Health Imaging Hub | All Countries News

VNA Institute of Technology Presents Industry Experts at HIMSS 2012

info@healthimaginghub.com — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:16:13 +0100

Educational Web Site Offers Free 15-Minute Seminars in Las Vegas booth 4202 As a virtual place of learning located at www.vnait.org, VNAIT enables its users to take continuing education coursework on healthcare and imaging informatics for free. The VNA Institute of Technology is pleased to present industry expert presentations at this year's HIMSS. For more detailed information on each presentation, visit www.vnait.org or click here. Presentation times and days are subject to change. Companies presenting on behalf of VNAIT include Medical Insight A/S; itMD, LLC; Ascendian Healthcare Consulting; O'Tech Inc.; Vital, A Toshiba Medical Systems Company; Logicalis; and IBM. If you are already enrolled in VNAIT, be sure to visit the site often to learn about DICOM, Vendor Neutral Archives and more. Look for more coursework throughout 2012. HIMSS 2012 attendees who are not enrolled in VNAIT may either sign up in booth 4202 during exhibit hours, February 21st - 23rd, or go online to www.vnait.org. MEDIA CONTACT: Beth Roncke, Provost Direct 414.908.7744 info@vnait.org

McKesson to Replace Billing Vendor at Radiology Associates of Northern Kentucky, PLLC

info@healthimaginghub.com — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 08:05:26 +0100

Practice expects to improve compliance and drive bottom-line results ATLANTA – Feb. 9, 2012 — Radiology Associates of Northern Kentucky, PLLC (RANK), the largest private radiology practice in Greater Cincinnati, has replaced its long-time billing vendor with McKesson Revenue Management Solutions (RMS). To increase reimbursements and strengthen regulatory compliance, the 32-physician practice will use McKesson RMS’s industry-leading radiology billing services, financial reporting and compliance support. Backed by more than 1,200 radiology billing experts, RMS services are designed to help practices grow revenues and control costs while staying current with the latest regulatory requirements. “As a large, sub-specialty radiology practice, we’re constantly faced with the challenge of how to operate more efficiently and improve patient services without raising costs,” said C. Chad Wiggins, chief executive officer of Radiology Associates of Northern Kentucky. “By partnering with McKesson, we get the benefit of enhanced revenue management services, radiology expertise, and proven experience helping practices like ours improve bottom-line results.” Web-based business intelligence and reporting tools will help RANK enhance decision-making, with real-time analysis of financial data down to the patient level and a new mobile application that will allow users to access reports using the iPad. Leadership will have anytime, anywhere access to vital information on...

McKesson Acquires peerVue, A Leader in Radiology Workflow Solutions

info@healthimaginghub.com — Sun, 12 Feb 2012 07:53:57 +0100

World-class medical imaging workflow solutions to facilitate care coordination for better care, better business ATLANTA and SARASOTA, FL, Feb. 8, 2012 – Today McKesson announced that it has acquired peerVue Inc., an innovative provider of solutions that simplify diagnostic medical imaging workflow, expedite communications for improved quality and efficiency, and support customer efforts to improve patient safety. The acquisition extends McKesson’s portfolio of enterprise imaging and information management systems with highly flexible workflow capabilities that address site-specific needs such as critical results management, peer review and emergency department communication for multiple disciplines. “peerVue brings world-class capabilities that facilitate care coordination, which is essential for better care and better business as part of our Better Health 2020 strategy,” said Kevan Torgerson, president, Enterprise Medical Imaging group, McKesson. “By addressing critical imaging workflow needs, particularly for radiologists, our combined capabilities empower care teams to more effectively engage with one another and to make better informed decisions throughout the diagnostic workflow.” Supporting those decisions is peerVue’s QICS, or Qualitative Intelligence and Communication System. A web-based technology platform, QICS provides the functionality to engage, analyze data, alert users and facilitate workflow at every point throughout the exam life cycle. “Improving workflow is not only the key to...

