Server 2003 running Microsoft SQL Server 2005.

The MS-HUG Annual Awards recognize breakthrough contributions being made by healthcare organizations and individuals to drive efficiencies across the healthcare system – ultimately containing costs and improving the quality of patient care, as well as independent software vendor (ISV) solutions that demonstrate the best use of Microsoft technology to drive results in the healthcare industry.

Cerner Corporation and Hill-Rom Partner to Unify Hospital Care Delivery

Companies will connect intelligent hospital beds to the electronic medical record

ORLANDO, Fla., Feb. 25 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cerner Corporation (Nasdaq: CERN) and Hill-Rom, an operating company of Hillenbrand Industries (NYSE: HB), announced today that they have formed a strategic relationship to integrate their technologies to improve and coordinate healthcare delivery, featuring Hill-Rom intelligent hospital beds that communicate directly with the Cerner Millennium(R) healthcare computing platform.

Efforts in the first stage of the partnership are focusing on the integration of Hill-Rom's intelligent bed systems, such as VersaCare(R) and TotalCare(R), with the Cerner Millennium system. Utilizing the Cerner CareAware(TM) global device connectivity architecture, the intelligent bed is able to feed data, including patient weight, bed rail position and head elevation, to the Cerner Millennium system. Access to real-time information and automation of labor-intensive tasks not only furthers safety initiatives, but also allows clinicians to spend more time with patients.

In addition, the relationship is expected to expand to integrate the Cerner CareAware architecture with other Hill-Rom IT solutions such as nurse call, asset management and NaviCare(R) Patient Flow. Likely integrations include Hill-Rom's asset management software and the Cerner CareAware architecture to provide an enhanced solution to a hospital's asset tracking needs - including asset tracking, utilization management and reduction of cross-contamination events. Integration with NaviCare Patient Flow and Nurse Call would complement the Cerner Smart Room, Cerner's solution to improve patient care and clinician efficiency through advanced technology, by providing clients with enhanced communication, real-time patient tracking and intelligent task management for clinical operations.

Both Cerner and Hill-Rom anticipate favorable responses from their clients to this endeavor. Cerner, with more than 6,000 clients worldwide, and Hill- Rom, with more than 250,000 intelligent beds and surfaces purchased since 1995, foresee a number of opportunities to integrate more closely each of their respective core and emerging businesses.

Cerner's partnership with Hill-Rom is representative of the changing nature of the healthcare business. As automation continues to increase in healthcare, so does the need to effectively manage the information generated by disparate medical devices. This partnership is one example of how the electronic medical record can incorporate data generated by medical devices.

In 2007, Cerner launched its Medical Device Certification Program, designed to facilitate the integration of information generated by medical devices into the EMR. A first of its kind in the industry, this program allows Cerner to work directly with medical device companies like Hill-Rom to develop drivers to seamlessly connect medical devices to the EMR.

Hill-Rom is a manufacturer and provider of medical technologies and related services for the healthcare industry, including patient support systems, non-invasive therapeutic products for a variety of acute and chronic medical conditions, medical equipment rentals, and workflow information technology solutions used by healthcare providers in hospitals, extended care facilities and home care settings.

Cerner is taking the paper chart out of healthcare, eliminating error, variance and waste in the care process. With more than 6,000 clients worldwide, Cerner is the leading supplier of healthcare information technology. The following are trademarks of Cerner: Cerner, Cerner's logo, CareAware and Cerner Millennium. (NASDAQ: CERN), www.cerner.com.

Survey Identifies Gap between What Technology and Services Consumers Expect and What’s Currently offered by Health Care Providers

ORLANDO, FL, Feb. 25, 2008 — A new survey from the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions, released today at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference, found that consumers increasingly want access to technology and services that they are currently not receiving from their health care providers.

Greater access to medical information online is among the services in high demand. Nearly 80 percent of health care consumers are interested in having their physicians provide online access to medical records and test results; as many as one-fourth (26 percent) are willing to pay extra for these additional services.

