TELUS awarded $31.5 million contract to deliver electronic health record solution improving patient care for Montreal region residents

Montreal Region Health Authority expands the scope of its Electronic Health Record (EHR) project to include all healthcare institutions over the next four years

Montreal, QC, May 27, 2009 – TELUS today announced a $31.5 million expansion of its contract with the Montreal Region Health Authority to accelerate and expand the implementation of the Oacis Electronic Health Record solution to healthcare facilities across the region.

The solution is comprised of an electronic clinical information system combined with a documentation imaging solution that will convert paper records and integrate them into a unified electronic patient record.

Montreal is one of the first regions in Canada to implement standardized electronic health records across all points of service including 89 hospitals, health and social services centers, long-term care centres and other public healthcare institutions, as well as GMF (family practices), network clinics and integrated network clinics.

"The significant expansion of our work on EHR with Montreal is a true testimonial to the value of our technology to deliver on our promise to transform the way information is used in healthcare," said François Côté, president, TELUS Health Solutions. "Montreal is one of the first regions in North America to adopt a fully integrated end-to-end solution across the continuum of care from clinics to acute care facilities."

David Levine, president and CEO, Montreal Region Health Authority said, "This is our vision and our passion. Now, more than ever, we are convinced that the future of healthcare is contingent on the system-wide adoption of electronic health records. We believe this because we are completely satisfied with the performance of the solutions already in use. Now, our priority is to ensure the Oacis solution is deployed quickly and efficiently throughout the Montreal Region to provide people with uniform and consistent quality care."

The Oacis Hospital Electronic Health Record will be overlaid on top of existing infrastructure and systems, thereby preserving existing investments while creating a unique database. To achieve this, the Oacis solution will interface with more than 50 systems requiring the development of 140 application interfaces to ensure a seamless transfer of information.

Under the terms of the contract, TELUS will be responsible for project implementation and management, providing the Authority with a complete turnkey solution for accelerated deployment.

The project's initial phase includes Sacré-Cœur Hospital, Jewish General Hospital and the Verdun CSSS (Health and Social Services Centre) all of which are scheduled to go live within the next few months. In addition, the OACIS solution is being implemented at Centre hospitalier de l'Université de Montréal (CHUM) and McGill University Health Centre (MUHC) where there are approximately 5,000 users monthly.

"We are thrilled to be one of the first implementations of the Oacis Electronic Health Record solution to go live in the Montreal Region because we anticipate significant enhancements to clinical efficiencies, increased patient safety and improved outcomes" said Dr. S. Rosenthal MD, CSPQ Director of Information Services, Jewish General Hospital.

About TELUS Health Solutions
TELUS Health Solutions, backed by Emergis, represents a unique set of technology, expertise and resources to help transform how information is used in the healthcare industry. TELUS Health Solutions has years of expertise in successfully implementing healthcare applications and information communication technology processes through industry leading solutions and consulting services to customers in Canada and around the world. It is backed by more than 1,500 TELUS Health Solutions team members including healthcare professionals. For more information, please visit telushealth.com.

About TELUS
TELUS (TSX: T, T.A; NYSE: TU) is a leading national telecommunications company in Canada, with $9.7 billion of annual revenue and 11.6 million customer connections including 6.2 million wireless subscribers, 4.2 million wireline network access lines and 1.2 million Internet subscribers. Led since 2000 by President and CEO, Darren Entwistle, TELUS provides a wide range of communications products and services including data, Internet protocol (IP), voice, entertainment and video. In support of our philosophy to give where we live, TELUS, our team members and retirees have contributed $137 million to charitable and not-for-profit organizations and volunteered more than 2.6 million hours of service to local communities since 2000. Nine TELUS Community Boards across Canada lead our local philanthropic initiatives. For more information about TELUS, please visit telus.com.

