Hitachi Unveils "Charting Progress," the Company’s Newest Execution in its North America True Stories Branding Campaign
--Hitachi Consulting Profiled for its Use of Business Intelligence to Improve Emergency Care Across the U.S.--
TARRYTOWN, N.Y.—October 1, 2008— Hitachi America, Ltd., a subsidiary of Hitachi, Ltd. (NYSE: HIT / TSE: 6501) today announced the launch of "Charting Progress," http://hitachi.us/truestories/?movieNum=5 an online documentary film, the newest installment in Hitachi’s North America True Stories (http://www.hitachi.us/truestories/) corporate brand campaign. The film highlights the collaborative relationship between Hitachi Consulting Corporation and Schumacher Group, which specializes in providing outsourced emergency medicine solutions for 145 hospitals across the U.S.
Emergency department patients across the United States don’t see how Hitachi Consulting and Schumacher Group are using Business Intelligence (BI) to improve the care they receive. What they do experience is a high level of support by doctors and nurses who have the right information in their hands at the right time for providing better patient care.
In late 2007, Hitachi Consulting, the IT services company of Hitachi, Ltd., began working with Schumacher Group (www.schumachergroup.com) headquartered in Lafayette, Louisiana, to help hospitals tackle a set of difficult problems associated with running their emergency medicine operations. Schumacher Group recognized the critical need for better utilization of data collected throughout the treatment process with a goal of improving emergency care across the U.S.
"Health care is a much more complicated business to be in than it was, say, twenty years ago. In fact, providing emergency care has become increasingly difficult, thus prompting many institutions to turn to a company like Schumacher Group to help them do a better job of caring for so many more people, who are opting for emergency services instead of visiting their regular providers," said William “Kip” Schumacher, M.D., founder and CEO of Schumacher Group.
Opelousas General Health System (www.opelousasgeneral.com) in Opelousas, Louisiana, a client of Schumacher Group, is also featured in the film representing an example of the changes and new direction in emergency care.
"We are proud to partner with a group that shares our mission the way Schumacher Group does. They are committed to providing excellent patient care and recognize the extraordinary impact technology can have - it is a wonderful collaborative partnership," said Michelle Perkins, director of marketing, Opelousas General Health System.
According to Schumacher, "Hitachi Consulting provided the answers we were looking for coupled with a strategic approach that supported the company’s business model, along with tools to help share critical information with various stakeholders committed to patient care and our diverse network of hospitals across the U.S., including Opelousas General Health System."
"What we’re accomplishing with Hitachi Consulting is in a way revolutionizing both how and what information is shared. We’re establishing best practices and overall strengthening bonds across the entire network of people and organizations who touch the patient, from the attendant positioned at bedside to the clerk issuing a billing statement, to arrival of that bill at the mailbox," noted Schumacher.
"Although Schumacher Group is not unlike many companies that struggle to make good use of the data they collect, our work together has the added, personal benefit of helping doctors and nurses identify trends in illness, or behaviors, how demographics play a role and how so many pieces of the information puzzle are coming together to make a real difference in people’s lives, people who in some cases are going through life-threatening situations," said Patrick Bolin, Hitachi Consulting director of specialized services.
"The only way we’re really going to change healthcare is if we help healthcare become better from the inside out, and Schumacher Group is intent on doing just that, and we’re pleased to be a part of it," said Bolin.
According to Bolin, the ongoing Advanced Business Planning (ABP) project to implement strategic business planning processes, BI solutions and technology interfaces, including the Microsoft BI platform, at Schumacher Group’s installations in 17 states is expected to continue into 2009.
"Our goal long term is for this project and its results to serve as an ABP learning model for how health care providers, and many other types of companies, can use data, strategic thinking and cutting-edge solutions to improve the lives of patients and their families," noted Bolin.