Two-Year Project to Include 200 Patients: 21 Patients Have Already Enrolled and Received the VeriMed Microchip; 85 Potential Enrollees to Attend Next Week
DELRAY BEACH, Fla.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--VeriChip Corporation (NASDAQ:CHIP - News), a provider of radio frequency identification (RFID) systems for healthcare and patient-related needs, and Alzheimer's Community Care, a local non-profit agency serving Alzheimer's patients and caregivers, announced today the official launch of the VeriMed(TM) Patient Identification Project. As previously announced on February 22, 2007, this project will evaluate the effectiveness of the VeriMed Patient Identification System in managing the medical records of Alzheimer's patients and their caregivers. The kick-off will take place at Alzheimer's Community Care headquarters in West Palm Beach, Florida, on August 28, from 1:30 to 3:30 p.m. Patients will have the opportunity to enroll in the project and receive the VeriMed microchip by a licensed physician. In the two-year, 200 patient project, participating individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease or other forms of dementia, as well as their caregivers, will receive the VeriMed microchip, providing emergency department staff easy access to those patients' identification and medical information. 
Scott R. Silverman, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of VeriChip, said, "We are very pleased to officially launch this important project with Alzheimer's Community Care. We believe individuals suffering from Alzheimer's disease and their caregivers can greatly benefit from the VeriMed system, which provides a safety net when they present in an emergency room unable to communicate. Alzheimer's disease, which is one of several medical conditions we have identified as being ideally suited for the benefits of the VeriMed system, is dramatically on the rise in the United States with as many as 16 million new cases predicted by 2050.(1)"
Mary Barnes, President and Chief Executive Officer of Alzheimer's Community Care, said, "Our caregivers are very interested in the VeriMed Patient Identification Project. They value its safety features for their loved ones who are suffering with Alzheimer's disease. Alzheimer's patients often find themselves in situations where this technology could make the difference between life and death. That alone makes it our responsibility to be involved with this project."
Individuals with Alzheimer's or other forms of dementia are often unable to give necessary identifying information or critical medical history upon being admitted to a hospital. The VeriMed Patient Identification System allows emergency room physicians to scan the patient's arm and immediately obtain a unique 16-digit identification number. The physician can then access the VeriMed database and obtain the patient's name, contact details, caregiver information, and medical history. Alzheimer's Community Care also believes it is important for caregivers to obtain the VeriMed microchip. If a caregiver becomes ill, the database will provide medical information that the patient would be unable to provide, as well as inform medical personnel that he or she is the caregiver for someone unable to care for themselves.
All participants in the project are voluntary. In the case of Alzheimer's patients unable to make medical decisions, their legally authorized representative must give permission for the patient to participate.
About Alzheimer's Community Care
The mission of Alzheimer's Community Care is to promote and provide specialized, compassionate, quality care to Alzheimer's disease and related disorders patients and their caregivers and ensure their safety, health and well being while preserving their dignity within a community-based environment. The organization serves as an innovative model of care which advocates for services and resources which are dementia-specific, accessible, affordable, individualized, and evidence-based. Alzheimer's Community Care has been serving the community since 1996.
About VeriChip Corporation
VeriChip Corporation, headquartered in Delray Beach, Florida, develops, markets and sells radio frequency identification, or RFID, systems used to identify, locate and protect people and assets. VeriChip's goal is to become the leading provider of RFID systems for people in the healthcare industry. The Company recently began marketing its VeriMed Patient Identification System for rapidly and accurately identifying people who arrive in an emergency room and are unable to communicate. This system uses the first human-implantable passive RFID microchip, the implantable VeriChip(TM), cleared for medical use in October 2004 by the United States Food and Drug Administration.
VeriChip Corporation is majority-owned by Applied Digital Inc. (NASDAQ:ADSX - News), which also owns a majority position in Digital Angel Corporation (AMEX:DOC - News). For more information on VeriChip, please call 1-800-970-2447, or email info@verichipcorp.com. Additional information can be found online at http://www.verichipcorp.com.
Statements about the Company's future expectations, including future revenues and earnings, and all other statements in this press release other than historical facts are "forward-looking statements" within the meaning of Section 27A of the Securities Act of 1933, Section 21E of the Securities Exchange Act of 1934, and as that term is defined in the Private Litigation Reform Act of 1995. Such forward-looking statements involve risks and uncertainties and are subject to change at any time, and the Company's actual results could differ materially from expected results. The Company undertakes no obligation to update forward-looking statements to reflect subsequently occurring events or circumstances.
Original Source