MEDSEEK Teams with 3M to Enable the Highest Level of System Interoperability for Health Information Exchanges (HIEs)

Advanced technology for HIEs will help promote greater efficiencies and improved outcomes. Birmingham, Ala. – Apr. 7, 2009 – MEDSEEK, the leading provider of enterprise portal connectivity solutions, announced today a strategic alliance with 3M Health Information Systems, to fully integrate 3M’s advanced data repository and vocabulary management tools with MEDSEEK’s eHealth ecoSystem™, a community portal that connects physicians, hospitals, consumers and patients. The MEDSEEK and 3M technology will work seamlessly to enable the highest level of data interoperability between systems, making it possible for provider organizations and Health Information Exchange (HIE) initiatives to exchange data at regional, state and national levels. The result is improved healthcare quality and efficiency.

Building on successful collaborations at large health systems in Ohio and Colorado, MEDSEEK and 3M will offer a comprehensive interoperability solution that integrates MEDSEEK’s clinical portal with 3M’s highly scalable architecture. The 3M products include the 3M™ Clinical Data Repository, a central database of individual lifetime patient records; 3M™ Enterprise Master Person Index, which links acute and ambulatory data to provide a consistent method of identifying a patient across all care sites and encounters; and 3M™ Healthcare Data Dictionary, the industry’s leading healthcare data dictionary. The combined solution will deliver exceptional access to comprehensive, consolidated patient health data across healthcare facilities.

“Through our agreement with 3M, we have greatly accelerated the ability to access integrated health information across multiple, disparate platforms,” says Peter Kuhn, MEDSEEK’s CEO. “This collaboration further demonstrates our ability to support the kind of interoperability advocated by our national healthcare agenda. It also underscores the value of our eHealth ecoSystem™ in reducing costs and eliminating the healthcare information boundaries to engage all stakeholders for improved health outcomes.”

“There is growing industry consensus that the creation of state and regional health information-sharing networks is a critical step in improving care quality and efficiency,” said Marvin Johnson, Senior Vice President, 3M Health Information Systems. “We are excited to bring our HIE knowledge and experience to MEDSEEK’s eHealth ecoSystem™. By addressing interoperability challenges, we can support federal and state initiatives to improve our nation’s health care.”

About 3M Health Information Systems 3M Health Information Systems delivers comprehensive software and consulting services to help organizations worldwide improve documentation, quality, and financial performance across the healthcare continuum. 3M offers integrated solutions for transcription, speech recognition, clinical documentation improvement, documentation management, computer-assisted coding, quality, and revenue cycle management, effectively meeting the industry’s changing needs. With 25 years of healthcare experience and expertise, 3M works as a trusted and stable business partner to provide reliable implementation, training, and support services. For more information about 3M Health Information Systems products and services, visit www.3Mhis.com or call 800-367-2447.

About MEDSEEK Birmingham, Ala.-based MEDSEEK provides healthcare organizations with enterprise eHealth solutions to fully engage and strengthen relationships with key constituents – physicians, patients, employees, and consumers. By connecting information and communities to foster an enhanced experience with the organization, hospitals will improve community advocacy, revenue and patient throughput, and clinical decision making. MEDSEEK’s comprehensive technology platform and strategic consulting services create the infrastructure and provide the thought leadership for hospitals to deliver the most powerful portal solutions. With more than ten years’ experience and 600+ hospital customers, MEDSEEK has the experience and expertise to meet the diverse needs of the healthcare community. MEDSEEK also maintains offices in California and Mississippi. For more information, visit www.medseek.com or call 888-MEDSEEK.

Study results put the joy back into staying healthy, reports the Harvard Health Letter

BOSTON—Can you have your health and enjoy yourself, too? A growing body of research suggests you can.

Never has high living looked quite so healthful as it has lately—even if it is high living on a leash. The permission to indulge in some pleasures almost always comes with a reminder about doing everything in moderation, reports the April 2009 issue of the Harvard Health Letter. Here are some not-so-guilty pleasures:

Alcohol: Moderate alcohol consumption protects against heart disease and stroke. Drinking increases “good” HDL cholesterol, reduces blood clotting factors, and may make blood vessels less vulnerable to atherosclerosis.

