RURAL HEALTH TRANSFORMATION GRANT:

LEVERAGING TECHNOLOGY TO IMPROVE ACCESS AND TRANSFORM THE PATIENT ROOM EXPERIENCE

The CMS Rural Health Transformation Program is a $50B initiative focused on improving access, sustainability, workforce, and innovation in rural healthcare delivery. Soon, CMS will award grants based on clear strategies that are focused on the priorities outlined below.

Aceso offers innovative solutions that support the priorities of the Rural Health Transformation program and delivers technology and solutions that streamline care and the patient experience. Below are the CMS priorities, and associated Aceso benefits:

CMS Priority: Improve Access to Care & Health Outcomes

• Expand access to care in rural communities
• Improve patient outcomes and preventive care
• Address gaps in chronic disease, behavioral health, and maternal care

Aceso Delivers:

• Virtual Care Integration: enables remote consults, virtual nursing, and specialist access
• Patient Access: Aceso Sphere delivers education, engagement, and care plan visibility

Clinical and Operational Impact: Extends access via virtual care capabilities. Intelligent interaction with automated services streamlines workflow, transitions of care, and patient education. All leading to better outcomes.

CMS Priority: Sustainable Access & Hospital Viability

• Improve financial sustainability of rural providers
• Increase efficiency and reduce operational burden
• Maintain rural hospitals as long-term access points

Aceso Delivers:

• Operations Sphere automates service requests, discharge workflows, and throughput
• Digital command center patient room reduces delays and improves bed utilization
• Workflow automation reduces manual coordination and labor inefficiencies

Clinical and Operational Impact: Helps rural hospitals do more with limited staff and resources

CMS Priority: Workforce Development & Support

• Address workforce shortages
• Improve recruitment and retention
• Reduce clinician burden

Aceso Delivers:

• Virtual nursing capabilities extend clinical capacity
• Clinical Sphere improves communication and reduces administrative burden

Clinical and Operational Impact: Enables care teams to operate at the top of license despite staffing constraints. Intelligent tools create more time for the work only humans can do.

CMS Priority: Innovative Care Models

• Test new care delivery models
• Advance value-based care
• Improve coordination across care settings

Aceso Delivers:

• System of Action platform connects patients, clinicians, and operations in real time
• Integrated patient room supports hybrid care (in-person + virtual)
• Care coordination tools enable seamless transitions and discharge readiness

Clinical and Operational Impact: Aceso Sphere supports new models like hospital-at-home, virtual rounding, and hybrid care delivery

CMS Priority: Technology & Infrastructure Modernization

• Invest in digital health infrastructure
• Enable technology adoption in rural hospitals
• Improve data sharing and connectivity

Aceso Delivers:

• Aceso Sphere platform integrates with EHRs and existing hospital systems
• Real-time dashboards provide visibility into care plans and operations
• Scalable, device-agnostic deployment (TV, mobile, tablet) reduces infrastructure burden

Clinical and Operational Impact: Brings enterprise-grade digital capabilities to resource-constrained environments

CMS Priority: Regional Collaboration & Partnerships

• Strengthen partnerships across providers and communities
• Promote coordinated regional care delivery

Aceso Delivers:

• Unified platform across care settings supports system-wide standardization
• Digital communication tools connect patients, families, and distributed care teams
• Enables hub-and-spoke models with centralized virtual care resources

Clinical and Operational Impact: Supports regional health systems and efficient virtual communication strategies across geographies and facilities

Aceso aligns strongly with CMS priorities because it:

• Does not require costly capital or operating expense.
• Enables scalable digital transformation at the bedside.
• Supports workforce extension through virtual care.
• Improves both patient experience and operational efficiency.

Contact Aceso today to learn more about how we’re transforming care.

Email: Contact@Aceso.com

Aceso Attending HIMSS Las Vegas: Showcasing Innovation with HP and Zoom

Join Us at HIMSS for an Exclusive Demonstration

Aceso is excited to announce our participation at HIMSS in Las Vegas during the week of March 9-12. As a leader in patient room technology, we’re eager to connect with industry professionals and share the latest advancements in our platform.

On Tuesday and Thursday of HIMSS week, we’ll be demonstrating our newest innovations and collaborative solutions, developed in partnership with HP and Zoom. These sessions will take place in the Zoom conference space and will highlight how our integrated technologies are transforming patient engagement and operational efficiency in healthcare settings.

Don’t miss this opportunity to see firsthand how Aceso, HP, and Zoom are working together to drive meaningful change. For more details or to schedule a meeting, please reach out to Shad Williams at shad.williams@Aceso.com, or stop by the Zoom booth #4404.

