HealthTech Acquires Perioperative Solutions Provider Acuitec LLC

Transaction expands HealthTech’s surgery management capabilities and supports strategy of acquiring best-of-breed departmental solutions and services that improve provider operations

NASHVILLE, Tenn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--HealthTech Holdings Inc. (HealthTech), a health information technology company, today announced the acquisition of integrated perioperative solutions provider Acuitec LLC. The transaction supports HealthTech’s strategy of investing in technology companies that create value for providers and patients across the healthcare industry.

“Acuitec offers proven technology created with enormous input from Vanderbilt University Medical Center clinicians. Adding Acuitec as a HealthTech business line brings even more value to providers, especially given the central role surgery plays in hospitals’ profitability and patient satisfaction”

Acuitec’s flagship product, VPIMS (Vigilant Perioperative Information Management Solution), is a comprehensive solution for the perioperative setting that scales to facilities of all sizes. VPIMS includes scheduling, preference cards, nurse documentation, case management, reports, anesthesia charting, mobile capabilities, and more. Acuitec was originally formed as a partnership with Vanderbilt University Medical Center (VMC) for the purpose of commercializing their award-winning products, VPIMS and Vigilance, a remote presence and clinician support application allowing multiple cases to be monitored simultaneously. These products were developed to support the varied and complex needs of VMC.

Acuitec solutions are in use in a broad range of settings, including stand-alone surgery centers, small community hospitals, and large academic medical centers, including VMC. Vanderbilt clinicians were instrumental in developing VPIMS and Vigilance and still play an integral role in the enhancement of these solutions.

“Acuitec offers proven technology created with enormous input from Vanderbilt University Medical Center clinicians. Adding Acuitec as a HealthTech business line brings even more value to providers, especially given the central role surgery plays in hospitals’ profitability and patient satisfaction,” said Bill Anderson, chairman, president and CEO of HealthTech. “We were attracted to Acuitec for several reasons, including its relationship with Vanderbilt, the solution’s strength as a best-of-breed offering, and its ability to scale from the needs of smaller community hospitals to very large providers and health systems. We expect that customers of our HMS and MEDHOST companies will be very interested in Acuitec, as will prospective new customers to whom Acuitec products can be sold stand-alone, or as part of our comprehensive EHR solution for hospitals.”

Acuitec will operate as an independent business line within HealthTech, and its solutions will be deeply integrated into the comprehensive EHR from HMS. HealthTech will retain all Acuitec employees and its Birmingham, Ala., headquarters with Lionel Tehini continuing to serve as Acuitec’s president.

“HealthTech and Acuitec share the belief that clinically proven technology is the best way to enhance the quality of patient care, enabling providers to function efficiently, while increasing profitably,” Tehini said. “Joining HealthTech immediately makes available to Acuitec resources to support our rapid growth, while at the same time bringing the benefits of our perioperative solutions to a much larger footprint of providers. Acuitec is now part of a strong, well-established healthcare technology company, and I am excited about the growth opportunities that are ahead for Acuitec.”

Acquiring Acuitec demonstrates HealthTech’s commitment to acquiring best-of-breed technologies and driving those solutions deep into the healthcare marketplace, as it did with its acquisition of MEDHOST in 2010.

“HealthTech actively evaluates best-of-breed departmental and service solutions that help hospitals improve their quality of care and patient satisfaction while ensuring the hospital’s financial health with more efficient operations,” said Daniel Hart, HealthTech’s vice president of corporate development. “Providers want a fully integrated solution across the hospital, including high-profile departments such as surgery and the emergency department, and through its various business lines, HealthTech is delivering what providers need.”

About Acuitec

Acuitec was formed in 2008 as a partnership with Vanderbilt University Medical Center for the purpose of commercializing their award winning products, VPIMS and Vigilance. Acuitec offers a fully-integrated, comprehensive solution to meet the dynamic challenges of the perioperative environment. Designed by clinicians to increase efficiency and patient safety, the solution offers patient tracking, pre/intra/post-op electronic charting, anesthesia charting, video boards, eStatus boards, and eORboards. Additionally, it is the only perioperative solution featuring remote presence and situational awareness. Acuitec’s unique solution enables hospitals to enhance the cost-effectiveness and quality of perioperative care. More information is available at www.acuitec.com.

About HealthTech

HealthTech operates a family of health-information technology companies, including Healthcare Management Systems, MEDHOST, Sentry Healthcare Services and Acuitec. HealthTech’s mission is to acquire and manage technology companies focused on creating value for the healthcare industry. More information is available at www.healthtechholdings.com.