HRC Hill Rom Holdings

BATESVILLE, Ind., Feb. 17 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hill-Rom today announced the introduction of its enhanced CareAssist ® ES bed, now with connectivity features, for use in medical-surgical areas of hospitals and care facilities. The new bed combines ease of use with key safety features and adds the flexibility of open architecture to accommodate virtually all surfaces manufactured for standard hospital bed frames. "With the introduction of smart bed technology to the CareAssist ES bed, Hill-Rom now offers connectivity solutions at every level of care from low acuity through the Intensive Care Unit, and across price ranges," said Mary Butler vice president and general manager, Marketing, North American Acute Care for Hill-Rom. "Our CareAssist ES bed is the perfect option for a basic, proven bed system and is the only bed in this price range to incorporate the technology of a smart bed. It will offer an excellent option with great value." She continued, "Smart bed features become particularly important as hospitals seek to increase their ability to capture clinically relevant data through connection to electronic medical records (EMR). In the long run, having the capability to capture data directly will help caregivers become even more responsive to patient needs. Hill-Rom is pleased to be leading the way in bringing connectivity to all levels of bed technology." The CareAssist ES bed, through smart bed technology, easily connects to hospital networks for documenting patient status, saving time and paperwork. In addition, a variety of other new and enhanced features makes this industry favorite an ongoing vital part of a health care facilities' mix. New features address ease of use and safety, including: -- Point-of-Care ® controls with large, easy-to-read controls -- IntelliDrive ® Power Transport to increase the ease of transportation of patients by a single caregiver and to provide less strain on a caregiver's back and legs -- A fifth wheel that enhances maneuverability -- One button Dining Chair ® feature where a single touch of a button can move the patient gently in and out of chair position -- Open architecture to create maximum flexibility allowing the use of almost any surface, depending on the patient's risk level for skin breakdown. The CareAssist ES bed is the seventh frame added to Hill-Rom's leading portfolio of smart beds. "This bed is an excellent new smart option for our customers with its innovative design, proven features that deliver safety and ease of use as well as important flexibility, and patient comfort," said Butler. ABOUT HILL-ROM HOLDINGS, INC. Hill-Rom is a leading worldwide manufacturer and provider of medical technologies and related services for the health care industry, including patient support systems, safe mobility and handling solutions, non-invasive therapeutic products for a variety of acute and chronic medical conditions, medical equipment rentals and information technology solutions. Hill-Rom's comprehensive product and service offerings are used by health care providers across the health care continuum and around the world in hospitals, extended care facilities and home care settings to enhance the safety and quality of patient care. Hill-Rom...enhancing outcomes for patients and their caregivers. http://www.hill-rom.com/ Disclosure Regarding Forward-Looking Statements Certain statements in this press release contain forward-looking statements, within the meaning of the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding the Company's future plans, objectives, beliefs, expectations, representations and projections. The Company has tried, wherever possible, to identify these forward-looking statements using words such as "intend," "anticipate," "believe," "plan," "encourage," "expect," "may," "goal," "become," "pursue," "estimate," "strategy," "will," "projection," "forecast," "continue," "accelerate," "promise," "increase," "higher," "lower," "reduce," "improve," "expand," "progress," "potential" or the negative of those terms or other variations of them or by comparable terminology. The absence of such terms, however, does not mean that the statement is not forward-looking. It is important to note that forward-looking statements are not guarantees of future performance, and the Company's actual results could differ materially from those set forth in any forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause actual results to differ from forward-looking statements include but are not limited to: the Company's dependence on its relationships with several large group purchasing organizations, whether the Company's new products are successful in the marketplace, impacts of healthcare reform, compliance with federal healthcare programs, collections of accounts receivable, compliance with FDA regulations, antitrust litigation, potential exposure to product liability or other claims, failure of the Company's announced or future strategic initiatives and restructuring and realignment activities to achieve expected growth, efficiencies or cost reductions, adverse consequences resulting from the spin-off of the funeral services business, failure of the Company to execute its acquisition and business alliance strategy through the consummation and successful integration of acquisitions or entry into joint ventures or other business alliances, increased costs or unavailability of raw materials, adverse changes in global economic conditions or disruptions of credit markets, labor disruptions, the ability to retain executive officers and other key personnel, liquidity of auction rate securities, and certain tax-related matters. For a more in depth discussion of these and other factors that could cause actual results to differ from those contained in forward-looking statements, see the discussions under the heading "Risk Factors" in the Company's previously filed Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended September 30, 2009, and the Quarterly Report on Form 10-Q for the quarter ended December 31, 2009. The Company assumes no obligation to update or revise any forward-looking statements. DATASOURCE: Hill-Rom CONTACT: Investor Relations: Blair A. (Andy) Rieth, Jr., Vice President,Investor Relations, Corporate Communications & Global Brand Development,+1-812-931-2199, andy.rieth@hill-rom.com, Media: Lauren Green-Caldwell,Director, Corporate Communications & Public Relations, +1-812-934-8692,lauren.green-caldwell@hill-rom.com Web Site: http://www.hill-rom.com/

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