Aceso Interactive

Quarterly Update

Fall/Winter 2025 Volume 1 / Issue 3

The Core of Connected Care

Throughout 2025, Aceso has commissioned a deep study regarding the healthcare market – specifically, patient room technology, readiness, expected outcomes and future technology – and the role Aceso plays. It’s a market and brand assessment on steroids. As we get into 2026, we’ll share our findings, but the process has identified some clear trends that are important to share now.

1. A majority of the providers we talk with (hospitals/health systems) feel the patient-focused technology in the room is insufficient.
2. Further, the common thread we found is that providers/administrators report the average patient room is not wired for the future.
3. As a result, there’s a patchwork of point solutions being deployed, and the practical support and scalability of varied solutions is not feasible.
4. In addition to basic communication services, care teams and administrators are eager to embrace virtual care services, but scalability is a deterrent. Cost outruns benefit at scale.
5. A platform and tool that incorporates patient services, education, entertainment, communication, virtual care services, etc. is a common request.
6. Expected benefits are: improved patient satisfaction, streamlined workflow, ease of use, access to near real-time information, competitive differentiation…and a scalable price point.

In the coming weeks, Aceso will dive into strategies that can be initiated to tackle a patient room innovation project. Many clients are leveraging Aceso solutions to achieve the benefits notes in bullet six, and many more have laid the foundation for the future. As a practical matter, the market is moving towards the solutions Aceso designs…our job is to help provide the roadmap. We will share the details of the survey in our next newsletter, but eager to talk today if the timing is right for you.

Upcoming Events

Look for Aceso at the ONL New England Winter Quarterly Meeting in Framingham, Massachusetts Friday December 12!

Coming in 2026…

In conjunction with the market analysis, Aceso also commissioned a comprehensive brand study. Formal launch won’t happen until early Q1 2026, but the process has helped us think about our market approach. More plainly, the process made clear the benefits of the platform, and its alignment with what our clients are trying to accomplish. This will result in a new logo (you might notice the sneak preview in this newsletter), refreshed message, web site, and a new look and feel, but it’s also confirmation of our fundamental premise: that providing an innovative, flexible, scalable and open platform is the most practical solution as the market continues to navigate the needs of patients & providers today, while anticipating and accommodating for future advances.

We will continue our work with HP, Zoom, LG, Samsung, Collette and others as we continue to expand our platform of market leading partners! Aceso is committed to delivering scalable, innovative solutions that leverage the capabilities of today’s intelligence, and positions the platform for the future!

Client Support Center

If you have support questions, or need assistance, please email support@aceso.com and we will respond ASAP.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aceso Interactive Partners with HP to Deliver Scalable Patient Collaboration and Engagement Platform

Wilbraham, MA — November 18, 2025 — Aceso Interactive, Inc., a leader in patient experience and engagement solutions, today announced a strategic partnership with HP, Inc. (NYSE: HPQ), integrating the full capabilities of the Aceso Interactive Patient Care Platform and Pane of Glass™ toolkit with HP | Poly video collaboration solutions. This integration marks a significant milestone in advancing world-class video conferencing, and market-leading patient engagement solutions.

The Aceso and HP solution enables healthcare providers to deliver seamless, interactive, and personalized patient engagement experiences, without the need for additional hardware or cumbersome IT integrations.

“This collaboration with HP represents the next evolution of the connected patient room,” said Geoff Fiedler, Co-Founder and President of Aceso Interactive. “By making our platform accessible with HP | Poly devices, we are providing healthcare organizations with a turnkey and scalable solution that enhances patient engagement, connects patients via world class collaboration tools, streamlines clinical workflows, and improves outcomes.”

The Aceso platform, with the flexibility of the Pane of Glass™ toolkit, empowers care teams to personalize care delivery, provide real-time information, and enable entertainment and education at the patient’s bedside. Now, with the power and innovation of HP | Poly video collaboration devices, the combined solution delivers efficient virtual care connections, speed to value and cost savings at-scale – for health systems of all sizes.

“Aceso is committed to transforming healthcare with technology that improves collaboration, efficiency, and the overall care experience,” said Todd Babineau, Aceso Co-Founder and COO. “Partnering with HP makes video communication more seamless and efficient, providing a state-of-the-art patient experience that is designed for patients and providers.”

This integration aligns two industry leaders to create a more connected, efficient, and patient-centric care environment — extending the world’s leading collaboration technology with healthcare’s most flexible patient engagement platform.

About Aceso Interactive, Inc.
Aceso Interactive is redefining the patient experience with innovative software that enhances communication, education, and entertainment at the point of care. The Aceso Interactive Patient Care Platform is used by leading hospitals to create personalized, efficient, and impactful patient interactions.

