EarlySense Selects Massachusetts as Location for U.S. Headquarters Following Governor Patrick's Trade Mission to Israel

BOSTON and FRAMINGHAM, Massachusetts and RAMAT GAN, Israel, April 14, 2011 /PRNewswire/ -- EarlySense, Governor of Massachusetts Deval Patrick and the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center announced today that Israel-based EarlySense, developer of the EverOn contact-free patient monitoring system, has chosen to locate its U.S. headquarters in Massachusetts. The decision follows the March 2011 visit to Israel by Governor Patrick and a delegation of state leaders from industry, academia and government to promote mutually beneficial collaborations between Massachusetts and Israel. The company intends to hire 10 employees in Massachusetts before the end of the year and has plans to hire an additional 10-20 employees annually thereafter.

Avner Halperin, CEO of EarlySense said, "EarlySense seriously considered several states to locate its U.S. headquarters. We chose Massachusetts for several reasons. For one, we have a favorable history in Massachusetts. EarlySense is engaged in long term research initiatives at various prestigious medical institutions in the state including Partners' Healthcare. However, our final decision was reached following our time together with Governor Patrick in Israel. He convinced us that Massachusetts would be the best location to run our national operations focused on making the EarlySense system the standard of care in hospitals and nursing homes nationwide."

EarlySense and MetroWest Medical Center (MWMC) also announced today that MWMC has become the first hospital in Massachusetts to commercially implement EarlySense's contact-free patient monitoring system.

"The goal of our mission from its outset was to build lasting partnerships and showcase Massachusetts as the home away from home for Israeli companies. I am thrilled that EarlySense has chosen to do just that," said Governor Patrick. "We are proud that EarlySense has made this commitment to put people to work in our thriving life sciences economy, and selected Massachusetts among other states vying for their attention. EarlySense and companies like it bring with them the potential to reduce health care costs and increase the quality of care with their technologies, a critical priority of this administration. I am confident that the Commonwealth will continue to see a significant return on its investment from our economic mission in the months ahead."

"This is a direct result of the Governor's recent trade mission to Israel," said Dr. Susan Windham-Bannister, president & CEO of the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, who accompanied the Governor on the mission. "We were able to reinforce during our meetings in Israel that Massachusetts is a great place to do business for life sciences companies. We welcome EarlySense to the world's leading life sciences Supercluster, and the Center looks forward to working in partnership with EarlySense as they put down roots and grow here in Massachusetts."

"The Massachusetts-Israeli connection is strong and gives the Commonwealth a competitive edge in a global economy," said Consul General of Israel to New England Shai Bazak. "I am excited to welcome EarlySense to a growing list of Israeli companies doing business here in Massachusetts - and thrilled that they have made their decision as a result of the Governor's economic mission to Israel in March. We will continue to work together to identify new opportunities to show Israeli companies the value of expanding their operations to Massachusetts."

"EarlySense's decision to grow in Massachusetts highlights the strength of the cluster here in the Commonwealth and the capacity for industry, academia and government to work together to get things done," said Robert K. Coughlin, president & CEO of MassBio, who also accompanied the Governor on the trip. "We're thrilled to have such a cutting-edge, growing, global company join us in telling the story of Massachusetts' strengths."

EarlySense's System is an FDA and CE cleared, automatic, continuous, patient monitoring system approved for use in hospitals and homes. The system activates the moment the patient enters the bed using a contact-free sensor that slips under the mattress and never touches the patient. The system records and documents cardiac, respiratory, and motion parameters for up to 36 patients at a time and alerts staff when thresholds are crossed, as well as if a patient needs turning to avoid pressure ulcers or is leaving the bed and is in danger of falling. Nurses are informed of patient status changes on the patient's bed side monitor, at the nurse's station, on their mobile phones and on a large screen display mounted in a prominent spot on the wall in the department.

"MetroWest Medical Center is committed to providing the highest level of care and safety to our patients utilizing proven, cutting edge technologies," said Andrei Soran, CEO of MWMC. "We believe that EarlySense's system matches our focus on safety and quality of care. Using this technology we will be able to track patients continuously in a contact-free manner and provide timely, effective care at the bedside. We are convinced by the clinical research that has been done with the system to date and look forward to bringing this technology to the benefit of MetroWest Medical Center and the citizens of Massachusetts."

"We have worked closely with EarlySense for some time and are very excited about the value of both this promising company and its technology, which has the potential to help hospitals improve patient safety and overcome the issue of alarm fatigue which has presented a major challenge for detecting patients who may be about to decompensate," said Dr. David Bates, noted by Modern Healthcare to be one of the 100 most powerful people in healthcare in 2010. Dr. Bates is the chief of the Division of General Internal Medicine at Brigham and Women's Hospital in Boston, a professor of medicine at Harvard Medical School, and the executive director of the Center of Patient Safety Research and Practice with which EarlySense is currently conducting clinical research.

Last month, Governor Patrick led a coalition of the Commonwealth's leading business executives and state economic development officials on an economic development mission to Israel and the United Kingdom. The Massachusetts delegation focused on job-growth opportunities in the innovation industries, including life sciences, technology, financial services and clean energy sectors. Israel and the United Kingdom have thriving innovation economies and the Governor focused his efforts on strengthening current relationships and exploring new opportunities for investment here at home and abroad. For more information, please visit http://www.mass.gov/governor/innovationmission.

About EarlySense

EarlySense is bringing to market an innovative technology designed to advance proactive and preventive patient supervision to enable better patient outcomes. The company's flagship product, EverOn, is an automatic, continuous, contact-free patient supervision device that follows and documents a patient's vital signs and movement. There are no leads or cuffs to connect to the patient, who has complete freedom of movement and is not burdened by any irritating attachments. The system is currently installed at several medical centers in the USA and Europe. EarlySense is headquartered in Ramat-Gan, Israel and has announced plans to locate a US headquarters in Massachusetts. For additional information, please visit http://www.earlysense.com . Press inquiries: Marjie Hadad, media liaison, [email protected] or +1-617-939-9514.

About MetroWest Medical Center

MetroWest Medical Center is a full-service community teaching hospital system dedicated to meeting the health care needs of the MetroWest region of Massachusetts by providing advanced care with a community touch. The 424-bed health care system - the largest between Worcester and Boston - includes Framingham Union Hospital, Leonard Morse Hospital in Natick, MetroWest HomeCare and Hospice, and The MetroWest Wellness Center, an outpatient diagnostic imaging and rehabilitation center. Media Contact: Beth Donnelly: +1-508-383-1096 or [email protected]

About the Massachusetts Life Sciences Center

The Massachusetts Life Sciences Center ("the Center") is a quasi-public agency of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts tasked with implementing the Massachusetts Life Sciences Act, a ten-year, $1 billion initiative that was signed into law in June of 2008. The Center's mission is to create jobs in the life sciences and support vital scientific research that will improve the human condition. This work includes making financial investments in public and private institutions that are advancing life sciences research, development and commercialization as well as building ties between sectors of the Massachusetts life sciences community. For more information, visit http://www.masslifesciences.com. Media contact: Angus G. McQuilken, vice president for communications, Massachusetts Life Sciences Center, [email protected] or +1-617-921-7749.

SOURCE EarlySense