MetroWest becomes the first hospital in Massachusetts to commercially implement EarlySense’s contact-free patient monitoring solution
EarlySense names Waltham, MA as location of new U.S. headquarters
WALTHAM & FRAMINGHAM, Mass.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Governor Deval Patrick and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center today joined officials from EarlySense and MetroWest Medical Center to launch the hospital’s new patient safety and quality initiative, leveraging innovative technology developed by EarlySense, Inc. The EarlySense patient monitoring system assists hospital staff in identifying early indications of deterioration for proactive intervention and better patient outcomes. The event marks the first commercial installation of the EarlySense system in Massachusetts.
At the ribbon cutting ceremony, EarlySense CEO Avner Halperin and Governor Patrick demonstrated the system for ceremony participants. During the ceremony, Mr. Halperin named Waltham as the location of EarlySense’s new U.S. headquarters in Massachusetts. The company’s decision follows the March 2011 Massachusetts Innovation Economy Partnership Mission to Israel by Governor Patrick and a delegation of state leaders from industry, academia and government to promote mutually beneficial collaborations between Massachusetts and Israel. EarlySense expects to hire 10 employees in Massachusetts before the end of the year and plans to hire an additional 10-20 employees annually thereafter.
“Patient safety technologies like those developed by EarlySense can improve patient care, while contributing to cost control in our health care system, two important priorities for our Administration,” said Governor Patrick. “We are delighted that Massachusetts will not only benefit from the advanced patient monitoring technology developed by EarlySense, but also that the company has chosen to open its U.S. headquarters in Waltham. Massachusetts is a great place for international life sciences companies to locate and do business, and we look forward to a continued partnership with Israel and the many innovative companies that exist there.”
“Following Governor Patrick’s visit to Israel, we are delighted to set our U.S. roots in Waltham, Massachusetts and to contribute to the promising future of the State by helping to increase the quality of patient care and to create new jobs. Massachusetts is home to some of the finest medical institutions, with which we are proud to have very close cooperation, including our host today, MetroWest Medical Center, which has a strong commitment to patient safety and healthcare.”
Andrei Soran, CEO of MetroWest Medical Center said, “We are pleased to have the EarlySense system. In the brief time it has been working at our facility, we have already seen some cases where it has significantly helped improve the care of patients. Patients have also expressed their satisfaction with the system noting that it makes them feel safer.”
“Massachusetts is leading the nation in developing initiatives that seek to balance health care access, cost and quality,” said Susan Windham-Bannister, Ph.D., President & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, the agency charged with implementing the state’s 10-year, $1 billion Life Sciences initiative. “We welcome companies like EarlySense that are developing the new technologies that will make this balance possible. The Center looks forward to working in partnership with EarlySense as they put down roots and grow here in Massachusetts.”
"Governor Patrick is committed to fighting for every job in every corner of the globe, and MOITI is responsible for showcasing the strength of the state's innovation economy and building partnerships with countries like Israel that lead to new jobs and new investment right here in Massachusetts," said Ken Brown, Executive Director of the Massachusetts Office of International Trade and Investment. "I am proud to see that our efforts are paying off, and I welcome EarlySense to the Commonwealth's thriving life sciences industry."
“Massachusetts is already seen as a leader in biotechnology and life sciences and this collaboration solidifies our reputation as a gateway for health care technology and investment,” said State Senator Karen Spilka. “Over the past few years, the MetroWest region has proven to be a growing hub for life sciences activity and investment and I think it’s fitting that the initial installation of the EarlySense system is at the MetroWest Medical Center. This will not only be an opportunity for tremendous economic growth and job creation, but though our partnership with Earlysense, we will be actively contributing to the improvement of health care, the safety of our patients and the overall quality of life of many residents across the Commonwealth.”
Following the ribbon-cutting ceremony, Soran and Windham-Bannister joined experts in the field in a symposium discussing “Advances in Patient Safety in Acute Care Hospitals and Long Term Care Facilities.”
