FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE      
Contact:  
Margaret Jarvis
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
972-766-7165
or margaret_jarvis@bcbstx.com

Hendrick Health System Achieves 16% Reduction in Healthcare-Associated Infection Rates

Hendrick Completes Technology-Driven Clinical Study, Producing Significant Reduction in the Rate of Healthcare-Associated Infections, Improvement in Patient Care and Cost Reductions.

Nov. 14, 2006, Abilene, Texas - Hendrick Health System announced today the results of a year-long, joint hospital quality study that has achieved a 16 percent overall reduction in healthcare-associated infections (HAIs). As a result of the improved clinical outcomes, Hendrick has realized sizeable financial savings of over $1M.

"Fundamental to achievement of a positive outcome were the effects of changing from targeted manual surveillance to house-wide, electronic surveillance, using the MedMined technology,” says Patti Bull, infection prevention coordinator, Hendrick Health System. “The outstanding clinical and financial results also confirmed our belief that cost savings would be one of the natural outcomes of raising the bar with regard to quality and patient safety."

Hendrick Medical Center acquired the MedMined service through an innovative quality initiative established by Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.  The Texas Healthcare-Associated Infection Prevention Program is an effort to utilize proven technologies to address HAIs, a major complication faced by all hospitals.  The goal is to create a partnership between Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas and hospitals to reduce the occurrence of healthcare-associated infections.

"We are pleased that the phenomenal results of this hospital quality initiative indicate both clinical and financial success,” says Rick Haddock, senior director, HMO Operations and Special Programs, Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas.  “The successful launch and completion of an infection reduction quality program at Hendrick Medical Center has allowed us to accomplish our goals in sponsoring the initiative, including improvement of patient safety and reduction of costs."

Nationwide, nearly six percent of hospital admissions result in an infection, affecting an estimated 2 million patients annually.  In addition to the human costs, Texas hospitals alone spend an additional $1.4 billion dollars annually to treat patients with HAIs.

"Hendrick is committed to focusing on delivery of high quality health services and we look forward to the opportunity to continue using cutting edge technology to improve patient outcomes in the future,” noted Joanne Martucci, vice president, Hendrick Health System.

AboutHendrick Medical Center
Hendrick Medical Center in Abilene, Texas is a 525-bed, not-for-profit tertiary care facility with a regional outreach to twenty-two West Texas counties. Hendrick Medical Center serves a patient population including cardiac, labor and delivery, oncology, orthopedic, and pediatrics as well as medical and surgical patients. Special focus and complexity of Hendrick patients is influenced through an active heart program, the Hendrick Center for Rehabilitation, and trauma services through the Level III designated Trauma Center.

About Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas
Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is the only statewide, non-investor owned health coverage provider in Texas, serving 3.3 million members in all 254 counties.  Blue Cross and Blue Shield of Texas is a division of Health Care Service Corporation, a Mutual Legal Reserve Company, an Independent Licensee of the Blue Cross and Blue Shield Association.

About MedMined
As a wholly owned subsidiary of Cardinal Health, MedMined provides data mining analysis and related technical, clinical, and financial consulting services to the healthcare community.  The company’s innovative Data Mining Surveillance^® technology is the first comprehensive, automated service that allows hospitals to track and reduce the occurrences of infections.  MedMined’s patented infection-tracking technology and proprietary service are being used by more than 200 hospitals in 28 states.  For more information, visit www.medmined.com.