King's Daughters to Install 14 Additional Mobile Aspects Computerized Inventory Devices in the Newly Opened Heart and Vascular Center

ASHLAND, Ky.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--June 20, 2006--King's Daughters Medical Center (KDMC) of Ashland, Ky., will install 14 additional computerized inventory devices in its newly opened five-floor, 200,000 square-foot Heart and Vascular Center. There will be 20 devices total, located near the cardiac catheterization laboratories on the second floor of the new facility, as well as within the vascular catheterization laboratories on the ground floor. The devices, called iRISupply(TM), are developed by Mobile Aspects, Inc., of Pittsburgh, Pa., and use a radio frequency identification (RFID) tracking architecture to automatically track medical devices and supplies.

Each device is approximately 7 feet wide by 6 feet tall, with glass doors through which staff can view the items stored inside. In the middle of the device is a touch screen and card reader. KDMC initially installed six iRISupply devices last August and immediately benefited from the innovative technology. King's Daughters is among the first healthcare providers in the nation to leverage RFID technology for inventory management.

“We immediately realized a significant improvement in our ability to manage the storage, utilization and tracking of high cost medical devices such as catheters, stents and pacemakers.”

"iRISupply eliminated the need for most paper-based and barcode-based processes," says David Layne, director of finance for the Heart and Vascular Center. "We immediately realized a significant improvement in our ability to manage the storage, utilization and tracking of high cost medical devices such as catheters, stents and pacemakers." Layne says the system proved so useful that an additional 14 devices were approved for purchase for the new Heart and Vascular Center facility, which opened May 15.

Special RFID tags are affixed to items and scanned into the system. The items are then placed into the iRISupply devices. Access to the devices is limited to specified medical personnel, who swipe their ID badge across a reader to log in. The device recognizes the team member, who then scans a patient chart barcode and accesses the items. When the door closes and locks, the system registers that an item has been removed, and records the date, time, team member, physician and patient the item was used for. All of the devices are networked into one system, so personnel can track inventory levels and supply utilization, as well as expiration dates and product recalls. The system eliminates manual compliance and ensures every used item is billed to the correct patient, and items are automatically reordered when used.

IRISupply is part of the Mobile Aspects One System of CARE(TM) solution. This system uses identification and information technologies to automate processes for clinical resource management by healthcare providers. By automating the storage, tracking, utilization, and billing of clinical resources through RFID, healthcare providers realize enhanced care quality, increased productivity, accurate billing, and significant inventory cost savings.

About King's Daughters Medical Center

King's Daughters Medical Center, a locally controlled, not-for-profit, 385-bed regional referral center located in Ashland, Kentucky, offers comprehensive diagnostic, cardiac, medical, surgical, pediatric, maternity, rehabilitative, psychiatric, cancer, neurological, occupational medicine, pain care, wound care and home care services. King's Daughters serves the eastern Kentucky, southern Ohio and western West Virginia regions, which have a combined population of about 550,000.

King's Daughters Medical Center opened a five-story, 200,000 square-foot Heart and Vascular Center May 15 that includes five cardiac catheterization laboratories, three vascular catheterization laboratories, a 20-bed Chest Pain Unit, a 36-bed preparation and recovery area, noninvasive cardiac testing and a Cardiology Clinic for outpatient monitoring of patients on blood thinners and those with heart failure. Two inpatient cardiac nursing units with a combined 50 beds will open this fall on the third level of the building and the fourth floor consists of shelled space for future expansion.

Established in 1899, KDMC currently ranks as the third largest hospital in the state of Kentucky in terms of admissions, and, with approximately 3,300 team members, is the largest employer west of Charleston, W.Va., and east of Lexington, Ky.

King's Daughters Medical Center can be found on the web at www.kdmc.com.

About Mobile Aspects

Mobile Aspects, Inc. of Pittsburgh, Pa., is a healthcare technology supplier focused on providing an integrated suite of clinical resource management solutions to automate the management of supply, asset, drug and patient tracking through the One System of CARE solution. The cornerstone of these technological capabilities is Intelligent Radio Frequency Inventory System (iRIS(TM)), the industry's leading patent-protected tracking architecture that leverages radio frequency identification (RFID) technology. Through this innovative technology, clinicians and other care providers experience a hands free approach to managing the resources used in the patient care process.

Mobile Aspects can be found on the web at www.mobileaspects.com.