Health Evolution Partners and Verizon Cooperate to Promote mHealth Solutions

info@healthimaginghub.com — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 08:24:45 +0100

Health Evolution Partners, company focusing on healthcare IT solutions, has started a partnership with Verizon, a leading provider of healthcare IT solutions, aiming to promote the adoption of mobile healthcare (mHealth) systems in the United States. David Brailer, MD, founder of Health Evolution Partners and the former National Coordinator for Health IT, said that the new partnership will help companies in adopting mHealth solutions, in addition to telemedicine and data management systems. Dr. Brailer said "The next generation of health IT will not be anchored to a desk," adding "Clinicians and patients will expect technologies that support mobility and virtual care. Advanced broadband, video-based technologies and wireless devices that incorporate geo-location capabilities and sensors will change the landscape of healthcare from development to delivery. Our relationship with Verizon demonstrates the importance of bringing these innovations to market." Peter Tippett, MD, vice president and chief medical officer of Verizon Connected Healthcare Solutions, said "Strong collaboration across the healthcare ecosystem is essential to enabling health IT transformation," Dr. Tippett continued "Verizon is committed to building strategic relationships to help spur the adoption of connected health technologies. Health Evolution Partners stands out because of the firm's deep understanding of the healthcare industry and its proven ability to...

MR PI-RADS Offers a New Option for Prostate Cancer Screening

info@healthimaginghub.com — Wed, 08 Feb 2012 07:44:38 +0100

The American College of Radiology (ACR) along with AdMeTech Foundation and ESUR are cooperating to design standards for the Magnetic Resonance Prostate Imaging Reporting and Data System (MR PI-RADS). This technology was used successfully before in breast cancer. The objective of this cooperation is to promote that transfer of MRI scans from laboratories to patients aiming to reduce unnecessary biopsies and treatment carried out on prostate cancer patients. Among the major drawbacks of the current method of prostate cancer screening, PSA testing, are over diagnosis and over treatment. MR PI-RADS, on the other hand, can provide another option for prostate cancer patients. Jeffrey Weinreb, MD, ACR representative and co-chair of the MR PI-RADS Steering Committee, explained “MR PI-RADS will build on the ACR’s experience with the Breast Imaging Reporting and Data System (BI-RADS®) that has led to improvements in breast cancer screening and treatment worldwide. This new system will continue the good stewardship of vital healthcare resources clearly demonstrated by radiologists in the past,” MR PI-RADS is designed according to prostate MRI guidelines created by ESUR and the work by the AdMeTech Foundation's International Prostate MRI Working Group. Jelle Barentsz, MD, ESUR representative and co-chair of the MR PI-RADS ACR’s Steering Committee, said...

Disaster Recovery Tops Health IT Priorities, Reveals BridgeHead Survey

info@healthimaginghub.com — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 14:54:01 +0100

Healthcare data management survey found 55% of respondents chose disaster recovery as a top IT investment priority for 2012 ASHTEAD, UK AND WOBURN, MA - February 7, 2012 - Following the success of their 2010 survey results, BridgeHead Software's second-annual healthcare data management survey found that disaster recovery (DR) is still the number one health IT investment priority, above other choices such as archiving, virtualization, cloud computing and digitizing paper records. The survey asked healthcare IT professionals from all over the world about their ongoing strategies for managing their hospital's IT systems. A majority of 55% of respondents listed DR among their top three IT investment priorities for the next year - an increase of 11 points compared to last year's survey which saw 44% of healthcare IT professionals choose "backup/disaster recovery" as one of their top three IT investment objectives. Jim Beagle, CEO of BridgeHead Software, said, "These survey results confirm what we expected: disaster recovery is becoming more of a priority, not less. This is largely due to the fact that hospitals continue to generate massive amounts of different types of data via a variety of information systems - from PACS and RIS to accounting and administration. Amid this technological complexity...

