MEDITECH Expands its International Presence

In recent years, MEDITECH has found itself expanding its international profile, reaching out to health care organizations across the globe. While MEDITECH is currently the number one health care vendor in the United States (with roughly 25% of the market share) and continues to grow nationally, our presence is also becoming more dominant worldwide, as we are helping more international customers to meet their specific HCIS needs.

"It's exciting, as we enter our 37th year in the business, to still be breaking into new international markets," says MEDITECH President and COO Howard Messing. "We already have the top market share in the United States, and now we're helping health care facilities in all regions of the world to promote the highest standards of quality and patient safety."

The following is a snapshot of the types of international endeavors MEDITECH is now pursuing:

Canada
MEDITECH currently has over 40% of the Canadian market share and is celebrating its third decade of supplying information systems to hospitals across the region. We enjoy our leadership status north of the border, and we are committed to staying at the forefront of Canadian activity by frequently meeting with health care leaders and participating in regional conferences to discuss hot topics in the industry.

For example, at the Canada Health Informatics Association's recent annual e-health conference in Victoria, British Columbia, attendees got a firsthand look at how MEDITECH and its partners are connecting a wide range of capabilities--such as Advanced Clinical Systems, evidence-based medicine, and regional EHRs--into hospital networks. Presenter Anne Baldwin, regional manager of B.C.-based Interior Health Authority, discussed how the MEDITECH system offers improved clinical access to PACS images and reports across the large regional health care environment. Saira Somani-Mendelin, applications analyst for I.S. at The Credit Valley Hospital (Mississauga, Ontario), also spoke on how MEDITECH's solutions are improving overall patient care.

Quality of care and patient safety were also the overriding themes of a one-day conference that MEDITECH hosted in Toronto this past April. The goal for this event was to provide hospital executives with an overview of the tools that would enable them to institute a culture of safety at their organizations. Cathy Turner, B.S.N., M.B.A., R.N.C., director, Nurse Informatics and Implementation for MEDITECH, delivered a presentation on our Advanced Clinical System and the myriad of benefits derived from its enhanced patient safety features.

Tackling the challenges associated with regional health systems, MEDITECH leaders recently met with Bala Kathiresan, regional CIO for LHIN 4, and Lewis Hooper, regional CIO for LHIN 9, as well as some I.T. staff members from those regions to discuss how they can capitalize on their existing information system investments, share resources, and integrate clinical information. MEDITECH now supports literally hundreds of customers, from British Columbia to Newfoundland and Labrador, with integrated clinical systems and shared patient records in regional service models. LHINs are a more recent Ontario-based solution which engage communities to evolve health care by coordinating service delivery, thus relying on existing provider organizations to deliver services to patients.

MEDITECH is very proud of its Canadian customers' accomplishments. Customers recently recognized in the press include The Newfoundland and Labrador Centre for Health Information's going LIVE with Canada’s first provincial health Client Registry, Bloorview Kids Rehab Hospital achieving 100% compliance with its CPOE system, and Alberta’s RSHIP partners (composed of seven regions) embarking on the next phase of their ambitious I.T. program. We congratulate these facilities on their impressive achievements, and we look forward to helping more of our Canadian customers meet their goals!

United Kingdom (U.K.) and Ireland
MEDITECH is in its third decade of supplying health care information systems in the United Kingdom. Some hospitals there have confronted challenges with regards to the government-sponsored Connecting for Health program. But while other vendors continue to stop-and-start that project with various degrees of success, our customers remain among the most integrated and successful. Our list of distinguished U.K. customers includes:

  • Addenbrooke's NHS Trust
  • Burton Hospitals
  • City Hospitals Sunderland
  • Countess of Chester Hospital
  • Liverpool Women's Hospital NHS Trust
  • Royal Liverpool Children's Hospital
  • South Glasgow University Hospitals
  • The London Clinic
  • The New Victoria Hospital
  • Warrington Hospital NHS Trust
  • Yorkhill NHS Trust

    •  

    In the past 18 months, we've also expanded our European presence to include customers in Ireland. Hermitage Clinic (Dublin, Ireland) selected MEDITECH's software due to its rich functionality and solid reputation with hospitals located in the United Kingdom. Hermitage's decision to choose MEDITECH's software was made after an independent audit of the HCIS at the Galway Clinic (Galway, Ireland), the first MEDITECH customer in Ireland. In 2006, Beacon Clinic became MEDITECH's third customer in Ireland. With such a solid European base, we anticipate even more success with these customers in the years ahead.

