RFID Healthcare: Awarepoint And Skytron Announce Partnership To Improve Hospital Asset Management

Awarepoint Corporation and Skytron recently announced Skytron Asset Manager, the healthcare industry's only integrated active RFID asset management and information resource solution to improve hospital patient care, enhance staff productivity and better manage equipment capital and rental expense.

While standard real-time location services (RTLS) provide location tracking and reporting of mobile assets via a web based search application, Skytron Asset Manager adds another critical dimension to information on-demand incorporating operators' instructions, maintenance manuals and parts catalogs into the asset tracking RFID platform.

"Not only does the system provide real-time location information of mobile assets, it further integrates the myriad operators' instructions for all types of healthcare equipment. Skytron Asset Manager creates a wireless hospital asset management solution which can consolidate medical equipment information and location needs for both mobile and fixed assets," said Randy Tomaszewski, Skytron's vice president of marketing.

The Skytron Asset Manager solution further integrates with Skytron's SkyVision operating room video and data system to provide total equipment information at the point of care. With it, users can track the location and status of equipment and people, plus have operation, maintenance and technical manuals at their immediate fingertips, without leaving the operating room.

"In addition to tracking the location of mobile equipment needed for a particular procedure, the integration with SkyVision enables users to further review key information such as lighthead positioning, surgical table specifications or light fixture rotation capabilities - on screen within the OR through the SkyVision interface," said Bryant Broder, Skytron's senior product manager.

"This real-time, point of care information can reduce time searching for equipment, impact infection rates by reducing the number of times personnel must exit and reenter occupied OR's and ultimately increase OR utilization through on-time starts and faster turnover," Broder continued.

Under the new partnership, Skytron's extensive North American network of independent distributors will sell, install and support the patented active RFID- RTLS technology, powered by Awarepoint's exclusive ZigBee sensor network.

"After reviewing dozens of asset-tracking solutions, we selected Awarepoint's ZigBee sensor network technology for our asset tracking and management solution," said Dave Mehney, President and CEO of Skytron. "Unlike other RFID solutions we analyzed, Awarepoint's patented technology provides the industry's only truly wireless solution, allowing our hospital clients to be up and running in days, not weeks or months." Sensors simply plug into electrical outlets to form the Awarenet™ mesh network. Once the sensors are plugged in, the mesh network forms automatically to track small battery powered tags that are attached to equipment or people. Users track location and detailed product information from any accessible hospital-based computer.

"Awarepoint is extraordinarily proud to partner with Skytron. During our due diligence, we were immediately impressed with Skytron's rich history of client satisfaction and long-term client relationships," said Jason Howe, CEO of Awarepoint. "With Skytron Asset Manager's enhanced product information capabilities and SkyVision point of care integration, this partnership offers the most complete, cost effective and scalable asset tracking and management solution in the industry today."

Real-time location solutions (RTLS) have surfaced as an important strategic capability for hospitals. Patient safety concerns, positive clinical outcomes, efficient medical equipment utilization and effective use of limited staff resources demand a process by which equipment can be found when needed – either for immediate patient care, routine maintenance, or as a result of a product recall. Further, the hundreds of medical devices in daily use require thousands of pages of support documentation. Immediate staff access to up-to-the-minute operators' manuals at the point of care can be vital to both patient care and staff efficiency, which affect the hospital's bottom line

About Awarepoint Corporation
The Awarepoint Real-time Awareness Solution delivers healthcare providers reliable location, status and movement information to remotely monitor equipment and people. Using minimal hardware and no hard wiring, Awarepoint offers a completely non-disruptive, rapid impact implementation - even in occupied patient rooms. This award-winning solution enables hospitals to map resources, monitor activity and measure performance to more effectively improve business processes that impact patient care and operational efficiencies. Awarepoint is provided as a fully managed service, including 24/7/365 remote system monitoring and full maintenance of hardware and software, requiring no hospital IT resources. The company is headquartered in San Diego, California and serves hospitals across the United States through a national sales and operations workforce. Track us down at www.awarepoint.com

About Skytron
Skytron provides innovative and efficient medical equipment solutions for a variety of healthcare settings and hospital departments, and is recognized across North America for the highest quality products, extensive product menu and exceptional customer service. Skytron products include: general purpose and specialty surgical tables; imaging tables; full line surgical table accessories; surgical lighting, SkyVision O.R. video & data integration; emergency, procedure and exam lighting; birthing room, cath lab & ICU lighting; camera systems; space management and detachable equipment carrier skybooms; smoke evacuation systems; stainless steel storage cabinets; O.R. nurse documentation centers; warming cabinets; scrub sinks; washer-disinfectors, technology management programs, Surgery Center design, equip and build services and the Skytron Asset Manager RFID-RTLS total asset management solution. Since 1972, Skytron has remained true to their commitment of "customer service first, everything else will follow." For more information on Skytron's quality products, visit www.skytron.us.

About ZigBee: Wireless Control That Simply Works
The ZigBee Alliance is an association of companies working together to enable reliable, cost effective, low-power, wirelessly networked, monitoring and control products based on an open global standard. The ZigBee Alliance membership comprises technology providers and original equipment manufacturers worldwide. Membership is open to all. Additional information can be found at www.zigbee.org.

SOURCE: Awarepoint Corporation and Skytron