European Consortium to Build a “Virtual Patient” Model Meets in Berlin

info@healthimaginghub.com — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 10:35:01 +0100

Berlin, 6 February 2012 – Future and Emerging Technologies (FET) Flagship pilot project IT Future of Medicine (ITFoM) meets in Berlin on 9-10 February 2012. The first full consortium meeting will bring together around 120 delegates from nearly 70 partner institutions comprising internationally acknowledged researchers from academia and industry to discuss the next steps towards building a ‘virtual patient’ model. The ITFoM consortium, coordinated by Prof Dr Hans Lehrach from the Max Planck Institute for Molecular Genetics in Berlin, will discuss a ten years research program to create the ‘virtual patient’ model and to submit this proposal to the European Commission in the frame of the FET flagship program by the end of April 2012. The vision of the ITFoM project is to build a personalized patient model, a ‘virtual patient‘. This ‘virtual patient’ will support clinicians and general practitioners in their decision-making for medical therapy, allowing them to choose the optimal treatment for each individual and predict future health risks. The basis for the ‘virtual patient’ model is data pertaining to the genetic make-up of an individual and data on their protein and metabolite levels, which are used as indicators for the health status of a patient. These molecular data will be...

RAFV Radiology Group Offers Extended Services in Wisconsin

info@healthimaginghub.com — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 08:32:48 +0100

Waupun Memorial Hospital has recently started to cooperate with Radiology Associates of the Fox Valley (RAFV). The latter is a radiology group including 30 radiologists covering almost every radiology sub-specialty. RAFV is located in Neenah, WI, and it is already serving patients at Agnesian HealthCare’s St. Agnes Hospital and Ripon Medical Center. Bill Daly, director of Agnesian HealthCare Oncology Services & Medical Imaging, said “I have only positive things to say about our radiology group,” adding “They are bringing many positive elements to the Agnesian HealthCare ministries and are helping us deliver outstanding healthcare to patients.” Mr. Daly ensured that among the main advantages provided by RAFV is that they cover a wide range of radiology specialties, such as musculoskeletal and neuroradiologists. He added “We have the luxury of having all the different specialty radiologists for our medical providers” RAVF also offers its services in 24/7 basis. Mr. Dale said “Their after-hours work gets read locally. That is a huge advantage. It means shorter turnaround times to get results, and it enhances quality care.” Fred Klein, MD, and one of the radiologists working at RAFV, said that the skills and experience of the radiologists working at the group ensures a level of consistency...

New Solution Uses Radiology to Reduce Risks of Retained Surgical Instruments in the Body

info@healthimaginghub.com — Tue, 07 Feb 2012 07:44:59 +0100

The University of Michigan Health System has recently created a new solution for ensuring that no foreign bodies, including surgical instruments, are left inside the patient’s body after surgery. The new solution uses an innovative technology and thus reduces medical errors. Ella Kazerooni, M.D., M.S., professor of radiology at the U-M and associate chair of clinical affairs at the U-M Health System, said "Having a foreign object left behind during surgery is something we consider a 'never event,' It's something that should never happen. " Professor Kazerooni continued "Unfortunately in complex cases, surgical cases that involve emergencies or in very large patients, items can be left behind in the body and we want to do everything we can to prevent that," The new solution aims to eliminate the risks of surgical objects that might be forgotten inside the patient’s body. An electronic radiology order system sends a call for help to find and remove any of these objects. The system uses X-ray to scan the patient and identify any foreign object while the patient is still in the operating room. Shawn Murphy, R.N., nursing director of University of Michigan Health System operating rooms, said "The practice of manually counting is a long-standing practice...

Siemens Boosts Managed Equipment Services Team with two New Appointments

info@healthimaginghub.com — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 13:23:03 +0100

Clive West and Neil Cook to bring additional expertise to MES Siemens Healthcare has appointed and promoted two new members of staff to strengthen its Managed Equipment Services (MES) team. Clive West will join the team as Technical Manager and Neil Cook will focus on MES group project realization as Senior Project Manager. Clive West has worked in the healthcare sector for over 35 years. Originally from an engineering background, he moved into medical sales management in 1992. Clive’s vast product and commercial expertise provides him with an excellent understanding of the trends, clinical requirements and service demands of the imaging market. “I have been engaged with MES through many of my previous roles and look forward to using my technical expertise to fully support Siemens’ MES customer base. I believe we have the strongest managed services structure in the marketplace and look forward to making that offering even more robust,” says Clive. Neil Cook has been at Siemens for a total of eleven years joining Siemens Healthcare six years ago where he has been working for project services in the UK. Neil has extensive experience of managing projects in MES for customers such as the University Hospital of North Staffordshire and Royal...

