Hill-Rom Innovative TotalCare(R) Bariatric Plus Therapy System Receives Gold Medical Device Excell...( BATESVILLE Ind. June 5 /- Hill-Ro...),Health

BATESVILLE, Ind., June 5 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Hill-Rom (NYSE: HRC) has received a Gold 2008 Medical Device Excellence Award for the TotalCare(R) Bariatric Plus therapy system. The award recognizes excellence in medical device engineering and design. This is the second year in a row that a Hill-Rom(R) product has been recognized with this award.

The TotalCare Bariatric Plus therapy system is an integrated bed system that addresses microclimate management, pulmonary management, and immobility in medical-surgical and intensive-care unit settings while serving as bed, chair, and transporter. While the product specifically addresses the needs of bariatric patients and their caregivers, it is done using the same look and feel of Hill-Rom's TotalCare(R) Therapy System -- which is one of the most successful critical care hospital beds ever developed.

"It is common for bariatric patients to be immobile and acutely ill when they arrive at the hospital. Their condition puts them at high risk for pressure ulcers and other associated complications. The TotalCare Bariatric Plus therapy system provides clinicians a validated approach to drive positive skin and therapy outcomes in bariatric patients while preserving their dignity," said Jeff Kao, president of Hill-Rom's North American Acute Care division. "Hill-Rom's commitment to enhancing outcomes for patients and their caregivers is exemplified in the expertise and innovation that goes into all our products."

The Medical Design Excellence Awards competition, presented by Canon Communications LLC (Los Angeles), is the only awards program that exclusively recognizes contributions and advances in the design of medical products. Entries are evaluated on the basis of their design a
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