Overlake Hospital Medical Center Emergency Department To Go Paperless with the Implementation of Ibex PulseCheck

Business Wire, Nov 15, 2004

ROSEMONT, Ill. -- Overlake Hospital Medical Center will implement the Ibex PulseCheck(R) emergency department information system in its Emergency Department (ED) and Level III Trauma Center with the intent to become paperless in the ED during the first quarter of 2005. Developed by Ibex, a Picis company, Ibex PulseCheck will be installed to further improve patient throughput and patient documentation. The signing of Overlake Hospital Medical Center brings the total number of hospital sites to more than 130 reflecting more than five million patients across the country annually triaged and their treatment automatically tracked and documented during their emergency department visits using Ibex PulseCheck.

Overlake recently announced a $300 million campus expansion to include a 200,000 square foot South Tower that will house a new 40-bed state-of-the-art Emergency Trauma Center. Overlake's Level III Trauma Center is the only one in eastern Puget Sound and sees more than 55,000 patients each year.

"We are looking forward to electronic documentation," says Steve Marshall, MD, emergency department medical director. "After examining several systems, Ibex PulseCheck had the functionality and ease-of-use necessary for tracking and documenting in a very busy emergency department."

The Overlake Hospital ED was looking for a system that would track patients, provide physicians and nurses an easy method of patient documentation that would interface with its MEDITECH ADT, lab, radiology and other hospitals information systems.

"With Ibex PulseCheck we anticipate higher patient satisfaction and improvement in overall efficiencies in the emergency department," says Shirley Merkle, RN, director of the emergency department.

In addition to the MEDITECH interfaces, Overlake will be implementing Ibex PulseCheck's Patient Tracking and Reporting module, Physician and Nursing Documentation modules and the Risk Management overlay, the prescription writer and discharge instructions. Overlake is also in the process of automating its operating room and anesthesia documentation with the Picis OR Manager and Anesthesia Manager.

About Ibex PulseCheck

Ibex, a Picis company, provides Ibex PulseCheck, a complete emergency department information system, which includes a patient tracking system from triage to disposition, with easy-to-complete integration with other hospital information systems; Ibex PulseCheck's nursing and physician documentation modules provide an electronic medical record with instant access to charts. Ibex PulseCheck's users have documented millions of dollars of additional charges captured with Ibex PulseCheck's charge management features as well as reduced patient average waiting time and length of stay. The Risk Management module provides real-time Risk Management prompting and supporting physicians and nurses throughout the documentation process. More information on Ibex PulseCheck is available at www.ibexhealthdata.com.

About Picis:

Picis delivers proven best-in-cluster solutions for high-acuity care areas--the emergency department, the operating room and the intensive care unit. Picis' systems are installed in more than 900 medical centers and IDNs worldwide, automating more emergency visits, surgical procedures and intensive care stays than any other system in the world. In July 2004, Ibex, merged with Picis and continues to operate out of its Rosemont, Illinois office. The combined entity's corporate headquarters are located in Wakefield, Massachusetts. Picis has expert sales, clinical and technical support staff in North America, Europe and Asia. In 2004 Picis was named one of the top 100 healthcare IT companies, by revenue, in the Healthcare Informatics report. Picis maintains partnerships with IDX Systems Corporate (NASDAQ: IDXC) and Lawson Software (NASDAQ: LWSN). More information is available at www.picis.com.

About Overlake:

Overlake Hospital Medical Center is a 337-bed, not-for-profit regional medical center offering a full range of advanced medical services to the Puget Sound Region. Overlake is the only Level III Trauma Center in eastern Puget Sound. The hospital is distinguished for its cardiac services and its award winning surgical services. Overlake has been ranked as a top 100 heart program in the country and is rated as a top performer in the state of Washington. Major service areas include: cardiac surgery, cardiology, surgical services, cancer center, women's and children's services, childbirth center, Level III NICU, behavioral health, senior care, sleep disorders center and women's clinic. Overlake is also involved in several national clinical trials. Overlake Hospital Medical Center employs more than 2,200 people and has more than 800 active and courtesy physicians on staff. For more information, visit the hospital's Web site at www.overlakehospital.org.