Patients and physicians to benefit from intelligent visualization, content management and workflow improvements across clinical imaging service lines

BIRMINGHAM, AL - (January 20, 2004) - Emageon, a leading provider of intelligent visual medical systems, has announced an agreement with Lourdes Hospital in Binghamton, NY to manage medical image visualization and workflow integration throughout its organization.  The new system supports medical image sources from across the enterprise and will integrate with other applications to improve access to information, process efficiency and patient care outcomes.  This evolution of systems and integration creates an Intelligent Visual Medical Record (IVMR) for all physicians and medical professionals.  The IVMR provides multi-specialty images, related information and advanced visualization toolsets, which are dynamically selected through a single user interface.

"Lourdes Hospital has been evaluating the acquisition of PACS for a few years," said John O'Neil, Lourdes' CEO.  "This represents one the largest investments that we were going to make as an organization and we were seeking a 'partner' as much as a technology.  After a thorough review of Emageon, we found that they go far beyond traditional installation and training proposed by most companies.  They are focused on utilizing the technology to create a more efficient system for our patients and professionals alike."  Lourdes Radiologist Lawrence Cadkin, M.D. said, "The implementation of Emageon's solution will allow us to deliver patient information more efficiently to physicians anywhere and anytime throughout the patient care episode.  Our physicians will have access to state-of-the-art tools in clinical imaging and workflow representing the latest developments in technology available in their office, the hospital or at home."  Brian Wetzel, the Administrative Director of Diagnostic Imaging at Lourdes added, "Emageon's Intelligent Visual Medical System means that we can provide care that leaves no one behind and health care that works."

"We are very pleased to have been selected by Lourdes Hospital for the deployment of our new Intelligent Visual Medical System(tm) - a suite of advanced visualization, content management and workflow integration tools," said Milton Silva-Craig, Emageon's Chief Operating Officer.  "We will work together in a close partnership to collaborate on ways to enhance healthcare within the Binghamton community.  This technology enhances many aspects of care delivery.  Emageon offers structured processes to bring it all together, creating cohesive and efficient workflow for patients, physicians and healthcare professionals."

About Lourdes

Lourdes is a 267-bed, not-for-profit health care system sponsored by the Daughters of Charity of St. Vincent de Paul and is a member of Ascension Health.  More than 1,600 healthcare professionals work diligently to fulfill the goals of its ministry, earning the highest employee satisfaction survey rating within Ascension Health.  In addition, Lourdes was named a 2003 Consumer Choice Award winner by the National Research Corporation.  Areas of specialty include Regional Cancer Center, women's and children's services, Orthopedics and Rehabilitation, Cardiac Rehabilitation, the Center for Diabetes Education, Ambulatory Surgery, Home Health and Hospice.  For more information, please go to www.lourdes.com.

Ascension Health is the nation's largest Catholic health ministry with 85,000 employees and a network of 54 acute care hospitals and 289 healthcare facilities, providing acute, long-term, community health, psychiatric, rehabilitation and residential care, sponsored by four provinces of the Daughters of Charity and the Sisters of St. Joseph of Nazareth.

About Emageon

Infrastructure leader Emageon and visualization technology leader UltraVisual Medical Systems recently merged, leading to the creation of the Intelligent Visual Medical System(tm), a suite of products and services that allows physicians and healthcare professionals to manage, distribute and visualize multi-specialty medical content across the enterprise using advanced visualization tools and specialized workflow through a dynamic user interface.  Delivered through Emageon's technology platform, integrated delivery networks, hospitals and imaging facilities are able to deploy a functionally rich, standards-based technology, which can manage multi-specialty content across the enterprise while lowering total cost of ownership.  In addition, Emageon's customer success management services ensure rapid implementation and enterprise adoption.  This combination of software and services speeds treatment, enhances patient care, improves productivity and reduces costs

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