BARRINGTON, IL, December 19, 2008 – GE Healthcare IT, a leading provider of healthcare information technology, today announced the general release launch of Centricity® Business version 4.3.  This latest version of the GE Healthcare solution for revenue cycle management, patient access and managed care is designed to help drive efficiency and enhance services for academic medical centers, hospitals and hospital networks, and large practices in the United States. The new release is currently live at multiple Centricity Business customer sites.

“The launch of Centricity Business 4.3 highlights the expertise and proven performance of GE Healthcare,” said James M. Corrigan, Vice President and General Manager, GE Healthcare IT. “For more than 35 years, we’ve helped customers drive business performance in support of their clinical mission. We’re proud to support the ongoing mission of our customers with this key expansion of the Centricity portfolio.”

Centricity Business version 4.3 delivers solid new features and functionality across each of the solution’s application suites, which include Patient Access, Financial Management and Business Intelligence. Enhancements to these existing applications will be made available to Centricity Business customers as part of their ongoing maintenance and support from GE Healthcare – no additional contracts are required. Beyond the core suites, GE Healthcare has developed two entirely new applications in response to customer need: Centricity Business – Patient Protocol Manager and Centricity Business – Image Broker.

As previously announced by GE, Patient Protocol Manager is designed to help facilitate the complexities of clinical trial protocol, subject and billing management.  This new solution has been fully tested and is in live operation at several of the largest Centricity Business customer sites.

In addition, Centricity Business version 4.3 features Centricity Business - Image Broker, a new extension of the proven and widely-utilized Centricity Business - Electronic Document Management solution. Image Broker allows customers to develop integration with third-party document imaging and management systems so that users can navigate to these third-party systems quickly, from within the Centricity Business workflows. The application is live at the University of Virginia Health Services Foundation, a large medical group practice affiliated with the University of Virginia Health System.

The solution also includes standard connectivity to Centricity Electronic Medical Record (EMR), which streamlines workflow between an organization’s front end, clinical staff and billing office. Industry-leading clinical and financial informatics tools within both solutions allow customers to monitor and report on revenue cycle trends and quality outcomes. Connectivity to the ambulatory EMR can also help customers improve patient satisfaction by reducing duplication and improving the flow of information between primary care or specialty physician practices and the hospital.

Developed by GE Healthcare using the rigor of Six Sigma processes, the enhancements in version 4.3 are a direct result of extensive feedback gathered from the Centricity Business customer community. Across the Centricity Business customer base, response to version 4.3 has been overwhelmingly positive, and a large number of organizations have already committed to implementing the solution.

About Centricity Solutions
In today's healthcare environment, an IT solution needs to provide more than paperless and filmless workflow, more than next generation electronic medical records, more than discreet tools for departmental productivity. Today's healthcare IT needs to facilitate collaboration across the entire continuum of care - to help enhance patient safety,  efficiency and the quality of care available to our communities. Today's healthcare IT needs Centricity from GE Healthcare. www.gehealthcare.com/centricity