London (October 17, 2005) - A consortium of industry-leading software and service providers has been selected by BMI Healthcare to provide an enterprise master patient index (EMPI) and outpatient scheduling system to tie back into the existing patient administration system (PAS). BMI Healthcare, a division of General Healthcare Group, is the largest independent acute care hospital network in the U.K.
"The evaluation and selection process was rigorous. We received a large number of very impressive proposals in response to our RFT and we took our time to thoroughly evaluate each," stated Ian Hall, BMI Healthcare's CIO. "The consortium put forward the most comprehensive, flexible and cost-effective solution. We are now working with the consortium on our first installation."
The supplier consortium includes BridgeForward Software, Inc., a leading application integration solutions company in healthcare IT; Initiate Systems, Inc., a market leader in EMPI software; and UltraGenda, nv/sa, the leading European supplier of web-based patient scheduling technology.
The consortium, organized by BridgeForward, competed with 16 other suppliers to provide BMI with a "best of breed" solution that will link BMI Healthcare’s existing PAS to Initiate Systems' EMPI product, Initiate Identity Hub™ software, and UltraGenda's web-based scheduling solution, UltraGenda Pro. In addition to providing the underlying integration layer, BridgeForward's integration product, ClearSpan Server™ will provide connectivity between BMI Healthcare and the NHS.
The consortium partners will work with systems integration vendor, Agilisys, Ltd., and HealthSystems Consultants Limited will continue their relationship with General Healthcare Group by assisting with the implementation of the consortium solution across all of BMI Healthcare's hospitals.
"We are delighted to have been selected by BMI Healthcare," stated John Moriarty, BridgeForward's CEO. "Each of the companies that make up our consortium is a technology leader in its field. Our goal was to give BMI a cost-effective solution that maximized BMI's system flexibility, expanded its reach and capacity and reduced risk."
Bill Conroy, Initiate Systems' president and CEO, stated, "BMI Healthcare is seeking to improve data quality, achieve NHS connectivity, and enhance patient safety. BMI believes Initiate Identity Hub™ software will enable hospitals to find all the information about a patient across its systems and create complete real-time views of the patient for clinical and administrative use. We look forward to working with our consortium partners in delivering this advanced solution to BMI."
Hugo Schellens, UltraGenda's CEO, added, "In devising our state-of-art solution for BMI Healthcare, the consortium will create benefits for many other healthcare organizations – both public and private. We are very happy to have been selected and very excited about the opportunity to work hand-in-glove with our consortium partners to deliver this powerful solution to BMI."
Jon Melling, managing director of the HealthSystems Group, said, "HealthSystems are delighted to be able to provide assistance to BMI healthcare with the implementation of this solution. The consortium is providing state-of-the-art, innovative technology, which provides a flexible platform for future developments."
Charles Mindenhall, Agilisys CEO, adds, "BMI Healthcare has built an enviable and well deserved reputation for providing excellent medical and surgical facilities. This has been achieved in part through investing in advanced technology solutions to support their complex business – we are delighted to be working with GHG and the consortium on this programme."
About BridgeForward Software, Inc.
Founded by the same team that created MicroScript Corporation, BridgeForward brings together the EAI pioneers who developed two of the most popular application integration products in healthcare: MicroScript Server and the award-winning e-Biz2000™. Together these two products became the most installed integration technology in U.S. and U.K. healthcare.
BridgeForward's ClearSpan Server™ integration platform is largely based on e-Biz2000™. BridgeForward reacquired the e-Biz 2000 technology in 2003 and has added significant new features and functionality under the brand name ClearSpan Server™. With more than 1,200 hospital installs of its core technology, BridgeForward Software Inc. is a leading provider of practical, healthcare application integration solutions. ClearSpan Server™ provides a suite of easy-to-use, right-sized and right priced tools for the rapid integration of legacy and Web-based applications as well as data migration. www.bridgeforward.net
Media enquiries for BridgeForward: Gina Stradis, 07767 498518, gina@bridgeforward.net
About Initiate Systems, Inc.
