Medical Equipment News

Hillenbrand Industries, Inc. today announced its Hill-Rom subsidiary has received a 2007 Medical Device Excellence Award for The Vest(R) Airway Clearance System, Model 205. The award recognizes excellence in medical device engineering and design. The Vest(R) System is a device to help patients with respiratory conditions clear airway secretions.

"Hill-Rom's commitment to enhancing outcomes for patients and their caregivers is exemplified in products like The Vest(R) Airway Clearance System," said Peter Soderberg, president and CEO of Hillenbrand Industries and Hill-Rom. "We are especially proud to see this product recognized with the Medical Design Excellence Award as it represents recognition by a premier medical technology awards program. Given the number of new medical product developments each year, this designation assists the medical community in recognizing innovative excellence."

The Medical Design Excellence Awards competition, presented by Canon Communications LLC (Los Angeles), is the only awards program that exclusively recognizes contributions and advances in the design of medical products. Entries are evaluated on the basis of their design and engineering features, including innovative use of materials, user-related functions that improve health care delivery and change traditional medical attitudes or practices, features that provide enhanced benefits to the patient, and the ability of the product development team to overcome design and engineering challenges so that the product meets its clinical objectives.

A comprehensive review of the entries was performed by an impartial, multidisciplinary panel of third-party jurors with expertise in biomedical engineering, human factors, industrial design, medicine and diagnostics.

The 2007 Medical Design Excellence Award winners will be honored at a ceremony during the Medical Design & Manufacturing (MD&M) East Conference and Exposition June 12-14, 2007 in New York.

The Vest(R) Airway Clearance System, Model 205 uses High-Frequency Chest Wall Oscillation technology designed to provide patients with consistent therapy, offering them an alternative to Chest Physiotherapy (CPT). The Vest(R) System is designed for acute and long-term care environments. The therapy is used for patients with a variety of both acute and chronic respiratory conditions that lead to retained secretions, such as immobility, lung transplant, cystic fibrosis and cerebral palsy.

"The product provides consistent therapy while reducing the need to reposition the patient," said Joe Raver, vice president and general manager, The Vest(R) System at Hill-Rom. "Respiratory therapists we work with find this product to be easy to use, safe and effective."

ABOUT HILLENBRAND INDUSTRIES, INC.

Hillenbrand Industries is organized into two operating companies serving the health care and funeral services industries.

A new Siemens medical equipment manufacturing factory will officially open in June and is expected to generate product sales of RMB 2.5 billion ($324.68 million) a year, said a representative today from the Shanghai International Medical Zone, where the new factory with be situated.

SPARTANBURG, S.C. -- Southern Home Medical Equipment, Inc. (Pink Sheets: SHMM) announced that the Company has secured funding for its first location of Encore Medical Staffing, Inc. Greg Tucker, President and CEO of Southern Home states, "Our growth plans are right on target as it pertains to our move into medical staffing." The company recently announced a national development agreement with First Choice Medical Staffing of Louisiana. First Choice Medical Staffing is a healthcare staffing company that is designed to meet the personnel needs of healthcare institutions including hospitals, nursing homes, rehab and other facilities. Greg Tucker, President and CEO of Southern Home stated, "First Choice Medical Staffing has a proven business model which capitalizes on one of the fastest growing industries in the country. In their second year of operations, the company generated over three million dollars in revenues. We have no plans to change or alter this business model. We simply want to grow it and expand it quickly. We have began operations under the name Encore Medical Staffing, Inc. in Greenville, S.C. Our plans are to expand the business model first in the Southeastern United States and eventually on a national level. This agreement allows Southern Home Medical first right of refusal for all markets outside the state of Louisiana. We are thrilled to be working with the First Choice Medical Staffing team. The First Choice team will act as consultants on a long term basis as we move Encore Medical Staffing forward and we look forward to building a strong business relationship with them that will benefit their company, Southern Home Medical and ultimately, our shareholders."

About Southern Home Medical Equipment, Inc.: Southern Home Medical is a holding company with a focus on medical equipment operations in the Southeastern United States. Formed in January 2005, with its principal place of business in Spartanburg, S.C., Southern Home Medical will be expanding its operations through the acquisition of existing durable medical equipment companies and through the start up of additional sites in strategic locations throughout the Southeast. Southern Home Medical provides "in-home" and nursing home patients with a complete line of medical equipment that includes: oxygen concentrators, semi-electric beds, wheelchairs, CPAPs, BiPAPs, enteral tube feeding, etc. Through its Encore Health & Wellness Division, Southern Home has also moved into additional health, wellness, and fitness related businesses to include Encore Medical Staffing, Inc. and Ladies Health & Fitness, Inc.

Contact: Southern Home Medical Equipment, Inc. Investor Relations 1-866-THE-APPL(E)