KANSAS CITY, Mo., and CHICAGO, April 18, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Today Cerner (CERN) (Nasdaq:CERN) and the Midwest's largest health system, Advocate Health Care, announced a collaboration to create new data-driven models designed to improve patient health outcomes and safety. This unique partnership will combine Cerner's health care technology and data management capability with Advocate's population risk and clinical integration expertise, to develop predictive models and advanced analytic tools to enhance the care of patients across the entire continuum.

Over the last 10 years, Advocate has earned a reputation as a national leader in clinical integration. Together, the organizations will develop a cloud solution that will integrate all of Advocate's data silos, including administrative and electronic health information. This data will then be used to create predictive models for patient outcomes before they occurleading to early interventions.

"This agreement takes our pursuit of excellence in health outcomes to the next level," said Lee Sacks executive vice president and chief medical officer, Advocate Health Care. "Together we are developing a health management platform that allows us to deliver the best coordinated, quality and proactive care for our patients."

The partnership will initially focus on predicting and reducing incidents, such as readmissions and hospital acquired conditions. The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services (CMS) has focused its attention on these events by introducing financial penalties for poor performance. The collaboration will progress to develop health and care delivery models that will strive to prevent and manage complications from chronic disease.

Overall the partnership will serve as a model for health care organizations seeking a team-based approach to care that effectively manages patients across multiple sites of care.

"The future of health care will be much more precise in diagnosing the problem, predicting complications and treating with proven care plans," Neal Patterson, Cerner chairman, CEO and co-founder said. "The single biggest way to save substantial dollars in health care is to prevent things that are avoidable. From a personal perspective, I want to know my risk factors and what I can do today to avoid complications or chronic disease in the future."

About Cerner

Cerner is contributing to the systemic change of health and care delivery. For more than 30 years Cerner has been executing its vision to make health care safer and more efficient. We started with the foundation of digitizing paper processes and now offer the most comprehensive array of information software, professional services, medical device integration, remote hosting and employer health and wellness services. Cerner systems are used by everyone from individual consumers, to single-doctor practices, hospitals, employers and entire countries. Taking what we've learned over more than three decades, Cerner is building on the knowledge that is in the system to support evidence-based clinical decisions, prevent medical errors and empower patients in their care.

Cerner ^® solutions are licensed by approximately 9,300 facilities around the world, including more than 2,650 hospitals; 3,750 physician practices; 40,000 physicians; 500 ambulatory facilities, such as laboratories, ambulatory centers, cardiac facilities, radiology clinics and surgery centers; 800 home health facilities; 40 employer sites and 1,600 retail pharmacies.

Certain trademarks, service marks and logos (collectively, the "Marks") set forth herein are owned by Cerner Corporation and/or its subsidiaries in the United States and certain other countries throughout the world. All other non-Cerner Marks are the property of their respective owners. Nasdaq: CERN. For more information about Cerner, please visit www.cerner.com , Twitter, Facebook  and YouTube .

About Advocate Health Care

Advocate Health Care, named among the nation's top health systems, is the largest health system in Illinois and one of the largest health care providers in the Midwest. Advocate operates more than 250 sites of care, including 10 acute care hospitals, two integrated children's hospitals, five Level I trauma centers (the state's highest designation in trauma care),two Level II trauma centers, one of the area's largest home health care companies and one of the region's largest medical groups. Advocate Health Care trains more primary care physicians and residents at its four teaching hospitals than any other health system in the state. As a not-for-profit, mission-based health system affiliated with the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America and the United Church of Christ, Advocate contributed $474 million in charitable care and services to communities across Chicagoland and Central Illinois in 2010.

This release contains forward-looking statements that involve a number of risks and uncertainties. It is important to note that the Company's performance, and actual results, financial condition or business could differ materially from those expressed in such forward-looking statements. The words "will combine," "will develop", "will progress", and "will strive" or the negative of these words, variations thereof or similar expressions are intended to identify such forward-looking statements. Factors that could cause or contribute to such differences include, but are not limited to: the possibility of product-related liabilities; potential claims for system errors and warranties; the possibility of interruption at our data centers or client support facilities; our proprietary technology may be subject to claims for infringement or misappropriation of intellectual property rights of others, or may be infringed or misappropriated by others; risks related to our dependence on third party suppliers; changing political, economic, regulatory and judicial influences; government regulation; significant competition and market changes; and, failure of the parties to achieve the intended benefits. Additional discussion of these and other risks, uncertainties and factors affecting the Company's business is contained in the Company's periodic filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. The reader should not place undue reliance on forward-looking statements, since the statements speak only as of the date that they are made. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect changed assumptions, the occurrence of unanticipated events or changes in future operating results, financial condition or business over time.

CONTACT: Media Contact:
         Kelli Christman
         (816) 885-4342
         kelli.christman@cerner.com

         Investors Contact:
         Allan Kells
         (816) 201-2445
         akells@cerner.com