Press Release

Versus Technology Provides Real-time Patient Flow and Volume Management to Eastern Maine Medical Center’s New Imaging Center

 

(Traverse City, Michigan, October 8, 2009) – Eastern Maine Medical Center’s (EMMC) newly renovated 32,000 square foot Imaging Center is the high-tech host to an array of outpatient services, including CT scans, MRIs, Digital Mammography, Diagnostic Cardiology, Radiography and Ultrasound. Centralizing these medical services allowed EMMC to not only expand their offerings, but also alleviate parking congestion, long patient wait times and rescheduling.

 

With an already high patient volume (there was a 26.3% increase between 2006 and 2007) and walk-in patients already representing over 50% of all services, it is important that EMMC address patient flow in a timely and efficient manner. To help do so, they chose to implement Versus Technology, Inc.’s Real-time Locating System (RTLS). This decision is a continuation of EMMC’s commitment to use technology to advance patient safety and high quality care—a commitment that earned EMMC the Nicholas E. Davies Organizational Award of Excellence in 2008.

 

The Versus solution will allow EMMC to capture time parameters related to the patient visit, including wait time and time to complete a particular imaging service. These parameters are obtained automatically and allow Imaging Center staff to:

·         Make real-time comparisons to benchmarked goals (modality trending),

·         Perform more accurate scheduling based on actual time to complete certain procedures,

·         Better inform patients as to expected wait and procedure times, and

·         Easily analyze patient throughput.

 

As EMMC Imaging Center performs both scheduled and walk-in services, they will gain additional efficiency from Versus’ real-time bed management capabilities. Versus automatically identifies room status as available, in-use, reserved, in-process (being cleaned) or unavailable based on patient locations and integration with the Imaging Center’s registration system to identify the service type.

 

“Eastern Maine Medical Center had already selected Versus to automate patient flow at their CancerCare of Maine clinic,” says Paul Timmerman, VP of Sales and Marketing, “so when they contacted us in June about the Imaging Center, they already had a basic understanding of our capabilities. Since the CCoM won’t open until the end of the year, it was a vote of confidence in Versus and Versus’ experience managing multiple projects, including those with a more aggressive timeframe.”

 

The new EMMC Imaging Center opened on September 1st and is already averaging 200 patients per day. Staff are already commenting on the improvements the Versus automation brings to their larger clinic. Canfield Systems, Inc. of Scarborough, ME installed the Versus Sensory Network and was instrumental in the planning process. “It is always a pleasure to work with the staff at Eastern Maine Medical Center,” says Scott Whitaker, VP of Canfield Systems, Inc. “The General and Electrical Contractors were also an instrumental component in the successful completion of this project. We look forward to watching the Imaging Center benefit from this technology.”

 

About Canfield Systems, Inc.

Canfield Systems, Inc. has been in business since the 1940's, bringing Educational, Health Care, Correctional and Public Address products to the Northeast. Canfield has remained committed to providing expertise in the design and implementation of a total communication system solution for new construction including the following systems: Nurse Call, RTLS, Clock, Public Address, Intercom, Telephone, Media Distribution, and Televisions. Canfield is also expert at implementing solutions to retrofit and/or expand. Canfield Systems, Inc. is a reliable company with combined expertise totaling over 150 years in the business. Visit Canfield on the web for more information regarding the services they provide: www.canfieldsystems.com.

About Versus Technology, Inc.

For nearly 20 years, Versus Technology, Inc. has maintained the leadership position in the development and sale of context-aware real-time location systems (RTLS) used for enterprise patient tracking, bed management and asset tracking to improve patient flow and caregiver/patient communications in hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities. Versus also develops dual infrared and Active RFID tags and other location tracking hardware to make locating systems more precise, security systems more intelligent, nurse call systems automatic, and hospital asset tracking systems more efficient. Indoor positioning through Versus’ RTLS enhances existing hospital software and patient care systems with real-time, reliable bed-level location information. The patented Versus IR and Active RFID patient and asset tracking system is exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association and is a key component of their Patient Flow Platform—which includes a select group of vendors that provide proven solutions to enhance patient flow and improve patient safety. (www.versustech.com; Pink Sheets: VSTI.PK)

 

Safe Harbor Provision

This document may contain forward-looking statements relating to future events, such as the development of new products, the commencement of production, or the future financial performance of the Company. These statements fall within the meaning of forward-looking information as defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are subject to a number of important risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to differ materially including, but not limited to, economic, competitive, governmental, and technological factors affecting the Company’s markets and market growth rates, products and their rate of commercialization, services, prices and adequacy of financing, and other factors. The Company undertakes no obligation to update, amend, or clarify forward-looking statements, whether because of new information, future events, or otherwise.

 

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Media Contact:                                                           Investor/Analyst Contact:

Versus Technology, Inc.                                                Versus Technology, Inc.           

Stephanie Bertschy, Director of Marketing                       Joseph Winowiecki, Chief Financial Officer

877.983.7787                                                                231.946.5868

skb@versustech.com                                                    joew@versustech.com