Handhelds Give Physicians Real-time Access to Critical Patient Information, Further Improving Patient Care and Service

Technology that physicians need to access critical patient data -- when and where they need it -- is what gives Indiana-based St. Mary's Health System its business edge. Extending the reach of its physicians, St. Mary's recently purchased 130 Palm Tungsten C handhelds, Palm, Inc. today announced. St. Mary's plans to expand that number to more than 200 handhelds by August of this year.

The Tungsten C handheld and MercuryMD's MData Enterprise System -- a mobile patient data system -- provide fast access to patient information, such as lab results, medications, vital signs, EKG reports, and other critical data elements. By accessing real-time patient information at the point of care, rather than manually searching for paper-based charts or records, physicians not only save valuable time, but also improve the quality of care.

"We selected the Tungsten C handheld after looking at solutions from Dell and HP. We found that Palm, combined with MercuryMD, truly provides the most reliable platform," said Dennis DeMasie, chief information officer of St. Mary's. "Our physicians need a handheld device that maps closely to our hospital's mission, which includes giving patients the most comprehensive care possible. Fast access to up-to-date records raises the quality of care while saving physicians time."

In addition to the Tungsten C handheld's speed, 64MB of memory, ultrasharp display and built-in keyboard, integrated 802.11b (also known as Wi-Fi) also was a fundamental feature of the solution. St. Mary's has plans to take advantage of the Tungsten C handheld's wireless capabilities. Currently, syncing stations are located throughout the hospital, but once the organization's wireless initiative is rolled out, physicians will be able to sync their handhelds and access network data from any location within the hospital's Wi-Fi network -- further expanding their flexibility and mobility.

"Palm continues to address the needs of the healthcare industry by focusing on easy-to-use, high-quality mobile devices and solutions," said Michael Buhr, senior director of business and enterprise marketing for Palm Solutions Group. "With our solution partners, we provide tools for physicians, nurses and administrators that enable them to deliver the best possible patient care at the point of the care."

In addition to MData, physicians at St. Mary's also use software from Micromedics and ePocrates, which also will run on the Tungsten C handheld.

The Tungsten C Handheld - An Ultrapowerful Tool for Healthcare Professionals

Available since May, the Tungsten C handheld is a sleek silver device weighing 5.82 oz. (6.3 oz. with stylus). Palm's latest handheld, the Tungsten C handheld introduced several innovations in design and technology that address what mobile healthcare professionals want most in a handheld while still fitting comfortably in a lab coat pocket. Most notable among these innovations: the Tungsten C handheld is Palm's first handheld to ship with integrated 802.11b for wireless network connectivity.

Running on Palm OS 5.2.1, the Tungsten C handheld's high-speed networking capabilities are powered by a 400MHz ARM processor, the fastest handheld processor available today. With 64MB of memory, this handheld also provides the most memory available for any Palm OS based device, representing a technology breakthrough by Palm Solutions Group.

Handheld users now can run more applications and store more data than ever before on a Palm Powered(TM) device. An internal rechargeable 1500mAh battery provides a full workday of consistent Wi-Fi connectivity, or five days of normal handheld use. And, with its easy-to-read, crisp color screen -- Palm's sharpest high-resolution color screen to date -- Palm Tungsten C handhelds make data and images sharper than ever.

About St. Mary's Health System

St. Mary's is a values-based, 500 bed acute care facility providing inpatient and outpatient care in general medical, cardiac, surgical, diagnostic, rehabilitation, senior services, inpatient mental health, oncology, and emergency services, in addition to our separate yet attached hospital for women and children. Partnering with a medical staff of more than 650 physicians, St. Mary's mission is to serve all persons, with special attention to those who are poor and vulnerable. St. Mary's is a member of Ascension Health, the nation's largest Catholic-sponsored, not-for-profit health system.