More than 93 percent of consumers surveyed say they are not well prepared for future health care costs, making sensitivity to the cost for care increasingly important. Consumers are interested in using online tools to shop around to compare prices and the quality of care provided by their health care providers. They are interested in visiting physician (65 percent) and hospital (62 percent) Web sites to research the price of services offered. Consumers surveyed are also interested in visiting physician (67 percent) and hospital (64 percent) Web sites to research the quality of care offered.

The “2008 Survey of Health Care Consumers,” a representative poll of more than 3,000 Americans between the ages of 18 and 75, was conducted by the Deloitte Center for Health Solutions.

Today’s health care consumers are already seeking care in non-conventional settings. In the last 24 months, 21 percent have purchased prescription medication online or by mail; 37 percent say they might do so in the future. Sixteen percent have already used a retail clinic, and 34 percent say they might do so in the future.

Among other survey’s findings:

• 3 out of 4 of consumers want their physicians to provide online access to an integrated medical record; 1 in 4 would pay more for this service
• More than 70 percent of consumers want their hospitals to provide online access to their medical record and test results; 1 in 4 would pay more for this service
• 1 in 4 consumers say they maintain some kind of personal health record; 46 percent would be willing to use a software program or Web site to create a personal health record
• 83 percent of consumers are interested in same-day appointments with their physicians; 1 in 4 (26 percent) would pay more for this service
• Nearly 3 out of 4 want physicians to provide online services to schedule appointments; 18 percent would pay more for this service
• 3 out of 4 of consumers are interested in e-mail access to their doctors; nearly 1 in 4 would pay more for this service
• 88 percent of consumers want expanded use of in-home monitoring devices and online tools that would reduce the need for visits and allow individuals to be more active in their care
  

In addition, the survey revealed the consumer health care market is not homogenous; key distinctions exist within different groups. An analysis of the data found that respondents fell into six discrete segments:

· “Content and compliant” consumers (29 percent) tend to prefer traditional approaches to care and accept what doctors recommend.

· “Sick and savvy” consumers (24 percent) tend to have at least one or more chronic condition and often prefer relying on themselves more than their doctors when making care-related decisions.

· “Online and onboard” consumers (8 percent) are high users of the health care system who use online tools and value-added services more than any other segment.

· “Shop and save” consumers (2 percent) are prone to switching doctors, treatments and health plans, and make changes to their insurance more often than the other segments and are most sensitive to prices of health care services.

· “Out and about” consumers (9 percent) use alternative approaches to treatment, consult alternative health care practitioners and substitute alternative therapies for prescription medications more than the other segments.

· “Casual and cautious” consumers (28 percent) tend to be younger and are healthier than the other segments, however are less insured and report being more financially unprepared for their future health care costs than the others.

La Region de la Capitale nationale de Quebec Selects MediSolution's Radiology Information System

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Feb. 25, 2008) - MediSolution (TSX:MSH) announced today that it has signed a contract with the Region de la Capitale nationale de Quebec for the implementation of MediSolution's Radiology Information System. Specifically designed for hospitals, the integrated radiology management solution will be implemented over the next twelve months in six healthcare institutions located throughout the Region de la Capitale nationale de Quebec. The contract is expected to generate more than $0.75 million in revenue.

The Radiology Information System is a proven solution that supports a variety of healthcare services, including tertiary and highly-specialised services provided by hospital university centers to multi-vocational services provided by the CSSS throughout the area. In addition, the Radiology Information System can be integrated to other applications enabling organizations to optimize workflow and improve data integrity. The adoption of a global based solution ensures interoperability between the various sites located throughout the region.

"We are pleased that the Region de la Capitale nationale de Quebec is joining our growing base of Radiology Information System customers," said Paul Lepage, President and CEO at MediSolution. "The system can be easily adapted to the PACS solution which is currently being deployed within the region, and we will be working closely with all the individual sites to ensure the implementation is a success. The system will allow the Region de la Capitale nationale de Quebec to automate the flow of information, update patient files and ensure proper follow-up of clinical services."

