Welch Allyn Devices Become First Vital Signs Monitors Authorized for Wireless Deployment Within U.S. Federal Government Healthcare Agencies

Welch Allyn, a leading global provider of medical diagnostic solutions, announced today that it has received FIPS 140-2 Level 1 validation for the integrated radio in its Connex(R) Vital Signs Monitor (Connex VSM) 6500 Series and Connex(R) Integrated Wall System (Connex IWS) 8500 Series, making the Welch Allyn devices the first vital signs monitors authorized for wireless deployment within U.S. federal government healthcare agencies. No other radios used in vital signs monitors have earned Federal Information Processing Standard (FIPS) validation from the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST), which is required for wireless deployment within U.S. Federal Government agencies under the Federal Information Security Management Act of 2002 (FISMA).

"We are pleased to announce that the Welch Allyn Connex VSM and Connex IWS devices are the first vital signs monitors authorized for wireless deployment under FIPS for use within U.S. federal government healthcare agencies," said Will Fox, Director, U.S. & Canada Marketing at Welch Allyn. "The validation of our proprietary radio demonstrates our continued commitment to meeting the needs of security-conscious healthcare organizations and enables the U.S. federal government to buy with confidence knowing these Welch Allyn devices meet their computing policy requirements for protecting sensitive patient information."

The integrated Welch Allyn radio in the devices was designed specifically for the medical market, and it operates on hospitals' existing wireless systems using 802.11 a/b/g technology. Using this radio, the device safely and securely transmits vital signs data to an electronic medical record (EMR) through the company's Connex(R) Vitals Management software--eliminating the need for clinicians to manually input data. Connex VSM and Connex IWS devices being shipped today can be upgraded in the field to FIPS validated status when version 3.0 of the radio software becomes available later this year.

Welch Allyn Devices Become First Vital Signs Monitors Authorized for Wireless Deployment Within U.S. Federal Government Healthcare Agencies

"Our integrated radio uniquely meets the demands of clinical staff on the frontlines since it was designed specifically for low-acuity areas, like med/surg floors," added Fox. "The wireless coverage in these areas may be less robust than traditional monitoring locales, like telemetry units, and this radio is optimized to work seamlessly in these areas to improve clinician workflow and reduce errors. It also provides the highest level of authentication and encryption available for commercial 802.11 networks and FIPS validation adds additional peace of mind that the data will not be breached or compromised."