ROCHESTER, N.Y. - November 15, 2007 - In its continuing drive to bring high quality and efficiency to every aspect of health care, the University of Pittsburgh Medical Center (UPMC) has signed a seven-year, $70 million contract with Xerox Corporation  to simplify work processes while lowering printing and production costs.
With approximately 45,000 employees, 19 hospitals and a host of patient care sites throughout western Pennsylvania, UPMC knows firsthand the document management challenges of dealing with massive volumes of clinical and administrative documents flowing throughout the organization.
"As a recognized leader in applying information technology, UPMC has aggressively adopted electronic medical records to manage clinical data across our system. Our agreement with Xerox allows us to address the vast quantity of administrative communications and data that we manage daily," said James Szilagy, UPMC's chief supply chain officer. "Xerox's innovation in document management, professional services and technologies were key factors in our decision to partner with them on this important piece of our streamlining efforts."
In order to deliver cost savings and productivity efficiencies Xerox Global Services will focus on UPMC's office environment and print production operations. Xerox will start by managing the center's office output devices, such as printers and copiers, in order to reduce printing costs. In-depth reports on how each device is used will help UPMC reduce down-time and improve efficiency.
In addition, Xerox will consolidate the center's mix of 11,500 copiers, printers and other hardware to approximately 3,000 devices - to include the Xerox WorkCentre advanced black-and-white and color multifunction systems, and Xerox Phaser laser and solid ink color multifunction printers. This technology will further help the medical center meet the Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act's security standards that require controlled access to protected or patient data. Through features like Xerox's Image Overwrite, confidential data is kept safe by electronically "shredding" information stored on a device's hard disk, on demand or automatically upon the project's completion.
"We're subtracting devices to add productivity," said Lynn Wilmarth, vice president and general manager, Northeast Sales Operations, Xerox Corporation. "Our 3,000 devices are more capable than four times that many competitive products, due to advanced security features, functionality, and ease of use. The staff will see an immediate difference in their day-to-day work efficiency."
Xerox will also establish a Document Advisor Office to help UPMC manage and reduce printing costs associated with documents such as patient educational materials, forms and marketing collateral. Xerox DocuTech black-and-white production printers and Xerox DocuColor digital color presses will handle these high-volume print jobs.
"Technologies and services that give healthcare organizations an upper hand in an industry riddled with large amounts of paperwork, standards and regulations translates to a win for the organization and the consumer," said Angèle Boyd, IDC Group, vice president and general manager of Imaging, Output, and Document Solutions. "With Xerox's healthcare expertise, they know how to deliver solutions that help the industry achieve productivity gains and cost savings."