Siemens and HealthSouth Partner to Build The
World's First All-Digital Hospital
NEW YORK, Jan. 31 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Siemens Corporation (NYSE: SI)
announced today that it has entered into a multi-year strategic partnership
with HealthSouth Corporation (NYSE: HRC) to create the world's first totally
integrated, all digital and completely automated hospital. Siemens will serve
as the primary technology provider for the HealthSouth Medical Center, which
is currently under construction in Birmingham, Alabama. Siemens will support
the hospital in four core areas: healthcare information technology (IT)
applications and infrastructure, medical equipment, telecommunications, and
"smart" building technologies.
The HealthSouth-Siemens agreement marks the first time that a major US
healthcare company has turned to a single source to fully integrate the
medical technologies, network systems, telecommunications, and building
technologies for one of its flagship facilities.
The project, modeled as 'the hospital of the future,' combines the global
expertise and innovation of several of Siemens operating companies, including
its Medical Solutions, Health Services, Information & Communications Networks,
Energy and Automation, and Building Technologies units, together with the
world-class medical professionals at HealthSouth, and the leading clinical and
technology companies already committed to the project.
"Unlike the hospitals of the 20th Century which relied on disparate
islands of technology, the new HealthSouth Medical Center will be fully
integrated so that clinical images and vital patient information will be
available to healthcare professionals when it is needed, where it is needed,"
said Klaus Kleinfeld, president and chief executive officer (CEO) of Siemens
Corporation. "In today's healthcare environment, optimizing processes is the
only effective way to improve performance and lower costs at the same time.
We believe that an integrated solution will result in streamlined workflow,
improved patient care and safety, and significant cost savings for the
hospital."
Richard M. Scrushy, chairman of the board and CEO of HealthSouth, said,
"We are pleased and excited that Siemens is joining with us as the premiere
technology partner for our digital hospital initiative. We believe that the
products and services offered by Siemens will be critical in helping us
establish the new model for state-of-the-art healthcare delivery. We are
delighted to have them assume this critical role on the team
of industry-leading companies that will make the digital hospital a reality."
During the month of December 2001, HealthSouth broke ground for the new
facility. HealthSouth believes that the digital hospital will be
significantly more economical and safer than current hospital models.
Every patient in the HealthSouth Medical Center will wear a wireless
Siemens 'wellness monitor' that will monitor his or her health status. This
system will immediately notify a clinician if a patient has a problem and will
indicate the exact location of the patient, allowing for immediate response.
Vital patient information will be linked through a first-of-its-kind
networking platform that enables physicians to monitor a patient's medical
status anytime, anywhere.
With HealthSouth's adaptation of Siemens Soarian(TM), the first health
information solution built entirely for the web, physicians can seamlessly
navigate comprehensive patient information, such as vital signs, images, and
test results; and can enter orders, and update information electronically.
Patient safety is additionally increased because Soarian generates alerts
on factors such as drug interactions and dosing at the time the physician
enters the order, helping to avert potential medication-related errors.
Soarian's workflow-engineering synchronizes once disjointed processes across
the health enterprise, helping to improve the care process, quality, and
outcomes.
Siemens will also connect each hospital bed to the Internet, enabling for
videoconferencing with physicians or family members. The company's security
monitors will verify the identity of nurses and doctors to ensure only those
authorized can gain access to restricted portions of the facility, as well as
the hospital Intranet.
In addition, Siemens Building Technologies will design and provide the
hospital's major technological infrastructure, including climate controls,
HVAC, fire alarms and security systems. These technologies will also be
linked to single network architecture.
Kleinfeld added, "The HealthSouth partnership is an important milestone in
Siemens' US business strategy to act as 'one Siemens' and provide customers
with innovative solutions, products, and services that harness our global
network. Through this project, we are giving major institutions across the
country -- hospitals, airports, industrial and office complexes, and
university campuses a glimpse of the future and a tangible demonstration of
the value of a partnership with Siemens."
Siemens AG (NYSE: SI), headquartered in Munich, is a leading global
electronics and engineering company. It employs some 450,000 people in
193 countries, and reported worldwide sales of more than $74 billion in fiscal
2001 (10/1/00 - 9/30/01). The United States is Siemens' largest market, with
nearly 80,000 employees and sales of $18.9 billion for fiscal 2001. For more
information about Siemens in the U.S., go to http://www.usa.siemens.com.
HEALTHSOUTH is one of the nation's largest providers of medical services,
including acute-care, specialty and outpatient services, and is the nation's
largest provider of outpatient surgery, outpatient diagnostic and
rehabilitative healthcare services, with over 1,900 locations in all 50
states, the United Kingdom, Australia, Puerto Rico and Canada. HEALTHSOUTH
can be found on the Web at http://www.healthsouth.com.
This press release contains forward-looking statements based on beliefs of
Siemens' management. The words "believe," "expect," "intend," "plan" and
"will" are used to identify forward-looking statements. Such statements
reflect the company's current views with respect to future events and are
subject to risks and uncertainties. Many factors could cause the actual
results to be materially different, including, among others, changes in
general economic and business conditions, changes in currency exchange rates
and interest rates, introduction of competing products, lack of acceptance of
new products or services and changes in business strategy. Actual results may
vary materially from those projected here. Siemens does not intend or assume
any obligation to update these forward-looking statements.
SOURCE Siemens Corporation
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Related links:
http://www.usa.siemens.com
http://www.healthsouth.com
Company News On-Call:
http://www.prnewswire.com/comp/000728.html
CONTACT:
Kimberly Cooper of Siemens Corporation,
+1-732-906-3802, kimberly.cooper@sc.siemens.com; or Kristi
Gilmore of HealthSouth Corporation, +1-205-970-7824,
kristi.gilmore@healthsouth.com
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