Aspyra Inc. said Tuesday that Rodney Schutt has joined the company as chief executive officer, a day after the medical products company announced cost cutting and improved marketing had helped the company narrow its net loss for the third quarter.

The Calabasas maker of clinical and diagnostic information systems said Schutt has more than 22 years of experience in the business, healthcare and technology fields. He most recently was chief operating officer for Luminetx, a Memphis-based provider of bioscience technologies.

Aspyra late Monday reported a net loss of $719,462 (6 cents per share), compared with a net loss of $1.5 million (13 cents) a year ago. Revenues fell 24 percent to $2.2 million as customers became more cautious.

Cost reductions have improved the company’s financial performance, interim Chief Executive James Zierick said in a statement prior to the Schutt announcement. “Our pipeline of new sales opportunities continues to grow as a result of our improved sales and marketing execution, however; we are seeing buyers delay investments in new systems due to their uncertainty about the overall economic environment.”

Zierick, and before him Chief Operations Officer James R. Helms, had been serving as interim CEO since the November 2007 resignation of Steven M. Besbeck. Zierick, who joined the board in September 2007, will continue to serve as a director.

Shares of Aspyra closed up 5 cents, or 28 percent, to 25 cents on the American Stock Exchange.