Siemens and NextGen Healthcare Ally to Speed IT Adoption and Connectivity

MALVERN, Pa. & HORSHAM, Pa. -- Siemens Medical Solutions, a world leader in medical equipment and information technology (IT) solutions, and NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, a leading provider of ambulatory electronic medical records (EMR) and practice management software, announced a worldwide strategic alliance to meet the unique healthcare IT needs of the physician practice market. This relationship leverages Siemens' expertise in enterprise IT systems and advanced medical imaging technologies for the acute care and specialty environments and NextGen Healthcare's industry leadership in ambulatory EMRs and practice management software.

Under the terms of the agreement, Siemens will add NextGen Healthcare's EMR and practice management solutions to its global solutions portfolio. The alliance further extends the value of Siemens' highly penetrated enterprise solutions by enabling continuity of care record (CCR) connectivity and interoperability across acute and ambulatory care settings.

The agreement also includes worldwide distribution rights in the diagnostic imaging center (DIC) market, a fast-growing specialty market segment for Siemens imaging modalities and integrated RIS/PACS offering, SIENET® Cosmos.

As the federal government continues its push to automate and interconnect all points of the healthcare continuum, speed of technology adoption at the individual practice level and the ability to securely share clinical data and diagnostic images residing in ambulatory settings is crucial to the mission.

Currently, more than 700 physician practices representing more than 30 different specialties use NextGen Healthcare's EMR and practice management systems. Siemens' healthcare IT division delivers solutions to over 5,000 healthcare organizations worldwide. Siemens, in combination with NextGen Healthcare's clinically rich products and services, can now offer its customers and prospects a one-stop source for electronic health records and interoperability.

In leveraging NextGen's knowledge-based templates, Siemens will provide healthcare organizations and physician practices with access to longitudinal health records, streamlined processes across acute and ambulatory settings, and opportunities for enhanced patient safety, physician satisfaction and increased procedure volume.

Siemens (booth #617) and NextGen (booth #1635) will showcase their alliance at the Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference and Exhibit, being held February 13-17, 2005, in Dallas, Texas. The companies will demonstrate interoperability between Siemens' Soarian Enterprise Clinicals and NextGen EMR by facilitating the secure transfer of a CCR between systems. Both Siemens and NextGen Healthcare are founding members of the HIMSS Electronic Health Record Vendors Association (EHRVA) and participants in the HIMSS Interoperability Showcases.

About NextGen Healthcare
NextGen Healthcare Information Systems, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Quality Systems, Inc., develops and markets computer-based practice management and electronic medical records systems for medical and dental group practices.

About Siemens
Siemens Medical Solutions of Siemens AG, with headquarters in Malvern, Pa., and Erlangen, Germany, is one of the largest suppliers to the healthcare industry in the world. The company is known for bringing together innovative medical technologies, healthcare information systems, management consulting and support services, to help customers achieve tangible, sustainable, clinical and financial outcomes.

Source: Business Wire