Cross Country Staffing and Rosebud Solutions Form Strategic Alliance to Assist
Health Care Providers in Avoiding Year 2000 Crisis
BOCA RATON, Fla., Aug. 10 /PRNewswire/ -- Cross Country Staffing and
Rosebud Solutions today announced the formation of a strategic alliance to
address the initial stages of efforts by health care providers to avoid a
Year 2000 crisis.
"According to a Gartner Group survey, more than 80 percent of hospitals
are still in the initial stages of assessing the impact of the Y2K problem on
their information systems," stated Jonathan W. Ward, vice president for Cross
Country. Mr. Ward added: "Unfortunately, with only 17 months until the clock
strikes the new millennium, time is running out for hospitals and other
medical service providers who need to inventory, test, and then replace or
repair all non-compliant medical devices in their facilities before
December 31, 1999. There is the potential for a host of problems to occur,
including IV feeders malfunctioning, kidney dialysis machines shutting down,
failing heart monitors, etc."
Congressional hearings were held last month in Washington to address the
medical industry's efforts to repair the possible Year 2000 computer glitch.
Senator Christopher Dodd (D-Conn.), chairman of the Senate Special Committee
on the Year 2000, was quoted as saying at the hearings: "If there isn't more
action, I'm afraid this Y2K problem could have this nation's healthcare system
on a respirator come January, 2000, and that is not hyperbole; it is deadly
serious."
The partnership between Rosebud Solutions and Cross Country Staffing
offers a unique solution for facilities in the early stages of a Year 2000
effort. According to Alicia Torres, president of Rosebud Solutions: "The
initial challenge is to compile a comprehensive profile on all equipment,
including medical devices, computer hardware, and environmental equipment for
subsequent Y2K analysis and remediation. Rosebud's proprietary software
solution, Rosebud 2000, is specifically designed to expedite and improve the
accuracy of the inventorying process." Frank Legacki, senior vice president
of Rosebud Solutions added that, "its partnership with Cross Country enables
Rosebud to staff its inventory teams anywhere in the country with experienced
health care professionals who are familiar with a variety of medical equipment
and general hospital protocols thus further reducing the time required to
complete a Y2K inventory and improve the accuracy and reliability of the
data."
"It's a perfect fit for us," stated Joseph A. Boshart, president and chief
executive officer of Cross Country. "Our nurses know the hospital environment
and they utilize medical equipment everyday. This gives them a knowledge base
that programmers and MBAs lack. Plus it's a great opportunity for our nurses
to take a break from the daily stress of providing direct patient care."
Mr. Boshart added that the partnership also tied in well with the company's
Information Technology Division, which provides Y2K staffing and services to
the health care segment.
Cross Country Staffing is one of the nation's leading medical and
technical staffing companies. Cross Country utilizes its database of more
that 200,000 health care and technical professionals to provide nurses,
therapists, and information systems professionals, on a temporary basis to
thousands of clients nationwide.
Rosebud Solutions is a healthcare software company, based in Ann Arbor,
MI, who's focus is software related to medical equipment. Rosebud's MEMS
program helps hospitals manage their medical equipment more effectively and
economically; it is installed in more than 125 hospitals, including some of
the nation's leading teaching institutions. Rosebud's new Rosebud 2000
Program utilizes many of the same features and logic of MEMS, but is designed
specifically for Y2K projects. Rosebud 2000 electronically compiles and
catalogues equipment information for Y2K problem identification and helps
management organize and manage the Y2K project through completion. Rosebud
2000 also helps quantify the potential impact on the hospital's balance sheet
and capital requirements.
Note to San Francisco Area Media: Alicia Torres, president of Rosebud
Solutions, will deliver a talk Tuesday, August 11th, before the Year 2000
National Symposium Series, being held at the Fairmont Hotel, from Monday,
August 10th through Wednesday, August 13th. Her topic will be Embedded
Systems and Inventorying for Y2K Analysis and Remediation.
SOURCE Cross Country Staffing
CONTACT: Jonathan W. Ward, Vice President of Cross Country
Staffing, 561-866-0890 - Mobile, or 800-998-5178 - Voice Mail; or
Frank Legacki, Senior Vice President of Rosebud Solutions,
734-996-2061 |
