Mission Hospitals Strengthen Commitment to Health IT with Cerner; Western North Carolina Health System Expands Ability to Regionally Exchange Information.

KANSAS CITY, Mo. & ASHEVILLE, N.C. -- Mission Health and Hospitals, Inc., the leading healthcare provider in western North Carolina, announces today its next major step toward improving care by connecting the regional community. Together with Cerner Corp. (Nasdaq:CERN), the nation's leading provider of healthcare IT, Mission will increase automation of its care process across the organization -- in its physicians' offices, the Buncombe County Health Center and nursing homes, as well as its three hospitals and numerous clinics -- all with the goal of improving the quality, confidentiality and consistency of care while reducing costs.

"This agreement with Cerner will provide support to Mission's vision and plan to create an electronic patient record not only at Mission Hospitals, but electronic connectivity to physician offices, other hospitals in the region, nursing homes and home care," said Joseph F. Damore, president and chief executive officer of Mission Health and Hospitals, Inc. "This connectivity will permit providers to improve quality and reduce costs through the timely sharing of confidential patient information and a reduction in the duplication of diagnostic testing."

In late 2005, the Buncombe County Health Center will be electronically connected to Mission, making it the first hospital and health department in the state to electronically share medical information.

"By placing all of the information about someone's medical history at the fingertips of clinicians throughout our health organization and community, we will bring a higher level of patient safety and care to those we serve," said Arlo Jennings, Ph.D., Mission's vice president and chief information officer. "This will increase the hospital's ability to participate in local, state and national efforts to link healthcare providers, and in the process, create a high tech hub in western North Carolina."

"Much of what we are doing at Mission is laying the groundwork for a larger information network that will include all of the hospitals in the region," said Damore. Through Regional Health Information Organizations or RHIOs, multiple IT providers are working together to provide a seamless flow of information along the full continuum of care, from physicians to hospitals to clinics and nursing homes.

"Imagine how wonderful it will be for caregivers to have a patient's most current health information just a click away," said Damore. "That is what this is all about -- using technology to ensure confidentiality and improve communication among care providers and between physicians and their patients."

A Cerner client since 2000, Mission began to unify the delivery of care for its pharmacy, radiology, laboratory, surgery, nursing, emergency, administrative and order entry systems by moving them to a unified architecture, Cerner Millennium(R). Through this expanded partnership with Cerner, Mission Hospitals will implement the full Cerner suite of solutions, both clinical and financial, to unite technology across all points of care, bringing the technology to the more than 600 physicians in the organization. Cerner has more than 4,500 Cerner Millennium solutions live at nearly 900 client facilities around the world.

"In choosing Cerner, Mission found an integrated clinical system that would maintain a life-long health record," said Trace Devanny, Cerner president. "Mission selected Cerner for its dedication to the longstanding partnership, to unified clinical information systems and its ability to connect the entirety of the healthcare organization."

Repeatedly ranked among the nation's best centers for care by Solucient, National Research Corporation and HealthGrades, Mission is western North Carolina's center for advanced medical care. As a model of excellence in quality, safety, innovation, integrity and collaboration for 120 years, Mission is a partner in the community's quest to be the healthiest region in the state. The 815-bed system includes three hospitals, an outpatient surgery center and more than 5,600 employees.

Cerner Corp. is taking the paper chart out of healthcare, eliminating error, variance and waste in the care process. With more than 1,500 clients worldwide, Cerner is the leading supplier of healthcare information technology. The following are trademarks of Cerner: Cerner, Cerner Millennium, Cerner's logo, Nasdaq:CERN, www.cerner.com.

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