Media Contact:
Shad D. Williams
Chief Growth Officer
Aceso Interactive, Inc.
shad.williams@Aceso.com
www.Aceso.com

Honoring Our Veterans: Gratitude from Aceso Interactive

November 11, 2025

Today, on Veterans Day, we pause to honor and thank the brave men and women of the United States Armed Forces who have served our nation with courage, dedication, and sacrifice.

At Aceso, we are deeply grateful for the freedoms and security made possible by their service.  Veterans exemplify the values of commitment, teamwork, and resilience—principles that inspire us every day in our work to improve care experiences and support those who serve others.

We extend our heartfelt appreciation to all Veterans, active-duty personnel, and their families. And we are especially proud to work every day with Sarah Wright, RN, Aceso Clinical Informatics Executive and Col. USAF (Ret.), and Senior Field Services Engineer and US Navy Veteran Anthony Kappenhagen.  Your service and sacrifice remind us of what it means to lead with purpose and compassion.

Thank you for your service and your enduring example.

Aceso would also like to recognize our client-partner Home Base (www.homebase.org). Since 2009, Home Base has served over 40,000 Veterans, Service Members, and Family Members, and trained over 85,000 clinicians, educators, first responders and community members to recognize and treat invisible wounds. If you are interested in learning more about the Home Base effort, we encourage you follow the link above. Ways to give can be found here: www.homebase.org/ways-to-give/ways-to-give-2/.

— The Aceso Interactive Team

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Aceso Interactive and Samsung Partner to Advance Patient Engagement and Digital Signage in Healthcare

Wilbraham, MA & Englewood Cliffs, NJ — November 6, 2025 — Aceso Interactive, Inc., a leading provider of patient engagement and healthcare communication technology, is pleased to announce a strategic partnership with Samsung Electronics America to deliver advanced interactive patient care and digital signage solutions to hospitals and health systems across North America.

This collaboration brings together Samsung’s industry-leading display technology with Aceso’s enterprise-grade software platform to address the evolving needs of modern healthcare environments — from patient rooms to public spaces. As a certified developer on Samsung’s TIZEN and TEP operating systems, Aceso is enabling seamless integration of its patient engagement and digital signage solutions across Samsung’s suite of commercial healthcare displays.

“Our partnership with Samsung reflects a shared commitment to transforming the healthcare experience through intuitive, intelligent technology,” said Todd Babineau, Co-Founder and COO of Aceso Interactive. “By combining our platform with Samsung’s trusted display infrastructure, whether the TIZEN or TEP operating systems, we’re helping health systems communicate more effectively, engage patients more meaningfully, and operate more efficiently — all within a single, scalable ecosystem.”

Together, Samsung and Aceso offer a fully integrated solution that powers patient education, virtual care, entertainment, staff messaging, and facility-wide communications — all while leveraging the existing Samsung hardware footprint in many health systems. Hospitals across North America are already using the combined solution to reduce complexity, streamline deployment, and enhance the patient experience. An innovation-focused seven hospital health system in the Northeast US has deployed Aceso across more than 1,000 Samsung TIZEN and TEP displays, proving the scalability and flexibility of the combined Aceso software and Samsung intelligent displays.

“Aceso’s proven software capabilities in healthcare, paired with Samsung’s display innovation, provide a powerful offering for hospitals focused on digital transformation,” said Richard Leonarz, Director of Hospitality TV Product Management, Samsung Electronics America. “This partnership ensures that health systems can deliver consistent, high-quality communication and engagement using trusted Samsung technology.”

About Aceso Interactive, Inc.
Aceso Interactive delivers intelligent, scalable patient engagement and digital communication solutions for healthcare. From bedside patient engagement to enterprise digital signage, Aceso empowers hospitals to enhance care delivery, improve communication, and elevate the patient experience.

About Samsung Electronics America
Samsung Electronics America, Inc., a recognized leader in digital display technology, provides healthcare organizations with innovative solutions that improve communication, operational efficiency and patient satisfaction. Through the Samsung platforms like TIZEN and TEP, Samsung continues to drive the future of connected care environments.

Media Contact:
Shad Williams
Chief Growth Officer
Aceso Interactive, Inc.
shad.williams@aceso.com
www.aceso.com

Collette Health and Aceso Partner to Advance Smart Patient Room Technology

Integration delivers seamless virtual care through in-room televisions, enhancing patient engagement while optimizing clinical workflows

NOBLESVILLE, Ind. – October 7, 2025 – Collette Health, the only virtual care platform that unifies virtual observation, virtual nursing, and workforce augmentation into one scalable solution, today announced a strategic integration partnership with Aceso, the healthcare industry’s premier digital communication ecosystem. This collaboration represents a significant advancement in smart patient room technology, enabling hospitals to deliver comprehensive virtual care services directly through patient room televisions without requiring additional hardware or workflow disruptions.

