KANSAS CITY and COLUMBIA, Mo., Sept. 28, 2009 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The University of Missouri (MU) and Cerner Corporation (Nasdaq:CERN) announced plans to create the Tiger Institute for Health Innovation. The Tiger Institute's urgent mission is to create innovations in healthcare delivery that could potentially reduce Missourians' escalating healthcare costs by up to $1 billion annually through modernizing and automating the way healthcare is delivered. Accomplishing this will strengthen Missouri's position as a national model of healthcare excellence and leader in next-generation health sciences and technology sector jobs.
The Tiger Institute is a public-private collaboration that will, among other things, accelerate MU's existing healthcare information technology (HIT) projects with Cerner to create one of the nation's most digitized health systems. The next phase will connect all of the University of Missouri Health Care (MUHC) hospitals, clinics and pharmacies, and could eventually extend to providers in the Columbia community and across the state of Missouri. The Tiger Institute is expected to have an estimated $100 million positive impact to MU from Cerner's investment, savings and future expected revenue through innovations created by the institute.
"We intend to leverage the collective capabilities and resources of Cerner and Mizzou to create a national model for excellent patient care, reduced healthcare costs, and leadership in next-generation health sciences and technology sector jobs," said University of Missouri System President Gary Forsee. "This enhanced collaboration will help us achieve significant hospital funding requirements while positioning us among the top health systems in the country for advanced patient-centered healthcare information technology."
The Tiger Institute also is expected to create new jobs around the state of Missouri. The institute will aim to increase the number of health science and technology graduates at the University of Missouri and through their experience with HIT, encourage them to remain in the state following graduation. It will provide an opportunity to position MU Health sciences schools as a hub for research and development of advanced uses of HIT.
In addition to saving Missourians money, the Tiger Institute is expected to vastly improve the quality of healthcare Missourians receive. Medicaid spending accounts for 30 percent of Missouri's total state budget, the majority of which can be attributed to the treatment of chronic conditions. To help reduce the cost of treating chronic conditions, the Tiger Institute will expand its current Medical Home project for consumers to better manage their health through resources such as education and secure messaging with their care provider. The Medical Home also allows physicians to quickly and easily review patients' essential data to make better care decisions with the latest evidence-based medicine standards. In November 2008, MU and Cerner received national recognition from the College of Healthcare Information Management Executives (CHIME) for their collaboration on the Medical Home project for managing chronic disease.
Underscoring the institute's goals, University of Missouri Chancellor Brady Deaton added, "The very essence of a great research university is staying at the frontier of new knowledge and giving those we serve the benefit of that knowledge. The MU partnership with Cerner is a perfect example of our continuing mission: develop cutting-edge ideas and apply them to provide the finest care and service in the global healthcare environment."
The Tiger Institute will help transform healthcare education by positioning MU as one of the most automated medical schools in the nation. Innovations created in a lab setting can quickly and seamlessly be implemented in real-world settings to provide future healthcare providers with the most up-to-date technology and resources possible. As healthcare processes and delivery models are modernized, new roles will be created within the healthcare ecosystem. MU can serve as a leader in training these new positions such as health coaches.
"Healthcare has not yet fully seen the benefits of information technology enjoyed by other sectors of the economy," Dr. Harold Williamson, Jr., vice chancellor of the University of Missouri Health System said. "Information technology will play an increasing role in the practice of medicine in the future, allowing better value through improved quality and efficiency. Creating this collaborative platform to promote the creativity of our medical and nursing faculty will be invaluable. The institute will allow us to maximize our own use of information technology and to test new ideas -- the appropriate role of an academic health center."
There are many benefits to HIT, including the ability to give providers instant access to vital patient information, which leads to better quality outcomes. The technology also creates a level of transparency for the consumer that is not available in today's paper-based environment. The use of HIT makes patients safer while eliminating waste in the system that drives up costs not only to providers and payers, but to the consumer.
"Cerner and the University of Missouri have a successful history as partners in innovation," said Neal Patterson, chairman, CEO and co-founder of Cerner. "The Tiger Institute is possible because of the close alignment between two Missouri organizations who want to see the latest technological innovations put into practice, who want the healthcare system to be more efficient and effective, and who want to contribute to the economic prosperity of our home state. This partnership will be held up as a model for the modernization of our current healthcare system."
About the University of Missouri Health System (MU Health System)
The University of Missouri Health System touches the lives of Missourians across the state in myriad ways -- through the quality care provided at MU hospitals and clinics, the education of future health professionals offered by MU health sciences schools, the specialty services delivered by University Physicians, and through life-saving research. With more than 7,500 faculty and staff, the health system has an estimated positive economic impact of $2 billion. Patients from every county in the state of Missouri are served at hospitals and clinics operated by MU Health Care. Outstanding research, community service clinics and the education of tomorrow's physicians, nurses and allied health professions are provided by the health system's three health sciences schools -- the School of Health Professions, the Sinclair School of Nursing and the School of Medicine. The health system also includes University Physicians, a group practice with more than 450 physician members.
About University of Missouri Health Care (MU Health Care)
University of Missouri Health Care's network of hospitals, clinics and telehealth sites reaches across the state of Missouri. Each year more than 20,000 patients are cared for in its hospitals and more than 500,000 patients are treated in its clinics. University Hospital and Clinics, Children's Hospital, Columbia Regional Hospital and Ellis Fischel Cancer Center are based in Columbia, MO. University Hospital offers the area's only level I Trauma Center and burn intensive care unit. Children's Hospital is mid-Missouri's only comprehensive pediatric facility with more than 30 specialties. CRH provides the area's most comprehensive medical team for women's health and houses the Family Birth center and Level III NICU. Dedicated solely to cancer, Ellis Fischel is the state's designated cancer center and offers the region's most comprehensive screening program. The health system also includes a long-term acute care facility, Missouri Rehabilitation Center, in Mount Vernon , MO.
About the University of Missouri (MU)
Founded in 1839 as the first university west of the Mississippi River, the University of Missouri is the state's premier land-grant, research and doctoral-granting university with 30,831 students currently enrolled. Among the faculty, more than 1,000 life scientists are making great strides in such areas as cancer treatment, cardiovascular diseases, diabetes, aging, plant genomics, nanoscience, exercise physiology, autism, nuclear medicine and comparative medicine. More information is available at www.missouri.edu.
About Cerner
Cerner is transforming healthcare by eliminating error, variance and waste for healthcare providers and consumers around the world. Cerner solutions optimize processes for healthcare organizations ranging in size from single-doctor practices, to health systems, to entire countries, for the pharmaceutical and medical device industries, and for the healthcare commerce system. These solutions are licensed by more than 8,000 facilities around the world, including approximately 2,100 hospitals; 3,300 physician practices covering more than 30,000 physicians; 500 ambulatory facilities, such as laboratories, ambulatory centers, cardiac facilities, radiology clinics and surgery centers; 600 home-health facilities; and 1,500 retail pharmacies. The following are trademarks of Cerner: Cerner and Cerner's logo. (Nasdaq:CERN). For more information about Cerner, please visit our Web site at www.cerner.com.
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