San Joaquin Community Hospital Selects Skytron, Powered by Awarepoint, for Their RTLS Enterprise-Wide Asset Tracking Solution

SAN DIEGO, CA--(Marketwire - August 10, 2009) - Skytron (www.skytron.us) and Awarepoint (www.awarepoint.com) today announced deployment of their Real-time Location System (RTLS) (www.awarepoint.com/solutions.html) at San Joaquin Community Hospital, the premier provider of healthcare services in Bakersfield and the surrounding cities of Kern County, California. This deployment adds the Adventist Health System to the Skytron Asset Manager, powered by Awarepoint, hospital client base. The San Joaquin Community Hospital enterprise-wide deployment covers nearly 350,000 square feet and more than 1,300 assets, and includes both standard asset tags and temperature monitoring tags.

San Joaquin Community Hospital is initially tracking its high value mobile assets including wheeled beds, gurneys, computers on wheels, IV and PCA pumps, telemetry and vital signs monitors. In addition to ease of locating assets, the RTLS solution provides staff with proactive insight into the movement and status of equipment assets. For example, date-driven reporting streamlines the task of tracking and recording equipment nearing scheduled maintenance requirements; stationary asset alerts notify staff of equipment that is not in use, decreasing costly idle assets and reducing equipment rentals required. San Joaquin Community Hospital is also using temperature monitoring tags (www.awarepoint.com/Tags.html) to oversee pharmacy refrigerator temperatures, and alert if temperatures are out of range.

"We are always looking for innovative tools to support patient care initiatives and particularly in these economic times, must be very strategic in our purchase decisions. With Skytron Asset Manager, we are able to improve patient care; while at the same time have a positive impact on staff efficiency with proactive tools to reduce our equipment costs. We looked at this as a true win-win-win situation for our patients, our staff and our bottom line," said Sam Itani, San Joaquin Community Hospital's Vice President.

"Skytron Asset Manager, powered by Awarepoint, delivers a well-planned and coordinated RTLS solution that puts cost saving, tracking flexibility and location awareness at the fingertips of a healthcare provider. Gained efficiencies improve performance at every level instantly boosting real-time productivity, lowering equipment costs, maximizing visibility and improving workflows," said Skytron President & CEO David M. Mehney.

With Skytron, powered by Awarepoint, ZigBee sensors are deployed in standard electrical outlets creating a wireless mesh network to cover the entire enterprise. Active RFID tags broadcast low-power radio messages which allow users to quickly locate specific equipment or people and provide information about their movement and status.

"The speed and ease of a complete and reliable installation are important. However, the even larger benefits of RLTS enterprise-wide success continue long afterwards, with ongoing account management support to assure it," said Awarepoint CEO Jason Howe. "Our Client Services Team works with each customer to drive meaningful usage, support successful integrations, measure outcomes and reinforce long-term relationships. The goal is to maximize the RTLS immediate return-on-investment drivers, and create multiple new opportunities that enhance both clinical and financial outcomes in the future."

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 surgical lighting, tables, booms, integration, stainless steel, RTLS-RFID technology, and more. 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. Skytron has partnered with Awarepoint as the exclusive sales, distribution and support partner for RFID RTLS in the U.S. Hospital market.

About Awarepoint

Awarepoint's real-time location system (RTLS) includes its real-time awareness platform, firmware, active RFID tags, sensors, and bridges. Awarepoint's technologies collect raw sensor data and transform that data into high-value positioning information that can be used to add location awareness to a variety of healthcare, manufacturing, security and other applications. Requiring no hard wiring, Awarepoint's "plug and track" ZigBee-based wireless sensor network is a fully managed service, including hardware, software, remote monitoring and maintenance. The company is headquartered in San Diego, California and serves hospital customers across the United States through an exclusive distribution partnership with Skytron. Track us down at www.awarepoint.com.

About ZigBee: Control your world

ZigBee is the global wireless language connecting dramatically different devices to work together and enhance everyday life. The ZigBee Alliance is a non-profit association of more than 300 member companies driving development of ZigBee wireless technology. The Alliance promotes world-wide adoption of ZigBee as the leading wirelessly networked, sensing and control standard for use in consumer electronics, energy, health care, home, commercial and industrial areas. For more information, visit: www.zigbee.org.