BMI The Kings Oak and Cavell Hospitals Welcome Delivery of Cutting Edge MRI Scanner

info@healthimaginghub.com — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 09:12:46 +0100

David Henderson, Executive Director of BMI The Kings Oak and Cavell Hospitals has this month welcomed the delivery of a new state of the art MRI scanner. The new equipment, a GE Optima MR450w open bore MRI scanner, will form the center piece of the hospital’s new £1.7million imaging department and will create six new jobs in the local Enfield community. The MRI scanner, which weighs the same as a double-decker bus, was crane-lifted into its final position on 18 January. The scanner will allow clinicians at the hospital to significantly expand the range of diagnostic services available to the local community. Speaking on the importance of the new scanner and imaging department Consultant Cardiologist Dr. Tom Crake commented, “The new MRI scanner will enhance the diagnostic imaging services provided by the hospital, offering patients access to state-of-the art scanning, faster, higher quality images and results’. The new scanner will also improve the cardiac, spinal, neurological, musculo-skeletal, orthopaedic, vascular, urological, abdominal and breast imaging services available at the hospital. This will allow clinicians from a range of specialties to offer a wider selection of routine and more complex MRI procedures to their patients.” Unlike conventional MRI scanners, the open bore scanner does...

Bahrain MOH signs Agreement with SAH Global for Bahraini Cancer Patients

info@healthimaginghub.com — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:49:35 +0100

Manama, Bahrain – February 4, 2012 – The Ministry of Health of the Kingdom of Bahrain and SAH Global have signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to make cutting edge proton therapy cancer treatment available to Bahraini cancer patients. SAH Global is currently in the process of constructing a network of proton therapy centers in the Middle East. The Ministry of Health will refer patients to SAH Care - the international medical services subsidiary of SAH Global, which currently coordinates and arranges treatment in its global network of proton therapy centers. Proton therapy is one of the most advanced forms of cancer treatment available today. It provides a higher quality of life and has fewer side effects than conventional radiation therapy and is highly effective in treating tumors, especially in the prostate, breast, lung, spinal cord, brain, eye, head and neck and at the base of the skull. Dr. Aysha Buaneq, the Undersecretary to the Ministry of Health, who signed the MOU on behalf of the Ministry of Health said: “The Ministry of Health will select cancer patients eligible for proton therapy and will take the necessary steps to acquaint oncologists in the Kingdom with this advanced form of cancer treatment, including...

Discussions on Low Grade Prostate Cancer at NIH State-of-the-Science Conference

info@healthimaginghub.com — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 08:01:42 +0100

Durham, NC (February 2012) – At the NIH State-of-the-Science Conference a few weeks ago, an independent panel advised that active surveillance is appropriate for patients presenting low-grade, low-volume prostate cancer and recommended the removal the terminology ‘cancer’ by physicians when discussing courses of action. While active surveillance for these patients unarguably has many merits, Drs. Bruce Chabner and Matthew Smith of Massachusetts General Hospital expressed their concerns for the suggested change in nomenclature in an editorial in The Oncologist. The panel recommended removing the term “cancer” for patients with this early stage/low volume disease to alleviate much of the anxiety that goes along with the term. While prostate cancer typically progresses slowly in these patients and they are unlikely to experience morbidity or mortality as a result of their condition, the pathology is still consistent with the diagnosis of cancer. Dr. Chabner stated, "I am concerned about the rush to change the perception of prostate cancer. While it is certain that we unnecessarily treat or over-treat elderly patients with low grade disease, prostate cancer, like other cancers, has the potential to kill. We are not yet sufficiently knowledgeable to know precisely which patients will progress and in which patients the disease will...

