VOCERA COMMUNICATIONS, INC. SAN JOSE, Calif., Feb. 25, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Vocera Communications, Inc. (NYSE:VCRA), the leading provider of intelligent, real-time communication solutions for mission-critical mobile environments, today announced that Emerus has implemented the Vocera Communication System to improve care team communication and operational efficiencies.
Emerus – founded by six emergency physicians and based in The Woodlands, Texas – has pioneered a new model of care with acute micro hospitals specializing in patient-centric emergency services, and operates a pair of Emerus-branded hospitals in Houston (Tomball & Sugar Land). Operating as joint ventures with hospital partners in San Antonio (Baptist Health Care System), Dallas (Baylor Emergency Medical Centers), and Austin (Baylor Scott & White), Emerus provides fast, high-quality and cost-effective care enterprise-wide. Because communication is essential to operational success, Emerus turned to Vocera to enhance connectivity between staff members across facilities and integrate hands-free, wearable devices with the hospitals' telemetry system.
"Vocera technology is being used daily to directly improve patient care and allow everyone to be more efficient," said Trang Dawson, chief information officer of Emerus.
The Vocera Communication System effectively replaced the overhead paging system, reducing background noise and creating a more healing environment for patients. Vocera also enabled Emerus to implement a new telemetry method that is better aligned with the hospital's mission to deliver fast, patient-centered care. Instead of staffing a telemetry nurse who is tethered to a workstation, Emerus uses Vocera to decentralize the communication process and allow telemetry alerts to reach mobile nurses while they conduct day-to-day patient care activities.
"Vocera cuts out the middleman in the telemetry alert process. Now when there's a critical heart rhythm detected in a patient, Vocera transmits an alert directly to the nurse who is taking care of that patient, and if needed escalates to the right person. The immediate response enabled by Vocera is a clinical game changer," said Dawson. "The solution might shave three to five minutes off an incident, which is a big deal when every second counts."
Wait times in Emerus-affiliated emergency rooms are also shorter. Emerus patients are usually seen within 15 minutes, compared to the typical four-hour wait in traditional emergency rooms, according to Dawson. The Vocera wearable badge and integrated telemetry system enables efficient operations and patient flow via instant communication, hands-free care coordination, and an escalation workflow.
"We are proud to partner with patient-centered organizations like Emerus and empower their care teams to reach the right person, at the right time, with the right information, on the right device, anywhere," said Brent Lang, president and CEO of Vocera. "The ability to instantly connect to a person or group via voice or intuitive alerts saves valuable steps and time, and can potentially save lives."
About Emerus
Emerus is a nationally recognized, innovative leader in the delivery of emergent, inpatient, surgical, and diagnostic care. Specializing in the identification, development and management of improved-access medical facilities, Emerus provides cost effective, scalable growth opportunities to large-scale, national health care systems throughout the United States. By providing operationally efficient facilities and focused alignment with current health care trends, Emerus' community-based approach prioritizes limited inpatient stays, efficient emergency rooms and cost effective pricing in a smaller campus setting. Based in The Woodlands, Texas, Emerus has more than 1,000 employees, with expert concentrations throughout the medical industry. More information is available at www.emerus.com.
About Vocera
Vocera Communications, Inc. (NYSE:VCRA) empowers teams through intelligent, real-time communication and collaboration in healthcare, hospitality, energy, and other mission-critical mobile environments. Widely recognized for developing smarter ways to communicate and collaborate, Vocera offers enterprise-class technologies that enable collaboration for mobile teams on their device of choice. Vocera solutions are installed in more than 1,200 organizations worldwide, improving efficiency, quality, safety and outcomes while creating optimal working and healing environments. Via the company's research collaborative, the Experience Innovation Network, Vocera also drives thought leadership for the healthcare industry and new standards in care delivery to elevate patient, family, nurse and physician experiences. Vocera is headquartered in San Jose, California, with offices in San Francisco, Tennessee, Canada, India, United Arab Emirates, and the United Kingdom. For more information, visit www.vocera.com and @VoceraComm on Twitter.
The Vocera logo is a trademark of Vocera Communications, Inc. Vocera® is a trademark of Vocera Communications, Inc. registered in the United States and other jurisdictions. All other trademarks appearing in this release are the property of their respective owners.
CONTACT: Amanda Breeding
Edelman
415.229.7649
VoceraTeam@edelman.com
Gus Forward
Emerus
713.637.1135
Gus.forward@emerus.com
