The Center For Community Health Leadership Selects New Haven, Connecticut For $3 Million Grant

Chosen from over 60 communities across America, New Haven wins opportunity to dramatically improve patient care
 
RALEIGH, N.C. – January 16, 2007 – The Center for Community Health Leadership, an initiative sponsored by Misys Healthcare Systems, announced today that it has selected Greater New Haven for a grant of healthcare software valued at $3 million.
 
New Haven, Connecticut will be the first community to receive grants of electronic health record (EHR) software to establish a community-wide network of connected medical organizations. The grants, in the form of EHR software valued at up to $3 million, are available to healthcare professionals in New Haven and surrounding towns interested in participating in the initiative.  The Hospital of Saint Raphael, a large teaching hospital in New Haven, played a major role championing the application process for the grant, and will be an active leader advancing this initiative in the New Haven area.
 
“The goal of this grant program is to provide local healthcare organizations with the resources and expertise they need to make community-wide data sharing a reality,” said Leigh Burchell,  director of the Center for Community Health Leadership. “With this grant, we will provide healthcare professionals in southern Connecticut with education, technology and resources so that they can successfully achieve their goals of enhancing the patient experience, reducing the potential for medical errors and improving business efficiencies.”
 
“The healthcare professionals in our community are very pleased that New Haven has been selected for this large grant from the Center for Community Health Leadership,” said John Drury, M.D., chief medical information officer for the Hospital of Saint Raphael. “Through this grant, New Haven’s physicians and nurses across all healthcare settings will have the latest electronic record technology at their fingertips, helping us deliver the best care possible in the most efficient way to the patients we serve.”
 
The Center for Community Health Leadership selected New Haven as the Center’s first grant recipient because of the area’s reputation for healthcare excellence, the strong commitment to data sharing exhibited by the physicians and nurses in the area, and their interest in electronically connecting all settings of care – hospital, physician offices, homecare agencies and long-term care.  New Haven County is home to more than 800,000 residents.
 
“We’re facing a national healthcare challenge when it comes to the costs of quality medical care and the technology needed to support it,” said David Benfer, president and chief executive officer of the Saint Raphael Healthcare System.  “The Hospital of Saint Raphael worked hard to secure this grant because it will help significantly reduce the costs to our community physicians and their practices.”
  
National healthcare leaders recognize the importance of the Center’s award program. “The deployment of health information technology is absolutely vital to transforming health and healthcare in America,” said Newt Gingrich, former Speaker of the U.S. House of Representatives and founder of the Center for Health Transformation.  “Our goal as a nation should be to have every physician and healthcare provider equipped with the most sophisticated tools available, and that’s why I am so supportive of and excited about what the Center for Community Health Leadership is doing.”
 
The Center for Community Health Leadership was launched June 2006 by Misys Healthcare Systems, to spearhead the widespread adoption of electronic health records on a local community level. The grant program accepted applications through the end of 2006 from interested communities across the country, as well as regional healthcare organizations including hospitals, physician offices and homecare agencies. In addition to pledging a donation of up to $10 million in healthcare IT software to grant recipients, Intel and other partners will further assist grant recipients in the successful installation, training and operation of healthcare technologies.  Additional communities will be named as grant recipients by the Center for Community Health Leadership later in the year.
 
Applying for Grants
Medical organizations in the area will submit their individual application on www.misyscenter.com.  There they will request the specific software their physician practice, homecare agency or hospital is interested in receiving from Misys Healthcare Systems, with implementation at the various organizations and the community connectivity efforts slated to begin in the spring.
 
For additional information on the grant program from the Center for Community Health Leadership, please visit www.misyscenter.com.

About the Center for Community Health Leadership
The Center for Community Health Leadership, launched by Misys Healthcare Systems in June 2006, facilitates the development of health information pathways by building connected, prepared and responsible communities.  These communities will improve healthcare and reduce costs in everyday care delivery, as well as in crisis situations such as epidemics and natural disasters.  The Center will transform the healthcare system one community at a time via grants of Misys software and contributions of hardware and services from industry partners such as Intel.  For more information on the Center for Community Health Leadership, visit www.misyscenter.com.
 
About Misys plc
Misys plc (FTSE: MSY.L), the global software and solutions company, is one of the world's largest and longest-established providers of industry-specific software. Founded in 1979, Misys serves the international banking and healthcare industries, combining technological expertise with in-depth understanding of customers' markets and operational needs. In banking Misys is a market leader with over 1,200 customers, including 49 of the world's top 50 banks. In healthcare Misys is also a market leader, serving more than 110,000 physicians in 18,000 practice locations, 1,200 hospitals and 600 home care providers. Through Sesame, a wholly-owned subsidiary, the company is also a leading provider of support services to financial advisers in the UK. Misys employs around 6,000 people who serve customers in more than 120 countries. For more information, visit www.misys.com.

About the Saint Raphael Healthcare System
The Saint Raphael Healthcare System (SRHS) is an integrated delivery system providing a complete spectrum of care: wellness and health promotion activities, acute care, long-term care and homecare.  Among the System’s entities are the 511-bed Hospital of Saint Raphael; the 125-bed Sister Anne Virginie Grimes Health Center; VNA Services, Inc.; and the Saint Raphael Foundation.  For more information, visit www.srhs.org.