Press Release

Versus Technology to Demonstrate Hand Hygiene Compliance at IHI National Forum

 

Who:       Versus Technology, Inc.  For nearly 20 years, Versus has been dedicated to making healthcare safer and more efficient utilizing its Real-time Locating System (RTLS) to provide caregivers and administrators with the situational awareness that clinical environments lack. Fully committed to quality improvement and reducing the costs of care, Versus now delivers its Hand Hygiene Compliance solution to healthcare. Versus is currently working with accreditation organizations to document failure points and how improved hand-washing processes impact patient care.

 

What:      Versus will be demonstrating its real-time Hand Hygiene Compliance solution, a highly accurate technology solution that allows hospitals to automatically capture hand-washing events and relate them to patient care events. A tool for safer patient care, this system helps hospitals understand individual and unit compliance to hospital hand-washing policies.

 

               For after-the-fact discovery, the Hand Hygiene Report helps Infection Control and Patient Safety Managers direct additional education and training to areas where compliance rates are not in-line with patient care episodes. Advanced users will actually prevent non-compliant patient care events by alerting caregivers to their compliance state before attempting patient care. With this Hand Hygiene Compliance solution, hospitals have a reliable method to reduce their potential for costly Hospital-Acquired Infections (HAIs).

 

When:     Monday, December 7 thru Wednesday, December 9, 2009

 

Where:   IHI 21st Annual National Forum on Quality Improvement in Health Care

               Orlando World Center Marriott, Orlando, FL

 

Why:       Over 2 million patients develop HAIs each year. Of those, 80,000 will die. In the U.S., care for these nosocomial infections represents more than $30 billion in preventable health costs. Experts estimate that compliance with recommended hand-washing protocols would prevent more that 50% of HAIs, but hospitals lack the necessary resources and technology to accurately monitor hand-washing compliance. In fact, current methods—short-term “Secret Shopper” surveys or costly observation audits—manage to skew compliance rates while only capturing 0.12% of all hand-washing opportunities.

 

               With the Versus Hand Hygiene Compliance solution, hospitals are now able to continuously collect data that was previously unavailable or unreliable. Monitoring hand washing in real-time helps hospitals prevent the spread of dangerous infections and the need for non-reimbursable nosocomial care.

 

How:       The Versus Hand Hygiene Compliance solution utilizes soap/gel dispensers equipped with sensors that, when activated, “read” the participant’s active ID badge, noting when and where the event is taking place. Participants and on-lookers will experience the ease of capturing hand-washing events.

 

               To see Versus’ Hand Hygiene Compliance solution in action, visit booth #1015 or contact Versus.

 

 

 

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