California Acute-Care Teaching Hospital Turns to McKesson to Centralize Billing

info@healthimaginghub.com — Mon, 06 Feb 2012 07:42:58 +0100

McKesson Revenue Management Solutions expected to boost efficiency, enhance patient service ATLANTA, Feb. 2, 2012 – Kern Medical Center in Bakersfield, Calif., has selected McKesson Revenue Management Solutions (RMS) to help transform its revenue cycle operations. With 100 physicians and 115 residents, Kern will use McKesson’s solution to help consolidate and simplify professional fee billing and accounts receivable management across its clinics and physician practices. RMS will interface with the medical center’s existing McKesson Horizon Practice Plus™ billing system to help eliminate inefficiencies and create a streamlined patient experience. Together, the solution and services should help the medical center enhance workflow and improve patient service. After a detailed request for proposal process, Kern decided on McKesson RMS largely due to its robust resources and strong relationships with payers in the California region. The medical group needed a solution to help centralize its billing and collections processes and build a seamless connection between its clinics and medical center. In addition, Kern wanted to put an end to redundant billing and administrative tasks. “McKesson already has brought tremendous value to the relationship,” said Lisa Ohlfest, administrator of Kern’s clinics and physician practices. “We get the benefit of a comprehensive billing and practice management system to...

BMI The Clementine Churchill Turns to Siemens Healthcare for Digital Mammography Debut

info@healthimaginghub.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 14:21:44 +0100

MAMMOMAT Inspiration installation delivers “superb” image quality for clinicians and improves patient care BMI The Clementine Churchill Hospital in Harrow has migrated to digital mammography for the first time, following the installation of a MAMMOMAT Inspiration™ from Siemens Healthcare. The system replaces a previously installed analogue system at the hospital, enabling clinicians to rapidly view detailed high quality images at a low dose and assist with operator confidence. The ease-of-use of the MAMMOMAT Inspiration also enables clinicians to spend more time with patients, improving patient care in the process. OpView® 2 image processing software on the Inspiration allows for excellent image quality, with new algorithms providing enhanced sight of masses and microcalcifications. Furthermore, the system is upgradable, allowing healthcare organizations to install further applications, such as a stereotactic biopsy module and 3D imaging with tomosynthesis, at any point in the system’s life. “The installation of the MAMMOMAT Inspiration is a first for BMI The Clementine Churchill Hospital, as we make the transition from analogue to digital mammography,” explains Magda Coetzee, Director of Diagnostics and Physiotherapy Services at BMI The Clementine Churchill Hospital. “The system is user friendly and staff are extremely impressed with its superb image quality, with a notable difference over analogue...

St. Mark’s Medical Center Turns to McKesson to Streamline Medical Imaging, Reduce Costs

info@healthimaginghub.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 08:28:37 +0100

Fully-integrated environment to drive productivity and better patient care for community hospital ATLANTA, Jan. 31, 2012 – St. Mark’s Medical Center recently announced that McKesson’s market-leading Horizon Medical ImagingTM picture archiving communications system (PACS) will replace its aging legacy medical imaging solution. In addition to streamlining workflow, the community hospital in LaGrange, Texas, expects to increase inter-departmental collaboration and enhance radiologists’ productivity while reducing overall departmental costs. Horizon Medical Imaging creates a fully-integrated environment to help providers analyze and archive medical images and diagnostic reports, making them available across the enterprise. Hospital executives look forward to optimizing efficiency and reducing regulatory risk by using Horizon Medical Imaging with McKesson’s Paragon® hospital information system. “Like most small facilities, we were concerned about functionality and affordability when choosing a PACS solution,” said Nathan Staggs, president and CEO, St. Mark’s Medical Center. “Our physicians and staff were impressed with McKesson’s solution. The system works well within our healthcare IT infrastructure and will help us meet our clinical workflow needs and reduce per-patient costs.” The hospital also selected McKesson’s Horizon Medical Imaging Mammography PlusTM to handle reading and diagnosis of digital mammography images. With patients’ current and historical images as well as radiologists’ reports embedded...

