First-Ever Online Video Contest Celebrates America's Smaller Hospitals; Communities Come Out in Droves to Support Their Hometown Facilities MALVERN, Pa., Jan. 25 /PRNewswire/ -- Drum roll, please... The winner of the Siemens "Win an MRI" contest is Lockport Memorial Hospital in Lockport, N.Y. The hospital is the recipient of a brand new MAGNETOM(R) ESSENZA -- one of Siemens' latest developments in magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) technology, brought to market in October 2007. Lockport Memorial Hospital won the MRI -- worth approximately $800,000 -- through a first-of-its-kind online video competition hosted on http://www.winanmri.com/. (Logo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070904/SIEMENSLOGO ) Lockport Memorial Hospital, a 134-bed facility in upstate New York, made its case for why it needs a fixed MRI in a staff-produced video that demonstrates the complications and inconveniences posed to patients and physicians when a hospital lacks an in-house MRI. Currently, when a Lockport physician prescribes an MRI to a patient, the patient must travel to an off- site facility, such as a private diagnostic imaging center or another hospital, to get an MRI. Every second counts in healthcare, and this process could delay diagnosis and treatment time. Once installed, however, the MAGNETOM ESSENZA will be available for diagnostic imaging 24-hours a day, greatly increasing patient access to MRI and improving overall quality of patient care. "We are a small hospital that, much like most community hospitals in this country, struggled with how to afford a state-of-the-art MRI machine," said Clare Haar, Chief Executive Officer of Lockport Memorial Hospital. "We are thrilled to have won the competition for the Siemens MAGNETOM ESSENZA, as it will allow us to expand the diagnostic care that we provide to our community, addressing their healthcare needs better than ever before." About "Win an MRI" Siemens launched "Win an MRI" on October 22nd, inviting healthcare facilities that met the contest criteria to display their creativity and dedication to patient care in brief, online videos that showcased why they considered their institution most deserving of the free MRI. Siemens' goal in running the contest was to increase its brand recognition and introduce its new MRI specifically designed and priced to meet the needs and budgets of community hospitals, a healthcare market typically unable to afford such diagnostic devices. Lockport Memorial Hospital competed against more than 100 other hospitals nationwide that posted their most creative, humorous or emotionally appealing video to the campaign Web site. These unique videos caused a media buzz across the country, intensifying the competition with public appeals for votes. In just two months, the contest generated over 2.68 million video viewings and 1.4 million total votes. "America's smaller communities have come to trust and rely upon their local hospitals to address their healthcare needs, but many of these hospitals do not have the resources to provide a full range of diagnostic services," said Jeffrey Bundy, Ph. D., vice president, Magnetic Resonance, Siemens Medical Solutions USA, Inc. "'Win-an-MRI' has helped to raise awareness of the extraordinary work that these hospitals do, and Siemens is thrilled to provide a new MRI to Lockport Memorial, expanding their ability to provide first-class medical treatment to their local community." The MAGNETOM ESSENZA The MAGNETOM ESSENZA, which was introduced to the market in October 2007 and developed specifically for the small hospital market, is expected to help physicians deliver improved imaging services in neurology, orthopedics, body imaging, angiography, cardiology, breast imaging, oncology and pediatric imaging. The lowest-cost new system available today, the MAGNETOM ESSENZA boasts 1.5-Tesla magnet strength. It generates high-resolution images that will help clinicians make a more precise diagnosis and could eliminate the need for expensive and time-consuming follow-up exams. About Siemens Healthcare Siemens Healthcare is one of the world's largest suppliers to the healthcare industry. The company is a renowned medical solutions provider with core competence and innovative strength in diagnostic and therapeutic technologies as well as in knowledge engineering, including information technology and system integration. With its laboratory diagnostics acquisitions, Siemens Healthcare will be the first fully integrated diagnostics company, bringing together imaging and lab diagnostics, therapy, and healthcare information technology solutions, supplemented by consulting and support services. Siemens Healthcare delivers solutions across the entire continuum of care -- from prevention and early detection, to diagnosis, therapy and care. The company employs more than 49,000 people worldwide and operates in 130 countries. In the fiscal year 2007 (Sept. 30), Siemens Healthcare reported sales of euro 9.85 billion, orders of euro 10.27 billion, and group profit of euro 1.32 billion. Further information can be found by visiting http://www.siemens.com/healthcare . http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20070904/SIEMENSLOGO DATASOURCE: Siemens Healthcare CONTACT: Tom Schaffner of Siemens Healthcare, +1-610-448-1477, Web site: http://www.usa.siemens.com/medical http://www.siemens.com/healthcare http://www.winanmri.com/

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