(Moon Twp., PA, April 7, 2009) – Heritage Valley Health System announced today that it has won the prestigious 2009 Microsoft Health Users Group annual MS-HUG Healthcare Innovation Award for Clinical Records - Inpatient. Heritage Valley and their development partner, Healthcare Software Collaborative LLC (a joint venture between Heritage Valley Health System and Excela Health System) were recognized for their mobile clinical access portal (MCAP) and device application collaboration solution (DACS).

MCAP is a handheld electronic health record (EHR) solution that allows physicians and clinicians to view patient health records anywhere there is a wi-fi or broadband connection. DACS allows these handheld devices to be equipped with a radio frequency identification (RFID) tag that gives the physicians and clinicians the ability to move seamlessly from the handheld EHR to any desktop or laptop computer equipped with a RFID reader. When a physician or clinician needs to view a radiology image noted on MCAP, he or she simply touches the RFID reader to the desktop computer and it initiates an automatic log-in. A full screen then opens with an expanded view of the electronic health record inclusive of the radiology image.

Heritage Valley was a finalist for this same award last year. Heritage Valley’s competition this year in the finalist category were Bon Secours St. Mary’s Hospital in Richmond, VA and The Cardiac & Vascular Center, St. Peter's Hospital in Albany, NY.

Dave Carleton, chief information officer of Heritage Valley said, “We are truly honored to be selected as a winner for this global award. This recognition confirms our approach of having physicians drive our solution design and our ability to cost effectively create technology solutions that aid us in achieving national leadership in patient care.”

The MS-HUG Healthcare Innovation Awards showcase how organizations use technology to enhance and transform the quality of patient care, reduce costs, streamline clinical and business processes, drive interoperability, improve productivity and workflow, and enable informed decisions.

The MS-HUG Healthcare Innovation Awards are presented annually to the healthcare organization and technology solutions partner—with which it has collaborated—that best demonstrate industry leadership in using technology to achieve innovation excellence. Finalists are judged primarily on the following three criteria: First, does the innovation represent a breakthrough from the industry’s historical approaches? Second, does the innovation go beyond incremental improvements on technologies that already exist? Third, does the innovation measurably improve significant business and/or clinical processes that positively impact patient care?

Norm Mitry, president & chief executive officer of Heritage Valley added, “Being selected as a winner of this very prestigious award validates our board’s vision and historical commitment to information technology in healthcare. The leadership provided by our physicians and the execution of the strategy by our management team demonstrate Heritage Valley’s ability to support innovative solutions that enhance the quality of patient care being provided by having the right information, in the right place, at the right time.”

About Heritage Valley Health System

Heritage Valley Health System provides comprehensive healthcare for residents of Allegheny, Beaver, Butler and Lawrence counties, in Pennsylvania; eastern Ohio; and the panhandle of West Virginia. In partnership with more than 400 physicians, Heritage Valley offers a broad range of medical, surgical and diagnostic services at its two hospitals, Heritage Valley Beaver and Heritage Valley Sewickley; in physician offices; and community satellite facilities. Additional information about Heritage Valley Health System is available online at www.heritagevalley.org.

Additional Information on the Microsoft HUG 2009 Innovation Awards:

Now in their 12th year of rewarding excellence in healthcare technology, the Microsoft Health Users Group 2009 Innovation Awards showcase organizations that promote breakthroughs by enhancing the quality of patient care, reducing costs, streamlining clinical and business processes, driving interoperability, improving productivity and workflow, and enabling informed decisions. Award contestants are evaluated on how they provide significant business benefits to healthcare organizations and improve patient care.

Recognized as leaders in the healthcare industry by Microsoft and Microsoft HUG, the winners were announced at the Microsoft Booth, No. 1232, on Monday, April 6. In addition, the Independent Software Vendor (ISV) and customer finalists will be highlighted on the Health Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) and Microsoft HUG Web sites.

Categories for the Microsoft HUG 2009 Innovation Awards included:

• Clinical Records – Inpatient
• Clinical Records – Ambulatory
• Health Information Exchange (HIE) and Interoperability
• Microsoft HealthVault Applications