Press release:

IBM Smarter Cities Software To Play A Key Role In The Creation Of Minnesota's Health Insurance Exchange

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Armonk, N.Y. - 23 Jul 2012: IBM (NYSE: IBM) today announced that it will support the design and development of a statewide health insurance exchange in the State of Minnesota. As a subcontractor to MAXIMUS (NYSE: MMS), the IBM Cúram solution will serve as the platform for the health insurance exchange.

The IBM Cúram solution, part of IBM's Smarter Cities portfolio, was designed to meet the unique requirements of government administered social programs.  With the help of this platform, the State can improve statewide health insurance options and enable citizens to determine eligibility for expanded Medicaid coverage and tax credits for various insurance plans. The solution incorporates new income standards and manages the capture and storage of IRS income data, streamlining the eligibility and verification process for citizens. 

In addition to Minnesota’s current initiative, IBM’s integrated eligibility platform is capable of supporting any or all of the state’s health and human services programs in the future. 

“This contract is a significant milestone in the design and development of a Minnesota health insurance exchange,” said Commerce Commissioner Mike Rothman. “We can now move forward on developing the technology backbone of the exchange, a user friendly tool that will help more than 1.2 million Minnesotans choose the quality coverage they need at a price they can afford.”  

IBM acquired Cúram Software in December 2011, aimed at helping cities and governments boost efficiency and provide better service to citizens. Cúram Software is used in more than 80 government agency projects around the world in health and human services, workforce services, and social security organizations. This opportunity follows a series of IBM contract awards for the facilitation of other statewide health insurance exchanges. 

“Improving social services takes cooperation and a commitment to an open exchange of ideas and information,” said John Hearne, general manager, Cúram Solutions, IBM. “IBM's proven, interactive approach to delivering access to social programs will make it easier for Minnesota to deliver services to citizens and engage them in their own health decision making.” 

To support the design and development of the Minnesota health insurance exchange, IBM will team with MAXIMUS, the prime contractor leading the project; Connecture, Inc., which will support the enrollment and health insurance sales function; and EngagePoint (formerly known as Consumer Health Technologies, Inc.), which will deliver financial management capabilities. 

About IBM

IBM’s Cúram solutions are designed to meet the unique requirements of health and human services, workforce services and social security programs. As a part of IBM's Smarter Cities portfolio, the software is used in more than 80 government agency projects around the world to improve the accessibility and efficiency of social programs for citizens. 

Final Phase 3 Results for GE Healthcare Investigational Imaging Agent Flutemetamol Presented at Alzheimer’s Association International Conference®

Press release:

17 July 2012

Final Phase 3 Results for GE Healthcare Investigational Imaging Agent Flutemetamol Presented at Alzheimer’s Association International Conference®

 

Results Show Agreement Between PET Image Reads and Amyloid Levels in Autopsy Studies

Vancouver, BC, CANADA – July 17, 2012 – GE Healthcare today announced the final results from a phase 3 study of the investigational PET amyloid imaging agent, [¹⁸F]flutemetamol in terminally ill patients who had agreed to undergo postmortem brain autopsy.[i] The data showed strong concordance (sensitivity and specificity) between [¹⁸F]flutemetamol PET images and beta amyloid brain histopathology. These data confirm the potential of [¹⁸F]flutemetamol as an imaging agent to detect beta amyloid plaque, a pathology associated with Alzheimer’s disease (AD), in living patients.

The data were presented at the Alzheimer's Association International Conference^® 2012 (AAIC^® 2012) in Vancouver and support an application for regulatory approval of [¹⁸F]flutemetamol, which is intended to be filed later this year. [¹⁸F]Flutemetamol is a GE Healthcare PET imaging agent in development for the detection of beta amyloid deposits in the brain.

“Currently, definite AD diagnosis requires postmortem examination of the brain for pathology such as neuritic beta amyloid plaques,” said Milos Ikonomovic, MD, Associate Professor of Neurology, Department of Neurology, University of Pittsburgh Medical Center, presenter of the study. “Because the ability to detect brain amyloid deposits in vivo may allow physicians to make a more accurate clinical diagnosis and potentially could enhance patient management, we were pleased to see that flutemetamol PET images accurately and consistently reflected fibrillar beta amyloid levels as detected later using postmortem histopathology analyses.”

The study presented at AAIC^® 2012 examined the autopsied brains of 68 subjects who had received [¹⁸F]flutemetamol imaging in life to detect the presence of brain beta amyloid pathology. The images were then evaluated visually by independent trained readers, and the flutemetamol retention in the brain was quantified using a standardized uptake value ratio (SUVR). The brains of subjects who subsequently died were evaluated histopathologically and compared to interpretations of flutemetamol PET scans.

