Electronic Health Reporter

MedStar Health, the largest healthcare provider in Maryland and the Washington, D.C. region, and Cerner (Nasdaq: CERN) today announced an expanded partnership with a seven-year agreement that will streamline operations, help improve the quality of patient care and develop technologies that align with MedStar’s vision to be the trusted leader in caring for people and advancing health.

The new alignment will allow access to all Cerner solutions and services throughout MedStar’s 10 hospitals and 3,000 plus beds, as well as the ambulatory and post-acute network. Cerner will provide MedStar an expanded enterprise Electronic Health Record (EHR) that will provide clinicians seamless access to patient information across the continuum of care.

“Our new partnership represents an opportunity to change the future of care delivery,” said Kenneth A. Samet, FACHE, President and CEO of MedStar. “With our mix of clinical and IT expertise, we can proactively develop innovative solutions that adapt to the ever changing healthcare landscape while meeting the needs of our patients and their families.”

In addition, Cerner will provide an onsite, Maryland-based team to collaborate on the execution of MedStar’s IT goals.

MedStar and Cerner have been partners since 1999. As part of the new long-term strategic agreement, Cerner and MedStar will focus on optimizing, extending and leveraging MedStar’s IT footprint, working collaboratively to integrate data and process in order to deliver the highest quality and most cost-effective health care possible. Further, Cerner and MedStar together will work on joint innovation and performance improvement initiatives.

“Our enhanced agreement will reinforce MedStar’s position as one of the nation’s top health systems,” said Neal Patterson, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Cerner Corporation. “We’re proud to continue our relationship with MedStar and look forward to shared work that delivers an even higher standard of care for the communities that MedStar serves.”

Through the new alliance with Cerner, MedStar plans to further the work of the MedStar Institute for Innovation by aligning more closely around technology innovation.

MedStar cares for more than a half million patients each year across Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region in its hospitals, urgent care and ambulatory care facilities, and physician offices. As the largest healthcare provider in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, MedStar’s 10 hospitals, the MedStar Institute for Innovation, MedStar Physician Partners, and our other programs and services are recognized regionally and nationally for excellence in medical care. Many of MedStar’s hospitals are continuously recognized as Best Hospitals by U.S.News and World Report. Recently, the health system also was named one of the nation’s Most Wired by Hospital and Health Networks Magazine.

About Cerner
Cerner’s health information technologies connect people, information and systems at more than 14,000 facilities worldwide. Recognized for innovation, Cerner solutions assist clinicians in making care decisions and enable organizations to manage the health of populations. The company also offers an integrated clinical and financial system to help health care organizations manage revenue, as well as a wide range of services to support clients’ clinical, financial and operational needs. Cerner’s mission is to contribute to the improvement of health care delivery and the health of communities. Nasdaq: CERN. For more information about Cerner, visit cerner.com, read our blog at cerner.com/blog, connect with us on Twitter at twitter.com/cerner and on Facebook at facebook.com/cerner. Certain trademarks, service marks and logos set forth herein are property of Cerner Corporation and/or its subsidiaries. All other non-Cerner marks are the property of their respective owners.

About MedStar Health
MedStar Health is a not-for-profit health system dedicated to caring for people in Maryland and the Washington, D.C., region, while advancing the practice of medicine through education, innovation and research. MedStar’s 30,000 associates, 6,000 affiliated physicians, 10 hospitals, ambulatory care and urgent care centers, and the MedStar Health Research Institute are recognized regionally and nationally for excellence in medical care. As the medical education and clinical partner of Georgetown University, MedStar trains more than 1,100 medical residents annually. MedStar Health’s patient-first philosophy combines care, compassion and clinical excellence with an emphasis on customer service. For more information, visit MedStarHealth.org.