Web-based platform integrates medical functions into zoological information management system

Minneapolis, Minnesota USA – 2 May 2014 – In a much-anticipated milestone, ISIS has launched an enhanced version of ZIMS (Zoological Information Management System) that integrates medical information into the animal husbandry recordkeeping system. With the initial release of ZIMS for Medical, the ZIMS platform includes and improves upon many of the features in ISIS’s legacy software, MedARKS.

“Releasing ZIMS for Medical is a very significant accomplishment,” says Dr. Paul P. Calle, Chief Veterinarian for the Wildlife Conservation Society, which operates the Bronx Zoo, and an ISIS board member. “It gives ISIS members an even more robust platform for managing not only animal husbandry information but also medical information about the animals in their care.”

More than 20 members of the international zoological veterinary community partnered with ISIS to develop and test the enhanced software. Its new features give ISIS members access to cross-institutional best medical practices. ZIMS for Medical also makes transferring and sharing medical information within zoos and aquariums easier, and builds upon the body of global husbandry and medical information which ISIS members have contributed and come to depend on over the past 40 years.

A partial list of features offered in this initial ZIMS for Medical includes:
  • Anesthesia records
  • Treatments and prescriptions
  • Pharmacy inventory
  • Samples
  • Tests and results
  • Physiological measurements
  • Clinical notes
  • Diagnoses and procedures
  • Medical term dictionary
  • Reports generated for complete medical histories, aesthesia summaries, samples, tests and results; and unresolved medical issues.
New users have a wealth of training opportunities to take advantage of, including self-guided tutorials, informal online forums, and hosted webinars.

In response to the many institutions worldwide that have expressed interest in using the enhanced ZIMS platform’s newest features, ISIS has begun phasing members in, and expects to complete that process within 6-8 months. At the same time, veterinary leaders have already begun to prioritize and define requirements for future medical enhancements including serum banking, diagnostic imaging, and pathology records.

Founded in 1974, ISIS is a non-profit organization representing over 840 zoological institutions in 84 countries. It maintains the largest global database in the managed animal care community, including detailed information on more than 3,000,000 animals and 15,000 species, putting the organization and its members in a unique position to initiate programs in wildlife conservation, population sustainability and bio-diversity. For more information about ISIS and ZIMS, the leading global animal records management platform, please visit http://www.isis.org.

CONTACT:
Diane Hammond
Marketing Strategist
International Species Information System (ISIS)
+1.651.447.5525
dhammond@isis.org