[¹⁸F]Flutemetamol showed the ability to detect beta amyloid with a majority read sensitivity of 86 percent and specificity of 92 percent. Sensitivity is the percentage of amyloid-positive brains that are correctly identified by [¹⁸F]]flutemetamol image readers as abnormal, corresponding to positive amyloid pathology. Comparison within and between image readers documented strong consistency of interpretation.

The accumulation of beta amyloid in the brain is believed to play a role in the degeneration of neurons in AD and is one of several pathological characteristics implicated in its development. Currently, AD is confirmed by histopathological identification of core features, including beta amyloid plaques, in postmortem brain samples.[ii] Targeted amyloid imaging agents are being studied to determine their ability to help physicians detect amyloid deposition in living humans.

“The detection of beta amyloid plaque in vivo may enable physicians to clinically diagnose AD earlier, potentially improving patient care,” said Jonathan Allis, General Manager, PET, GE Healthcare Medical Diagnostics. “Flutemetamol imaging has the potential to be part of a larger diagnostic workup that may help doctors rule out AD by reliably showing the absence of amyloid deposits in patients with unexplained loss of cognitive function. We are pleased to report that flutemetamol acted as anticipated in this study and look forward to filing with the FDA.”

[¹⁸F]Flutemetamol is one component of a broad portfolio of diagnostic solutions that GE Healthcare is currently developing in the Alzheimer’s field. GE Healthcare is taking a comprehensive approach to understanding AD through its ongoing research to uncover the causes, risks, and physical effects of the disease. For example, the company is partnering with the pharmaceutical industry to identify a biosignature, or biological indicator, that may help physicians diagnose AD before the onset of clinical symptoms.

GE Healthcare offers a broad portfolio of imaging resources that support accurate visualization of the signs of neurodegenerative diseases via state-of-the-art scanners – including MRI, PET, and CT – that deliver clear visualization of the brain. In addition, an expanding portfolio of imaging agents is being developed to enhance visual evidence of disease and innovative software applications to aid physicians in image interpretation and determination of disease management. More specifically, our portfolio today includes cyclotrons and chemistry systems to manufacture PET imaging agents, PET and MR scanners to scan patients, and image analysis software to interpret the results.

GE Healthcare has been a key contributor to the Alzheimer’s Disease Neuroimaging Initiative (ADNI) since its inception. GE Healthcare also plays a key role in PredictAD, an EU-funded research project to develop solutions to enable earlier diagnosis of AD, and in the Coalition Against Major Diseases (CAMD).

Additionally, the combination of our different business offerings positions us well to offer an integrated global diagnostics solution to assist the pharmaceutical industry in its development of the next generation of therapies. To that end, we are working with potential partners in the industry to understand their strategic needs and design solutions, and help provide imaging support for pivotal therapy trials.

About GE Healthcare
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.

Our “healthymagination” vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees are committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries.  For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.

For our latest news, please visithttp://newsroom.gehealthcare.com/http://newsroom.gehealthcare.com

NOTES TO EDITORS

] Ikonomovich M, Buckley C, Smith A et al. [¹⁸F]Flutemetamol injection PET images reflect brain amyloid levels. Data presented at Alzheimer's Association^® International Conference 2012 (AAIC 2012), Vancouver, BC, Canada.

[ii] Dementia: Hope Through Research. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke website.http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/dementias/detail_dementia.htm. Accessed July 13, 2011.

Press release:

CUSTOMER SUCCESS: MemorialCare Health System Improves Its Own IT Health

BMC Software helps major hospital network improve patient satisfaction

HOUSTON, July 16, 2012 – To serve a network of six leading hospitals across southern California, MemorialCare Health System (MHS) relies on highly specialized technology to diagnose and treat patients. For obvious reasons, it’s absolutely necessary that computer systems work flawlessly.

Streamlined IT operations are a key factor in making sure the hospital network runs smoothly. Before selecting BMC Software, MHS could not efficiently manage IT requests from all of its medical facilities. What’s more, the hospital system did not have an automated system to track computer and software assets in real time.

This collective gap in the MHS IT management capability had a direct and profoundly negative effect on customer satisfaction.

