Cerner Launches eHealth Division, IQHealth.

Health/Medical Writers

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BW HealthWire)--June 5, 2000

Cerner Corporation (Nasdaq: CERN), the world's leading clinical information systems company and provider of electronic medical records, today announced the launch of IQHealth(TM), a dedicated eHealth division that provides technology and services to connect healthcare communities and enables them to achieve optimal health outcomes.

"IQHealth delivers tools, content and services to assist innovative provider organizations and communities in the creation of a locally branded Internet health exchange for their communities," said Robert E. Watson, Cerner Vice President and General Manager, eHealth. "IQHealth unites Cerner's eHealth assets and those of its affiliated partners to provide web integration services and eHealth solutions that connect healthcare systems, individual hospitals and physicians with consumers."

IQHealth helps hospitals, integrated delivery networks and other local provider organizations develop long-term eHealth strategies and supports the secure exchange of clinical and health information relevant to consumers and clinicians within a community. IQHealth offers the provider organization its own, branded Web site that serves as a portal for provider information and referral services, personal healthcare data, health references and risk assessment tools. These organizations can derive measurable benefits through IQHealth's person-centric solutions, enabling improved quality of care, patient safety, operational efficiencies and consumer loyalty. "IQHealth provides easy, rapid access to patient information for both onsite and remote clinicians, enhancing decision-making capabilities, decreasing costs and supporting more effective patient communications," said Watson.

The heart of IQHealth is the consumer's interactive personal health record, available online to both the individual and his or her physician(s) through a secure, trusted connection. "The most important effect of the Internet will be to strengthen the consumer's role in relation to healthcare institutions and practitioners, and to create powerful new tools to help people manage their own health risks more effectively," said Jeff S. Goldsmith, Ph.D., renowned healthcare industry expert and member of the Cerner Board of Directors.

"Cerner's goal is `to make healthcare smarter' through powerful software and technology," said Neal L. Patterson, Cerner Chairman and Chief Executive Officer. "The creation of IQHealth is a logical extension for Cerner," he continued. "The Millennium version of our Health Network Architecture(R) is the only large-scale, contemporary, person-centric architecture in the world. Our decision to design and develop HNA Millennium(R) around the `person' enables Cerner technology to connect people, physicians, health systems and communities, which are the essence of the Internet. Healthcare is local. The power of the Internet will significantly improve the way healthcare is delivered at the local level by connecting the home to health providers and information. That is the mission of IQHealth."

"Through the Internet, IQHealth empowers consumers to proactively manage their own health and that of their families," said Watson. IQHealth creates a robust personal health management environment through a trusted, customized connection for individuals and their families to the local health system. With IQHealth, a person's online personal health record is automatically populated through health encounters such as physician visits, laboratory tests and pharmaceutical requests. This data will flow from Cerner clinical systems and interfaces in provider offices, as well as from transactions and services provided by Cerner partners such as CareInsite. Consumers may also track health information, access health news and drug interaction data, complete health assessment surveys, receive follow-up and preventive care information, schedule health appointments and communicate with their physicians online. In addition, IQHealth enables consumers to access their personal health record from anywhere in the world via a secure, Internet connection.

"Unlike current market players, IQHealth provides healthcare communities with high-touch interaction, innovative technology and existing, proven products based upon Cerner's expertise in clinical systems and our investment in HNA Millennium(R), the industry's most comprehensive suite of integrated clinical products," said Watson. "IQHealth makes healthcare smarter through powerful Internet connectivity."

"Cerner will also leverage the rich content, connectivity, transaction and service capabilities of our partner, CareInsite, to connect local health providers, hospitals and consumers to components of CareInsite's broader network," said Watson. "Through Cerner's marketing agreement with CareInSite, Cerner will route all relevant IQHealth transactions through the CareInsite system. For IQHealth clients, including physicians and hospitals, the CareInsite connection will provide access to a broad array of regional and national relationships affiliated with CareInsite. IQHealth clients will also have access to CareInsite's growing content and service offerings."

Another integrated IQHealth offering is the personalized call center service. "Communities and health systems may now proactively address health and compliance issues for specific disease communities by facilitating individual communication and protocol adherence with electronic and personal intervention," said Watson. As an example, IQHealth is currently engaged in connecting both a health system and an Internet disease management company to their consumers via a call center. "IQHealth's call center component expands the reach of these organizations to entire populations, regardless of a person's Internet access."

Cerner is in the process of demonstrating the power of IQHealth's strategy by connecting the consumers and healthcare community within a small, progressive city in the Midwest. "Cerner and IQHealth are thrilled to have recently formed a strategic relationship with an innovative community that truly understands how the power of the Internet can impact the health of a population," said Watson. "We will announce more specific project details of this long-term partnership in the coming weeks."

A seasoned Internet executive with twenty years of healthcare experience, Bob Watson recently joined Cerner as the senior executive responsible for IQHealth. Prior to Cerner, Watson served as Chief Executive Officer of American Medical Pathways. Watson obtained bachelor's degrees in health policy studies and information sciences from Syracuse University and his MBA in hospital administration and finance from the Wharton Business School at the University of Pennsylvania. Learn more about IQHealth at www.IQHEALTH.com.

Cerner Corporation (www.cerner.com) is the leading supplier of clinical and management information and knowledge systems to more than 1,000 healthcare organizations worldwide. Cerner's mission is to connect the appropriate persons, knowledge, and resources at the appropriate time and location to achieve the optimal health outcome. Cerner's vision of proactive healthcare management drives innovation today, while creating a foundation for tomorrow's healthy populations. With HNA Millennium, Cerner has developed a comprehensive suite of solutions that promote personal and community health management by providing the link between individuals and the care process. HNA Millennium applications work on a cohesive platform that is open, intelligent and scalable. This allows for communication, access, and data to be shared throughout the healthcare community. The following are trademarks and/or service marks of Cerner Corporation: Cerner, Cerner's logo, Health Network Architecture, HNA Millennium and IQHealth.

This release may contain forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. It is important to note that the Company's performance financial condition or business could differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. The words "should," "will be," "intended," "continue," "believe," "may," "expect," "hope," "anticipate," "goal," "forecast" and similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statement. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: variations in the Company's quarterly operating results, volatility of the Company's stock price, market risk of investments, changes in the healthcare industry, significant competition, the Company's proprietary technology may be subjected to infringement claims or may be infringed upon, regulation of the Company's software by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration or other government regulation, the possibility of product-related liabilities, possible failures or defects in the performance of the Company's software the possibility that the Company's anti-takeover defenses could delay or prevent an acquisition of the Company, and uncertainties related to the Year 2000. Additional discussion of these and other factors affecting the company's business is contained in the company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes in future operating results, financial condition or business over time.