Hospitals

Osler selects Siemens Canada as long-term partner

BRAMPTON, Ont. – Siemens is bundling its expertise in the areas of healthcare, building automation, fire and security, and communications in delivering on an unprecedented contract awarded from William Osler Health Centre (WOHC) for the new Brampton Civic Hospital, located in Brampton, Ont. The contract awarded to Siemens will form the cornerstone of  the healthcare solutions and clinical patient care services offered by WOHC.

The order includes Siemens’ Global Solutions, the healthcare consulting arm of the Medical Solutions Group, plus MRI, CT, Angio, MI (Nuclear Medicine), Cathlab, Women’s Health, Urology, Radiography, RIS and PACS technologies. Working with WOHC, the Global Solutions group identified the key drivers and criteria that would provide the healthcare facility with a complete technology roadmap. The strategic plan integrated all aspects of healthcare delivery, from workflow and modalities to patient care, data and treatment.

The WOHC group of hospitals includes the existing Peel Memorial Hospital in Brampton and Etobicoke General Hospital in northwest Toronto. The new Brampton Civic Hospital, scheduled to open in Fall 2007, is the first new hospital to be built on a green-field site in Ontario in more than a decade. The 1.2 million square foot complex is expected to accommodate 90,000 emergency visits, 160,000 ambulatory care visits and 4,250 births each year. When completed, the 608-bed facility will be largest hospital site in Ontario and is currently the largest healthcare infrastructure project of its kind in Canada.

“We are very proud of our long-standing relationship with William Osler Health Centre and this project. When completed, it will be a world-class showcase for Siemens,” said Andy Hind, Vice President of Siemens Medical Solutions. “Through our combined experience across various disciplines and first hand knowledge of the health industry, we can identify the best solutions for our customers.”

“Siemens Global Solutions group provided us with a comprehensive and complete review of all our technology requirements and identified the best-in-class methodology to deliver the best benefits to our patients,” said Robert A. Richards, President & CEO, William Osler Health Centre. “We are extremely pleased with all aspects of the program and adding Siemens’ other offerings like building automation, fire and security and communications, is a natural extension.”

Information technology is playing an increasing and crucial role in optimizing processes in the healthcare continuum and ensuring greater efficiency by establishing the seamless and secure flow of data along the care pathway, from prevention to diagnosis, from the therapy to follow-up care. Andy Hind added, “We see this approach as a strategic advantage, as it is a win-win for us and our customers, but more importantly, the residents and patients who will realize the benefit of improved healthcare”.

In addition to the supply and installation of the modalities, Siemens will provide complete service for all the equipment and will employ full-time staff located on-site at WOHC, optimizing down-time for preventive maintenance and software upgrades. “Service is a key component in ensuring we will be on the leading edge with respect to the best image quality with the most efficient procedures with minimal intervention,” said Brenda Elsbury, Vice President & Chief Nursing Officer.

Siemens has a long history of providing engineered solutions based on innovative technology and has continuously demonstrated and delivered on its commitments to their customers. To further understand the challenges and the needs of the healthcare industry, Siemens continues to partner with industry experts and customers to collect data and information to help identify the opportunities, and Siemens integrated technologies will match this within its broad portfolio. “Our customers provide us with critical information and insight that directs our efforts to position Siemens so we are able to strategically deliver our worldwide resources to Canadian customers,” said Hind.

About Siemens
Siemens is one of the largest and most diversified companies in the world, providing innovations in areas such as automation and control, power, transportation, medical, information and communications, and lighting. In Canada, Siemens is headquartered in Mississauga, Ontario, with more than 7,500 employees located in 76 offices and seven major manufacturing facilities. Sales for fiscal 2006 were $2.3 billion.

About William Osler Health Centre
William Osler Health Centre is the largest community hospital in Ontario. As a regional referral centre, WOHC provides programs and services to nearly one million area residents. WOHC’s facilities offer acute and ancillary healthcare in the growing and diverse communities of Etobicoke and Brampton, Ont.