“Prior to selecting BMC Software, we had no way of determining the number of IT assets we had. We spent an exorbitant amount of time gathering this information and manually entering it into a database,” explained Terolyn Phinsee, project manager at MHS. “Today, our successful implementation of BMC Track-It! has produced a measurable increase in customer satisfaction, with an overall score of 95 percent for ‘quick response to issue.’”

The Challenge

MHS lacked an efficient method for tracking and assigning help desk requests between hospitals. The company also needed a way to track hospital hardware and software assets in real time, without inundating internal IT resources. Finally, MHS needed to ensure it was compliant with healthcare security regulations such as HIPPA Administrative Safegaurds.

The Solution

MHS reviewed a number of help desk solutions, including the FrontRange HEAT product. The hospital network selected the Track-It! solution from BMC Software for its superior customization capabilities, ease of use, flexibility and automated workflow.

Benefits

The BMC solution was in full production at MHS within eight hours. Once implemented, the organization experienced the following immediate benefits:

• Increased employee and patient satisfac­tion with IT service and support
• Real-time view of all computer and software assets across all six hospitals and the ability to assign work orders to techni­cians at any site
• Improved help desk agent workflow to quickly and efficiently solve IT problems and requests
• Improved compliance to healthcare regulations such as HIPPA

For more information on the MHS implementation and the BMC Track-It! solution, please visit:

• Read the full case study here
• Access the BMC Track-It! Customer Community
• Follow @BMC_TrackIt  on Twitter
• Become a fan of BMC on Facebook

Business Runs on IT. IT Runs on BMC Software.

Business runs better when IT runs at its best. That's why more than 20,000 IT organizations – from the Global 100 to the smallest businesses – in over 120 countries rely on BMC Software (NASDAQ: BMC) to manage their business services and applications across distributed, mainframe, virtual and cloud environments. With the leading Business Service Management platform, Cloud Management, and the industry’s broadest choice of IT management solutions, BMC helps customers cut costs, reduce risk and achieve business objectives. For the four fiscal quarters ended March 31, 2012, BMC revenue was approximately $2.2 billion.

Oracle Press Release

Oracle Health Sciences Translational Research Center to Support Cancer Research UK’s Development of Targeted Cancer Therapies

New Analytics Environment to Deliver Insight Required for Targeted Treatments

Redwood Shores, Calif. – July 16, 2012

News Facts

To support its vision of beating cancer in the United Kingdom, Cancer Research UK, the world’s largest not-for-profit cancer research organization, will be working with Oracle Health Sciences Translational Research Center as the foundation for a new analytical environment that will help the charity combine the genetic and clinical data from its Stratified Medicine Programme.

Together with AstraZeneca, Pfizer and the UK government's Technology Strategy Board, Cancer Research UK is working to demonstrate a national service that will provide standardized, high-quality and cost-effective genetic testing of tumors linked to clinical data. This system has already tested two thousand tumors from patients across 24 clinical sites, and set up data capture covering diagnostics, genetics, treatment and outcomes.

Cancer Research UK will use Cohort Explorer which is part of the Oracle Health Sciences Translational Research Center to create a flexible, web-accessible analytical platform and interface that enables program affiliates to effectively and rapidly search and retrieve anonymized diagnostic, treatment and outcome data to accelerate research.

The platform will enable researchers and physicians to gain the insight needed to identify patient populations with similar characteristics and advance personalized cancer treatments.

Supporting Quotes

“Our new analytical platform, which we are building with Oracle Health Sciences Translational Research Center, is an exciting addition to the future of our Stratified Medicine Programme and its goal of combining genetic testing of tumors with clinical data capture to determine more effective treatment,” said Monica Jones, Enterprise Architect and Informatics Lead, Cancer Research UK’s Stratified Medicine Programme.

“Organizations committed to advancing medical science require powerful analytical solutions to reveal insight that was previously locked away at the molecular level,” said Neil de Crescenzo, senior vice president and general manager, Oracle Health Sciences. “Oracle Health Sciences Translational Research Center provides a robust foundation for Cancer Research UK’s analytical environment that will enable it to extend genetic testing of tumors and ultimately advance the development of more targeted and effective treatments.”

Supporting Resources

Oracle in Health Sciences

Cancer Research UK

Oracle Health Sciences Translational Research Center

Oracle Healthcare Data Warehouse Foundation

Follow Oracle Health Sciences on Twitter

Join the Oracle Health Sciences Community on Facebook

Oracle Health Sciences on YouTube

About Oracle

Oracle engineers hardware and software to work together in the cloud and in your data center.  For more information about Oracle (NASDAQ:ORCL), visit www.oracle.com.

