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Providence St. Peter Hospital Signs Agreement for Skylight's ACCESS Interactive Patient System to Teach, Inform and Entertain

Posted on: Thursday, 13 October 2005, 06:00 CDT

Providence St. Peter Hospital today announced a contract to install the ACCESS Interactive Patient System (formerly called GetWellTV) from San Diego-based Skylight Healthcare Systems in the majority of patient rooms at their Olympia, Washington hospital. Beginning this winter, most of Providence St. Peter Hospital's nearly 400 rooms will be equipped with this state-of-the-art interactive bedside system, designed to provide on-demand patient education, key hospital information and modern entertainment conveniences to hospital patients and their visitors, all via the hospital room television. Already a leader in clinical care, having been named one of the 100 Top Hospitals in the nation for cardiology, orthopedics and stroke care, Providence St. Peter Hospital is the first in Washington state to wire patient rooms with this advanced interactive system that will act as patient's central source for key hospital information, health education and the same modern entertainment options patients get at home or in a hotel.

ACCESS transforms hospital televisions into multi-media centers for each patient, allowing hospitals to create and control in-room information like never before: Condition-specific health education videos are available on-demand, allowing patients and family members to access education videos on their own, and watch them time and again. Additionally, staff members can initiate patient teaching sessions at the times of day that are most convenient. The ACCESS system will replace the typical time-consuming methods staff currently faces in initiating patient education - finding videos tapes and VCR carts, or waiting for the scheduled playing time of a specific title on a health education TV channel loop. In addition to health education advances, Providence St. Peter Hospital will be able to program on-demand access to key hospital information such as that which is typically found in printed patient guides, as well as offer an array of upscale entertainment features, including Internet connectivity, feature films, music and games.

Providence St. Peter Hospital's goal in implementing an interactive patient system was to enhance patient education and ensure patients understand their condition, treatment plans and at-home care instructions - this is vital to improving health outcomes. After careful evaluation of several products, the hospital selected Skylight's ACCESS for the depth and breath of applications offered. The ACCESS solution achieves their patient education needs, and so much more, and will become the centerpiece for their in-room patient experience. By providing a broad array of interactive programming and content in the patients' room, Providence St. Peter Hospital is providing an enhanced experience for all patients, guests and staff - a move that is certain to increase both patient and staff satisfaction.

With the ACCESS system, patient's use of on-demand patient education can be documented and measured. This automation will make it much easier to comply with the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organization's (JCAHO's) patient education standards and will contribute to a better medical environment by empowering patients. Hospital leaders are confident this will lead to an improved healing environment and enhanced patient outcomes.

"We are honored to have Providence St. Peter Hospital as part of our growing family of hospital partners," said David Schofield, CEO of Skylight Healthcare Systems. "They have joined dozens of hospital market leaders nationwide in reshaping the way hospitals do business. Through the provision of the most advanced personalized patient care, ACCESS is helping them achieve their vision of being the market leader in patient satisfaction, clinical quality, and operational performance."

Photo and interview opportunities available upon request

About Providence St. Peter Hospital

Providence St. Peter Hospital is a 390-bed, not-for-profit regional teaching hospital founded by the Sisters of Providence in 1887. Located in Olympia, the state capital, Providence St. Peter Hospital offers comprehensive medical, surgical and behavioral health services. They have been named one of the 100 Top Hospitals in the nation for cardiology, orthopedics and stroke care. Their outpatient surgery center has received national benchmark awards for its work in cataract surgery, knee arthroscopy and many other procedures. For more information, visit www.providence.org/swsa.

About Skylight Healthcare Systems

San Diego-based Skylight Healthcare Systems is the fastest growing interactive patient system provider in the nation. Skylight's ACCESS (SM) Interactive Patient System (formerly called GetWellTV) is an interactive patient room communication, education and entertainment network designed to provide an efficient platform for communicating hospital information, automating guest service requests, and recreating the comforts of home with hotel-like amenities. The ACCESS System's administrative hospital services include health education on demand; real-time patient survey applications; interactive, two-way communications; dietary menu services and more. State-of-the-art digital entertainment and communication services include feature film rentals, premium cable TV, music, high-speed Internet, e-mail access and interactive games. For more information about Skylight Healthcare Systems, please visit www.skylight.com.

Source: Business Wire

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