Department of Defense To Measure Military Hospital Performance with MEDSTAT System.

Business Editors & Health/Medical Writers

ANN ARBOR, Mich.--(BW HealthWire)--April 17, 2001

The MEDSTAT Group, a Thomson company (TSE: TOC), was selected by the Department of Defense as part of a winning team with ACS (NYSE: ACS) as prime, to assist military hospitals with their performance measurement and improvement efforts under the military's National Quality Management Program (NQMP).

NQMP is focused on monitoring performance and improving quality of care within the military health system.

Under this multi-million dollar contract, MEDSTAT IMSystem(R) will be used to measure and report military hospitals' performance on the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations' (JCAHO) ORYX(TM) performance measurement initiative. Quarterly ORYX results will be shared with NQMP participants via the Internet. NQMP involves all United States military hospitals and clinics, civilian network facilities, and TRICARE-approved facilities for inpatient and outpatient medical-surgical and mental healthcare around the world.

"We're pleased to be able to support the Department of Defense's health system quality improvement efforts," said David Schutt, M.D., associate medical director at MEDSTAT. "Our combination of clinical expertise and decision support systems experience makes us the preferred vendor for hospitals seeking to incorporate their JCAHO accreditation efforts with their other quality improvement activities."

MEDSTAT IMSystem was audited by JCAHO and, as an accepted performance measurement system for the JCAHO ORYX initiative, is used by several hundred hospitals and health systems around the country for reporting their performance as part of the JCAHO accreditation process. IMSystem is a comparative performance measurement system that measures actual clinical performance compared to peers, and provides users with data for improving performance and demonstrating the quality of patient care, while also meeting JCAHO ORYX requirements. It is part of a family of MEDSTAT products used by hospitals around the country to meet their ORYX reporting requirements. MEDSTAT solutions provide the broadest range of accepted performance measures available in the industry for ORYX reporting by hospitals.

The MEDSTAT Group (www.medstat.com) is a health information company that provides decision support systems, market intelligence, benchmark databases, and research for managing the purchase, administration, and delivery of health services and benefits. It serves more than 1,000 organizations including many of the nation's leading employers, providers, pharmaceutical companies, government organizations, and health plans and insurance companies. Headquartered in Ann Arbor, Mich., MEDSTAT has a 20-year track record of delivering results for customers through innovative products, superior customer service, and outstanding people. MEDSTAT is part of The Thomson Corporation (www.thomson.com), a global e-information and solutions company in the business and professional marketplace with 2000 revenues of approximately US$6.0 billion. The company's common shares are listed on the Toronto and London stock exchanges (TSE: TOC).

ACS is a Fortune 1000 company comprised of nearly 20,000 people in 21 countries providing technology solutions to commercial and government clients worldwide. The company delivers e-solutions, systems integration services, and a complete range of technology outsourcing and business process outsourcing solutions to world-class clients. The company's Class A common stock trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the symbol "ACS". ACS makes technology work for our clients. Visit ACS on the Internet at http://www.acs-inc.com.

The statements in this news release that do not directly relate to historical facts constitute "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995. These statements are subject to numerous risks and uncertainties, many of which are outside the Company's control. As such, no assurance can be given that the actual events and results will not be materially different than the anticipated results described in the forward-looking statements. Factors could cause actual results to differ materially from such forward-looking statements. For a description of these factors, see the Company's prior filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the most recent Form 10-K. ACS disclaims any intention or obligation to revise any forward-looking statements, whether as a result of new information, future event, or otherwise.

ORYX is a trademark of the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations.