General Electric and Vancouver 2010 partner to provide high-tech mobile
medical unit for Whistler-area venues during Olympic and Paralympic Winter
Games

VANCOUVER , Oct. 16 /CNW/ - General Electric, a Worldwide Partner of the Olympic Games, and the Vancouver Organizing Committee for the 2010 Olympic and Paralympic Winter Games (VANOC) announced today that GE Healthcare is providing a state-of-the-art mobile medical unit for medical emergencies for athletes and officials in the Sea to Sky region during the 2010 Winter Games.

The $4.5-million USD mobile medical unit is funded through GE's sponsorship value-in-kind agreement with VANOC.

"We're delighted to provide this mobile medical unit to Vancouver 2010 for use at Olympic and Paralympic Village Whistler," said Peter Robertson , general manager, GE Healthcare Canada . "Medical providers, athletes and officials will now have improved, immediate access to outstanding diagnostic, patient monitoring and operating room equipment from GE - it's a great example of the kind of innovations we're proud to bring to Canada ."

During Games time, the GE mobile medical unit will work within the security parameter of the Olympic and Paralympic Village Whistler as an extension of the on-site polyclinic centre staffed around the clock with doctors, specialists and nurses. The unit will provide immediate access to high-quality, diagnostic and patient monitoring equipment in addition to a surgical area that can be used in dire emergencies.

"GE's mobile medical unit is a perfect fit for our needs in 2010," explained Cathy Priestner-Allinger, VANOC's executive vice president of sport and Games operations. "We need to be prepared for any event during the Games and this unit means we can ensure quick access to state-of-the-art surgical facilities and medical personnel in the event of an emergency or if the patient can't be transported elsewhere."

The 15.9-metre tractor-trailer can expand to a 90 square metre unit with 12 beds, which includes a recovery/triage area and intensive care unit, as well as an operating room with two independent surgical beds. A support trailer will also be stocked with 72 hours worth of surgical supplies and other equipment.

    
    The GE technologies to be featured on the mobile unit include:

    -   LOGIQ e Compact Ultrasound
    -   Centricity Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS)
    -   IVent ventilator for Intensive Care Unit (ICU)
    -   Dash 5000 monitoring for the ICU
    -   CIC - Central Station Monitoring
    -   S/5 Aisys Anesthesia Carestation
    -   S/5 Anesthesia Monitor and accessories
    

The staffing of the mobile medical unit will follow the VANOC volunteer model for the Games, with enhanced support from the Public Health Agency of Canada's National Office of Health Emergency Response Teams (NOHERT) and the Vancouver Coastal Health Authority.

The GE mobile medical unit finalizes VANOC's medical services requirements from the International Olympic Committee (IOC) to provide enhanced capability in the Sea to Sky region during the Games.

Following the Games, the Province of British Columbia will purchase the unit from VANOC.

About VANOC

VANOC is responsible for the planning, organizing, financing and staging of the XXI Olympic Winter Games and the X Paralympic Winter Games in 2010. The 2010 Olympic Winter Games will be staged in Vancouver and Whistler from February 12 to 28, 2010. Vancouver and Whistler will host the Paralympic Winter Games from March 12 to 21, 2010. Visit www.vancouver2010.com for more information.

About GE and the Olympic Games

GE is the exclusive provider of a wide range of innovative products and services that are integral to staging a successful Olympic Games. GE works closely with Host Countries, cities and Organizing Committees to provide infrastructure solutions for Olympic Games venues including power, lighting, water treatment, transportation and security and to supply hospitals with diagnostic imaging equipment to help doctors treat athletes. In addition, NBC Universal, a division of GE, is the exclusive U.S. media partner of the Olympic Games, with its partnership also extending through 2012. For more information, please visit www.ge.com/olympicgames.

About GE Healthcare

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics, patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare systems.

Our "healthymagination" vision for the future invites the world to join us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality and efficiency around the world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom , GE Healthcare is a $17 billion unit of General Electric Company (NYSE: GE). Worldwide, GE Healthcare employs more than 46,000 people committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit our website at www.gehealthcare.com.

/NOTE TO PHOTO EDITORS: A photo accompanying this release is available at http://photos.newswire.ca. Images are free to accredited members of the media/

For further information: Media Contacts: Greg Alexis, Vancouver 2010, [phone], [email protected]; Arvind Gopalratnam, GE Healthcare, [phone], [email protected]