MediSolution's Radiology Information System is an ideal choice for regions faced with complex environments, diverse needs and multiple sites located across a large geographic area.

About MediSolution

MediSolution (TSX:MSH), a Brookfield Asset Management company, is a leading healthcare and public sector information technology company, providing software, solutions and services to customers across North America. More than 500 hospitals and other healthcare facilities and close to 200 public sector and related organizations rely on MediSolution's systems to maximize their operational efficiencies, lower their costs, and improve the delivery of services. MediSolution has two operating segments. The Resource Management Systems segment is comprised of Financial Management software such as accounts receivable, budgeting and materials management as well as Human Capital Management tools including human resource management, staff scheduling and payroll processing. The Healthcare Information Systems segment is comprised of clinical solutions such as patient tracking, electronic patient health records, pharmacy, radiology and laboratory software for healthcare organizations.

This press release contains "forward-looking statements" regarding MediSolution's Radiology Information System and their contract with the Region de la Capitale nationale de Quebec. The words "believe", "expect", "anticipate", "intend", "estimate" and other expressions which are predictions of or indicate future events and trends and which do not relate to historical matters identify forward-looking statements. Readers are cautioned not to place undue reliance on forward-looking statements because they involve known an unknown risks, uncertainties and other factors, which may cause the actual results, performance or achievements of the company to differ materially from anticipated future results, performance or achievements expressed or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially from those set forth in the forward-looking statements include failure to secure additional customer interest in the Radiology Information System, the products' failure to generate anticipated business efficiencies and value for the client and the cancellation of the contract with the Region de la Capitale nationale de Quebec.

MediSolution Ltd.: Leamington District Memorial Hospital Selects Virtuo Business Intelligence Solution to Monitor Key Performance Indicators

MONTREAL, QUEBEC--(Marketwire - Feb. 20, 2008) - MediSolution Ltd. (TSX:MSH), today announced that Leamington District Memorial Hospital, has purchased MediSolution's Virtuo Business Intelligence (BI) enterprise solution. The Virtuo BI system will be implemented throughout the hospital's organization and will allow the management team to concurrently track performance and monitor trends across a number of clinical, financial and resource management systems. The solution will be implemented over the next 3 months.

Specifically designed for healthcare organizations, the Virtuo Business Intelligence solution turns data into web-based dashboards and scorecards allowing managers to track key performance indicators (KPIs) to quickly identify trends and implement appropriate action. Leamington District Memorial Hospital will use the system to monitor and report on 27 initial KPIs that have been specifically designed to track performance metrics for the Ontario Ministry of Health's performance scorecard. For example, current ratio, emergency room average length of stay, turnover rate, and readmission rate.

"We really appreciated the exceptional level of healthcare data management expertise offered by MediSolution" said Sarah Padfield, Vice President Corporate Services at Leamington District Memorial Hospital. "The solution allows us to maximize the investments we have already made in our existing Virtuo Financial Management and Virtuo Payroll systems, but also integrate and crossover data from other mission-critical systems we have in our infrastructure".

The Virtuo Business Intelligence solution will be deployed using Microsoft's BI solutions including Microsoft SQL Server 2005 and Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 (PPS). Gartner Research recently released its Magic Quadrant for Business Intelligence Platforms, 2008 and placed Microsoft ahead of the competition in terms of its ability to execute including the competitiveness and success of its BI goods and services, its viability and investment in BI and the execution of its sales and pricing. The Office PerformancePoint Server 2007 is an integrated performance management application with an intuitive user interface that is similar to other Microsoft Office tools and applications. This also allows users to effectively build new KPIs on their own or in conjunction with a certified partner, provided that the underlying data is well structured and organized.

"We are delighted to have Leamington District Memorial Hospital join our growing list of Business Intelligence customers," said Paul Lepage, President and Chief Executive Officer at MediSolution. "The combination of our unique data management expertise, being a Microsoft Certified Partner and using Microsoft Office PerformancePoint Server provides our customers with an exclusive scalable and user-friendly BI solution for the healthcare marketplace."