About Oracle in Industries

Oracle industry solutions leverage the company’s best-in-class portfolio of products to address complex business processes relevant to health sciences, helping speed time to market, reduce costs, and gain a competitive edge.

About Cancer Research UK

Cancer Research UK is the world’s leading cancer charity dedicated to saving lives through research

The charity’s groundbreaking work into the prevention, diagnosis and treatment of cancer has helped save millions of lives.  This work is funded entirely by the public.

Cancer Research UK has been at the heart of the progress that has already seen survival rates in the UK double in the last forty years.

Cancer Research UK supports research into all aspects of cancer through the work of over 4,000 scientists, doctors and nurses.

Together with its partners and supporters, Cancer Research UK's vision is to beat cancer.

For further information about Cancer Research UK's work or to find out how to support the charity, please call 0300 123 1861 or visit www.cancerresearchuk.org. Follow us on Twitter andFacebook

GE Healthcare and Virtua to Host Radiology Technology Exposition at Virtua Health Education Center

Press release:

09 July 2012

GE Healthcare and Virtua to Host Radiology Technology Exposition at Virtua Health Education Center

 

• Tech expo and facility tour to showcase diagnostic imaging solutions, women’s health technologies
• Speaker sessions to discuss innovative technologies and emerging trends for hospital leaders

Voorhees, New Jersey – July 9, 2012 – GE Healthcare today joined Virtua, a New Jersey-based healthcare system, in jointly announcing a technology exposition and facility tour to be held at Virtua’s Barry D. Brown Health Education Center and its new hospital in Voorhees, New Jersey this week Thursday, July 12. Open to New Jersey and Philadelphia-area health care professionals and the media, the technology expo will showcase some of the most advanced diagnostic imaging solutions in clinical use today – including women’s health, Computed Tomography (CT) and other innovative health care technologies. Keynote speakers at the technology expo will also address trending developments and best practices for hospital leaders in today’s challenging health care landscape.

“In today’s dynamic healthcare environment, it is essential that industry leaders collaborate closely with clinicians and hospital leadership to innovate and deliver solutions that address the most pressing needs in patient care,” said GE Healthcare’s Marcelo Mosci, president and CEO, US and Canada Region. “GE Healthcare is pleased to join Virtua, already a leader in diagnostic imaging, to provide further educational opportunities and highlight the latest advances in radiology through this special event.”

The exposition will highlight the latest technologies for meeting clinical diagnostic needs, from high-resolution mammograms and low dose CT exams and advanced ultrasound solutions.

“Virtua is pleased to host this event as we share both clinical and product expertise with fellow health care professionals to help promote excellence in diagnostic imaging and optimized patient care,” said Rich Miller, Virtua President and CEO.

Facility tours and speaker sessions for hospital leaders will also discuss equipment management and integration, reimbursement information, clinical workflow, and two increasingly top-of-mind discussions in the health care environment: U.S. health care reform, and low radiation dose, high performance CT imaging.

Specifically showcased at Virtua will be GE Healthcare technologies that help physicians lower patient CT radiation dose, including: ASiR*^ image reconstruction technology, available across the GE Healthcare CT portfolio and used on over 1,200 systems for more than 12 million patient exams to date; and Veo*^, a leading image reconstruction technology now in use at Virtua that has already enabled doctors elsewhere to achieve profoundly clear chest CT images in some cases with less than 1 millisievert (mSv) of dose. For perspective, traditional chest CT scans can expose patients to anywhere from 5-10 mSv of radiation dose, and natural background radiation exposes the average American to around 3 mSv per year. †

As part of its leadership in providing high quality care, Virtua plans to open a new Ambulatory Diagnostic Imaging Center at its Health and Wellness Center in Voorhees featuring the latest technologies in radiology for optimizing patient care. The Center is scheduled for opening in December 2012. The Pediatric Imaging portion of the center will be done in partnership with The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia.

* Trademark of General Electric Company

^ In clinical practice, the use of ASiR or Veo may reduce CT patient dose depending on the clinical task, patient size, anatomical location and clinical practice. A consultation with a radiologist and a physicist should be made to determine the appropriate dose to obtain diagnostic image quality for the particular clinical task.

† Statistics from RadiologyInfo.org.


