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Western Maryland Health System Selects VISion, Versus Technology's Real-Time Location System Following Competitive Bid Process

Posted on: Tuesday, 24 March 2009, 07:30 CDT

TRAVERSE CITY, Mich., March 24 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- When Western Maryland Health System opens its new regional medical center on Willowbrook Road in Cumberland in the fall, it will do so with Enterprise VISion(TM), a real-time location system (RTLS) from Versus Technology, Inc. in place. The Versus infrared (IR) and radio-frequency RTLS is in keeping with the hospital's desire for state-of-the-art technology and connectivity to other hospital systems, both now and in the future.

The deployment is a multi-phased project that will eventually consist of patient, staff and asset tracking. The initial phase includes patient tracking in large outpatient areas to make it easier for lab and radiology technologists to locate patients. This system will not only reduce wait times for patients, but also the technologists' workloads, allowing them to concentrate on tests, results, and timely communication of those results. Mobile asset tracking in acute areas will also enhance staff efficiency and overall patient care. When expanded, Enterprise VISion(TM) will be integrated to other hospital systems, including the GE Telligence nurse call life safety system, supplied by Life Safety Systems, Inc.

"We chose Versus because of its great versatility," explains Jo M. Wilson, Vice President of Ancillary Support Operations for the Western Maryland Health System. "When our new hospital opens, we will have one, easy-to-use software system to help us keep track of patients who are having multiple tests in our greatly expanded outpatient diagnostic center. It will also track our rolling-stock in our new seven-story facility. Enterprise VISion(TM) offers the accuracy needed for integration with other applications, including our life safety systems. We also appreciate that it gives us the ability to start with these initial applications and expand as needed in the future."

"Versus has seen many RTLS vendors come and go throughout the past decade," says Paul Timmerman, VP of Business Development at Versus Technology, "and certainly it's hard to decipher between the fluff and real-world results. But here's the one thing anyone looking at clinical RTLS needs to know: Accuracy Matters. Western Maryland, in looking at several vendors, their promises, accomplishments, and future outlooks came to understand this fact. Versus is proud to be part of their state-of-the-art technology infrastructure."

Timmerman goes on to explain, "Anyone can give you the general location of an item -- but why do you need a system to do that? Your staff can probably guess and come closer. If you want to improve efficiency, automate processes -- and, certainly, if you want to do any sort of patient tracking -- you must have an accurate locating system that you and your staff can rely on." Exclusively endorsed by the AHA for its IR-RFID bed-level locating system, Versus is the only single-source vendor dedicated to clinical RTLS for patient and asset tracking.

About Western Maryland Health System

The Western Maryland Health System (WMHS) in Cumberland serves residents in Allegany and Garrett Counties in Maryland, five counties in West Virginia and two counties in Pennsylvania. Formed in 1996, WMHS includes two acute care hospitals, Memorial Hospital and Braddock Hospital. Currently under construction is a new 585,000 square foot facility that will combine all of the services at the two hospitals into one medical complex. The new WMHS Regional Medical Center is slated to open in November 2009. Additional information about WMHS and its new medical center is available at www.wmhs.com.

About Versus Technology, Inc.

Versus Technology, Inc. is the leader 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.

SOURCE Versus Technology, Inc.

Source: PR Newswire

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