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McKesson’s Practice Partner EMR offers integrated ECG with Welch Allyn’s CardioPerfect

ATLANTA, November 3, 2008 - McKesson Corporation announced today that its Practice Partner® electronic medical record (EMR) application will now offer Welch Allyn’s CardioPerfect resting electrocardiograph (ECG) module as an integrated component of Practice Partner Patient Records 9.3. With the CardioPerfect integration, clinicians can now collect, analyze and store electrocardiographs directly from Practice Partner, eliminating the need for a stand-alone ECG device.

“We are delighted and proud to offer Welch Allyn’s CardioPerfect as an integrated component of Practice Partner,” said Bing Teng, vice president and general manager of McKesson’s Practice Partner business unit. “This integration will make it much easier for our customers to manage the process of collecting and storing ECGs. It is another example of our focus on improving office and clinical productivity for medical practices.”

Practice Partner and CardioPerfect integration offers a host of compelling features and benefits including the following:

• Paperless: ECGs are displayed and stored via the computer, reducing the need for printouts, filing, or scanning.
• Improved Access & Quality of Care: Historical ECG printouts and reports can be viewed from the patient’s chart within Practice Partner, giving staff easy access to this important information from any Practice Partner workstation. With fax server software, they can also be faxed directly from a PC to third parties such as referring physicians.

McKesson’s Practice Partner-Welch Allyn ECG

• Utilizes standard paper for printing: When ECG reports need to be printed, they can be printed on plain paper instead of special ECG graph paper, which is expensive and prone to fading.
• Low Cost of Ownership: Eliminates the need for expensive ECG components, including paper, stylus, printheads, motors, or other moving parts found on traditional ECG machines.
• Comprehensive: Allows providers to preview a complete 12-lead report onscreen prior to printing. Large screen display saves time and eliminates repeat ECGs.
• Serial Comparison: Serial comparison of previous ECGs provides an easy way to compare changes over time.

“It makes perfect sense that Welch Allyn and McKesson should team up for this integration,” said Steve Meyer, president, USA/Canada and executive vice president at Welch Allyn. “Both companies are industry frontrunners who share a common commitment to helping physicians raise the standard of excellence in the medical practice,” he added. “CardioPerfect, working hand-in-hand with Practice Partner, simplifies and streamlines the ECG process without sacrificing safety or accuracy.”

Practice Partner Version 9.3, a suite of fully integrated electronic health record (EMR) and practice management applications, includes Practice Partner Patient Records, Order Entry, Medical Billing and Appointment Scheduler as well as the CardioPerfect integration. Practice Partner has received 2006, 2007, and 2008 CCHIT certification for ambulatory EHR and has also received CCHIT certification for ambulatory Child Health.

Founded in 1915 and headquartered in Skaneateles Falls, New York (USA), Welch Allyn is a leading global manufacturer of medical diagnostic equipment and a complete range of digital and connected solutions. With over 2,300 employees working in 17 different countries, Welch Allyn specializes in helping doctors, nurses, and other frontline practitioners across the globe provide the best patient care by developing innovative products, breakthrough technologies, and cutting edge solutions that help them see more patients, detect more conditions, and improve more lives. More information about Welch Allyn and its complete line of connected products and solutions may be found at http://www.welchallyn.com

McKesson Corporation, currently ranked 18th on the FORTUNE 500, is a healthcare services and information technology company dedicated to helping its customers deliver high-quality healthcare by reducing costs, streamlining processes, and improving the quality and safety of patient care. McKesson is the longest-operating company in healthcare today, and will mark 175 years of continuous operations in 2008. Over the course of its history, McKesson has grown by providing healthcare information technology for physicians, hospitals, homecare and payors; pharmaceutical and medical-surgical supply management across the spectrum of care; hospital and retail pharmacy automation; and services for manufacturers and payors designed to improve outcomes for patients. For more information, visit http://www.mckesson.com.