BONIFAY, Fla., Aug. 7 /EMWNews/ -- Florida's hospitals are facing

potential financial trouble as the state's economy continues to weaken and

the number of uninsured patients seeking treatment increases, according to

the Florida Hospital Association. In this uncertain landscape, it is ever

more critical for administrators and staff to stretch existing budgets as

far as possible -- and look for ways to cut unnecessary expenses.



    One way to save on operating expenses while improving efficiency is by

simplifying the time-consuming task Joint Commission environment of care

monitoring and reporting.



    The Joint Commission accredits and certifies more than 15,000 health

care organizations and programs nationwide and is recognized as a symbol of

quality that reflects an organization's commitment to meeting certain

performance standards.



    At an upcoming presentation at Doctor's Memorial Hospital, Tim Goatley,

healthcare specialist from Trane, will discuss how automated technology,

like the Critical Hospital Systems Dashboard from Trane, can help facility

managers streamline the accreditation process and more easily identify

areas where capital equipment investments could lower operating expenses.



    When: August 14, 2008, at noon



    Location: Doctor's Memorial Hospital, Bonifay, Fla.



    Tour of the new Doctor's Hospital facility to follow presentation

    About the Dashboard



    The Critical Hospital Systems Dashboard automates collection of data

related to the physical environment of the hospital, including temperature,

humidity, energy and relative pressure.



    Historically, hospitals manually track this data, which is a time- and

staff-consuming activity with the potential for human error. The cost of

correcting an instance of non-compliance can run as high as $25,000,

leaving little to no room for reporting error.



    Using the dashboard, hospital administrators and engineers can

continuously view, monitor, track, trend and report environmental

conditions in all critical areas of the hospital from a single location.

This simplifies Joint Commission environment of care documentation and

reporting, saves time and minimizes the potential for errors.



    Additionally, the dashboard gathers data hospital facility managers and

engineers need to help guide decisions on improvements and investments in

their environment systems.



    For example: If relative humidity levels in the surgical suite are

continuously off balance, patient outcomes may be sacrificed, surgeons may

unable to work effectively, and there may be a case for a capital

investment in humidity control systems.



    Trane, a wholly owned subsidiary of Ingersoll Rand (NYSE: IR), provides

systems and services that enhance the quality and comfort of air in homes

and buildings around the world. Through its two premium brands -- Trane and

American Standard Heating & Air Conditioning -- the business offers a broad

range of energy-efficient heating, ventilation and air conditioning

solutions. Its systems and services comprise dehumidifying and air cleaning

products; aftermarket service and parts support; advanced building

controls; and building and financing solutions, including those that allow

energy-efficient systems to pay for themselves through energy savings.

Trane's systems and services have leading positions in premium commercial,

residential, institutional and industrial markets; a reputation for

reliability, high quality and product innovation; and a powerful

distribution network. The business has 35 plants in 10 countries and more

than 29,000 employees worldwide. For more information, visit http://www.trane.com;

http://www.americanstandardair.com; and http://www.ingersollrand.com.



    Trane has been a partner to hospitals for over 40 years, providing a

range of systems, services and solutions to optimize healing environments,

improve patient outcomes, increase comfort levels of staff and patients,

and optimize facility investment. Nearly half of all healthcare facilities

in North America rely upon Trane systems for their comfort needs.