Press Release
Avera McKennan Expands Use of Versus RTLS to Surgery Center
The
true test of any RTLS is how it holds up over time. Is it worth expanding? When
the RTLS in question is from Versus, the answer is:
Yes! Just ask Avera.
(Traverse City, Michigan, May 18, 2010) – Since 2003, Avera McKennan University
Hospital has utilized the Real-time Locating System (RTLS) from Versus Technology,
Inc. (Versus) (PINKSHEETS:
VSTI). With this system, Avera tracks over 1,500 assets for real-time equipment
management. The Versus solution also integrates to the hospital’s nurse call
system from Rauland-Borg, which allows Avera’s nurses to automatically register response to
patient calls and report that they are with a patient just by virtue of their
presence. Now, Avera is expanding the Versus solution
to its new, comprehensive Surgery Center.
Scheduled to open July 6, 2010, the Avera Surgery Center will
focus on ambulatory or same-day general outpatient surgical procedures. This
new space encompasses 34,000 square feet of the newly constructed Avera Cancer
Institute and is connected via a skywalk to Avera McKennan. The Versus
Advantages Clinic solution will be utilized throughout
Avera Surgery Center, including the 28 private patient rooms and eight surgical
suites, to provide more efficient patient flow and communication to family
members regarding patient status.
The Avera Surgery Center has separate entrances and very
specific clinical workflows. Each patient who enters this area will be provided
a Versus locating badge. With this badge, staff will
be able to identify the patient’s location, wait time
and status (e.g., Are we waiting for the patient’s lab results? Has the surgeon
seen the patient?). They’ll also be able to identify how long the patient waits
at each stage of the process, from registration to discharge. When aggregated
across all patients, services and providers, this will help Avera better
understand the intervals of care, scheduling needs and their capacity for
additional procedures.
Avera will use the data gathered with Versus
Advantages to discreetly communicate patient status to concerned family
members in the waiting area. Family and friends will be able to watch as their
loved ones progress through the various stages of treatment. They’ll know where
the patient is and who is with the patient. If family members leave the Surgery
Center for a break at the bistro or to enjoy other amenities such as the indoor
garden, they’ll be given an alpha pager to which Versus will relay similar patient status information. Information like this puts
family members at ease and allows staff to continue serving other patients
without interruptions from anxious loved ones wanting to know “How much
longer?”
“Avera has been using the Versus solution for years,” says Paul Timmerman, VP of Versus. “So, we’re really excited
to help them expand the solution to other areas and for greater functionality.
It demonstrates the viability of our offering which allows healthcare
organizations to begin with one application, like asset tracking or nurse call
integration and build on that foundation for enterprise visibility and workflow
automation.” For a virtual tour of the Versus Advantages RTLS
solution, visit www.versustech.com.
About Avera McKennan
Avera McKennan Hospital &
University Health Center is an integrated health care delivery network
providing a full continuum of care. As a member of Avera Health, the region’s
largest and strongest health care network, our patients receive excellent care
of the highest clinical quality, right here at home. Within our network are 235
care locations in 87 communities in five states, including hospitals, clinics,
long-term care facilities, retirement communities, home medical equipment outlets
and research centers. http://www.avera.org
About
Versus Technology, Inc.
Established in 1988, Versus
Technology, Inc. specializes in real-time location systems (RTLS) for healthcare. Used for
enterprise patient
tracking, bed
management, asset tracking, and nurse call automation, Versus Advantages™ improves patient
flow and
documentation of caregiver and patient interactions, while enhancing
communication and efficiency. Exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital
Association, the Versus Advantages infrared (IR) and Active RFID solution is responsible for
clinical-grade location and automation at a number of hospitals, clinics and
long-term care facilities worldwide. To learn more about Versus Technology,
Inc. (Pink Sheets: VSTI.PK), our technology and client successes, visit www.versustech.com and take the Advantages
Tour.
Safe
Harbor Provision
This
release may include forward-looking statements which “bespeak caution,” and
which are subject to risks and uncertainties that could cause actual results to
differ materially from the forward-looking statements. The statements are
made only as of the date of this release, and the Company undertakes no obligation
to update them to reflect subsequent events or circumstances.
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Media
Contact: Versus Technology, Inc. 877.983.7787
Stephanie Bertschy, Director of MarketingInvestor/Analyst
Contact:
Joseph Winowiecki, Chief
Financial Officer
231.946.5868
joew@versustech.com
