Genesis deploys BIO-key's finger-based biometric identification solutions

BIO-key International, Inc. (OTCBB:BKYI) www.bio-key.com, a leader in finger-based biometric identification solutions, announced the successful deployment by Genesis HealthCare System, based in Zanesville, Ohio, of BIO-key's biometric identification for staff to quickly, conveniently and securely establish their identity when ordering, verifying or administering medications as required by Ohio law.

"Our fingerprint identification software is approved by the Ohio Pharmacy Board for two-factor authentication and complies with the new DEA e-prescription two-factor rules for dispensing controlled substances," commented Mike DePasquale, CEO of BIO-key International. "This is the perfect solution to protect access to EMRs, not only for healthcare organizations in Ohio, but across the whole nation."

In the initial rollout, 2,000 clinicians and staff use fingerprint biometrics to establish their identity in Genesis's Epic software to order, verify or administer medications. In the next phase of this project, Genesis is implementing fingerprint biometric user logon with Vergence, a single sign-on solution from Sentillion, a Microsoft company. With these solutions in place, Genesis staff members can instantly establish their identity with the simple touch of a finger, giving them faster access to the systems they are authorized to use.

"Sentillion Vergence is designed to improve caregiver productivity and satisfaction by making single sign-on virtually transparent within existing clinical workflows," said Marguerite Yeo, director of product marketing, Microsoft. "We're pleased that Genesis and other healthcare providers can take advantage of BIO-key's fingerprint identification with Vergence to accelerate caregivers' access to IT systems and allow them to spend more time interacting with patients."

Genesis HealthCare System is a not-for-profit organization that operates two hospital sites, Genesis-Bethesda and Genesis-Good Samaritan in Zanesville, Ohio, and several affiliated health care organizations. Its primary service area is a six-county region of southeastern Ohio.

"BIO-key's ability to operate with every major fingerprint reader manufacturer allowed us to evaluate various readers to determine which would work best in our environment. As a result of our testing, we determined that Lumidigm's Mercury sensor provided us with the best performance. We have seamlessly integrated BIO-key's identification solution into our operation to comply with the Ohio Pharmacy Board for two-factor authentication. It is convenient and easy to use, streamlines our processes and improves our system's security," said Ed Romito, Vice President and CIO of Genesis Healthcare System.

Source BIO-key International, Inc.,