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Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre Taps Mediasite to Build Canada's First Web-Based, Multimedia Clinical Library

Posted on: Wednesday, 22 February 2006, 09:00 CST

MADISON, Wis., Feb. 22 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Sonic Foundry(R) Inc. , a leader in automated rich media communications technology, announced today that Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre is using Mediasite(TM) technology to share timely and relevant clinical information with clinicians, patients, medical schools and other hospitals around the world via the Internet.

A little over five years ago, Sunnybrook & Women's engaged in an information technology strategic planning process to build Canada's first clinical multimedia library. The goal was to combine the power and reach of the Internet with the expertise of one of Canada's most prestigious healthcare facilities. As a publicly funded hospital, Sunnybrook & Women's recognized the need to lead others in developing new techniques of sharing medical knowledge on a limited budget.

"Our greatest resource was to share the knowledge of our doctors, nurses and allied healthcare professionals with the world," shared Oliver Tsai, Director of Information Technology for Sunnybrook & Women's. "We are truly on the front line of care, and the skills and expertise we possess are unlike those of any other medical facility," he said.

Mediasite enables Sunnybrook & Women's to capture and share its physicians' knowledge in a variety of ways. From Webcasting major announcements or press conferences to providing pre-recorded educational classes and professional development tutorials on-demand, Sunnybrook & Women's staff can access Mediasite presentations when it accommodates their busy schedules. The hospital can also manage recordings within their new online Learning Management System which tracks the progress of students and staff through both required and optional educational material, including lectures, tests, certifications and exams.

Communication of Timely Medical Knowledge

Sunnybrook & Women's sought a Webcasting and content management solution that would enable them to communicate with a geographically and chronologically dispersed audience. They selected Mediasite because it enables rapid development and deployment of rich media presentations across a broad range of applications, networks and devices. Through the use of Mediasite, Sunnybrook & Women's assists the medical and research communities in disseminating integrated video, voice, and data communications through a simple user interface that is accessible via any Web browser.

"During regional planning for a pandemic outbreak of the avian flu, Mediasite was invaluable as it became an essential tool to communicate with as many people as possible in a short amount of time," said Tsai. "With Mediasite, we are able to address what was previously a major challenge to our organization. For example, Dr. Mary Vearncombe, a leading physician and professor in infection prevention and control, delivered a timely session on pandemic flu. Not surprisingly she filled an entire auditorium for the presentation, but also nearly a thousand people viewed the event online live or from recording since."

"Sunnybrook & Women's understands that in order to leverage and grow the intellectual capabilities of its people, it needs to retain and re-use the content that is presented to its staff on a daily basis," said Darrin Coulson, senior vice president of worldwide field operations of Sonic Foundry. "Mediasite allows Sunnybrook & Women's and its staff to re-use that content for maximum effectiveness. It's not just about capturing content; it's about making that content available, searchable and integrating it into usable systems for future education and reference."

Sharing Sunnybrook & Women's Expertise with the World

In less than a year, Sunnybrook & Women's has gone from one rich media presentation a month to mediasiting nearly five presentations a week. Clinicians who teach both at Sunnybrook & Women's and at other local affiliated institutions, present the material to both physicians and nurses within the hospital network for viewing at their convenience. As Sunnybrook & Women's looks to the future, they plan to expand the use of rich media to address the needs of its many patients.

"We are amongst the busiest hospitals in the world in the number of cancer patients we see and treat in a year," Tsai explained. "Sunnybrook & Women's aim is to increase the amount of content it generates regarding cancer treatment and prevention. Our goal is not only to enable the education of doctors and nurses here at Sunnybrook & Women's, but to share what our team learns with other healthcare institutions in Canada, the United States and in other parts of the world -- and Mediasite allows us to achieve this goal."

"It is rewarding to see how Mediasite is playing a global role in helping share critical healthcare information," said Rimas Buinevicius, chairman and CEO of Sonic Foundry. "Sunnybrook & Women's initiative to create the first clinical multimedia library for Canada represents the very essence of what Mediasite is all about: experts using technology to share their knowledge with people who seek it. We are honored to be a partner in this historic undertaking."

About Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre

Sunnybrook and Women's College Health Sciences Centre is the amalgamation of three of Canada's finest health care organizations: the Orthopedic and Arthritic Hospital, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre and Women's College Hospital. It was created by a Special Act of Legislation in June 1998 and is fully affiliated with the University of Toronto.

About Sonic Foundry(R), Inc.

Founded in 1991, Sonic Foundry is a technology leader in the emerging rich media communications marketplace, providing enterprise solutions and services that link an information-driven world. Sonic Foundry is changing the way organizations communicate via the Web and how people around the globe receive vital information needed for work, professional advancement, safety and education. The company's integrated Webcasting and Web presentation solutions are trusted by Fortune 500 companies, education institutions and government agencies for a variety of critical communication needs. Sonic Foundry is based in Madison, Wis. For more information about Sonic Foundry, visit http://www.sonicfoundry.com/.

Certain statements contained in this news release regarding matters that are not historical facts may be forward-looking statements. Because such forward-looking statements include risks and uncertainties, actual results may differ materially from those expressed in or implied by such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ materially include, but are not limited to, uncertainties pertaining to continued market acceptance for Sonic Foundry's products, its ability to succeed in capturing significant revenues from media services and/or systems, the effect of new competitors in its market and other risk factors identified from time to time in its filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission.

Sonic Foundry Inc.

CONTACT: Terri Douglas of Catapult PR-IR, +1-303-581-7760, ext. 18,tdouglas@catapultpr-ir.com, for Sonic Foundry Inc.

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

Source: PRNewswire-FirstCall

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