Initiate Systems, www.initiatesystems.com, is the leading provider of application software for companies, organizations and government agencies that want to create the most complete, real-time views of people, households and organizations from data dispersed across multiple application systems and databases. Initiate Identity Hub™ software is more accurate, scalable, rapidly deployed and widely used than any other customer data integration and enterprise master person index solution. Many organizations in the financial services, government, healthcare, hospitality and retail sectors are using Initiate’s software to deliver the right data at the right time to all critical touch points. Initiate's proven experience makes it uniquely qualified to enable strategic initiatives that allow organizations to increase revenue and efficiency and reduce operating costs and risks.
Media enquiries for Initiate Systems: Tony Bowden, +44 7850 905538 (U.K. and EMA), tbowden@initiatesystems.com and Susan Spencer, (310) 543-9121 (U.S.), susan@spencercomm.biz
About UltraGenda nv/sa
UltraGenda develops, implements and markets world-class patient logistics software, designed to support generic planning and management processes related to the patient's stay in hospital. Our comprehensive suite of web-native applications enables hospitals, at last, to align organizational performance with their recognized medical/technical excellence.
With UltraGenda, our customers boost efficiency and service levels. Consequently, they transform their hospitals into the modern, lean and customer-oriented service organizations, which patients are calling for.
Media Enquiries for UltraGenda: Hugo Schellens, +32 326 3030, hugos@ultragenda.com
About HealthSystems Consultants, Ltd
HealthSystems Consultants Limited provides healthcare informatics consultancy and related services to healthcare providers in the U.K. and Continental Europe. We cover the full spectrum of healthcare systems - clinical, financial, HR and management.
Media enquiries for HealthSystems Consultants Ltd.: Lauren O'Mahoney, 01932 352011, lomahoney@healthsysconsult.co.uk
About Agilisys, Ltd.
Agilisys is a leading technology and business process services provider for the U.K. public and private sectors, dedicated to helping clients transform their customer services through innovation, flexibility and partnership. Agilisys designs, builds and operates technology-enabled business solutions and has earned a strong reputation across many sectors, particularly within local government, travel and tourism, and retail financial services. Agilisys has over 1,000 employees in the U.K., Ireland and India. www.agilisys.co.uk
Media enquiries for Agilisys, Ltd. : Christine Grady, 0208-237-6111, christine.grady@agilisys.co.uk
About BMI Healthcare
BMI Healthcare is a group of 49 acute care private patient hospitals around the United Kingdom with over 2,400 beds. Handling over 250,000 inpatient and 750,000 outpatient visits each year, nearly half of the procedures undertaken for patients are of a major or complex nature.
As a matter of policy, BMI Healthcare hospitals undertake all of their work to at least the standards set under relevant regulations and guidelines, which are at least the same standards as those required of the NHS. Each hospital has an experienced doctor on-site 24 hours a day to support patient care and a fully qualified nursing, clinical and support team plus diagnostic and treatment technology relevant to the patient procedures undertaken.
BMI Healthcare hospitals work together with the NHS locally to provide added value patient care in a partnership approach that includes sharing facilities and equipment, undertaking operations under contract and providing ten private hospitals and private wings within the grounds of NHS Trust hospitals. Those services to the NHS use the limited capacity available after meeting the needs of the hospitals' primary audience - private patients and their consultants - up to 10% of patient volume.
A separate division - Amicus Healthcare - has been established to meet the specific needs of public health sector patient contracts and in the future will have its own separate staff teams working in dedicated facilities.
Media enquiries for BMI Healthcare and Amicus Healthcare:
PIELLE Consulting on 020 7323 1587 - Carol Friend (07831 171268 out of hours mobile) or Laura Wilson (07725 552205 out of hours mobile) or email: bmi.healthcare@pielleconsulting.com