Cepheid GeneXpert(R) System and Xpert(TM) MRSA Selected for up to 11 Victoria, Australia Hospitals in Rollout of 'Start Clean...( State of Victoria Australia 'Star...),Health

State of Victoria, Australia 'Start Clean' Strategy Requires Public

Reporting of HAIs in all 76 Public Hospitals by End of 2009

SUNNYVALE, Calif., July 28 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Cepheid (Nasdaq: CPHD) today announced that the State of Victoria has selected Cepheid's GeneXpert(R) System and Xpert(TM) MRSA test for screening of high risk patients in up to 11 hospitals. Selection of these systems is part of ongoing efforts to comply with the rollout of the 5-year 'Start Clean' Victorian Infection Control Strategy, introduced by the Victorian Department of Human Services in 2007. To maintain compliance, all 76 Victorian public hospitals will need to provide public reporting of Healthcare Associated Infections (HAIs) by the end of 2009, according to the timelines published in the infection control strategy.

On-demand Xpert MRSA results enable Australian healthcare professionals to rapidly identify MRSA colonized patients entering the hospital population, thereby reducing risk of potential transmission. As quoted from the Start Clean Victorian Infection Control Strategy 2007-2011 document:

"Recent studies show that rapid diagnosis of MRSA colonization from screening swabs using PCR technology can reduce the time taken for detection of a carrier from days to hours. This is an important advance for the appropriate use of resources for the isolation and cohorting of patients."

"It is encouraging to note that Australian officials are recognizing the unique benefit of the GeneXpert System in providing clinically useful results on-demand," said John Bishop, Cepheid's Chief Executive Officer. "Faster time to result not only improves patient management, but also optimizes utilization of hospital resources."

The 'Start Clean' strategy introduced a pay for performance concept last year that began linking federal funding to compliance timelines for hospitals. The compliance strategy includes guidelines for screening, public repo
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