ABOUT VIRTUA
Virtua is a comprehensive healthcare system headquartered in Marlton, NJ. Its mission is to deliver a world-class experience through its wide range of services delivered through primary care and specialty physician practices, health and wellness centers, hospitals, home care, outpatient and rehab services. Virtua provides advanced prevention, wellness and treatment in the areas of women’s health, pediatrics, oncology, cardiology, orthopedics and neuroscience. Virtua is chosen by more people than any other healthcare provider in South Jersey. Virtua’s maternal/child programs at Virtua Voorhees and Virtua Memorial in Mt. Holly deliver more than 8,000 babies a year. Virtua also treats more people in its emergency departments than any other hospital in the region. A non-profit organization, Virtua employs over eight thousand clinical and administrative personnel, and approximately 1,800 physicians serve as medical staff members.

Virtua has distinguished itself as one of the first Six Sigma organizations in healthcare, as an early adopter of clinical and digital technologies, and for its innovative partnerships with nationally renowned organizations such as GE Healthcare, Fox Chase Cancer Center and Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (CHOP). It has been honored twice with the New Jersey Governor's award for Clinical Excellence and recognized with the Leadership Award for Outstanding Achievement by Voluntary Hospitals of America. Virtua has been honored as the #1 Best Employer in the Delaware Valley for six consecutive years by the Philadelphia Business Journal and is the recipient of the Consumer Choice Awards by National Research Corporation. For more information, visit our website at www.virtua.org or call 1-888-VIRTUA-3 (1-888-847-8823).

ABOUT GE HEALTHCARE
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.

Our “healthymagination” vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees are committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.For our latest news, please visithttp://newsroom.gehealthcare.com.

University Physicians, Inc. of Colorado Expands GE Healthcare Investment with Centricity Business

Press release:

09 July 2012

University Physicians, Inc. of Colorado Expands GE Healthcare Investment with Centricity Business

 

Revenue Cycle Management Solution Selected for Interoperability and Proven Revenue Cycle Efficiencies Across the Continuum of Care

BARRINGTON, Ill. – July 9, 2012 – GE Healthcare today announced that University Physicians, Inc. (UPI) has expanded its investment in Centricity* Business, GE’s enterprise-wide revenue cycle management solution that helps healthcare providers achieve greater profitability, efficiency and enhanced quality of care. The expanded investment, which includes adding core capabilities like payer contracting, document scanning, and deep integration with the hospital’s EMR environment, will allow UPI to improve staff productivity and efficiency, manage emerging reimbursement models, and achieve strong interoperability with third party applications. UPI joins a growing number of healthcare organizations using GE Healthcare’s financial solutions to improve revenue cycle performance and efficiency while enhancing patient care.


“After a careful, intensive evaluation of several revenue cycle options, we elected to move forward quickly with Centricity Business including Enterprise Task Manager to drive improved revenue cycle efficiencies across our hospitals and physician practices, its Managed Care Application to support emerging reimbursement models, and its payer contract module to strengthen interoperable capabilities with payers,” said Jane Schumaker, CEO and executive director of UPI. “UPI is energized by its expanded strategic relationship with GE Healthcare and we look forward to building on the strong revenue cycle foundation already in place as we grow in the future.”


University Physicians, Inc. is a not-for-profit management services organization dedicated to providing business operations and administrative support to the University of Colorado School Of Medicine’s multispecialty group practice which includes 1,800 providers. The University of Colorado School Of Medicine offers cutting-edge research and technologies and high quality medical treatment to patients at the University of Colorado Hospital, Children's Hospital Colorado, and at sites throughout Denver and the surrounding region.


“We’re pleased that UPI continues to invest in GE Healthcare to tackle healthcare reform challenges and provide support for future business line growth.” said Jim Corrigan, vice president and general manager of GE Healthcare IT. “As the industry moves towards integrated care, we are pleased to see UPI and other leading healthcare organizations recognize the benefits of an interoperable approach allowing both clinical and financial data to move freely across inpatient and ambulatory care settings. We are proud to support UPI with the latest Centricity Business solutions and services to help them reduce cost and complexity while enhancing quality and access to care.”


Centricity Business is currently used by hundreds of leading healthcare organizations across the United States including 75% of those in the July 18, 2011 US News & World Report “2011-12 Best Hospitals Honor Roll.”


RESOURCES:
To learn more about Centricity Business, visit:www.gehealthcare/centricitybusiness.
Tweet using #GECB (Centricity Business) to discuss the solution and join the conversation.
To learn how St Vincents and Orlando Health have used Centricity Business to achieve high ROI, visit http://bit.ly/w4ei12

NOTES TO EDITORS

ABOUT GE HEALTHCARE:
GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.

Our “healthymagination” vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees are committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.

