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Kaiser Permanente Invests in NKL

Kaiser-Permanente in California has invested $3 million in NKL Cash Handling systems for this year for its medical facilities based on the growing size of co-payments made in cash at physician practices. The Kaiser-Permanente health care program is a national prepaid group-practice HMO and California’s second largest partnership.

NKL Cash Handling products from FKI Security Group in New Albany, IN were the first to market with a biometrics entry solution in the cash handling safes category in September 2002. The FKI Security Group goes beyond traditional safe technology and adds a turnkey system for cash management, financial auditing, financial tracking, and cash handling. Director of Marketing Steve Aronson of NKL Cash Handling said that all NKL Auditlok XLV products can be upgraded with a biometrics reader in less than an hour for under $1000 retail.

“We made the decision to replace existing drop safes with intelligent safes that offer cash dispensing and biometrics entry. Our primary goal was to decrease the length an employee had to travel in a building to make deposits. We see this as a very real life safety issue for employees,” explained Project Manager Jeri Bennett of Patient Business Services for Kaiser Foundation Health Plan, Inc.
Other key benefits of better cash management cited were: loss prevention and employee security, decreased cash carrying for all staff; easy entry into an audited safe network; and time-savings in access to cash for key employees.

The first installation went live for Kaiser-Permanente at its Folsom facility in Capital-Sacramento Valley, Ca. in October 2002.

A rollout of approximately 300 Autobank D8C units with Auditlok XLV and biometrics is anticipated in the first and second quarter of 2003. The NKL Cash Handling network will cover participating medical office buildings and hospitals as well as some pharmacies.

“This is a very exciting technology and will make a big difference in our operations,” Bennett added. “We are using both fingerprinting and pin numbers now for our employees, but by the end of 2003 we will rely on biometrics,” Bennett explained.

NKL is a brand of the FKI Security Group, (formerly Fire King International) based in New Albany. For product information, contact, Mike Smith, Vice President of Research & Development at 800-457-2424, Ext. 1262.

About NKL
NKL cash handling, a member of the FKI Security Group is a premiere cash management product serving the loss prevention industry. The FKI Security Group goes beyond traditional safe technology and adds a turnkey system for cash management, financial auditing, financial tracking, and cash handling. Through a vigorous focus on the customer and their changing needs, NKL remains the number one leader in this new category of cash management for loss prevention. For more information, visit nklcashhandling.com.

About Kaiser-Permanente in California
In Southern California, Kaiser Foundation Health Plan (KFHP) enrolls members and contracts with the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) to provide medical and health care services to health plan members. In Northern California, KFHP contracts with The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) to provide care.

The Kaiser Permanente Southern California Region alone has more than 3.1 million members. It includes 3,600 physicians in the Southern California Permanente Medical Group (SCPMG) and 45,000 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals employees. The region is served by 11 major medical centers.

The Kaiser Permanente Northern California Region has almost 3.2 million members. It includes 4,451 physicians in The Permanente Medical Group (TPMG) and approximately 46,000 Kaiser Foundation Health Plan and Hospitals and TPMG employees. The Region is organized into six service areas served by 19 major medical centers.