NYNEX Telemedicine Solutions -- just what the doctor ordered; NYNEX teams up with healthcare industry to improve patient care

NEW YORK CITY -- Signaling its support for cost effective healthcare, NYNEX today announced it is forming alliances with leading medical experts and vendors to offer NYNEX Telemedicine Solutions.

NYNEX Telemedicine Solutions combine telecommunications services with medical applications to provide improved patient care at lower costs.

The NYNEX communications network is the backbone to NYNEX Telemedicine Solutions, which feature a portfolio of products and services provided by healthcare vendors including:

-- Teleradiology/Telepathology/Telecardiology - Enables transmission of medical images from the site of the medical exam to a physician at a remote location.

-- Video Consultation - Provides videoconferencing capability either between medical professionals, or between medical professionals and their patients.

-- Remote Patient Monitoring - Transmits patient information, such as vital signs, using monitoring devices installed at the patients home or the doctors office.

-- Continuing Medical Education - Delivers approved medical course material over the NYNEX network to medical practitioners who cannot conveniently attend classes.

-- Outcomes Analysis - Determines the effectiveness of clinical practices in the delivery of healthcare by managed care firms, pharmaceutical companies and research institutions.

-- Intelligent Healthcare Console - Provides an integrated communications system for hospitals including on-line patient information and a centralized paging and answering service for physicians.

NYNEX is working closely with medical professionals and vendors to create and implement innovative healthcare solutions. Additional vendors and solutions will be added as the company identifies the specific needs of healthcare customers.

In addition to providing access to state-of-the-art medical applications, NYNEX Telemedicine Solutions will help healthcare providers cut costs by improving efficiencies and comunications between medical institutions and greatly reducing paperwork.

Healthcare professionals are under mounting pressure to provide patients with advanced medical treatment while holding the line on costs, said Howard Reis, NYNEX director of healthcare market development. Todays announcement signals our commitment to help them do just that.

Reis said that NYNEX Telemedicine Solutions will enhance the communications services the company already offers.

NYNEX has provided early and ongoing support of our telemedicine program, said John Patterson, acting chief information officer of New England Medical Center. Were currently using NYNEX ISDN facilities in conjunction with videoconferencing equipment in areas such as cardiology, radiology, psychiatry and home healthcare.

New England Medical Center was one of four leading Boston hospitals that participated with NYNEX in a recent three-year trial of advanced medical applications.

We learned from our experience in Boston that understanding and responding to the needs of the healthcare community is key to creating and implementing medical solutions that benefit the hospital, the medical staff and the patient, said Reis.

Earlier this year NYNEX linked the SUNY Health Science Center in Syracuse, NY, with Wilson Hospital in Binghamton, NY, to allow neuropathologists to consult via videoconferencing during an actual operation. In addition, SUNY and NYNEX are currently working together to create a pediatric care network using NYNEX ISDN facilities.

Marrying telecommunications technology with advanced medical applications has enhanced the quality and delivery of medical care, said Dr. Robert Corona, Neuropathologist and Physician Director of Medical Informatics and Telemedicine at the SUNY Health Science Center.

Vendors for NYNEX Telemedicine Solutions

American Medical Development, Inc.: A supplier of medical devices, peripherals and specialized video devices to telemedicine integrators and systems suppliers. AMD offers devices to support every medical specialty except diagnostic teleradiology. AMD supplies a variety of devices includi ng: electronic stethoscopes, GI scopes, dermascopes, video cameras, etc. Contact: Mark VanderWerf (617) 742-4220; Headquarters: Boston, MA.

Cel-Tech Systems: Cel-Tech Systems is a consulting and systems integration company specializing in the telecommunications industry. Cel-Techs marketing skills will be put to use translating their understanding of the business forces affecting our clients into sound marke t anticipating programs. They have the business and technical skills to implement economic, effective and successful long-term telemedicine system solutions. Contact: Robert Taranto (212) 626-6806; Headquarters: New York, NY.

Clinitec International, Inc.: Clinitec presents NextGen, a complete, user friendly, state of-the-art electronic medical records system. NextGen screens, protocols and output are easily customized so they can be tailored to the individual practice saving the healthcare provider time and money while reducing the risk and improving the quality of care. Contact: Robert Ellis (215) 957-5490; Headquarters: Horsham, PA.

Corstar Business Computing Co., Inc.: For over 25 years, Corstar has incorporated business support systems into the operations of some of the worlds largest and most successful organizations. Corstars Telemedical/Telecare Division is focusing its technical, business and operations talents on providing person-to-person consultation, individual analysis, and multimedia video conferencing products and services. Contact: John Sitar (914) 347-2700; Headquarters: Hawthorne, NY.

EMED: EMED, a subsidiary of E-Systems, Inc., supplies advanced teleradiology solutions to healthcare providers worldwide. These systems link remote and local sites for the rapid transfer of radiological images from a variety of modalities (x-ray, MRI, cat scan, etc.) and store the images for later retrieval. EMED combines modalities from multiple vendors using a wide variety of communications protocols. This open systems approach allows EMED to scale its equipment to meet individual hospital/organizational needs. EMED became a Raytheon company in April of this year when Raytheon -- a $12 billion corporation -- purchased E-Systems. Contact: Tricia Reneau (210) 641-8340; Headquarters: San Antonio, TX.