For our latest news, please visit http://newsroom.gehealthcare.com

*Centricity is a registered trademark of General Electric Company.

Accenture Implements Madrid Healthcare Information Exchange With 15 Million Medical Records

Press release:

July 04, 2012

Accenture Implements Madrid Healthcare Information Exchange With 15 Million Medical Records

 

MADRID, Spain; July 4, 2012  – Accenture (NYSE: ACN) and Madrid Health Service have fully implemented the Madrid Electronic Health Record (HORUS) system that captures all patient information into a single, integrated record for 26,000 clinicians to access across all parts of the regional healthcare system. The system, with 15 million health records, was completed in 12 months.

 

“Madrid’s health system is enabling a single network for providers and citizens to access real-time clinical information,” said Baltasar Lobato, managing director for Accenture's health industry in Spain.  “The HORUS system is an effective response to recent public health changes that have enabled patients to select providers, as it consolidates health information, reduces duplication and coordinates patient care across multiple institutions.”

 

Using the Madrid Electronic Health Record system, medical professionals can instantly view a patient’s consolidated medical record from all parts of the healthcare system, including demographic information, clinical history, physician interactions, diagnostic assessments, medications, procedures and other health system interactions.

 

“It’s vital that health systems are collaboratively improving technology with their physician users,” said Zaida Sampedro Préstamo, directora general de Sistemas de Información Sanitaria, Servicio Madrileño de Salud. “More than 100 doctors serve on HORUS work groups to ensure new features complement clinical protocols and are enabling the most impact to patient care.”

 

The system enables patients to securely access and exchange their own healthcare information from remote locations.  While patient information is stored in local data databases across the region, citizens are given unique patient identifiers for accessing their own medical records in near-real time and managing privacy settings. The patient record includes clinical history (i.e. diagnosis, medication, vaccination, allergies), demographics and administrative summaries.

 

The Madrid Health Service (Servicio Madrileño de Salud - Sermas) provides healthcare services for the Madrid region, which is the third largest city in the European Union. The Madrid Health Service is a network of integrated and organized care services including more than 250 primary care centers, 35 hospitals and over 80,000 professionals across both primary and specialized care.

 

Learn more about Accenture’s work for Madrid Healthcare Information Exchange. 

Learn more about Accenture’s Insight Driven Health.

 

About Accenture

Accenture is a global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company, with more than 249,000 people serving clients in more than 120 countries.  Combining unparalleled experience, comprehensive capabilities across all industries and business functions, and extensive research on the world’s most successful companies, Accenture collaborates with clients to help them become high-performance businesses and governments.  The company generated net revenues of US$25.5 billion for the fiscal year ended Aug. 31, 2011.  Its home page is www.accenture.com.

 

# # #

GE and Facebook Launch HealthyShare App

Press release:

19 June 2012

GE and Facebook Launch HealthyShare App

· New app, available on Facebook, allows people to share health goals and network with friends as a source of inspiration toward better health

· Olympic hopefuls Kevin Durant and Alex Morgan and Olympians Michael Johnson and Summer Sanders help consumers get healthier

· Kevin Durant: “All it takes is that first step and pretty soon good fitness becomes a habit. I hope people will take my HealthyShare challenge and feel inspired to take that step.”

FAIRFIELD, Conn.--19 June 2012-- (NYSE: GE) – In advance of the 2012 London Olympic Games, today GE announced the launch of a new Facebook app called HealthyShare, a new tool for people to share health goals, track progress against goals and use friends as sources of inspiration and motivation toward better health. The app makes it easier for consumers to kick start their health goals using the 17 days of the Olympic Games as a time to stay motivated around improving their health.

“Whether your goal is to lose weight, walk more or pursue an Olympic dream, GE believes that your friends can be good for your health. We want to give consumers a platform to get motivated around better health tapping into the Olympic spirit,” said Linda Boff, global executive director, digital, advertising and design, GE. “HealthyShare makes it easy for consumers to take something they are already doing – interacting with their friends online – and extend it in a fun and meaningful way around getting healthier.”

Paul Adams, global head of brand design for Facebook said, “Many research studies show that our friends can help us live healthier lives. By supporting each other, we increase people's motivation, helping them meet their goals of feeling better, and being healthier and happier. This new tool by GE is the first step in a vision to help people be healthier by interacting with their friends. The plan is to learn quickly from this release and continually improve this tool together in the coming months.”

The initial phase of the HealthyShare app is focused on fitness and helping people achieve and exceed their health and well-being goals one step at a time with the support of their online community and a little inspiration from Olympians.

