Vocera Press Releases

Rauland-Borg and Vocera Communications Improve Patient Care at St. Agnes HealthCare with Wireless, Voice Communication

Skokie, IL (July 15, 2004) – Rauland-Borg, the leader in nurse call communications, and Vocera Communications, a wireless voice communications leader, announced the integration of Vocera’s voice-activated communications badge and Rauland-Borg’s Responder® IV nurse call system. Unveiled at St. Agnes HealthCare, a leading healthcare facility dedicated to advanced health care technology in Baltimore, MD, the hands-free Vocera badge offers caregivers instant communication with patients and staff when integrated with any new or existing Responder IV nurse call system.

Since it’s debut at St. Agnes HealthCare in July 2003, the Vocera Communications System has provided small, wearable badges for St. Agnes nurses that are voice-controlled with naturally spoken commands broadcast over the hospital’s wireless local area network (WLAN). Now that Vocera is integrated with the Responder IV nurse call system, the calls of St. Agnes patients are routed directly to the appropriate caregiver’s badge, allowing instant communication between patient and caregiver. Patients’ needs are addressed more quickly, improving patient response times and patient satisfaction.

Providing the “gateway” for the Vocera/Responder integration is Emergin, the leading provider of messaging and notification software. Using Emergin’s Notification System allows for instant, wireless messaging and event notification from the Responder IV nurse call system to the Vocera Communications Badge.

When the Vocera/Responder integration was completed at St. Agnes, positive feedback from staff was instantaneous. Kathi Diver, Nurse Manager Six North, a medical/surgical teaching unit, commented, “The staff loves it. They enjoy having direct contact with patients while saving time and steps.”

Direct communication and time savings are not the only reasons St. Agnes chose the Vocera/Responder integration. Kathi Diver explained, “The staff are able to wear the light-weight badge while they work, allowing for hands-free communication without having to dial or remember extension numbers.”

Streamlining communications systems is a growing trend in the healthcare industry. Rauland-Borg recognized this trend and designed the Responder IV nurse call system for interoperability with other communications systems.

Larry Ball, Marketing Manager for Rauland-Borg, commented on the integration, saying, “Responder’s flexible integration capabilities allowed St. Agnes to choose the wireless communications platform that best met their needs. The improved communications between patient and caregiver will benefit the entire hospital community.”

Vocera has also recognized the healthcare industry’s need for interoperability. “Vocera is committed to supporting the needs of our healthcare customers through integration with industry leading vendors such as Rauland-Borg,” said Julie Shimer, CEO of Vocera Communications. “Our platform is server based which allows us the flexibility to integrate through Emergin to the Responder IV nurse call system.”

About Rauland-Borg Corporation
For over 70 years, Rauland-Borg has been an industry leader in the design and manufacture of communications and life-safety equipment for institutional environments. Rauland’s Responder® combines traditional nurse call with the latest technology and management tools. Responder systems offer fast and flexible solutions for staff-to-staff and staff-to-patient communication, resulting in increased productivity and quality of patient care. For more information please visit www.rauland.com.

About Vocera Communications
Vocera Communications has created a wireless communications system to enhance customer service productivity and teamwork throughout organizations by enabling instant voice communication among mobile workers. The company, headquartered in Cupertino, Calif., was founded in March 2000. For more information, please contact the company at (408) 882-5100 or visit the Web site at www.vocera.com.

About Emergin, Inc.
Emergin is a leading provider of messaging and notification for healthcare enterprises. Emergin designs, develops and markets packaged solutions to help organizations alert employees of alarms and events in real-time, resulting in increased productivity, cost savings and operational efficiencies. For more information, please visit www.emergin.com.

About St. Agnes HealthCare
St. Agnes HealthCare is a 299-bed, full-service community teaching hospital located in Southwest Baltimore with residency programs in a number of medical/surgical specialties. Key services at St. Agnes HealthCare include: The St. Agnes Cancer Center, The Chest Pain Emergency Center, Cardiovascular Services, Women's Health Services, The Joint Connection, The Center for Minimally Invasive Surgery and Telemedicine and the St. Agnes Emergency Department, which includes Pediatric, Adult and Urgent Care Emergency Centers. St. Agnes is a member of Ascension Health, the largest non-profit healthcare organization in the nation. Ascension Health is dedicated to reaching new heights in health care and service to communities, as well as serving as a model for faith-based health care throughout the world.

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CONTACT INFORMATION

Victoria Holl
Vocera Communications
1-408-882-5656
vholl@vocera.com

Larry Ball
Rauland-Borg Corporation
1-847-679-0900 ext. 217
larry.ball@rauland.com

Kathy McCall
Emergin, Inc.
1-561-8863113
kathy.mccall@emergin.com

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