Southeastern Regional Medical Center and RadarFind Partner Sophisticated Tracking Technology with Ease of Use
Released on: January 24, 2008, 7:31 am
Press Release Author: RadarFind
Industry: Healthcare
Press Release Summary: System tracks hospital inventory to drastically reduce equipment purchase costs
Press Release Body: LUMBERTON and MORRISVILLE, N.C. (January 23, 2008) - Southeastern Regional Medical Center (SRMC), a major health care provider for southeastern North Carolina, has selected the RadarFind Real Time Location System (RTLS) to track their vast inventory of hospital equipment and medical devices for more efficient use and maintenance. The indoor tracking system determines the location of mobile medical equipment throughout the hospital and displays this information via the hospital staff's computer screens. Installing RadarFind's RTLS will allow SRMC to significantly reduce equipment purchase costs and use the savings to add health care services typically seen in larger hospitals to further improve patient care. RadarFind's innovative platform technology overcomes the limitations associated with typical RFID and WiFi solutions. Designed to seamlessly integrate with existing hospital infrastructure and operations, RadarFind requires no new wiring or ceiling and wall penetration associated with adding WiFi access points. And unlike many other systems, RadarFind operates independently of a hospital's critical IT network. The RadarFind system can provide room-level accuracy without requiring ongoing calibration. Readers that plug into existing electrical outlets avoid interfering with hospital operations and staff processes since there is no need to close off patient rooms during installation. Moreover, the intuitive software is simple to use and easily accommodates hospital staff skill levels. "We recognized the necessity of an asset tracking system and began our search several years ago. At that time, the systems available did not achieve results that justified their prohibitive cost. RadarFind's unique RTLS system is precise in locating equipment for more efficient maintenance and is a truly cost effective choice for helping us manage our operations," said Charles Brady, director of clinical engineering for SRMC. RadarFind offers affordable installation when compared with other systems. Readers that communicate with asset tags simply plug in to existing electrical outlets and those outlets can still be used for other electrical devices. Without the hidden costs of installing additional wiring and expanding a WiFi network, hospitals see a rapid return on investment. For example, less than a year after installing the RadarFind system, Wayne Memorial Hospital, a 316-bed facility in Goldsboro, N.C. was able to reduce equipment purchases by more than $300,000. RadarFind's advanced asset tags include at least six years in battery life and the ability to mark a device's status as ready, in use or in need of cleaning/sterilization-an important indicator for hospital nurses. "An imperative for our medical center was to find an answer to skillfully monitor our inventory. At any given time we cannot account for about 10 percent of our inventory. We were spending time and resources to track IV pumps, stretchers, wheelchairs and mobile monitors. It was not unusual to realize that when we take inventory of our wheelchairs, close to 90 percent are unaccounted for," said David Sumner, vice president of strategic management and support services for SRMC. "By tracking these items, we can reduce our expenditures on unnecessary new equipment, increase the level of speed and efficiency at which our hospital runs, and improve the overall patient experience." Designed by Doctors and Administrators for Seamless Implementation The RadarFind RTLS was developed by hospital administrators and doctors after extensive research involving visits and discussions with hospitals across the U.S. Recognizing that hospitals are a delicate balance of many internal systems, RadarFind was tested in entire hospitals rather than one floor or one section. A hospital cannot perform to its full capability until all its systems are working synergistically. \"We understand the unique challenges hospitals face. Balancing patient care, staffing concerns, and constant financial pressures are daily realities for them. Our solution helps in all three areas - without creating new problems,\" said RadarFind's CEO Terry Kane, M.D. RadarFind's developers are currently working with SRMC administrators to further ensure that implementation will not disrupt nurses, doctors and patients. The system is expected to be fully operational by the second quarter of 2008. About RadarFind Corporation RadarFind Corporation, an information technology company focused on the health care industry, offers a unique, patent-pending Real Time Location System that uses a platform technology for tracking medical equipment and patients. Specifically designed for hospitals, the RadarFind RTLS system seamlessly integrates with existing hospital infrastructure and operations, while functioning independently of a hospital's critical WiFi network. Headquartered in North Carolina, RadarFind develops integrated hardware and custom software solutions for their hospital customers and will be exhibiting during the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) annual conference, February 24 -28 in Orlando, Florida. For more information please call 1-877-RADARFIND (723-2734) or visit www.radarfind.com. About Southeastern Regional Medical Center Southeastern Regional Medical Center is the hub of a comprehensive health care system in southeastern North Carolina. The not-for-profit, fully-accredited medical center offers the Southeastern Heart Center, managed by Duke University Health System, birthing suites and a combination of acute care, intensive care and psychiatric services to over 13,000 inpatients and 75,000 outpatients annually. For more information, please visit www.srmc.org.
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