Sprint establishes unit dedicated to health care communications solutions.

KANSAS CITY, Mo.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--July 27, 1995--Sprint Thursday announced the formation of Sprint Healthcare Systems Inc., a business unit dedicated to serving the health care community with advanced communications solutions to voice, data, video and systems integration needs.

"Sprint Healthcare Systems will bring Sprint's telecommunications expertise, health care knowledge and leading-edge information technology together in providing integrated communications solutions for health care professionals," said Bruce Branyan, vice president-marketing and business development for Sprint's Local Telecommunications Division.

Sprint expanded its commitment to the health care industry by acquiring the assets of SABRE Healthcare Information Services, a unit of AMR Corporation's SABRE Group. Sprint will obtain SABRE Healthcare's software technology and capabilities for community health information networks, which are designed to connect today's health care alliances and their facilities.

Community health information and integrated delivery networks are viewed as important in providing cost-effective, quality patient care as the health care industry faces an increasingly competitive arena. Sprint will market its community health information and integrated delivery networks and related products and services under the name "Navigen."

"Navigen symbolizes health care professionals' need to navigate through communications systems to reach vital information," said Branyan.

SABRE Healthcare developed user-friendly computer terminal screens for physicians to easily access patient information and medical data such as lab and radiology results. The SABRE Healthcare product also includes an e-mail system and software that interfaces clinical systems.

"Sprint is gaining the advanced skills and products needed to expand our health information network efforts," said Chuck Bowen, who has been named vice president and general manager for Sprint Healthcare Systems, which will be headquartered in Kansas City. "The SABRE Healthcare products integrate very well with and complement our network products. This acquisition broadens Sprint's product development capabilities and increases our speed to market."

Sprint is installing a community health information network for Naples Community Hospital and its health care system in Naples, Fla., which was recently featured in a presentation at the Healthcare Information Management Systems Society Conference.

Sprint is recognized for handling a variety of teleradiology, telemedicine and video work for hospitals, physicians, insurance concerns and health care providers through its Healthcare Application Network Delivery System, known as HANDS, a nationwide medical information network.

These dedicated facilities enable local networks to be connected with other local or regional information networks, providing seamless nationwide and international connections.

Sprint is a diversified international telecommunications company with more than $12.6 billion in annual revenues and the United States' only nationwide all-digital, fiber-optic network.

Its divisions provide global long distance voice, data and video products and services, local telephone services to more than 6.4 million subscriber lines in 19 states, and cellular operations that serve more than 1.2 million customers in nearly 100 cities in 14 states.

CONTACT: Sprint

Dennis Wagner, (O) 913/624-8598, (H) 913/897-6497

E-mail: [e-mail]

Laura Meyer, (O) 913/624-2252

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