Children's Of Alabama Live With Versus RTLS Asset Tracking, Four Rivers Integration

Traverse City, MI /PRNewswire/ - Children's of Alabama in Birmingham has implemented the Versus Advantages™ Asset Tracking solution. The real-time locating system (RTLS) from Versus Technology, Inc. (OTCPINK: VSTI) includes two-way HL7 integration to Four Rivers Total Maintenance System (TMS).

The Versus RTLS Asset Tracking solution was selected for its proven accuracy and the ability to expand the solution to other uses as needed.

The system has been installed throughout the new Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children which opened in August of 2012, and will be expanded across the remaining six inpatient units making up the Children's of Alabama's main campus. VT Group Healthcare, in Birmingham, Ala., a certified Versus System Integrator, is installing the system.

The hospital is currently tracking approximately 3,000 mobile assets, including IV pumps, beds and stretchers across 760,000 square feet. The first phase of the implementation will allow the hospital to:

• reduce shrinkage due to lost or stolen items,
• quickly locate critical equipment for patient safety,
• manage utilization of key inventory,
• improve response times for patient care needs, and
• improve overall patient satisfaction.

The integration to Four Rivers TMS application will help Children's of Alabama better manage its equipment fleet by associating key equipment status data with the equipment's real-time location. Factors such as preventative maintenance, warranties and recall notifications are maintained and managed in the Four Rivers system, while Versus provides the equipment's current location. The integration with Versus allows staff to see which equipment is available and where it is.

Asset tracking is one of many RTLS uses. With the Versus system, hospitals can also track and automate patient flow, quickly locate nurses, physicians and other staff, as well as monitor hand hygiene compliance.

Jack Storey , CIO of Children's of Alabama explains, "We selected Versus for our expansion facility because it allows us to have multiple RTLS-driven applications on one infrastructure.  Our initial focus was equipment tracking and the Integration to Four Rivers was important to us. The Versus infrastructure can also be used by our GE [Ascom Telligence™] nurse call system for nurse tracking.  Additional applications within the Versus suite of products would also allow us to add patient tracking and/or hand washing monitoring if we decide that functionality is needed in the future.  It is beneficial for us to have a single system and infrastructure that we can cross-utilize and leverage throughout the hospital."

Versus' RTLS is proven at more than 700 hospitals and clinics—many of which have been operating daily on the same sensory network for more than 15 years. Using infrared (IR) technology for room and bed-level locating and radio frequency identification (RFID) for status communication, the Versus RTLS guarantees No False Positives.

Unlike other real-time locating systems, Versus requires a read, or "hit," from badge or tag that is physically present in a sensed location. Versus' ability to guarantee accuracy  allows physicians, nurses, clinicians and clinical engineers to quickly locate patients, staff and equipment and trust that the data is accurate. It also means that Versus can automate other systems without delay and without the risk of providing false data.

To learn more about Asset Tracking and other uses for RTLS in the clinical environment, visit Versus' website at visit versustech.com or register for our RTLS sessions at the HIMSS13 Annual Conference & Exhibition in New Orleans, La., March 3-7, 2013 by visiting versustech.com/himss13.

About Children's of Alabama
Children's of Alabama has provided specialized medical care for ill and injured children across the state and throughout the southeastern U.S. since 1911. For the past three years, Children's has been ranked among the best children's hospital programs in the nation by US News & World Report. Last year, patients made more than 634,000 outpatient and nearly 14,000 inpatient visits to Children's from every county in Alabama and from 47 other states. With more than 2 million square feet, it is the third largest pediatric medical facility in the U.S. Children's offers inpatient and outpatient services across its Russell Campuson Birmingham's historic Southside with additional outpatient services provided at Children's South and Children's on 3rd. Primary care is provided at more than a dozen medical offices in communities across central Alabama. Children's of Alabama is the only medical center in Alabama dedicated solely to the care and treatment of children. It is a private, not-for-profit medical center that serves as the primary site of the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) pediatric medicine, surgery, research and residency programs. Children's recently moved much of its inpatient services into a new building named The Benjamin Russell Hospital for Children. More information is available at www.childrensal.org.

About VT Group Healthcare
VT Group provides customer-critical technical services to government agencies and commercial entities.  Through its Integrated Solutions, Technical Services and Unmanned Services business units, VT Group delivers critical solutions in C4IT design, integration and installation; healthcare technology; asset management; equipment life cycle support; facility operations and maintenance; logistics services and support; utility management; and unmanned systems support. Whether it is improving communications or quick response to patients' needs, VT Group's Healthcare Division is a leading agent for Ascom Patient Systems Telligence™ Nurse Call, installing and maintaining the advanced Voice over Internet Protocol (VoIP) healthcare communication platform, integrated with Versus RTLS.  By keeping staff connected or aiding in the expedition of critical patient information through Healthcare Media Retrieval Systems, VT Group Healthcare is a reliable, responsive supporter for both the healthcare professional and the patients they serve. For more information on VT Group, visit www.vt-group.com.

About Versus Technology, Inc.
Established in 1988, Versus Technology, Inc. specializes in real-time location systems (RTLS) for health care. 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., our technology and client successes, visit www.versustech.com and take the Advantages Tour.

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