April 6, 2009 — A new research survey released today at HIMSS 2009 by SK&A Information Services Inc. reveals 67 percent of medical offices with four or more physicians do not currently use EMR software. The survey results point to substantial sales and marketing opportunities for healthcare information technology vendors and service providers.

Microsoft Corp. is showcasing new solutions designed specifically for healthcare providers, caregivers and patients, as well as solutions-applied healthcare scenarios.

April 5, 2009 - GE Healthcare will collaborate with the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention’s (CDC) National Center for Public Health Informatics in a project demonstrating the capability of a public health agency to utilize electronic medical record (EMR) systems to provide clinicians with timely, patient-specific information at the point of care.

April 6, 2009 — Baylor College of Medicine (BCM) is using optical molecular imaging technology from Carestream Molecular Imaging to advance the study of diseases and therapies involving cancer, cardiovascular disease, infectious agents, inflammatory disease and other conditions.

April 3, 2009 - Sorin Group today announced CE mark certification and market release of the ESPRIT pacemaker family in Europe, which the company says is the world’s smallest pacemaker at 8cc.

April 3, 2009 - ZOLL Medical Corp. said yesterday it initiated a voluntary worldwide field corrective action on its ZOLL AED Plus automated external defibrillator, where the company found some batteries do not work properly when used with AED Plus defibrillators manufactured prior to Feb. 12, 2009 (serial numbers below X_ _ _200000).

April 3, 2009 - Kaiser Permanente has substantially improved the heart attack survival rate for its members in Colorado through an innovative program that links coronary disease patients, and teams of pharmacists, nurses, primary care doctors and cardiologists, with an electronic health record and advanced clinical care registry.

April 3, 2009 - Results from the Medtronic-supported IRIS (Immediate Risk Stratification Improves Survival) clinical trial assessing the use of implantable cardiac devices (ICDs) in certain heart attack patients show a reduction in sudden cardiac death.