GE Medical Systems: A world leader in diagnostic imaging equipment, GE Medical Systems has launched a new product called GE HealthNet which will allow NYNEX and GE to collaborate on the design, implementation, and management of local and wide area networks connecting hospitals, clinics, offices and remote facilities. These networks will allow healthcare providers to transmit images and other key diagnostic information electronically from imaging systems to specialists and primary care physicians. GE provides complete integrated teleradiology solutions including acquisition, transmission and display products through network design and long-term support services. Contact: Brian Johnson (414) 548-2523; Headquarters: Milwaukee, WI.

ImageLabs, Inc.: ImageLabs is a Massachusetts-based company focused on improving healthcare and reducing its costs by providing unique software products for the electronic distribution and collaborative review of all patient information. ImageLabs initial product, Shared Vision, targets the critical need to network and communicate all diagnostic quality clinical data between facilities, clinics and individual physicians. Shared Vision helps make it practical for facilities to consolidate yet economically deliver its services to wider geographic populations. Contact: Vincent Spoto (617) 272-8300; Headquarters: Burlington, MA.

Intel: Intels ProShare family of Personal Conferencing products includes a continuum of capabilities, including document conferencing and videoconferencing. With Intels ProShare conferencing software, you can connect your PC to a colleagues and share documents simultaneously -- whether youre across the building, or across the country. Contact: Jon Jackson (503) 264-9463; Headquarters: Hilboro, OR.

Intelligent Solutions, Inc.: IS, Inc. is a leading provider of complete telemedical solutions including teleradiology and telepathology applications. IS, Inc. system provides specialists and referring physicians with user-friendly customized medical software, and is based on a heterogeneous open systems architecture, integrating existing equipment and networks. The cost competitive, network solution utilizes cutting edge technology for very fast image acquisition, transmission, display, storage and long-term archiving. The complete telemedicine system includes storage and retrieval of digital images, diagnostic information and dictated reports, as well as on-site support services. Contact: Kevin Metcalfe (617) 395-3900; Headquarters: Boston, MA.

PictureTel Corporation: PictureTel develops, manufactures and markets a full range of standards-based visual telecommunications solutions. PictureTels videoconferencing allows healthcare providers to instantly extend medical expertise, consultation and services to their partners, suppliers, and customers virtually anywhere in the world. Contact: Kevin Flanagan (508) 762-5178; Headquarters: Danvers, MA.

Madison Information Technologies, Inc.: The Living Database and Bridge Manager technologies deliver an easy-to-manage migration strategy from legacy systems to client/ server operations while maintaining all current user screens and functions. Erroneous and contradictory data is examined, evaluated and cleansed, and accurate, detailed clinical information is warehoused in a clinical data repository, which, together with accurate, detailed demographic and financial information integrated in the same Living Database allows sophisticated outcome and cost benefit analysis. Contact: Lawrence Klainer (312) 759-5030; Headquarters: Chicago, IL.

RTI: RTI (Radiology Telenetwork International Inc.) provides simple, versatile, low cost PC solutions in medical image management. The RTI solution enables physicians, hospitals and clinics to transmit and receive high resolution diagnostic medical images over a variety of telephone lines, including analog and ISDN, using a personal computer. Contact: Dr. Roger Stronell (800) 565-6677; Headquarters: Toronto, Ontario.

SSDS: SSDS, Inc., one of the countrys fastest growing technology integrators, designs and implements enterprise-wide, business-driven technology solutions. The companys client/server and IT infrastructure expertise combine to ensure solutions that provide competitive advantage for their clients. SSDS provides services in the areas of: Enterprise Management Solutions, Strategic IT Services, Network Computing Solutions, Business Information Solutions. Contact: Paul Mauritz (410) 381-4313, ext. 111; Headquarters: Englewood, CO.

VTEL: VTEL designs and manufactures a full line of interactive videoconferencing and MediaConferencing systems. As a major supplier of conferencing solutions for the healthcare market, VTELs standards-based, open PC architecture allows for easy integration of medical devices directly into the VTEL systems. VTELs interoperable product line includes: Large Group Conferencing, Small Group Conferencing, and Desktop Conferencing Systems. Contact: Vicki Newton (512) 314-2594; Headquarters: Austin, TX.

XTEND Communications Corp.: XTEND provides a LAN- or WAN-based integration platform for the management and control of diverse telecommunications functions. XTENDs software unites the telephone and radio paging systems into hospital information networks to speed the flow of information and enhance productivity throughout the hospital. Other XTEND modules address cardiac monitoring, emergency room communications, telephone operations and departmental secretarial operations. Contact: William Schwartz (212) 951-7600; Headquarters: New York, NY.

NYNEX is a global communications and media company that provides a full range of services in the northeastern United States and high-growth markets around the world, including the United Kingdom, Thailand, Gibraltar, Greece, Indonesia, the Philippines, Poland, Slovakia and the Czech Republic.

The Corporation is a leader in the telecommunications, wireless communications, cable television, directory publishing and entertainment and information services.