ARMONK, N.Y., June 9 /PRNewswire/ -- Stellaris Health Network and Dell announced today the signing of a seven-year agreement that is designed to help Stellaris achieve even greater efficiencies in its daily IT operations, helping position it to exceed industry standards for the application of information technology for clinical effectiveness and patient safety.

The agreement will enable the four-hospital network, including White Plains Hospital, Phelps Memorial Hospital, Northern Westchester Hospital and Lawrence Hospital Center, to utilize a comprehensive suite of leading-edge technology solutions from Dell designed specifically to meet the challenges of Healthcare providers. Dell will provide hosting of Stellaris's MEDITECH Healthcare Information System (HCIS) through the MSite solution, as well as providing managed disaster recovery and expanded network and application support.

The service offerings provided through the agreement can benefit patients and employers through greater efficiencies. For example, an enhanced wireless network infrastructure designed and managed by Dell enables the hospitals to greatly expand secure patient, physician and guest Internet access. The re-engineered network also enables the direct connection between Stellaris's electronic medical record system and biomedical devices, enhancing efficiencies and effectiveness by helping to eliminate the need for error prone duplicate entry.

An industry leader in healthcare IT adoption, Stellaris hospitals have been awarded Stage 6 recognition in the HIMSS EMR Adoption Model, recognition achieved by less than 3% of hospitals and health systems in the U.S. The agreement between Dell and Stellaris identifies several additional leading-edge projects that are designed to align with industry standards for hospital care in Westchester. Stellaris will provide the clinical expertise and Dell will provide technical experts to enhance the use of clinical alert functions in the MEDITECH Electronic Medical Record System. In addition, Stellaris and Dell will collaborate to set a new standard in Westchester hospitals for providing patients and their designated providers secure access to critical medical data and treatment history to help avoid unnecessary and expensive duplication of testing and services.

"The selection of Dell as our technology partner is the culmination of a year-long initiative to update our long-term strategic IT plan and select a partner with the skills and vision best positioned to ensure our success. We are confident that Dell will help enable the Stellaris Hospitals to help maximize the use of IT to gain efficiencies while enhancing clinical effectiveness. This partnership enables Stellaris Hospitals to significantly raise the bar in providing leading edge information technology to support our physicians and employers in Westchester," Arthur Nizza, President and CEO, Stellaris Health Network.

"Stellaris has demonstrated a deep commitment to leveraging information technology to help deliver high-quality, cost-effective patient care. We look forward to supporting Stellaris, a leading New York healthcare provider, as they seek to better serve their network of patients and physicians. We are also excited about adding another MEDITECH customer to our growing MSite virtual remote hosted solution. Stellaris understands the need for efficiency and resilience in a modern EMR system, and as a result, they are taking advantage of the scalability, availability, and performance benefits offered by a well-architected and supported remote hosting environment," Berk Smith, President, Dell Services Healthcare.

About Stellaris Health Network

Based in Armonk, NY and founded in 1996, HealthStar Network, Inc. (dba Stellaris Health Network) is the corporate parent of Lawrence Hospital Center (Bronxville, NY), Northern Westchester Hospital (Mount Kisco, NY) Phelps Memorial Hospital Center (Sleepy Hollow, NY), and White Plains Hospital Center (White Plains, NY). In addition to the network of hospitals, Stellaris provides ambulance and municipal paramedic services to Westchester County, New York through Westchester Emergency Medical Services.

With nearly $795 million dollars in combined revenue and 1,100 in-patient beds, Stellaris Hospitals account for over a third of the acute care bed capacity in Westchester County. It is one of the largest area employers, with over 5,000 employees and approximately 1,000 voluntary physicians on staff. The Stellaris Hospitals provide multidisciplinary acute care services as well as a range of community based services such as hospice, home health, behavioral health and physical rehabilitation. As Stellaris pursues new programs and joint ventures, it will continue to evolve as the regions' leading healthcare system, dedicated to preserving high quality, community-based care for residents of Westchester, Putnam, Rockland, Dutchess, Northern Bronx, and Fairfield Counties.

About Dell

Dell Inc. (NASDAQ: DELL) listens to customers and delivers worldwide innovative technology and business solutions they trust and value. Dell develops and delivers a comprehensive suite of services and solutions in applications, business process, consulting, infrastructure and support to help customers succeed.

SOURCE Stellaris Health Network