    MEDITECH South Africa
    MEDITECH has worked with partner MEDITECH South Africa for over 20 years, and we are now striving to further expand this partnership to offer more products and services to the rest of the continent, as well as to Australia and the Middle East. What exactly is MEDITECH South Africa? They are an independent company, responsible for licensing, implementing, and servicing MEDITECH software in Africa and the Middle East, by adapting software developed by MEDITECH to meet local standards. Customers include various laboratories, transfusion services, and gold mines located in South Africa, Namibia, Botswana, Kenya, and Nigeria. In 2005, MEDITECH South Africa Founder and CEO John Tresling established MEDITECH Holdings (Pty.) Ltd., an umbrella organization consisting of MEDITECH South Africa, MEDITECH Australia, and MEDITECH Properties.

    Earlier this year, MEDITECH President and COO Howard Messing spent two weeks visiting Africa and the Middle East, and during this time he met with representatives from Liseko Strategic Investments, a Black-owned health care investment company which recently signed an empowerment deal with MEDITECH South Africa. Messing believes that the new partnership between the two companies will serve to strengthen ties with U.S.-based MEDITECH. "We're delighted that MEDITECH South Africa has entered into a formal agreement with Liseko," said Messing. "Together, we hope the three companies will be successful not just from a business perspective, but also in having a meaningful impact on the delivery of quality health care to that region."

    In collaboration with our partners MEDITECH South Africa and MEDITECH Australia, MEDITECH licensed its first Australian customers in 2005, and the first of these 18 sites went LIVE in 2006. Ramsay Health Care, an organization comprised of 69 health care facilities--including psychiatric, rehabilitation, and acute care hospitals, and over 6,500 inpatient beds--is installing our integrated patient administration system, designed to provide hospital managers and staff with electronic data access throughout the enterprise as well as from remote locations. Mick Campbell, CIO of Ramsay, says that the organization selected MEDITECH on the strength of its patient administration software suite. "In the area of billing especially, it’s essential to have leading-edge software and to be able to perform accurate collections," he says. "In a nutshell, the decision to go with MEDITECH was a strategic one. We feel comfortable chartering our future in partnership with an organization that has such an impressive track record of delivering successful outcomes." The complete rollout to Ramsay’s hospitals began in May and will continue over the next few years.

    Spanish-Speaking Countries
    In 2006, MEDITECH announced a company-wide initiative to begin work on a Spanish version of its HCIS, and we are conducting ongoing discussions with health care facilities in Mexico, Chile, Panama, Costa Rica, Spain, and Honduras to bring this goal to fruition. A team of native Spanish-speakers from various origins has been created, and this group is beginning the process of translating the software as well as researching the medical, financial, and cultural needs of potential customers. MEDITECH is very excited about this initiative, and eager to begin serving the growing needs for an integrated HCIS solution across Latin America and Spain.

    A Bright Future for All
    The goals of providing more efficient, safer, and affordable care do not belong only to U.S. hospitals. Health care organizations across the world are now making I.T. an essential part of their long-term strategic plans to enhance care delivery. With our 37 years of health care information technology experience, we hope to help our international customers confront their unique challenges and move toward a higher quality of care for all patients.

    MEDITECH
    Medical Information Technology, Inc.
    MEDITECH Circle
    Westwood, MA 02090
    781-821-3000
    www.meditech.com