HEALTH

Karmanos Cancer Institute and Rush University Medical Center Deploy Sun Technology for Strategic eHealth Initiatives to Improve Patient Care and Hospital Efficiency: Sun Microsystems today announced that it is showcasing its advanced portfolio of healthcare industry solutions based on the Solaris 10 Operating System (OS) and other Sun server, software and storage technologies at the RSNA 2006 conference in Chicago this week. Sun today also announced new customer deployments at Karmanos Cancer Institute and Rush University Medical Center, demonstrating the range and depth of Sun technology for solving complex healthcare information management and archival challenges. Building on decades of experience working with hospitals, clinics and insurers, Sun is leveraging its leading-edge technologies to create and deploy complete healthcare infrastructure solutions that help organizations to achieve secure health information exchange, cost-efficient data management, regulatory compliance and caregiver mobility. These solutions reduce costs and medical errors while improving efficiency and patient-centric care. Sun solutions featured at RSNA 2006 (McCormick Place, South Building, Hall A, Booth # 5554) include Sun technologies such as StorageTek 5800, SunRay and Sun Secure Global Desktop Software thin-client and mobility technologies, Sun Java technologies including Java Composite Application Platform Suite and Sun Java Identity Management Suite, as well as Sun Systems offerings. Premier Hospitals Sign with Sun Indicative of momentum for Sun solutions in the healthcare industry, the Karmanos Cancer Institute (KCI) in Detroit recently adopted a Sun StorageTek solution for its file-based clinical applications archive, which stores crucial patient data from a variety of hospital departments such as radiology and cardiology. KCI has been recognized as one of the 39 top cancer treatment centers in the United States by the National Cancer Institute. The Institute strives to prevent, detect and eradicate cancer, caring for more than 6000 new patients annually, and conducting more than 400 scientific investigations and clinical trials. The complete Sun archival system, which includes Sun StorageTek SAM-FS data-management software, a midrange SATA disk array and a tape library running on the Solaris OS, helps provide KCI physicians with easy and immediate access to patient records and medical imaging whenever it is needed. "The Sun storage and retrieval system we are deploying at Karmanos is already improving our ability to make timely and accurate care-giving decisions by putting patient information at clinicians' fingertips in seconds," said Richard Doak, IT Technical Architect Manager, Karmanos Cancer Institute. "Beyond the healthcare benefits, the Sun system is cost-effective, dependable and flexible. Its tried and true design has been time-tested for 20 years, and its open architecture easily integrates with best-of-breed software and low-cost hardware, allowing us to expand its use over time throughout KCI." In further evidence of its healthcare market momentum, Sun also announced Chicago-based Rush University Medical Center's deployment of a complete Sun infrastructure for its new Electronic Medical Record (EMR) system. The Sun system, comprised of UltraSPARC-based Sun Fire servers, Sun StorageTek solutions and the Solaris 10 OS, powers mission-critical patient information and financial applications at the renowned teaching hospital, to further improve their efficiency of delivering patient care and streamline operations. "Sun's customer deployments are proof positive that Sun is extending its broad history in the healthcare marketplace and using our technology expertise to transform the healthcare system as a whole. Sun has more than 400 customers and more than 1000 heathcare sites where our solutions are powering the accessibility, liberation and integration of data trapped in disparate health IT systems," said Joerg Schwarz, director of Healthcare & Life Sciences, Sun Microsystems. "When medical information is better managed through its lifecycle, medical errors are reduced, costs associated with business and administration of healthcare services are cut, and processes are streamlined, maximizing the return on investment from IT budgets." Sun Steps up OEM Partnerships Sun is also driving momentum in the healthcare industry through its OEM program for Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) vendors. The program creates opportunities for healthcare informatics organizations to partner with Sun and develop solutions for providers, payers, regional and national healthcare organizations. Sun enables OEM partners to succeed by providing an expanded set of cost-effective, innovative platforms and solutions that support their delivery of high performance, differentiated products to the healthcare community. Sun's dedicated sales, pricing, supply chain and product support throughout the product lifecycle are some of the specialized OEM offerings for PACS vendors. "Leading healthcare informatics vendors choose to team with Sun because we understand that a trusted OEM relationship involves more than just great technology," said Peter Ewens, vice president, OEM Group, Sun Microsystems. "Sun's standing in the healthcare industry and our shared dedication to the cause of improving healthcare has been integral in growing our OEM healthcare partner relationships. For more information on Sun's healthcare solutions and OEM partner program, please visit: its Web site.