The American Hospital Association Continues its Endorsement of Versus RTLS for Patient Flow

Traverse City, Michigan, February 2, 2011—In 2006, AHA Solutions, Inc., a subsidiary of the American Hospital Association, selected Versus Technology, Inc.’s Real-time Locating System (RTLS) as a component of its Patient Flow Platform. Versus is pleased to announce that the AHA has continued its endorsement of Versus Advantages RTLS as a proven solution for patient flow.

AHA Solutions helps member hospitals find the best products and services available for patient care, safety and efficiency. They perform due diligence and market analysis before making any recommendation to hospital leaders. Following evaluation of the Versus Advantages solution and other RTLS marketed to health care, Versus Advantages was selected as a key component of the AHA’s Patient Flow Platform.
Factors affecting this selection included Versus’ ability to accurately track patients, staff and assets as well as apply rules-based logic to automate processes. Based on this, Versus’ many satisfied customers, continued innovation and market presence as well as resounding success in streamlining patient flow, AHA will continue to recommend Versus Advantages to hospital leaders.

The Versus Advantages Infrared (IR) and Radio Frequency Identification (RFID) RTLS enables accurate locating of patients, staff and equipment—to room, bed and even chair levels—allowing hospitals to track time together with patients, perform real-time bed management and alert staff to potential safety concerns whether related to patient volume, infection control or staff safety. Great on its own and better when integrated with other clinical information systems such as billing, scheduling, or EMR, Versus Advantages grants health care leaders the situational awareness required to respond to any situation in real-time and better prepare for the future.

Though Versus’ value to hospitals was evident three years ago when the AHA awarded the original endorsement, that hospitals such as Columbus Regional Hospital, Avera McKennan Hospital, and Memorial Hospital Miramar continue to expand the Versus Advantages solution throughout their organizations further validates this selection. In addition, many clinics such as the Pacific Medical Center’s Canyon Park, Virginia Mason Kirkland Clinic, Avera Surgery Center and several VAs have reduced patient wait times to mere minutes—and, in some cases, completely eliminated the waiting room all together.

“For us, one of the best things about working with Versus is the satisfaction by their customers,” says Mary Longe, Director of AHA Solutions. “A problem must be acknowledged before it can be addressed, so when an organization tackles patient flow and experiences dramatic turnarounds— as Versus’ clients consistently do—it’s important for other health care leaders to hear this directly from their colleagues. Versus’ clients are willing and enthusiastic when it comes to sharing their stories.” Examples include this Hand Hygiene Project meta-analysis from the Joint Commission Center for Transforming Healthcare and the AHA which included participation by two organizations utilizing Versus Advantages to achieve improved data collection and hand hygiene compliance.

AHA Solutions is also making these stores widely available to AHA hospital members through recent and forthcoming educational events such as the AHA Signature Learning Webinar Series and AHA-hosted Patient Flow Roundtables available throughout the country. It’s helping hospitals and clinics learn how Versus clients have:

• Reduced overall patient visit times by as much as 75%, they’ve also:
• Provided physicians and nurses more quality time with patients,
• Decreased the number of phone calls (by 75% or more where measured),
• Increased patient satisfaction (by nearly 30% at some facilities),
• Improved patient flow and revenues.

Many Versus clients, including Western Maryland Health System, Eastern Maine Medical Center, Pacific Medical Centers and Memorial Hospital Miramar, have already shared their stories. Links to past AHA Webinars are available at aha-solutions.org. The next opportunity for AHA member hospitals to learn about Versus Advantages is Tuesday, March 8th, when representatives from Columbus Regional Hospital will share their experiences with Versus during a Signature Learning Series Webinar.

About AHA
The American Hospital Association is a not-for-profit association of health care provider organizations and individuals committed to the health improvement of their communities. The AHA is the national advocate for its members, which includes nearly 5,000 hospitals and health care systems, networks, and other providers of care, and 37,000 individuals. Founded in 1898, the AHA provides education for health care leaders and is a source of information on health care issues and trends. For more information, visit www.aha.org.

About AHA Solutions
AHA Solutions, Inc is a resource to hospitals pursuing operational excellence. As an American Hospital Association (AHA) member service, AHA Solutions collaborates with hospital leaders and market consultants to conduct product due diligence and identify solutions to hospital challenges in the areas of finance, human resources, patient flow and technology. AHA Solutions provides related marketplace analytics and education to support product decision-making. As a subsidiary of the AHA, the organization convenes people with like interests for knowledge sharing centered on timely information and research. AHA Solutions is proud to reinvest its profits in the AHA mission: creating healthier communities. For more information, contact AHA Solutions at 800-242-4677 or visit www.aha-solutions.org.

About Versus Technology, Inc.
Established in 1988, Versus Technology, Inc. specializes in real-time location systems (RTLS) for healthcare. Used for enterprise patient tracking, bed management, asset tracking, and nurse call automation, Versus Advantages™ improves patient flow and documentation of caregiver and patient interactions, while enhancing communication and efficiency. Exclusively endorsed by the American Hospital Association, the Versus Advantages infrared (IR) and Active RFID solution is responsible for clinical-grade location and automation at a number of hospitals, clinics and long-term care facilities worldwide. To learn more about Versus Technology, Inc. (Pink Sheets: VSTI.PK), our technology and client successes, visit www.versustech.com and take the Advantages Tour.