Once people install the HealthyShare app on Facebook, they can commit to healthy choices:

• Get Moving. A simple walk can raise LDL (good cholesterol) and lower HDL (bad cholesterol), lower your blood pressure, help manage your weight, improve sleep, and bolsters the immune system.
• Eat Healthier. Whether it’s more protein or less fat, fewer calories or extra veggies, try changing just one thing that you eat or drink, and soon you’ll be on a healthier routine that you can keep for the rest of your life.
• Workout like an Olympian. Olympic hopefuls Kevin Durant and Alex Morgan and Olympians Michael Johnson and Summer Sanders joined together to support HealthyShare by providing their fitness routines to inspire others to reach higher, go further, run faster, dream bigger, do better and live longer.

After making a declaration, HealthyShare becomes part of a person’s Facebook timeline. The app can be shared with friends who will become a part of the journey to better health by following progress, providing encouragement and even participating alongside each other.

“I couldn’t have gotten to where I am today without the people I respect challenging me to get to the top of my game,” said Kevin Durant, 2012 U.S. Olympic Hopeful, Men’s Basketball. “All it takes is that first step and pretty soon good fitness becomes a habit. I hope people will take my HealthyShare challenge and feel inspired to take that step.”

For more information on HealthyShare, visit www.facebook.com/healthy
Join the HealthyShare conversation #healthyshare

About GE and the Olympic Games

GE is the exclusive provider of a wide range of innovative products and services that are integral to staging a successful Olympic Games. GE works closely with host countries, cities and organizing committees to provide infrastructure solutions for Olympic venues including power, lighting, water treatment and transportation. GE also supplies local hospitals with diagnostic imaging equipment and healthcare IT solutions like ultrasound, MRI and electronic medical record technologies to help doctors treat athletes. For more information, please visithttp://www.ge.com/news/olympic_games/index.html.

About GE

GE (NYSE: GE) works on things that matter. The best people and the best technologies taking on the toughest challenges. Finding solutions in energy, health and home, transportation and finance. Building, powering, moving and helping to cure the world. Not just imagining. Doing. GE works. For more information, visit the company's website at www.ge.com.

Press Release : May 30, 2012

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Oklahoma Agency Signs Contract Renewal with HP

HP to help improve healthcare claims processing, administrative services for state workers

Topics:Strategic Focus: Cloud, Converged Infrastructure

PALO ALTO, Calif., -- HP Enterprise Services today announced the Oklahoma State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board (OSEEGIB) has signed a contract for HP to continue providing claims processing and other services.

The agreement, which takes effect Jan. 1, 2014, is for one year with four one-year renewals. If all five years are executed, the contract is valued at $90 million.

OSEEGIB is a state agency that provides insurance benefits to Oklahoma’s employees and educators. Under the terms of the contract, HP will help OSEEGIB to continue delivering a range of healthcare administration services while helping it prepare for program changes in a cost-effective manner.

As OSEEGIB’s third-party insurance administrator, HP manages the agency’s Health Risk Assessment program, providing online coaching and preventive care suggestions to help plan members better understand their health and how to improve it.

“In today’s economy, both healthcare providers and members have choices, making it critical for us to deliver on our vision to efficiently and effectively process claims and help our citizens improve their overall health,” said Frank Wilson, program administrator, Oklahoma State and Education Employees Group Insurance Board. “HP has already proven its effectiveness by dramatically speeding up our claims processing and using its knowledge of our culture to help Oklahomans achieve healthier outcomes.”

HP will continue to maintain and enhance the HP MetaVance health solution, which automates a number of administrative processes for OSEEGIB. In addition, HP will continue to update the member and provider portals that enable healthcare organizations to administer many program benefits online and provide business process outsourcing services to support ongoing operations and new claims administration.

Recently, HP helped OSEEGIB comply with federal HIPAA 5010 requirements and is currently assisting the agency in meeting the national ICD-10 standards ahead of the deadline.

Under HP’s management, claims processing is more efficient, accurate and faster, with most claims processed in one business day. From its facilities in Oklahoma City, HP processes approximately 3 million claims a year for more than 160,000 members and dependents, which includes state employees, teachers and retirees.

“Insurance providers must focus on everything from regulatory compliance to cost containment and improving people’s health, making service, efficiency and value top priorities,” said Susan Arthur, vice president, U.S. Healthcare Industry, HP Enterprise Services. “The HP team brings a proven solution as well as deep expertise and a passion for helping the agency improve efficiencies and the health of its members.”

