Washington Regional Selects Cerner as Clinical Information Systems Pro

    Business Editors/Health Editors

    KANSAS CITY, Mo. and FAYETTEVILLE, Ark.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Feb. 1, 2005--Washington Regional Medical Center, one of Northwest Arkansas's most innovative healthcare organizations, has partnered with Cerner Corp. (NASDAQ: CERN) to modernize the delivery of care by unifying its clinical, laboratory, pharmacy, radiology and surgery departments through the use of electronic health records that track a person's health history and hospital stay.
    "Partnering with Cerner will enable our outstanding nurses and physicians to provide care in a more robust, dynamic way and will continue to make Washington Regional Medical Center the leading, high-quality clinical care provider in Northwest Arkansas," said William L. Bradley, president and chief executive officer of Washington Regional. "This noteworthy, multi-million-dollar investment is yet another reflection of our distinct commitment to the quality of care we give our valued patients."
    Cerner Millennium(R) solutions will provide more than 1,500 physicians, nurses and clinicians with access to patients' information from any place at any time in order to improve clinical outcomes. By expediting the flow of information and enhancing the communication stream, Cerner Millennium solutions will make the healthcare process safer and more efficient for the 138,000 patients who visit Washington Regional each year.
    "Our clinicians are excited about moving forward with the Cerner clinical information systems suite," said Dr. David Ratcliff, chief of medical affairs. "The clinical automation vision for our organization is to continue to ensure the integrity of information while improving the accessibility to our physicians, nurses and clinicians so that they are equipped to make the best decisions and deliver the highest quality of care."
    When selecting an information technology partner, Washington Regional looked for an organization that could deliver real patient safety, time-saving and cost-reduction benefits. The hospital also required an innovative, proven and unified solution.
    "A multi-disciplinary team of clinicians reviewed supplier options that offered a totally integrated clinical solution," said Becky Magee, chief information officer. "Cerner was by far the leader in all our requirements, including clinical unification, flexibility and affordability. Moving from a paper-based medical record system to an electronic record-keeping technology enhances patient safety and confidentiality, which has always been a primary focus at Washington Regional."
    The hospital's investment in information technology is the most recent in a series of steps Washington Regional has taken to further their commitment to deliver high-quality healthcare to the Northwest Arkansas community. In 2002, Washington Regional opened a new, state-of-the-art facility, which typifies the hospital's vision of healing in a tranquil, aesthetically pleasing environment. It is one of only a handful of health centers in the country designed and built to be a paperless facility.
    "Washington Regional and Cerner have a shared vision of utilizing information technology to bring the highest quality healthcare to the communities we serve," said Jack Newman, executive vice president, Cerner client leadership organization. "We are excited to partner with this innovative healthcare organization as they fulfill their mission to bring together the best people with the most advanced technology and facilities to create a healing environment."
    The strategic agreement between Washington Regional and Cerner was signed in the fourth quarter of 2004. The comprehensive implementation of the electronic medical record will span more than three years with the first phase beginning August 2005 and the project reaching full capability in 2008.

    About Washington Regional Medical Center

    Washington Regional is here for you with a comprehensive healthcare network that includes the only not-for-profit, community-owned and locally governed medical center in Northwest Arkansas. Washington Regional is committed to improving the health of people in communities we serve through compassionate, high quality care, prevention and wellness education.

    About Cerner

    Cerner Corp. is taking the paper chart out of healthcare, eliminating error, variance and waste in the care process. With more than 1,500 clients worldwide, Cerner is the leading supplier of healthcare information technology. The following are trademarks of Cerner: Cerner, Cerner's logo, and Cerner Millennium. NASDAQ: CERN; www.cerner.com.

    This release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. It is important to note that the Company's performance, and actual results, financial condition or business could differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. The words "will" and "expected" or the negative of these words, variations thereof or similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: quarterly operating results may vary, stock price may be volatile, market risk of investments, potential impairment of goodwill, changes in the healthcare industry, significant competition, the Company's proprietary technology may be subjected to infringement claims or may be infringed upon, regulation of the Company's software by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other government regulation, the possibility of product-related liabilities, possible system errors or failures or defects in the performance of the Company's software, risks associated with the Company's global operation and the recruitment and retention of key personnel; and failure of the parties to achieve the intended benefits. Additional discussion of these and other factors affecting the Company's business is contained in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes in future operating results, financial condition or business over time.

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CONTACT: Cerner Corp. Media: Tracy Richardson, 816-201-5042 tracy.richardson@cerner.com or Investors: Allan Kells, 816-201-2445 akells@cerner.com

KEYWORD: ARKANSAS MISSOURI INDUSTRY KEYWORD: HARDWARE SOFTWARE MEDICAL MARKETING AGREEMENTS SOURCE: Cerner Corp.

Copyright Business Wire 2005