Chocolate: Chocolate improves blood flow through the arteries that supply the heart and the brain. There’s also evidence associating consumption of dark chocolate with lower levels of C-reactive protein, a marker for inflammation.

Coffee: Coffee drinkers may be less likely than coffee abstainers to have heart attacks, suffer strokes, or develop diabetes. Research also suggests that a coffee habit could be good for your brain, lowering your risk of developing Parkinson’s disease, dementia, and Alzheimer’s.

Sex: Research has suggested that frequent sexual intercourse (twice a week) is associated with reduced heart attack risk. Sexual activity also revs up metabolism, may help regulate menstrual cycles, and gives the immune system a boost.

Sleep: A good night's sleep is good for health. “Short sleepers” put on more pounds than people who sleep seven to eight hours a night. Subpar slumbering has been linked to diabetes, heart attacks, and even early death. When you stay awake for long stretches, it wreaks hormonal havoc; levels of the stress hormone cortisol go up, and your appetite gets out of whack.

Social life: Studies have linked social networks to good health, while social isolation and loneliness are associated with cognitive decline and high blood pressure.

Read Full-length Article: "Putting the joie de vivre back into health"

Also in this issue:

• The Whipple procedure for pancreatic cancer
• Are multivitamins still a good bet?
• Calorie cutbacks and memory gains
• Omega-3s and bleeding

The Harvard Health Letter is available from Harvard Health Publications, the publishing division of Harvard Medical School, for $29 per year. Subscribe at www.health.harvard.edu/health or by calling 877-649-9457 (toll-free).

EMIS Appoints National Sales Manager for Canada

April 6, 2009 – EMIS Inc., the Canadian operation of EMIS Group (Leeds, UK) announced today that Ron Hughes, a veteran of the healthcare software industry in Canada has joined the organization as National Sales Manager. Based in Vernon, British Columbia, Ron will be responsible for continuing to build the EMIS sales team in British Columbia, Alberta, and elsewhere as the company continues its growth.

While the role Mr. Hughes will fulfill is national in scope, his initial focus will be in BC where the company is a solution provider under the Physician Information Technology Office (PITO) program.

EMIS Inc. is the Canadian subsidiary of The Egton Group based in Leeds, United Kingdom and launched its Canadian operations in 2005.

In a news release EMIS notes that its’ corporate principal of improving the health of individual patients, and the population as a whole through advanced knowledge garnered by empowering physicians to collaborate.

For more information contact Heather Linkletter, Vice President, Sales & Marketing (866) 443-3647. Heather.Linkletter@emis.ca

