Royal Jubilee Hospital, Victoria, Vancouver Island, to Be the First Canadian Hospital to Install the BD Kiestra™ TLA Fully Automated Microbiology Lab System

MISSISSAUGA, Ontario, May 20, 2014 /PRNewswire/ -- BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company), a leading global medical technology company, today announced an agreement with Island Health to install the BD Kiestra™ Total Lab Automation (TLA) system. This fully-automated microbiology system will be installed at the Island Health's Royal Jubilee Hospital site by the 4th quarter of calendar year 2014 making Island Health the first Regional Health Authority in Canada to implement the system. The BD Kiestra TLA system is designed to streamline the entire microbiology testing process and shorten the time to results, enabling clinicians faster access to diagnostic information.

"We look forward to working with BD as we install our BD Kiestra TLA system. This technology will help us live our Vision of Excellent care for everyone, everywhere, every time," said Dr. Gordon Hoag, Medical Director, Laboratory Medicine at Island Health. "The implementation of this system will allow Island Health to support our capacity, improve result turnaround times, standardize processes, provide digitalized databases, enhance data retrieval and provide opportunities for optimal patient outcomes."

The BD Kiestra TLA system automates the manual processes associated with inoculating and incubating microbiology specimens. The system generates digital images to help shorten the time to identify bacterial growth. The opportunities for increased efficiency and quality improvements associated with automation aid in faster delivery of more accurate results to provide optimal patient care. In addition, laboratory staff is able to devote more time to analytical and value-added tasks.

"BD is proud to be working with Island Health to increase diagnostic efficiencies while delivering better patient outcomes and care," said Lawrence Mahan, Business Director, BD Diagnostics - Diagnostic Systems, BD in Canada. "By implementing the BD Kiestra TLA system, integrated with other rapid diagnostic technologies, Island Health is at the forefront of enabling the fastest possible identification and appropriate treatment of infectious disease."

BD has installed a base of BD Kiestra TLA instruments at public hospitals, universities, and privately owned laboratories in more than 14 countries worldwide since their introduction in 2006. The BD Kiestra TLA system was launched in North America in 2013.

About BD
BD is a leading medical technology company that partners with customers and stakeholders to address many of the world's most pressing and evolving health needs. Our innovative solutions are focused on improving drug delivery, enhancing the diagnosis of infectious diseases and cancers, supporting the management of diabetes and advancing cellular research. We are nearly 30,000 associates in 50 countries who strive to fulfill our purpose of "Helping all people live healthy lives" by advancing the quality, accessibility, safety and affordability of healthcare around the world. For more information, please visit www.bd.com.

Contacts:
Lindsay Roman
BD Public Relations
+1 (201) 847-4312
Lindsay_Roman@bd.com

SOURCE BD (Becton, Dickinson and Company)