Sharp HealthCare Saves Nearly $18 Million Using Per-Se's Staff Management Software

ATLANTA--(BUSINESS WIRE)--May 1, 2003--Sharp HealthCare, the largest healthcare provider in San Diego, Calif., has saved almost $18 million since 1996 by using the One-Staff(R) enterprise-wide staff and productivity management solution from Per-Se Technologies (Nasdaq: PSTI). The savings come from reducing overtime expenses and the use of costly staffing agencies to fill staff openings. Per-Se is a leading provider of integrated business management outsourcing services, application software and Internet-enabled connectivity for the healthcare industry. Sharp HealthCare has used Per-Se's ANSOS(R) nursing-specific scheduling and productivity management system since 1985 to maintain adequate staffing ratios within the highly competitive managed care environment of Southern California. Since upgrading to One-Staff in 1996, the healthcare system has realized additional benefits, including savings from reducing overtime costs and minimizing the use of outside registry personnel. With an average savings of $3.5 million each subsequent year, the healthcare system has saved approximately $18 million to date using this solution. According to Anne Davis, R.N., vice president of workforce support services for Sharp HealthCare, "Per-Se's One-Staff allows Sharp HealthCare to save time and money by filling work hours with our own highly qualified and skilled employees instead of contractors, assuring the continuity of patient care with the same caregivers." "Sharp HealthCare is a good example of how a healthcare organization can use best-of-breed technology tools to enhance patient care. Per-Se's One-Staff system helps hospitals manage staffing resources at a time of severe staff shortages, high attrition rates, increased census and high acuity levels," said Karen L. Panoc, product director of Resource1(TM) staff management solutions, Per-Se's Application Software division. Sharp HealthCare comprises four acute-care hospitals, three specialty hospitals and three medical groups, plus a full spectrum of other facilities and services. Serving a population of approximately 3 million in San Diego County, the integrated delivery system has 1,847 licensed beds and more than 14,000 employees, including outside registry (agency) personnel. It is the largest private industry employer in San Diego. "Sharp HealthCare demonstrates just how much health systems can reduce their dependence on outside agencies and more effectively use their own employees to deliver care," said Karen B. Andrews, president of Per-Se's Application Software division. "One-Staff is the market leader in staff automation and an indispensable and proven tool for achieving great economies through enterprise-wide sharing of personnel and other resources." Sharp HealthCare's centralized staffing office uses Per-Se's One-Staff staffing automation tool. The user-friendly system manages and schedules the organization's entire workforce and agency resources. It provides realtime access to all personnel information -- such as demographics, professional licenses, certifications, safety education and other compliance and competencies tracking -- from one central database. Managers use One-Staff's feature-rich functions to improve their workplace environment in order to retain professional staff, automate time-consuming scheduling tasks, and collect and trend data. Many areas within Sharp HealthCare -- including nursing, ancillary (radiology, respiratory, pharmacy) and internal float pools -- utilize the system. About Sharp HealthCare Sharp HealthCare, a not-for-profit organization, has more than 14,000 employees and is San Diego's most comprehensive healthcare delivery system. Sharp is a leader in cardiac and cancer care, women's health and health education and disease prevention. In addition, Sharp provides nearly $84 million towards health promotion and charity care in the San Diego region. The Sharp system includes four acute care hospitals, three specialty hospitals, three medical groups, six urgent care centers, skilled nursing facilities and a variety of other community health programs and services. About Per-Se Technologies Per-Se Technologies (Nasdaq: PSTI) delivers comprehensive business management outsourcing services, financial and clinical software solutions, and Internet-enabled connectivity with business intelligence to the healthcare industry. Atlanta-based Per-Se enables integrated delivery systems and physician practices to optimize the quality of care delivered and profitability of business operations. The leading provider of business management outsourcing services to physicians, Per-Se supports approximately 47,000 physicians and 2,000 healthcare organizations. Per-Se processes more than 240 million medical transactions annually, and its solutions manage 26 million patient lives online. Additional information is available at www.per-se.com. Sharp HealthCare has a contract with Per-Se's Application Software division. Editor's Note: Per-Se Technologies is a registered trademark of Per-Se Technologies, Inc.; ANSOS and One-Staff are registered trademarks and Resource1 is a trademark of PST Products, Inc., d/b/a Per-Se Technologies.