National Research Council invests in EHR

April 3, 2009 CAMBRIDGE, ONTARIO--(Marketwire - April 3, 2009) - The Honourable Gary Goodyear, Minister of State (Science and Technology), announced today a contribution to MedShare Inc. from the National Research Council of Canada Industrial Research Assistance Program (NRC-IRAP) to support an innovative research and development project. "The Government of Canada is committed to building a competitive advantage for the Canadian private sector and supports these leading edge technology solutions," said Minister Goodyear. "This investment in the development of advanced technologies, taking place right here in Cambridge, can one day make the lives of the sick and the elderly much more manageable in their homes." MedShare is a software company that provides mobile health record solutions to meet the needs of North American home health care agencies. This initiative will receive a grant of up to $284,500 under the IRAP program and allow the company to explore a new solution for the management of electronic health records for the home care sector. The technology will ultimately be delivered to clients by one of MedShare's health care delivery partners. The Industrial Research Assistance Program is a Government of Canada initiative that provides business advice, access to competitive business information, contacts, networks and potential financial support to small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs) for their innovation-based projects. NRC-IRAP customizes solutions to some 8,000 SMEs annually. The program brings together a diverse network of organizations, services, funding and programs to help firms develop and utilize technologies within all industrial sectors across the country. "NRC-IRAP has been working closely with MedShare to help the company achieve global recognition and develop its projects to achieve real commercial success," said NRC President Dr. Pierre Coulombe. "Providing assistance to MedShare demonstrates NRC's commitment to investing in research priorities such as health and wellness." "At MedShare, we are experiencing rapid growth in our electronic medical record (EMR) solutions, which required a fundamental reengineering of the EMR platform," says Barry Billings, President and CEO of MedShare Inc. "With the assistance of NRC-IRAP, the next generation of MedShare Enterprise Server will support up to the estimated 1.5 million patients currently receiving home care in Canada." About MedShare MedShare uses leading edge mobile technology to fundamentally transform the delivery of home health care services yielding better medical outcomes and improved operational results. Better medical information results in improved health outcomes, reduced paper burden, and more time available for client care - improving the efficiency and profitability of home health care agencies. About NRC and NRC-IRAP Recognized globally for research and innovation, the National Research Council (NRC) is a leader in the development of an innovative, knowledge-based economy for Canada through science and technology. Working directly with clients, NRC-IRAP's field staff of 240 industrial technology advisors support corporate innovative research and development and assist them while they become commercialization-ready with their new products and services. NRC-IRAP views SMEs as the strategic backbone of the Canadian economy and is committed to working with them while they realize their full potential and turn knowledge and innovation into strategic opportunities, jobs and prosperity for all Canadians. For more information (media only), please visit NRC-IRAP's Web site www.irap-pari.nrc-cnrc.gc.ca/main_e.html. CONTACT INFORMATION: National Research Council Canada Media Relations 613-990-6091 media@nrc-cnrc.gc.ca or Office of the Honourable Gary Goodyear Minister of State (Science and Technology) Gary Toft Director of Communications 613-943-7599 INDUSTRY: Government - International, Government - Local, Government - National, Government - Security (law enforcement, homeland etc), Government - State

Roche and Genentech "combine"

Roche and Genentech reach a friendly agreement to combine the two organizations and create a leader in healthcare innovation

• Roche intends to acquire all outstanding shares of Genentech for US$95.00 per share in cash

• Research and early development to operate as an independent center; South San Francisco site to become headquarters of combined U.S. commercial operations; Genentech's unique culture to be maintained

• Innovation will be enhanced through a diversity of research approaches and sharing of IP, technologies, partnerships and other key assets

• Transaction expected to be EPS accretive in the first year after closing

Roche (SWX: ROG.VX; RO.S) and Genentech (NYSE: DNA) announced today that they signed a merger agreement under which Roche will acquire the outstanding publicly held interest in Genentech for US$95.00 per share in cash, or a total payment of approximately US$46.8 billion to equity holders of Genentech other than Roche.

The special committee of Genentech's Board of Directors has approved the agreement and recommends that Genentech shareholders tender their shares in Roche's tender offer.

Dr. Charles Sanders, Chairman of the Special Committee of Genentech's Board of Directors, said: "We believe this is a fair offer for Genentech shareholders, and the Committee is pleased to come to a successful conclusion of this process. We look forward to working with Roche to complete the transaction as expeditiously as possible".

Franz B. Humer, Chairman of the Roche Group, said: "We are very pleased that we have reached an agreement with Genentech and secured a positive recommendation from the special committee. As stated previously, an agreed transaction offers clear and important advantages for the shareholders of both companies. I am delighted that the intensive negotiations have led to a successful conclusion. Working together, we aim to close the transaction quickly, thus removing uncertainty for employees and allowing us to focus even more intently on innovation and long-term projects. We have tremendous respect for our colleagues at Genentech and look forward to working with them to further accelerate our search for solutions to unmet medical needs".