One Screen, Complete Virtual Care Access

The integration combines Collette Health’s AI-powered virtual care platform with Aceso’s innovative Pane of Glass™ technology, creating a seamless experience that meets the growing expectations of both patients and care teams. By leveraging Aceso’s flexible backend infrastructure, which consumes and presents data from multiple sources, hospitals can now deploy Collette Health’s virtual nursing and observation capabilities through the same in-room television patients use for entertainment and education.

This partnership addresses the urgent need for healthcare organizations to optimize clinical resources while enhancing patient safety and satisfaction. With hospitals facing workforce challenges and tightening financial margins, the ability to implement virtual care solutions without extensive hardware installations or workflow reconfigurations provides a critical competitive advantage.

“This integration partnership with Aceso represents an important evolution in how we deliver virtual care,” said Holly Miller, CEO of Collette Health. “By bringing our comprehensive virtual nursing and observation capabilities directly into the patient room television, we’re eliminating barriers to adoption while creating an experience that feels natural and familiar to patients. This aligns perfectly with our person-centered AI philosophy—technology should enhance, not complicate, the healthcare experience.”

 “The Aceso-Collette Health partnership is built on the foundation that the power of our combined solutions creates one solution for patient engagement and virtual care collaboration,” said Todd Babineau, Co-Founder and COO of Aceso. “We are driving towards simplicity. The flexibility of the Aceso platform, combined with the technology and services Collette Health provides, enables one solution for patient engagement and care team collaboration.” Shad Williams, Chief Growth Officer, added, “This collaboration is a direct response to the calls from providers for a cost-efficient, single-source solution that can scale across the enterprise.”

Streamlining Implementation, Workflows, and Experience

The integration enables hospitals to scale virtual care strategies across diverse unit types while maintaining the flexibility to tailor specific workflows and outcomes to individual care environments. Key benefits of the Collette Health-Aceso integration include:

• Lightweight Technical Implementation: No additional clinician workstations or specialized hardware required—all virtual care functions are integrated directly into existing patient room televisions
• Streamlined Clinical Workflows: Virtual care interactions require no additional documentation from bedside nurses or physicians—all clinical information flows automatically into existing EHR systems, eliminating dual documentation while enabling clinicians to operate at the top of their license
• Enhanced Patient Experience: Patients access virtual nursing services through the same familiar television interface they use for entertainment and education, meeting modern expectations for technology-enabled care

This announcement builds on Collette Health’s recent acquisition of the Virtual Nursing Academy™ reinforcing the company’s commitment to providing healthcare organizations with a complete virtual care ecosystem that combines proven technology, clinical expertise, and comprehensive implementation support. The Aceso integration represents Collette Health’s first digital patient room partnership and Aceso’s first collaboration with a comprehensive virtual care platform provider.

Healthcare leaders are invited to visit Collette Health at booth 3214 during the ANCC National Magnet Conference in Atlanta, October 8-10, 2025, to learn more about the integration.

About Aceso Interactive

Aceso Interactive (pronounced uh-kesso) is the leading software development company focused on delivering the Patient Room of the Future™. Dedicated to health care since inception, Aceso was founded in Boston, MA in 2009 and today supports thousands of providers and patients across North America. Aceso has been awarded multiple patents and continues to develop and deliver innovative software solutions for the health care industry.

About Collette Health

Collette Health is the foundation for launching and scaling virtual care. The all-in-one platform delivers virtual observation, virtual nursing, workforce augmentation, and support for other disciplines. Through its unique partnership with the Virtual Nursing AcademyÔ, Collette Health equips leaders to launch agile care models more quickly, avoid costly missteps, and adapt as needs evolve.

Ranked #1 in the 2025 Best in KLAS Virtual Sitting & Nursing category, Collette Health partners with over 175 hospitals nationwide, powering more than 20 million observation hours and helping to prevent over 100,000 patient falls annually.

Learn more at collettehealth.com or follow us on LinkedIn for more virtual care insights.

Addressing and Measuring 2025 HCAHPS Survey Questions Regarding Restfulness of the Hospital Environment

With the introduction of the Restfulness of the Hospital Environment questions in the 2025 HCAHPS survey, hospitals are facing a fresh challenge—and an opportunity—to demonstrate their commitment to the patient experience. The ability for patients to rest, recover, and feel supported during their stay is now explicitly measured, underscoring the essential role of healing environments.

