SAN DIEGO, Feb 15, 2006 (BUSINESS WIRE) -- St. Luke's Health System of Boise, Idaho, has been named Microsoft Hospital of the Year by the Microsoft Healthcare Users Group (MS-HUG) and Microsoft Corp. A customer partner of Siemens Medical Solutions for more than three years, St. Luke's was honored for its use of the Web-based Soarian(R) Portal and Soarian Community Access to provide physicians with access to data remotely and enable secure communications between physicians. The MS-HUG awards recognize healthcare institutions and industry partners improving healthcare through the use of Microsoft technology.

As of December 2005, St. Luke's had rolled out Soarian Portal and Soarian Community Access to more than 1,300 users, including more than 350 physicians representing 100 practices, and 604 hospital users. Using Microsoft's Windows XP, Tablet PC edition and Pocket PC 2003, Pocket PC Mobile edition operating systems, St. Luke's is also extending portal access through mobile devices. Physicians are no longer tied to paper charts as their single source of information, which increases the availability of results and gives them anywhere, anytime access to patient data.

"We are very excited to be recognized for our use of this technology," said Sheryl Bell, director, information technologies, St. Luke's. "As a medical center, our focus is on providing access from the hospital to our physician community. We're accomplishing this by using the single sign on, remote access and secure communication features of Siemens' Soarian Portal and Soarian Community Access to streamline physician workflow, making it easier for physicians to work with us. In the coming year, we will expand the system's capabilities to allow consulting from anywhere in the world. The infrastructure is also in place to implement patient-to-physician communication. Patients will have the ability to compile and manage their personal health records online via a secure clinical repository."
"The reality is that healthcare today extends beyond one person, in one department, in one building," said Tom Miller, president, Healthcare Information Technology Division, Siemens Medical Solutions. "As a result, patients need more proactive, truly integrated care that considers their personal history and past encounters in the context of their current condition and needs, regardless of where they are physically located. St. Luke's is taking the steps that enable true collaboration among physicians, patients and other members of the care continuum - saving time, reducing costs and improving workflow."

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