CLINICARE and Barrie FHT Sign Largest EMR Contract in Canadian History

CALGARY, Alberta, February 12, 2008 – CLINICARE Corporation of Calgary announces that it has been selected by the Barrie and Community Family Health Team to implement their OntarioMD approved Clinical Management Solution (CMS).

CLINICARE will implement its Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Practice Management Applications (PMA) solution to 60 physicians and additional healthcare providers at 35 different locations within the Barrie area starting next month.

Each practice will maintain their individual billing environments but share all other common elements such as patient scheduling, patient recalls, Electronic Medical Records, lab and medication data. Almost 350 workstations will connect securely through Ontario’s Smart Systems for Health Agency (SSHA).

“We are a diverse group of family physicians who were in agreement about networking and combining our patients into one server/database for EMR”, said Dr. Anne DuVall, lead physician for Barrie and Community FHT. “We have followed a long and diligent selection process. In addition to CLINICARE’s ability to accommodate the many styles of physician workflow within our team, it was important for us to choose a vendor that we felt confident could institute a project of this magnitude “.

“This is a proven deployment of a single patient record across many locations, with a powerful security model”, stated Dennis Niebergal, president & CEO of CLINICARE. “As with previous negotiations in Ontario, we have appreciated the involvement of Barrie’s OntarioMD advisors as a project management resource. Their expert advice helped eliminate confusion and reduced deficiencies ensuring a more successful implementation and better end result”.

CLINICARE’s solution supports physicians’ workflow and can be tailored to meet individual physician needs. It helps enhance patient care, improves patient safety and drives both physician and staff productivity.

About CLINICARE

CLINICARE Corporation (www.clinicare.com) has specialized in software development for the ambulatory physician market since 1984. CLINICARE is Canada’s leading provider of Electronic Medical Records (EMR) and Practice Management Applications (PMA). CLINICARE’s EMR has been rated as one of the Top 2 EMRs in North America for the past 5 consecutive years by the prestigious IT consulting firm - KLAS Enterprises. CLINICARE has also been recognized in recent years by the Canadian Health Informatics Association by being bestowed the “Company of the Year”, “Corporate Citizen of the Year” and “Healthcare Transformation of the Year” Awards. CLINICARE is the only vendor to have received this recognition. CLINICARE is also one of the successful proponents to BC’s Physician Information Technology Office (PITO) initiative. CLINICARE has branch offices in the United States and Canada, with its Head Office in Calgary, Alberta.

For more information, contact:

Brent F. Mitchell, Marketing Manager, CLINICARE Corporation at(800) 563-0579 or marketing@clinicare.com
Eric Sutton, Executive Director, Barrie & Community FHT at (705) 725-4701 or esutton@bcfht.ca

Brooklyn RHIO names IT vendor

Healthcare IT News

By Richard Pizzi, Associate Editor

01/16/08

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NEW YORK - The Brooklyn Health Information Exchange has chosen a healthcare IT vendor to implement its clinical portal and information exchange technology project. The HIE is scheduled to be operational by July 2008.

Organized by Maimonides Medical Center and other healthcare organizations in New York, the BHIX is a not-for-profit corporation that will offer health information exchange services in Brooklyn, New York's most populous borough.

BHIX will employ the services of MedPlus, the healthcare information technology subsidiary of Madison, N.J. -based Quest Diagnostics Inc. BHIX officials say the MedPlus system will enable physicians and other healthcare workers to collect, manage and share patient information in real time from Internet-enabled locations across the BHIX's 11 partner organizations.

"Technology can optimize patient care, minimize the risk of medical errors, and reduce administrative and other operating costs," said Pamela Brier, president of Maimonides Medical Center and chairwoman of the board of directors of the BHIX. "Our goal for the BHIX is to provide exceptional patient care and service through the strategic deployment of technology."