LAKE FOREST, Ill., March 9, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- [ Hospira ] (NYSE: [ HSP ]), the world's leading provider of injectable drugs and infusion technologies, today announced that [ CHRISTUS Health ], one of the country's 10 largest Catholic healthcare systems, has selected Hospira's [ TheraDoc™ clinical surveillance system ] to support its patient safety and infection prevention efforts across 23 hospitals in Arkansas, Louisiana and Texas.

CHRISTUS hospitals will use the [ Clinical Intelligence™ Platform ] -- which is the engine that powers the TheraDoc system -- to collect relevant patient data from multiple hospital information sources including laboratory, pharmacy, radiology and surgery, helping clinicians identify changes in patients' conditions and alerting them to potential problems that need to be addressed. The [ Infection Control Assistant™ ] module will provide automated surveillance and tracking of healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) -- a critical healthcare issue that impacts more than 1.7 million patients -- an estimated 60 percent of which are caused by a drug-resistant bacteria, in the United States each year.(1,2) The TheraDoc system also will be used to facilitate mandatory reporting requirements such as HAI reporting, as well as a range of other patient safety and quality improvement activities.

According to Brandee Lujan, R.N., infection preventionist at CHRISTUS Health and member of the surveillance software review committee, the TheraDoc system was selected after a rigorous, year-long evaluation process that included several potential vendors. Lujan said CHRISTUS Health needed a solution that could assist in more quickly capturing patient safety trends and allow clinicians to proactively respond in order to support its "culture of safety" -- a philosophy aimed at taking the already high-quality care provided by CHRISTUS Health to even higher levels. A further challenge was identifying a system that could support and improve coordination between hospital departments such as infection prevention and pharmacy, as well as a large number of different facilities across many regions.

"We were most impressed with the TheraDoc team -- when we asked questions, their responses made it clear that they were proactive and planned ahead," Lujan said. "They have worked closely with the [ National Healthcare Safety Network ] (NHSN) and other agencies to understand what's coming down the road. When we asked how they were going to address future challenges, their answers were solid, and we could tell that they understood our needs and were capable of meeting them -- now and into the future. This proactive approach is exactly what we need in a clinical information technology partner."

France Pitera, vice president, Clinical Information Technology, Hospira, said the adoption of TheraDoc technology by CHRISTUS Health reflects the critical need for a comprehensive clinical surveillance platform that can help address the fragmentation of medical information in hospitals and the explosion of information fueled by electronic medical record systems.

"Collecting more patient data is only part of the equation," Pitera said. "Intelligent clinical surveillance systems must transform that information into pertinent, organized clinical knowledge, and deliver it to the right clinicians at the right time. This enables clinicians to take action to improve patient safety and reduce the added costs of treating HAIs and other preventable injuries. We are impressed with CHRISTUS Health's culture of safety and honored to partner with the organization to further its patient safety and quality initiatives."

In addition to adopting the Clinical Intelligence Platform and Infection Control Assistant, CHRISTUS Health will evaluate TheraDoc system Pharmacy Solutions tools ([ ADE Assistant™, ] Antibiotic Assistant™ and [ Anticoagulation Assistant™ ]), which are designed to help clinicians optimize drug therapy and avoid preventable medication errors, as well as help increase the efficiency of pharmacists. The Pharmacy Solutions tools will be piloted in several hospitals in the CHRISTUS Spohn Health system in Texas.

About the TheraDoc Clinical Surveillance System
The TheraDoc clinical surveillance system is actively used in almost 400 U.S. hospitals, making critical patient information and medical knowledge readily available to help clinicians intervene quickly, prescribe appropriately, and improve the quality of patient care, as well as facilitate reporting of HAIs via the NHSN. The Clinical Intelligence Platform is the engine that powers several knowledge modules, including the Infection Control Assistant, Antibiotic Assistant, ADE Assistant, [ Clinical Alerts Assistant™ ] and Anticoagulation Assistant. For more information, visit [ www.theradoc.com ] or call (801) 415-4400.

About Hospira
Hospira, Inc., is the world's leading provider of injectable drugs and infusion technologies. Through its broad, integrated portfolio, Hospira is uniquely positioned to Advance Wellness™ by improving patient and caregiver safety while reducing healthcare costs. The company is headquartered in Lake Forest, Ill., and has approximately 15,000 employees. Learn more at [ www.hospira.com ].

(1)Klevens R, Edwards J, Richards C, et al. Estimating health care-associated infections and deaths in U.S. hospitals, 2002. Public Health Reports. 2007;122:160–166.

(2)World Health Organization. Medicines are losing their effectiveness, 1999, Available from: [ http://www.who.int/infectious-disease-report/pages/ch12text.htm ]l, Accessed March 6, 2012.

SOURCE Hospira, Inc.

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-- During National Patient Safety Week, multi-hospital system reinforces commitment to high-quality patient care by ensuring that relevant patient data are available enterprise wide --