Hill-Rom and SAS partner on technology solutions

New collaboration between Hill-Rom IT Solutions and SAS delivers intelligence, expanding caregivers' choices to improve patient outcomes

New Orleans  (Feb. 26, 2007)  –  Hill-Rom IT Solutions and SAS announced today that they will partner to further develop integrated reporting and analytic technology within Hill-Rom’s healthcare applications processes. This move is designed to help Hill-Rom customers better access and analyze patient and operations data, an approach that can help lead to better patient outcomes. 

Hill-Rom, an operating company of Hillenbrand Industries (NYSE: HB), provides innovative healthcare offerings ranging from information technology (IT) and patient and workflow solutions to patient care beds, therapy surfaces and stretchers. SAS, the leader in business intelligence (BI), provides an enterprise intelligence platform that includes data management, analytics and reporting software. 

Both companies are at the forefront of creating innovative solutions that answer critical needs within the healthcare industry. Access to timely and accurate patient and operations data is critical to meeting the needs of healthcare professionals who are focused on delivering safe, efficient and effective care, and achieving the best outcomes possible for their patients. The system that Hill-Rom IT Solutions will deliver with SAS will improve the methods for turning raw data into useful information, making it easier and faster for caregivers to react to patient situations. 

“Combining the deep pool of data captured by Hill-Rom’s IT Solutions with SAS’ industry-leading business intelligence, reporting and analytical capabilities creates an extremely valuable solution for healthcare providers,” explains Adam McMullin, Vice President of Marketing and Strategy for Hill-Rom IT Solutions. “Our clients will have access to new types of actionable information and insight unleashed from the data, enabling improved clinical and operational excellence, and at the end of the day, improved delivery of care.” 

With SAS technology, including SAS® Enterprise BI Server and SAS® Enterprise Data Integration Server, Hill-Rom will expand caregiver access to the growing clinical and process information collected by Hill-Rom IT Solutions’ healthcare applications. The SAS software will enhance the ability of Hill-Rom customers to bring together disparate data, analyze it, and share the results of this analysis organization-wide via a flexible reporting environment. 

“Through SAS’ broad and flexible platform -- including BI, data integration and analytics offerings -- Hill-Rom customers can better understand their care-delivery processes and more quickly identify areas for improvement in operational efficiency, protocol compliance and care performance,” said Melissa Fitzpatrick, RN, MSN, FAAN, Chief Healthcare Strategist at SAS. “The Institute for Healthcare Improvement, The Joint Commission, and the Institute of Medicine are among the many industry organizations calling upon healthcare providers to improve the efficiency and effectiveness of care. Hill-Rom and SAS will continue to work together to help Hill-Rom’s customers answer this call.” 

Beginning with Hill-Rom’s NaviCare ^® Solutions, the premier solution for managing patient flow metrics and staff efficiency, Hill-Rom is introducing SAS-powered enhancements to its reporting and dashboard offerings. These systems will not only help healthcare providers gain “big picture” insight into key performance indicators and metrics related to patient flow and staff efficiency, but also will drill down into the details for deeper process evaluation and outcome improvement. Beta trials have been scheduled to focus on targeted results-based metrics and program outcomes. 

SAS Enterprise BI Server provides a dashboard of key metrics across the organization. Clinicians and executives can quickly and easily identify areas that might need further investigation or analysis. 

Hill-Rom’s migration to the SAS BI platform will be extended through 2007 to the remaining suite of Hill-Rom IT Solutions including COMLinx^® Nurse Communication Module, the OnSite^™ System which captures and communicates multiple data points from Hill-Rom beds, and the WatchChild^™ System, an obstetrical patient data management solution. 

SAS Alliance partner ThotWave Technologies LLC helped in the planning and is actively engaged in the implementation of the BI and data integration solutions at Hill-Rom. 

The Hill-Rom and SAS partnership is officially announced at HIMSS07, the annual conference of the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) in New Orleans. Hill-Rom will be exhibiting at the conference in booth #1627.

About Hillenbrand Industries Inc.

Hillenbrand Industries is organized into two operating companies serving the healthcare and funeral services industries. 

Hill-Rom is a leading worldwide manufacturer and provider of medical technologies and related services for the healthcare industry, including patient support systems, non-invasive therapeutic products for a variety of acute and chronic medical conditions, medical equipment rentals, and workflow information technology solutions. Hill-Rom’s comprehensive product and service offerings are used by healthcare providers across the healthcare continuum in hospitals, extended care facilities and home care settings to enhance the safety and quality of patient care. www.Hill-Rom.com

Batesville Casket Company is a leader in the North American death care industry through the sale of funeral services products, including burial caskets, cremation caskets, containers and urns, selection room display fixturing and other personalization and memorialization products.

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Beginning with its NaviCare Solutions (pictured), Hill-Rom is introducing SAS-powered enhancements to its BI reporting and dashboard offerings. 
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