Cerner, a leading international supplier of healthcare information technology (HIT) solutions, has opened an office in Riyadh, Saudi Arabia, as part of its mideast expansion plans.

Cerner has provided HIT solutions to clients in the Saudi Arabia for 16 years. This new office serves to strengthen Cerner's relationships with key clients in the region as well as enhance its solutions and implementations for the Saudi market.

“It’s an exciting time to be in healthcare in Saudi Arabia, which is an innovative and rapidly growing market for advanced healthcare technology,” said Richard Berner, Cerner Middle East vice president and managing director.

With operations in 21 countries, Cerner currently has six clients at 10 different facilities in Saudi Arabia, including King Faisal Specialist Hospital & Research Centre.

The hospital chose Cerner as its HIT partner in May 2000 to implement multiple Cerner Millennium solutions, automating physician and nursing documentation as well as the emergency room, radiology, pharmacy, surgery and administrative operations.

“The Cerner Millennium system has added a significant value to hospital operations in terms of patient safety, staff productivity and managerial decision-making process,” said Dr Qasim Al Qasabi, King Faisal Specialist and Research Centre chief executive director. “This has served the hospital well as we continue to lead as a ‘Center of Excellence in Health Care’ and in the region.”

The Cerner Millennium solutions provide a clear benefit to both patients and healthcare providers in the cycle of care delivery through electronic patient registration, order entry, scheduling, results reporting and viewing.-TradeArabia News Service