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Omnicell Enhances OptiFlex(TM) Supply Chain Management System for Hospital Medical-Surgical Units

Posted on: Monday, 14 August 2006, 09:00 CDT

ORLANDO, Fla., Aug. 14 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Omnicell, Inc. today introduced new inventory management, cost tracking and usability enhancements to its OptiFlex MS supply management system for hospital medical-surgical units. The enhanced version of OptiFlex MS was successfully beta tested at St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center in Missoula, Mont.

The announcement was made during a press briefing at the AHRMM 44th Annual Conference & Exhibition at the Gaylord Palms Resort & Convention Center in Orlando.

OptiFlex MS is a complete, integrated system for managing supplies in closed cabinets and open shelves in medical-surgical nursing units. The OptiFlex platform also includes configurable modules for specialty areas such as the cath lab, endoscopy, and surgical services.

New enhancements to OptiFlex MS include: -- Expansion of inventory control reporting capability, allowing inclusion of multiple departments/pars -- Security improvements, including bolstered system password and user timeout features as required by HIPAA; central management of user credential authentication; and expanded availability of the magnetic card reader feature for improved system access control -- Inventory management and cost tracking for temporary patients -- Improved cost tracking and inventory management features, including the ability to store purchase unit of measure information at the item level and the true cost of item at time of issue to patients, improving accuracy of cost analysis -- Additional user-friendly features, including improved guiding light functionality, making it easier for users to locate needed inventory items

"OptiFlex was successfully introduced two years ago in response to materials management professionals seeking to manage all supplies in one system, including high-cost items that are difficult to track and order," explained Robert Mullenger, Omnicell senior supply product manager. "These latest enhancements are further refinements based on customer input, providing users with a system that is even more powerful and user-friendly."

"We were pleased to serve as a beta site for the enhanced OptiFlex MS system," said Hank McClain, materials management information systems coordinator for St. Patrick's. "Implementation of the system went smoothly, and it has clearly improved our inventory management and cost tracking, while providing more control at the individual user level."

About St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center

St. Patrick Hospital and Health Sciences Center serves 17 counties in the greater Missoula, Mont. area through its 213 acute-care bed hospital, emergency department, and specialty programs, including western Montana's most advanced cancer treatment center. The hospital's cardiovascular surgeons perform the only heart surgeries in Western Montana, and the center is the regional leader in mental health and addiction treatment. St. Patrick's serves as a practicum site for the University of Montana's school of pharmacy and for Montana State University's nursing school.

About Omnicell

Omnicell, Inc. is a leading provider of systems and software solutions targeting patient safety and operational efficiency in healthcare facilities. Since 1992, Omnicell has worked with more than 1,600 healthcare facilities to enhance patient safety and allow clinicians to spend more time with their patients.

Omnicell's medication-use product line includes solutions for the central pharmacy, nursing unit, operating room, and patient bedside. Solutions range from large central pharmacy "smart inventory" carousels to small handheld devices. From the point at which a medication arrives at the receiving dock to the time it is administered, Omnicell systems store it, package it, bar code it, order it, issue it, and provide information and controls on its use and reorder.

Our supply product lines provide a healthcare institution with fast, effective control of costs, capture of charges for payor reimbursement, and timely reorder of supplies. Products range from high-security closed-cabinet systems and software to open-shelf and combination solutions in the nursing unit, cath lab and operating room.

Omnicell's mission is to provide the best customer experience in healthcare, helping hospitals reduce medication errors, operate more efficiently, and decrease costs. For more information, visit http://www.omnicell.com/.

Omnicell, Inc.

CONTACT: Bruce Lewis of Lewis & Summers Public Relations,+1-707-964-3844, or bruce@prwebsite.com, for Omnicell, Inc.

Web site: http://www.omnicell.com/

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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