One innovative way hospitals can address these new questions is by leveraging the Aceso Patient Engagement Platform and our enhanced relaxation and meditation content.

Promoting and Enabling a Calming Environment

Adequate rest is fundamental to healing. Research consistently shows that sleep disruption and stress in the hospital environment can slow recovery, increase pain perception, and reduce overall satisfaction. By focusing on rest, providers can not only improve clinical outcomes but also directly influence patients’ survey responses to the new HCAHPS items:

• “How often were you able to get the rest you needed?”
• “Was the area around your room quiet at night?”
• “Did doctors, nurses, and other hospital staff help you to rest and recover?”

Aceso’s Role

The Aceso patient engagement platform can integrate tools and content that directly support rest and relaxation:

• Guided Meditation and Relaxation Content: Easy access to calming audio and video content, including breathing exercises, progressive muscle relaxation, and mindfulness meditations.
• Sleep Sounds and Music Therapy: Access to soothing music, nature sounds, or white noise can help mask environmental interruptions and promote restful sleep.
• Personalized Rest Plans: Integrated care plans can include rest goals, quiet-time reminders, and nurse-patient discussions about restfulness as a part of routine rounding.

The Staff Connection

The new HCAHPS restfulness questions also highlight the role of doctors, nurses, and hospital staff in supporting rest. Patient engagement systems can empower staff by:

• Providing real-time patient feedback on noise or interruptions.
• Offering rest-focused tools and education for clinicians to reinforce during bedside visits.
• Enabling staff to recommend relaxation resources directly through the system.

A Strategic Advantage

By leveraging Aceso and our embedded rest-focused digital experiences, hospitals can go beyond the basics—they can proactively foster a healing environment that patients recognize and appreciate. This approach directly aligns with the HCAHPS updates and positions hospitals as leaders in whole-person care.

Conclusion

As restfulness takes center stage in measuring the hospital experience, leveraging relaxation and meditation content, and the Aceso patient engagement platform can deliver a powerful solution. Hospitals that embrace these tools will not only improve survey scores but also demonstrate a genuine commitment to helping patients rest, recover, and heal.

ACESO INTERACTIVE QUARTERLY UPDATE
Summer 2025 Volume 1 / Issue 2

THE LATEST NEWS FROM THE MARKET

In this issue of the Aceso Quarterly, we focus on a few observations in the patient engagement and digital communication market. First, the market continues to grow – generating an anticipated $224M in 2025, with a CAGR of 15% and reaching 450M through 2030. Aceso can validate the activity. We are finding that more and more hospitals and health systems are implementing patient engagement strategies – from basic white board automation and interactive patient care, to integrated virtual care and sophisticated digital communication and signage.
Many strategies are driving the growth: patient convenience, HCAHPS, fall prevention, care team satisfaction, virtual care, etc. At the core, providers are seeking to leverage existing hospital and patient-room technology to incorporate the services and data that patients expect in a high touch, high tech environment. Let us know if you’d like to learn the latest use case applications.
As you’re thinking about patient engagement strategies, consider seriously the digital end points you will deploy (the digital screens, TVs, etc.) Aceso works with multiple operating systems, but new buyers should focus due diligence on the type and size of the TV, in addition to the pillow-speaker and nurse call systems – and ensure that the devices you prefer are built and certified for healthcare.

AI in your future?
Healthcare is flooded with AI companies. And the consensus is that the efficiencies AI brings will change healthcare delivery. In many respects, it already has: ambient listening and automated charting, predictive analytics, and anticipating and automating routine and complex tasks. All of these capabilities are improving the care experience and outcomes. The question is when – not if – your hospital will leverage AI, and at what cost. Aceso is taking a practical approach – yes, we can leverage AI tools. In fact, you could argue that our intelligent UI leverages AI today – based on certain criteria, Aceso responds with the appropriate data, reminders and user interface. We also support third party tools – think AI integration to detect/anticipate fall risks or leveraging Agentic AI for service and information requests. All are possible with the open architecture of the Aceso Pane of Glass.

“The flexibility of the Aceso platform is creating an environment that allows us to be nimble in our approach to patient room technology.”

LET US KNOW
If you have a unique use case you’d like to share, or would simply like to connect because it’s been too long, please reach out! You can always email Shad Williams directly at shad.williams@aceso.com and he will respond quickly!

CLIENT SUPPORT CENTER
If you have support questions, or need assistance, please email support@aceso.com and we will respond ASAP.

Once again, thank you for being an Aceso Client! If you’d like to receive a copy of the Quarterly Update in your email in-box, please email shad.williams@aceso.com and you’ll be added to the list!