Philips collaborates with the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) Health System to open new UAB Heart and Vascular Center.

ANDOVER, Mass. -- The UAB Health System continues to expand technological applications for patient care through partnership with Philips Medical.

Royal Philips Electronics (NYSE: PHG; AEX: PHI), and the UAB Health System today announced UAB Hospital's new Heart and Vascular Center. The new center will feature advanced Philips Medical technology designed to meet the growing needs of UAB's patients.

According to the American Heart Association, more than 71 million American suffer from some form of cardiovascular disease. In 2003, cardiovascular disease claimed 910,614 lives (37.3 percent of all deaths or 1 of every 2.7 deaths) in the United States.

The partnership enables the UAB Health System to fulfill its technological needs, including new facility construction, design consultation, and strategic integrated medical technology planning. To accomplish these and other goals, Philips participates in regular meetings with hospital leadership, and communicates on a daily basis to support the hospital's mission in ensuring that the most advanced patient care is available to patients throughout Alabama and the Southeast.

"Our new Heart and Vascular Center, which features Philips Medical technologies in new catheterization labs, vascular and interventional radiology labs, and an interventional neuroradiology lab, enables our physicians to maximize resources, improve, and expand clinical applications," said Marilyn M. Henry, associate vice president of UAB Hospital. "Philips offers some of the most advanced and user-friendly technologies and continues to be an excellent partner in the UAB Health System's Goal of delivering quality patient care and services, while improving workflow and clinical efficiencies."

"We are pleased to develop this innovative partnership with the UAB Health System, home to one of the leading hospitals in America and the world, to provide them with Phillips advanced diagnostic capabilities that are designed around patient and physician needs," said Kelly Londy, vice president, Strategic, Enterprise and Government Business for Philips Medical Systems. "By being able to construct a highly collaborative approach with a leading hospital, Philips can better help plan and provide doctors with the tools they need to best treat patients. Philips believes this partnership is a model for top hospitals nationwide by continuously improving the quality of patient care and services."

The new UAB Heart and Vascular Center will be equipped with 13 labs, including four adult catheterization labs (Cath labs), three electrophysiology labs, four vascular and interventional radiology labs, one interventional neuroradiology lab, and one pediatric lab to help physicians treat the ever-increasing population of patients with cardiovascular disease and other diseases amenable to minimally invasive treatments. The new center also will meet the growing demand for more advanced technology and research in the area of cardiovascular care and management.

In addition to the Philips equipment used in the UAB Heart & Vascular Center, UAB has installed in its hospital and The Kirklin Clinic a number of state-of-the-art diagnostic systems, including the Philips Brilliance 64-slice and 40-slice computed tomography (CT) systems in the UAB Hospital radiology department, two Philips 40-slice CT systems in the emergency department, a Philips Achieva 3.0 Tesla Cardiovascular MRI System (the first in the state), outpatient bi-plane catheterization equipment, and an Achieva 1.5 Telsa magnetic resonance imaging system in The Kirklin Clinic.

According to U.S. News and World Report, UAB Hospital, a member of the UAB Health System, has been recognized as one of the top 10 hospitals for heart surgery in the United States.

About The University of Alabama at Birmingham 

The University of Alabama at Birmingham is one of the leading Medical Research and Patient Care Centers in the U.S., offering leading edge patient care, health facilities, research and medical training. The UAB Health System is internationally renowned for its expert physicians and groundbreaking medical research, but, more importantly, it stands out for its strong commitment to compassionate, personal care for every patient.

The Kirklin Clinic, a member of the UAB Health System, is a center for outpatient care housing more than 600 physicians in 35 specialties designed specifically for patient needs. Its mission is to serve patients' health care needs with compassion, dedication and excellence. The clinic's physicians and programs have gained national and international recognition for their excellence. The staff at Kirklin Clinic combines clinical care with teaching and research to produce an environment that is in the best interest of the patient.

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHI) is one of the world's biggest electronics companies and Europe's largest, with sales of $37.7 billion (EUR 30.4 billion) in 2005. With activities in the three interlocking domains of healthcare, lifestyle and technology and 161,500 employees in more than 60 countries, it has market leadership positions in medical diagnostic imaging and patient monitoring, color television sets, electric shavers, lighting and silicon system solutions. News from Philips is located at www.philips.com/newscenter.