Experts included David Bates, M.D., Chief Quality Officer and Chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine, Brigham and Women’s Hospital, Professor of Medicine at Harvard Medical School, Executive Director of the Center of Patient Safety Research and Practice, Harvey Brown, M.D., Clinical Professor of Medicine, David Geffen School of Medicine at UCLA and a principal investigator of the EarlySense clinical study, and Eyal Zimlichman, M.D., Research Associate, Center for Patient Safety Research and Practice, Brigham and Women’s Hospital and Harvard Medical School, and past Assistant to the CEO, Sheba Medical Center, Israel.
Dr. Bates said, "This is an extremely exciting time for information technology and patient safety. Hospitals in the U.S. now have financial incentives to improve the safety of the care they deliver, so will be motivated to adopt those technologies that are proven to be effective. EarlySense is an example of a technology that has great potential to improve safety and it can have an impact on several of the main causes of harm. Specifically, it can improve identification of patients who are decompensating, and may also decrease the risk of falls and pressure ulcers."
Dr. Brown said, “A clinical data analysis of 2000 patients using the EarlySense system on a medical-surgical hospital inpatient unit demonstrated reductions in length of stay, transfers to higher levels of care (ICU and telemetry), development of pressure sores, number of falls, and code blue events. We also have case examples of event detection by the EarlySense system that resulted in timely interventions by the medical staff and positive impacts on patient outcomes. The nursing staff has learned to recognize the significance of the EarlySense data, and have improved their critical thinking and its application to daily bedside care. In my opinion, the EarlySense system has improved quality of care, and has the potential for cost savings from more efficient bed utilization and reductions in adverse events.”
Dr. Zimlichman said, “Earlier recognition of instability with timely intervention could improve patient outcomes and could be the missing link to making rapid response systems effective. Respiration rate and heart rate are indeed independent predictors of adverse events in patients after discharge from the ICU and from elective surgeries. Recognition of ‘predictive’ changes in these vital signs early on can make the difference between life and death. With this in mind, it should also be noted that ICU transfer delays are a ‘preventable adverse event’ that must be addressed. Having a continuous, contact-free monitoring system, like the EarlySense solution, that measures these vital signs as well as motion, and alerts when parameters are crossed, is crucial to inspiring proactive and timely intervention by the medical team and securing better patient outcomes.”
About EarlySense
EarlySense is bringing to market an innovative technology designed to advance proactive patient care to enable better patient outcomes. The company’s flagship product is an automatic, continuous, contact-free, patient monitoring solution that monitors and documents a patient’s vital signs and movement. There are no leads or cuffs to connect to the patient, who has complete freedom of movement and is not burdened by any irritating attachments. The system is currently installed at several medical centers in the United States and Europe and is now beginning sales in Canada. EarlySenseInc. is headquartered in Waltham, MA. For additional information, please visit www.earlysense.com. Press inquiries: Marjie Hadad, media liaison, [email protected] or 617-939-9514.
About MetroWest Medical Center
MetroWest Medical Center is a full-service community teaching hospital system dedicated to meeting the health care needs of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts by providing advanced care with a community touch. The 424-bed health care system — the largest between Worcester and Boston — includes Framingham Union Hospital, Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick, MetroWest HomeCare and Hospice, and The MetroWest Wellness Center, an outpatient diagnostic imaging and rehabilitation center. Media Contact: Beth Donnelly: 508-383-1096 or [email protected]
About the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center (“the Center”) is a quasi-public agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts tasked with implementing the Massachusetts Life Sciences Act, a ten-year, $1 billion initiative that was signed into law in June of 2008. The Center’s mission is to create jobs in the life sciences and support vital scientific research that will improve the human condition. This work includes making financial investments in public and private institutions that are advancing life sciences research, development and commercialization as well as building ties between sectors of the Massachusetts life sciences community. For more information, visit www.masslifesciences.com or contact Angus McQuilken, VP for Communications: 617 921 7749 or [email protected]
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CONTACT:
EarlySense
Marjie Hadad, media liaison, 617-939-9514
[email protected]
or
MetroWest Medical Center
Beth Donnelly, 508-383-1096
[email protected]
or
Massachusetts Life Sciences Center
Angus McQuilken, VP for Communications, 617-921-7749
[email protected]
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