Press Release
Versus RTLS Automates Patient Flow at Eastern Maine Medical Center
(Traverse City, Michigan, March 1, 2010) – CancerCare of Maine
(CCOM), operated by Eastern
Maine Medical Center, recently selected the Versus Advantages solution from Versus
Technology, Inc. (Versus) for its new, state-of-the-art facility in Brewer, ME.
The new facility opened December 14, 2009 with Advantages Clinic solution
in place. The Versus solution is used to automatically communicate patient care
progression, room status and to maximize efficiency through integration with
other systems such as digital phones, scheduling and nurse call.
The Versus Real-time Locating System (RTLS)
allows hospitals and clinics to identify unique patient needs, determine where
to place the patient, notify staff of the patient’s next milestone and monitor
staff time with patients. Patients and staff wear locating badges that identify
the individual and his or her location, which is communicated through the
Versus sensory network. This technology not only helps staff locate patients
and one another throughout multiple treatment areas, it also provides real-time
census data, allowing facilities to monitor patient-to-staff ratios.
The same signaling technology that allows caregivers to locate
one another also drives many other processes, such as real-time bed management.
With patients wearing locating badges, healthcare facilities use Versus’
rules-based software to automatically determine room availability (e.g., when a
patient enters a room, the room is automatically identified as ‘in use,’ but
when he leaves, the room status is set to ‘dirty’ and an alert is sent
notifying the appropriate staff that the room is ready to be cleaned). This
allows for real-time communication of room status and patient rooming needs.
Versus is keenly aware of the intervals of care and has built
this awareness into the Versus Advantages Clinic solution. Versus relays
patient status and stage of care to all caregivers in real-time, and staff are
able to communicate key pieces of information such as “I’ve seen Patient X”
without having to pick up the phone or track someone down. At many facilities, patients
may be in one of several waiting rooms depending on their lab and treatment
schedule for the day. Those caregivers who need to know that the patient has
received his lab result or completed his treatment are notified, and the
patient progresses to the next stage of the visit more quickly. Versus helps clinics
to be more efficient, which in turn allows caregivers to provide more personal
care to more patients on any given day.
Maximizing staff efficiency and patient satisfaction while
maintaining low operating costs are top priorities among healthcare providers.
Therefore, the Versus solution is used to automatically direct staff to the
next patient and to alert staff to patient and room status. Versus also helps staff
clearly see which set of rooms or patients they are responsible for each day,
so staff will not waste time filtering through information irrelevant to their
care assignments. Versus dashboards capture Key Performance Indicators (KPIs),
allowing supervisors to monitor staff time with patients, treatment times, and
wait times in order to create a more efficient patient care environment.
“CancerCare of Maine has grown steadily over the years and
Versus is pleased to provide our clinic workflow automation solution to enhance
efficiency and patient satisfaction,” says HT Snowday, Chief Technology
Officer. “We enjoy working with our customers to achieve a higher quality of
care and a better patient experience. Our commitment to workflow efficiencies
and patient safety help make it happen.” And many play a role: the Versus
sensory network was installed at the new cancer center by Canfield Systems,
Inc. of Scarborough, ME. It is also currently utilized for patient flow automation and volume management at EMMC’s new Imaging Center
and at EMMC’s main hospital to automate the GE Healthcare Telligence nurse call
system.
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
