Major Academic Health System Announces System-wide Upgrade, Motivated by Omnicell Solutions to Enhance Medication Security and Regulatory Compliance
MOUNTAIN VIEW, Calif., Aug. 28, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- Omnicell, Inc. (NASDAQ:OMCL), a leading provider of medication and supply management solutions and analytics software for healthcare facilities, today announced that Erie County Medical Center (ECMC) Corporation expanded its exclusive relationship with Omnicell to implement G4 automated medication management solutions throughout its 550-bed hospital in Buffalo, NY. ECMC's relationship with Omnicell began in 1998 and has increased in scale to match the medical center's steady growth.
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One of Western New York's leading healthcare providers, ECMC is the regional center for trauma, burn care, and rehabilitation and is a major teaching facility for the University at Buffalo. As its scope of healthcare services increased, ECMC needed medication management technology that streamlined and safeguarded the transportation of medications from the pharmacy to the automated dispensing cabinet (ADC) and to the patient's bedside. Upon reviewing all solutions available in the market, ECMC discovered that the Omnicell G4 medication management system connects to a single medication database, creating closed-loop movement of medications from controlled substance vaults to ADCs, and then to the bedside, meeting Joint Commission and other regulatory standards for medication administration.
In addition to seeking an overall upgrade to its medication management system, ECMC needed a mobile system that offered medication security and streamlined workflow for nurses. ECMC selected Omnicell's Savvy™ mobile medication system because it simplifies and secures the transportation of medications from the ADC to the patient's bedside in patient-assigned locking drawers. Savvy also provides a clear audit trail for medications accessed by any clinician at any location by integrating with Omnicell's Anywhere RN™ software.
"Erie County Medical Center is constantly striving to improve its medication verification process," said Randy Gerwitz, director of pharmacy at ECMC. "In order to create a truly safe and streamlined medication distribution system, we performed an exhaustive review of all competitive medication automation systems, especially mobile systems."
"Omnicell clearly demonstrated a commitment to constantly improving its technology to meet the needs of a growing healthcare system," added Mr. Gerwitz. "Because Omnicell's mobile medication system, Savvy, is so superior to competitive offerings, we won't have to worry about medication security in the next regulatory review. We are excited to bring the very best medication automation technology that is available to our patients and clinicians."
ECMC also reported that its purchasing decision was driven by the intuitive user interface, reliable design, and compelling long-term cost of ownership of Omnicell G4 medication management solutions.
ECMC is scheduled to complete its large installation of Savvy mobile medication systems by early 2013. In addition to ECMC's Savvy investment, the medical center will also upgrade to the following Omnicell solutions:
- OmniRx® G4 Automated Medication Dispensing Cabinets (ADCs), including the integrated Medication Label Printer that allows nurses to print patient-specific labels right from the ADC during medication issue. The ADCs, which are used throughout the nursing floors, also include the new Touch & Go™ G4 biometric ID system, designed with state-of-the-art biometric technology to improve efficiency and security.
- Anywhere RN™, which offers nurses a flexible approach to the medication administration process designed to positively impact nursing workflow and patient safety. It is a web-based application designed specifically for nurses that provides real-time remote access to the Omnicell cabinet from virtually any computer or workstation in the patient care area.
- Anesthesia Workstation™ G4, an automated dispensing cabinet for the operating room that allows for secure, convenient access to drugs required during surgery and automates documentation of controlled substances, relieving the anesthesiologist of the tedious task of counting medications.
"We are pleased to continue to grow our 14-year relationship with Erie County Medical Center and offer solutions that meet the growing needs of this institution," said J. Christopher Drew, executive vice president, field operations at Omnicell. "Omnicell's primary mission is helping patients and the healthcare professionals who care for them, which is reflected in our relentless commitment to advancing our technology. We are excited to support Erie County Medical Center in providing the safest, most efficient care to its patients."
About Erie County Medical Center
The ECMC Corporation includes an advanced academic medical center (ECMC) with 550 inpatient beds and 136 skilled-nursing-home beds, on- and off-campus health centers, more than 30 outpatient specialty care clinics and a long-term care facility. ECMC is the regional center for trauma, burn care, and rehabilitation and is a major teaching facility for the University at Buffalo. Most ECMC physicians, dentists and pharmacists are dedicated faculty members of the university. More Western New York residents are choosing ECMC for exceptional patient care and customer service—the difference between healthcare and true care.
About Omnicell
Omnicell, Inc. (NASDAQ: OMCL) is a leading provider of automation and business information solutions enabling hospitals and other healthcare organizations to streamline the medication administration process and manage costly medical supplies for increased operational efficiency and enhanced patient safety. Through seamless integration with a customer's existing IT infrastructure, Omnicell solutions empower healthcare facilities to achieve comprehensive automation of medication and supply management from the arrival at the loading dock to the patient's bedside. Omnicell also provides healthcare facilities with business analytics software designed to improve medication diversion detection and regulatory compliance.
Since 1992, more than 2,600 hospital customers worldwide have utilized Omnicell's medication automation, supply chain, and analytics solutions to enable them to increase patient safety, improve efficiency and address changing healthcare regulations while providing effective control of costs, charge capture for payer reimbursement and inventory management of medications and supplies.
MTS Medication Technologies, a wholly-owned Omnicell subsidiary, is a leader in medication adherence packaging systems designed to improve medication dispensing and administration. MTS enables approximately 6,000 institutional and retail pharmacies worldwide to maintain high accuracy and quality standards while optimizing productivity and controlling costs. The MTS product line includes more than 20 packaging machines and 50 types of consumable products.
For more information about Omnicell, please visit www.omnicell.com. Visit www.mts-mt.com for more information about MTS.
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