Siemens' Donation of Digital Radiography System Benefits Children's Health Fund

Online Auction Winner John T. Mather Memorial Hospital Presents CHF with check for $285,000


PORT JEFFERSON, N.Y., Sept. 18  /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- With a click of a button, the lives of thousands may have changed for the better. As the winning online bidder for a Siemens Healthcare digital radiography (DR) system, John T. Mather Memorial Hospital (http://www.matherhospital.org/) in Port Jefferson, N.Y., today presented a check for $285,309 to the Children's Health Fund (CHF) (http://www.childrenshealthfund.org/), a national organization dedicated to providing health care for homeless and medically disadvantaged children and advocating on behalf of all children. Mather Hospital's new Siemens DR system, the Ysio , will allow the hospital to comfortably image patients of various shapes and sizes, ages and disabilities.

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"We are extremely grateful to Siemens Healthcare for selecting the Children's Health Fund to benefit from the online auction of the Ysio and to Mather Hospital for making the important purchase," stated Karen Redlener, executive director, Children's Health Fund. "The funds donated will be used to support CHF programs and urgently needed health and mental health services for children and families across the nation, needed now more than ever due to these tough economic times."

In December 2008, Siemens donated a new Ysio to the CHF, which, in turn, posted the digital X-ray system online, enabling hospitals to bid in an online auction over a two-week period, just prior to the holidays. All proceeds from the event benefit CHF* to further support the non-profit organization's work with underserved children and their families throughout the country, while the winning hospital can better serve its community with a DR system for virtually all their clinical demands.

Online auction bidding took place December 8-18, 2008. The starting bid for the Ysio was $99,999. (The system's list price is $450,000.)

"Mather Hospital is proud and privileged to be part of this worthy project, which supports the mission of Children's Health Fund and brings the latest in X-ray technology to our community," said Mather Hospital President Kenneth Roberts. "Siemen's digital radiology system's advanced features will allow our physicians and hospital staff to provide an even higher level of personalized care and service."

The newly installed Ysio will enable Mather Hospital to use the DR system as an integrated command center by controlling their workflow from registration to image data management. With more than 500 different preset examination positions, Ysio can save preparation time and effort. Simply pressing a button on the wireless remote will automatically move the X-ray tube into position.

"Corporate responsibility remains a focus for Siemens even during difficult times like these when healthcare and other economic issues are weighing heavily on everyone's minds," said Claus Grill, vice president, Cardiac, Interventional/Neuro and X-ray Systems, Siemens Healthcare. "Innovations, such as the Ysio, contribute to the health and well-being of people throughout the world, while improving operational efficiencies and optimizing workflow."

Ysio's wireless detector (wi-D) handles like a cassette and can be removed from the table and placed directly underneath or next to the patient for exposures that are difficult or impossible to take using a fixed detector. As a digital radiography solution, Ysio delivers pristine image quality with high-resolution images available within seconds of acquisition. Images acquired with the wi-D can be previewed in as little as five seconds without the need to change or process cassettes.

Ysio's ergonomic table design caters to the full spectrum of patient profiles from pediatrics to bariatrics, offering a 660-pound weight capacity and a low table height of 21 inches for convenient positioning when shifting sick or elderly patients from wheelchair to table.

Founded in 1987 by singer/songwriter Paul Simon, and pediatrician/advocate Dr. Irwin Redlener, the Children's Health Fund is committed to providing health care to the nation's most medically under-served children and their families through the development and support of innovative medical programs, response to public health crises, and the promotion of guaranteed access to appropriate health care for all children. CHF partners with major academic medical centers to deliver health care to disadvantaged children and families, via state-of-the-art mobile medical clinics, in both rural and urban areas across the country.

*Acceptance of the proceeds of this auction does not constitute an endorsement of the Ysio by the Children's Health Fund.

The Siemens Healthcare Sector is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry and a trendsetter in medical imaging, laboratory diagnostics, medical information technology and hearing aids. Siemens is the only company to offer customers products and solutions for the entire range of patient care from a single source -- from prevention and early detection to diagnosis, and on to treatment and aftercare. By optimizing clinical workflows for the most common diseases, Siemens also makes healthcare faster, better and more cost-effective. Siemens Healthcare employs some 49,000 employees worldwide and operates in over 130 countries. In fiscal year 2008 (to September 30), the Sector posted revenue of 11.2 billion euros and profit of 1.2 billion euros. For further information please visit: http://www.siemens.com/healthcare. 

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DATASOURCE: Siemens Healthcare



CONTACT:  Media Relations, Tom Schaffner of Siemens Medical Solutions

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