Sentara Hospital Wins AHA Award For Patient Safety eICU® Solution Instrumental in Achieving Top Honor July 26th, 2004 Baltimore, MD-Sentara Norfolk General Hospital was honored with the American Hospital Association's Quest for Quality Prizesm for their leadership, innovation and commitment to quality, safety and patient care. "eICU® technology has dramatically improved the quality of care for critically ill patients and was a key contributor in attaining this AHA award," states Rod Hochman, M.D., Senior Vice President and Chief Medical Officer for Sentara Healthcare. "Reaction time in the ICU is a fraction of what it was previously resulting in lower mortality rates, better patient outcomes and peace of mind for patient families reassured by the watchful eye of the eICU® staff". Sentara Healthcare was the first in the nation to implement the VISICU, Inc. eICU® solution, an initiative that helped secure this top honor for one of their hospitals. The other finalists include The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, MD, Mary Lanning Memorial Hospital in Hastings, NE and Advocate Health System in Oakbrook, IL. The prize recognizes innovative safety efforts by leading organizations that set a good example for others. Some of the key criteria that set Sentara Norfolk General apart include: . Strong leadership and staff commitment to patient safety . Culture conducive to learning, support and sharing balanced with performance accountability . Best practices adopted from local industries including the Navy, nuclear power and manufacturing . Real time, behavior-based monitoring program - first of its kind implemented in a healthcare environment . Development of patient-centered practices, such as their Patient Advocacy Program The common thread among the 2004 honorees was the culture of safety created using innovative and successful patient safety tactics that permeate their entire system. About VISICU VISICU, Inc., a privately held company founded in 1998 by two intensivist physicians from Johns Hopkins, is headquartered in Baltimore, Maryland. The patent-pending eICU® solution enables hospitals to standardize ICU care across multiple hospitals and leverage scarce intensivist resources. From a centralized eICU® facility, intensivists and nurses monitor and care for ICU patients through a high-fidelity telemedicine network that has been likened to air traffic control. Proprietary software is used to proactively manage patient care and electronically connect the "patient to the doctor", 24 x 7. A study of the eICU® system published in Critical Care Medicine (Crit Care Med 2004; 32:31-38) proved the clinical and financial benefits. The eICU® solution is currently the only technology that enables hospitals to meet the Leapfrog Group's ICU patient care safety standards and is continually recognized for its technology innovations. In 2004, VISICU won the Microsoft Healthcare Award and the American Telemedicine Association Innovations Award, in 2002, the eICU® solution was recognized as one of the Top 100 technical innovations by InfoWorld magazine and in 2001, the company won the Healthcare Informatics and Technology Award. For more information, please visit www.visicu.com. eICU®, eCareManager™ and Smart Alerts are registered trademarks of VISICU, Inc. Quest for Quality Prize is a service mark of the American Hospital Association.