HP’s premier client event, HP Discover, takes place June 4-7 in Las Vegas.

IBM Experts Deliver Recommendations to Ghana Ministry of Health for Increasing Access to More Affordable Health Care

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Accra, Ghana - 14 May 2012: A team of IBM's experts has presented the Ghana Ministry of Health with a forward-looking blueprint to provide all Ghanaians with access to health care, while also improving the availability of medicines and reducing their cost.  The blueprint included recommendations for mechanisms to provide more timely and detailed information to decision makers.

Improvements in Africa infrastructure are enabling exciting advances.  IBM regularly sends its employees to the continent to provide expertise on a pro bono basis.  In May 2012, an IBM Corporate Service Corps team visited Ghana and, in cooperation with USAID, studied local health care.  They recommended new approaches for better access to health care, improved medicine availability and lower costs. 

The IBM team, comprising 12 individuals drawn from nine countries, was in Ghana as part of IBM's pro-bono Corporate Service Corps program, in which IBM deploys teams of top employees to municipalities and countries to work on projects that intersect business, technology and society. The engagement in Ghana was coordinated with USAID, the government agency that provides U.S. economic and humanitarian assistance worldwide. IBM is also working with USAID to help other companies develop international volunteerism programs.

The Ghanaian health sector has faced various challenges, including weak logistical data,  poor visibility and insight into medical data, limited medical product availability and quality, uneven planning and coordination, and occasional misalignment of health objectives and incentives. This is largely a result of a strongly decentralizing sector, leading to fragmented coordination.

An initial review of the health sector in June 2011 prompted the Ministry of Health to develop a five-year master plan aimed at addressing existing supply chain limitations. The plan recommended that the Ministry of Health establish a centralised "Supply Chain Management Unit," an administrative body that could potentially link the public and private health sectors to establish efficiencies within the national health supply chain --- the system of planners, suppliers, deliverers, and providers that ensure the cost effective and timely availability of medicines.

The IBM team of experts arrived in Ghana in mid-April and was tasked with assessing and addressing the factors involved in improving the system that manages this supply chain. The team was also asked to explore the costs and information technology requirements for establishing an automated logistics system, which will ensure the right medicines will be ordered, shipped, delivered, received and available at the right time. Such a system would also enable stakeholders, such as health care administrators, to view the underlying logistics processes so planning and adjustments can be simplified.

Key IBM recommendations were threefold. They included the recommendation of a system for informed decision making based on identifying and managing risks at critical control points. This will enable the Ministry of Health to base decisions on known and qualified risks and minimize surprises and "management by crisis."  The team also recommended that a highly accessible and visible cost model be established to enable managers to identify costly medical products and services. This will provide a clear understanding of the total cost of the supply chain in order to build in efficiencies within the system.

Finally, IBM developed a high level blueprint for building an information system supporting the delivery of medicines within the healthcare system.

“With this health sector Supply Chain Management Unit, Ghana hopes to serve as a model for many countries in Africa and other emerging markets faced with similar challenges," said Mr. Samuel Boateng, the Director of Procurement for the Ministry of Health.

“The Supply Chain Management Unit framework suggested by the IBM experts will go far in securing increased access to essential medicines and health care by Ghanaians,” said Joe Mensah, IBM Country General Manager for Ghana. “An enhanced supply chain management system will lead to overall affordable and quality healthcare provided by the Government of Ghana to its citizens.”

IBM's Corporate Service Corps is a global IBM initiative designed to provide small businesses, educational institutions and non-profit organizations in growth markets with sophisticated business consulting and skills development to help improve local conditions and foster job creation. IBM deploys teams of top employees from around the world representing information technology, research, marketing, finance, consulting, human resources, legal and business development to growth markets for a period of one month.

Since the launch of Corporate Service Corps in 2008, nearly 1,500 IBM employees based in 50 countries have been dispatched on more than 150 team assignments in 30 countries.  Africa is a focus continent for IBM's volunteerism programs.  Since 2008, IBM's Corporate Service Corps has deployed more than 500 IBM employees on approximately 44 teams to South Africa, Tanzania, Nigeria, Ghana, Kenya, Morocco, and Egypt.

For more information on IBM Corporate Citizenship, please visit www.citizenibm.com.

For more information about IBM Corporate Service Corps, please visithttp://www.ibm.com/ibm/responsibility/corporateservicecorps/.

For more information and resources that companies can use to develop international volunteerism programs, please visit the Centre of Excellence for International Corporate Volunteerism at http://icvonline.org/.