NEC Brasil implements asset tracking system in the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein

Tokyo, June 28, 2010 - NEC Corporation (NEC; TSE: 6701) a leading network, communications and information technology company, announced today that NEC Brasil finished the initial phase of the project traceability, using RFID (Radio Frequency Identification) at the Hospital Israelita Albert Einstein (Einstein), one of the leading healthcare institutions in Brazil. The project began in mid-2009 and it is a pioneer system in South America, which meets the specific needs of the healthcare sector, capable of asset tracking and visibility that is tailored specifically for the requirements and regulations of this market.
The solution is customized according to hospital requirements and in this first phase of implementation, NEC installed the temperature control system of refrigerators and the location tracking for a pilot set of 500 pieces of medical equipment. This operates through the hospital's wireless network using the infrastructure that was also previously implemented by NEC. The goal is to release the institution's professionals, who will work in a more agile and efficient way. In addition, the solution will increase the control capacity and direction of internal resources by the hospital administration.
Sergio Arai, Einstein's IT executive director explains that the hospital has a large number of refrigerators with different temperatures for each material, such as blood banks, tissue, milk, medicines etc. The different certifications by the hospital require a strict temperature control of these storages ensuring it is in accordance with the local law. Therefore, this verification is done several times a day, requiring significant time out of the employees, who even today often follow up these reports manually. "With NEC's solution, this process becomes automatic. RFID tags were installed in refrigerators, which constantly measure the temperatures and are directly linked to software that performs all of the management. If there is an anomaly, the system sends instant alerts to those responsible", says Arai.
Asset tracking of equipment at the facility allows for greater organization of material flow, such as infusion pumps and multiparameter monitors. A tag, indicating the location and conditions of each instrument, is placed in each of the items. The technology maps the movement of equipment over a wireless network, reducing the search time of the instruments and avoiding losses. In addition, the system is able to generate alerts about the status of each material and notify managers when the objects are unavailable, in the stage of cleaning, or needs maintenance.
"Einstein is always ahead in implementing creative solutions. We believe that asset tracking will become a requirement increasingly present in hospitals in the coming years. This solution has already proven to optimizes internal processes", said Arai.