Forrest General, Holland Community and William Beaumont Hospitals Purchase Per-Se Technologies' Java-Based Order Entry to Accelerate Computerized Physician Order Entry.

Business Editors

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Dec. 18, 2001

Per-Se Technologies, Inc. (Nasdaq: PSTI), a leading provider of integrated business management outsourcing services, application software and Internet-enabled connectivity for the healthcare industry, today announced that it has signed agreements with three healthcare delivery systems to implement the Java-based graphical user interface (GUI) order entry module of its Patient1(R) computer-based patient record (CPR) system.

Forrest General Hospital in Hattiesburg, Miss., Holland Community Hospital in Holland, Mich., and William Beaumont Hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., will implement Per-Se's Java-based orders to accelerate support and use of computerized physician order entry (CPOE). CPOE supports reduced error risks in medication prescribing, dispensing and administration.

Per-Se is an early adopter of Java technology to expand the use of Patient1 to support CPOE at all points of the care treatment process. The Java-based orders functionality expedites all phases of inpatient and outpatient orders and is a critical element of Per-Se's clinical desktop strategy for Patient1. Patient1 is an integrated, patient-centered, point-of-care clinical information system that optimizes patient care processes across the continuum of care. It provides an enterprise-wide infrastructure that unifies clinical information into a single patient-centered record and achieves the cost-effective delivery of quality patient care and outcomes.

Forrest General Hospital is implementing the first phase of Java-based orders across its 537-bed regional medical center to accelerate enterprise-wide deployment of CPOE in spring 2002. According to Laura Miley, director of clinical information systems, Forrest General Hospital, "Through Per-Se's Java-based orders, we hope to obtain deeper realization of scientifically validated decision support and measurable return on investment of quality of care and patient safety in regards to medication-related errors."

Miley expects the Java-enhanced clinical desktop to produce significant benefits in increasing order entry compliance among physicians and improving clinical processes -- two critical success factors necessary in automating a busy clinical environment.

"The Java-based orders functionality creates more simplicity in screen design, resulting in a dynamic, intuitive clinical desktop to help physicians and other clinicians more easily and quickly access, navigate and take action upon patient clinical data stored in Per-Se's Patient1 CPR solution," she said. "Physicians will also be able to easily access clinical knowledge resources, as well as view patient lab data and potential interactions. During the Java-enhanced ordering process, the clinical alerts and messages flagging allergies or drug-to-drug interactions significantly improve decision making in medication management."

Bill Van Doornik, director of health information management and information systems, Holland Community Hospital, echoed that optimizing clinical decision support and reducing medical errors are key reasons for purchasing Per-Se's Java-based orders. "CPOE, a strategic initiative at Holland Community Hospital, provides a point of interaction for the clinician to make a decision in real time as a more effective process to manage medication administration and prevent errors," he said.

Van Doornik expects the Patient1 upgrade to Java-based orders to increase physicians' computer usage, work productivity and efficiency at the 213-bed health system. "The user-friendly clinical desktop design will ease the burden on physicians, nursing and other hospital clinicians who access Patient1 daily," he explained. "The enhanced patient record viewing provides easier access to patient information across the healthcare enterprise. Clinicians can drill down to detailed data more quickly without opening multiple windows."

Karen Andrews, president of Per-Se's Application Software Division, said, "Per-Se's Patient1 CPR-based clinical solution is setting the standard for clinical information systems by enabling physicians and other clinicians to enhance all areas of care, including patient safety."

About Holland Community Hospital

Since 1917, Holland Community Hospital, a 213-bed private, non-profit hospital in Holland, Mich., has served the Lakeshore community with comprehensive and compassionate care. Additional information is available at www.hoho.org.

About Forrest General Hospital

Forrest General Hospital is a 537-bed regional medical center serving a 16-county area of South Mississippi offering five centers of excellence. Based in Hattiesburg, Miss., the healthcare organization consists of a 429-bed acute care facility; Pine Grove, an 88-bed chemical dependency and psychiatric unit; Rehab Resource, a 20-bed rehabilitation unit; Lowery A. Woodall Outpatient Surgery Facility; and Forrest General Home Care. Additional information is available at www.forrestgeneral.com.

About William Beaumont Hospital

Beaumont is nationally recognized as one of "America's Best Hospitals 2001" in eight medical specialties by U.S. News and World Report and is among the "100 Top Hospitals - Benchmarks for Success 2000," according to HCIA-Sachs. Beaumont includes more than 2,200 private-practice physicians, two hospitals with five medical office buildings, a rehabilitation and health center, primary and specialty care clinics, five extended care centers, a research institute, home care, a hospice and a fund-raising foundation. Beaumont's 997-bed hospital in Royal Oak, Mich., is a major teaching and referral center with Level I trauma designation. It ranks among the five top hospitals in the nation for its number of admissions and surgeries. Beaumont's 226-bed acute care facility in Troy is among the nation's leading community hospitals. Additional information is available at www.beaumont.edu.

About Per-Se Technologies, Inc.

Per-Se Technologies, Inc. [Nasdaq: PSTI] is a global leader in delivering comprehensive business management outsourcing services, financial and clinical software solutions, and Internet-enabled connectivity with business intelligence and e-health solutions. Per-Se Technologies enables integrated delivery systems and physician practices to optimize the quality of care delivered and profitability of business operations simultaneously. The leading provider of business management outsourcing services to physicians, Per-Se supports 35,000 physicians and 2,000 healthcare organizations. Atlanta-based Per-Se processes more than 240 million medical transactions annually, and its solutions manage 26 million patient lives online. Additional information is available at www.per-se.com.

Editor's Note: Per-Se Technologies is a registered trademark of Per-Se Technologies, Inc. and Patient1 is a registered trademark of PST Products, Inc., d/b/a Per-Se Technologies.