Arthur D. Levinson, Ph.D., chairman and chief executive of Genentech, said: "We have had a highly successful partnership with Roche for more than 18 years, and we intend to pursue our shared goal of discovering medications for serious and life-threatening conditions. We look forward to working with our partners at Roche to ensure a smooth transition once the transaction is complete and to continue our mission of serving patients".

Severin Schwan, CEO of the Roche Group, said: "Roche and Genentech saw the potential of a pharma-biotechnology partnership early on and we are now in an enviable position to expand on the success of our longstanding relationship, which has been a source of immense value for patients, employees and shareholders of both companies. We are excited about working with our colleagues at Genentech and look forward to partnering with them to develop a plan for the successful combination of the two companies".

Roche will amend its existing tender offer to reflect the increased price and eliminate the financing and certain other conditions to the offer. The tender offer remains subject to the condition that a majority of the public shareholders tender their shares. If the tender offer is completed, Roche will promptly consummate a second-step merger in which all remaining public shareholders will, without the need for further action by any public shareholder, receive $95.00 per share for their shares. Roche and Genentech have also amended their affiliation agreement to permit all shareholders to receive the same increased price in the tender offer and the merger. The expiration date for the offer is March 25, 2009. As of the close of business on March 11, 2009, approximately 2.9 million shares have been tendered pursuant to the offer.

Strong benefits for both Genentech and Roche
The combined company will be the seventh largest U.S. pharmaceuticals company in terms of market share. It will generate approximately US$17 billion in annual revenues and will employ around 17,500 employees in the U.S. pharmaceuticals business alone, including a combined sales force of approximately 3,000 people.

Research and early development will operate as an independent center within Roche from its existing campus in South San Francisco, retaining its talent and approach to discovering and progressing new molecules. Roche's Pharma commercial operations in the U.S. will be moved from Nutley, New Jersey to Genentech's site in South San Francisco. The combined company's U.S. commercial operations in pharmaceuticals will operate under the Genentech name, leveraging the strong brand value of Genentech in the U.S. market. The existing U.S. sales organizations of both companies will be maintained, resulting in a very strong presence in several specialty areas.

The transaction will provide the opportunity to simplify the structure of the combined organization and maximize the benefits of enhanced scale. Roche has already begun to wind down operations at its Palo Alto facility and will relocate the site's Virology research and development activities to South San Francisco. Roche's Palo Alto Inflammation group is in the process of becoming part of Roche's Nutley research and development organization. Genentech's Late Stage Development and Manufacturing operations will be combined with the global operations of Roche, achieving substantial scale benefits, operational synergies and cost avoidance. Roche's manufacturing operations in Nutley will be closed and support functions, such as informatics and finance, will be consolidated with those of Genentech.
Financial Information

Roche expects the combination to generate annual pre-tax cost synergies of approximately US$750 to $850 million. Synergies will be largely driven by reducing complexity and eliminating duplicative functions and processes in areas like late stage development, manufacturing, corporate administration and support functions. Savings resulting from this combination will enable the new company to increase and better focus its investment in innovation.

The transaction is expected to be accretive to Roche's earnings per share in the first year after closing. The combined company will generate substantial free cash flow that will enable it to rapidly reduce acquisition-related debt, invest in further product launches and retain strategic flexibility.

Additional information about the transaction, including the offering documents, is available at www.transactioninfo.com/roche/.

Genentech's recommendation to shareholders on Schedule 14D-9 to accept Roche's offer will be made available today on Genentech's website, www.genentech.com, and via EDGAR on the SEC's website, www.sec.gov, and will be mailed to Genentech shareholders.

Greenhill & Co. is acting as financial advisor to Roche and Davis Polk & Wardwell is acting as legal counsel. The Special Committee is represented by Goldman, Sachs & Co. and Latham & Watkins LLP. Genentech is represented by Wilson Sonsini Goodrich & Rosati.

About Roche
Headquartered in Basel, Switzerland, Roche is one of the world's leading research-focused healthcare groups in the fields of pharmaceuticals and diagnostics. As the world's biggest biotech company and an innovator of products and services for the early detection, prevention, diagnosis and treatment of diseases, the Group contributes on a broad range of fronts to improving people's health and quality of life. Roche is the world leader in in-vitro diagnostics and drugs for cancer and transplantation, and is a market leader in virology. It is also active in other major therapeutic areas such as autoimmune diseases, inflammatory and metabolic disorders and diseases of the central nervous system. In 2008 sales by the Pharmaceuticals Division totaled 36.0 billion Swiss francs, and the Diagnostics Division posted sales of 9.7 billion francs. Roche has R&D agreements and strategic alliances with numerous partners, including majority ownership interests in Genentech and Chugai, and invested nearly 9 billion Swiss francs in R&D in 2008. Worldwide, the Group employs about 80,000 people. Additional information is available on the Internet at www.roche.com.

About Genentech
Founded more than 30 years ago, Genentech is a leading biotechnology company that discovers, develops, manufactures and commercializes medicines to treat patients with significant unmet medical needs. The company has headquarters in South San Francisco, California and is listed on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol DNA. For additional information about the company, please visit www.gene.com.

Agfa HealthCare connects Canadian Northwest Territories to enhance patient care

The Government of the Northwest Territories deploys Agfa HealthCare’s IMPAX™ solution to support the region’s digital migration

Toronto, ON – March 23, 2009 - Agfa HealthCare, a leading provider of diagnostic imaging and healthcare IT solutions, announces today that the Government of the Northwest Territories (GNWT) in Canada has selected its IMPAX™ Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS) to migrate its regional radiology services to a digital environment. Agfa HealthCare's IMPAX has already been installed at the Stanton Territorial Hospital, one of four main hospitals in the Northwest Territories and the agreement foresees its expansion to the other three facilities. The new technology will provide local and remote radiologists with real-time access to patient images, cut down on costs associated with transporting images across the territory for diagnosis, and improve report turnaround time to promote a better quality of patient care to more than 40,000 residents.

Currently, healthcare professionals from over 18 community facilities in the Northwest Territories transport patient film-based images by traditional mail or by air to Stanton Territorial Hospital in Yellowknife, the only facility in the territory with a radiologist. Once in place, Agfa HealthCare’s IMPAX solution will connect the four main hospitals in the region to provide caregivers with more efficient and convenient access to patient information and images. GNWT plans to deploy computed radiography systems in the 18 community health centers currently providing diagnostic imaging (DI) services across the Territories. These systems will eventually connect to Agfa HealthCare’s IMPAX solution connecting the vast geography of the Territories to the Territorial PACS.

“The Northwest Territories is unique in that our geography of 1.17 million square kilometres presents challenges in meeting the dynamic needs of our regions,” said Honorable Sandy Lee, Minister of Health and Social Services, Northwest Territories. “Deploying the IMPAX solution supports our goal to provide community members with improved, patient-centric care, such as improving report turnaround times from days and sometimes weeks, to just a few hours.”

Agfa HealthCare's IMPAX system is a web-deployable image and information management solution with advanced image processing designed to simplify customer reporting activities, increase throughput and improve report turnaround time, while connecting caregivers to the tools and knowledge they need to deliver quality healthcare efficiently. Relevant patient and exam information – patient data, visit information, reporting history and scanned documents – is more readily available, supporting more timely assessments and improved delivery of patient care.

“Extended wait times are still plaguing our healthcare system, and moving to a digital environment is the first step to expediting overall patient turnaround times,” said Dave Wilson, vice president of Agfa HealthCare, Canada. “Advanced imaging technologies, such as IMPAX, will lay the groundwork for further IT deployments in the Northwest Territories and will enhance the delivery of patient care – ultimately getting us closer to making eHealth in Canada a reality.”

The IMPAX PACS project is set to be complete at the end of April, 2009, with the computed radiography projected for completion in June 2010.