State-of-the-art Ultrasound System Installed at New Harley Street Diagnostic Centre

info@healthimaginghub.com — Thu, 02 Feb 2012 07:35:50 +0100

ACUSON S2000 from Siemens Healthcare enables imaging services for the first time The Harley Street Clinic in London has completed the installation of a state-of-the-art ACUSON S2000™ ultrasound system from Siemens Healthcare at its new Diagnostic Centre based in Devonshire Street. The installed system enables the private healthcare organization to offer ultrasound imaging services to the new center’s patients for the very first time. The ACUSON S2000 is a premier imaging system from Siemens Healthcare and is being used at the Diagnostic Centre as a general ultrasound system. Its powerful imaging functionality gives clinicians the capability to visualise patient tissue in detail, with state-of-the-art high definition transducers providing further ultrasound information. “The decision to install an ACUSON S2000 ultrasound system at our new Devonshire Street based Diagnostic Centre was made following our positive experience with an S2000 at our primary clinic,” explains Fiona England, Deputy Imaging Manager at The Harley Street Clinic. “The S2000 is a user-friendly and powerful imaging system that, thanks to our clinicians’ familiarity and contentment with the platform, enables us to offer a high standard of diagnostic services to our patients at the new center with minimal disruption.” “We are delighted The Harley Street Clinic has chosen to install an...

Ultrasound Upgrade at Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital Improves Image Resolution

info@healthimaginghub.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 13:42:49 +0100

ACUSON S2000 from Siemens Healthcare to improve private patient services Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital is benefiting from 2D doppler and 3D/4D imaging following the installation of an ACUSON S2000™ diagnostic ultrasound system from Siemens Healthcare. Ideal for general adult or pediatric imaging requirements, the system is supporting a wide variety of procedures including image guided injections, musculoskeletal and achilles work. Coupled with high-density (HD) element array transducers, the ACUSON S2000 system is providing Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital with improved image resolution, allowing clinicians to distinguish fine tissue detail. The system is also ergonomically designed - whether seated or standing, the natural and extended reach zones are designed for ease-of-use in busy hospitals and put the most frequently used controls within easy reach. “The new ACUSON S2000 replaced an old system at the hospital and staff have noticed an improvement in the image resolution already,” said Andrew Redfern, Radiologist at Nuffield Health Exeter Hospital. “The improved image clarity will greatly benefit patients receiving image guided injections or diagnostic musculoskeletal procedures.” “The ACUSON S2000 system delivers detailed image quality in both B-mode and colour Doppler to improve diagnostic confidence,” said Michael Buchanan, Ultrasound Regional Sales Manager at Siemens Healthcare. “The versatility of the system for different...

Ultrasound Waves can Cause Temporary Infertility in Men, Study

info@healthimaginghub.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 09:35:07 +0100

According to a new study, using ultrasound waves on testicles can be a new contraceptive option. These waves can temporarily eliminate the germ cells before they develop into sperm cells. The study is highlighted in the journal Reproductive Biology and Endocrinology. The study was carried out by a team from University of North Carolina. The team used ultrasound waves on male rats. It was found that 3 megahertz high frequency ultrasound waves on the testicles of the rats, for 15 minutes, resulted in reduction in sperm count to be less than 10 million sperm per milliliter. In regards to humans, infertility takes place when the sperm count is less than 15 million per milliliter. The research team said that ultrasound waves can cause temporary infertility in men and the effect of these waves can be reserved later. Yet, the team said that further research is still required to determine the duration of the ultrasound waves effect on testicles. In addition, more studies are required to assess the possibility of repeating the ultrasound procedure on the same patients more and more. Dr James Tsuruta, lead author of the study, said “Further studies are required to determine how long the contraceptive effect lasts and...

“Subtle Gaze Direction” New Approach for Better Mammography Interpretation

info@healthimaginghub.com — Tue, 31 Jan 2012 07:55:18 +0100

According to a recent review, routine mammography screenings for breast cancer, offered to women in younger ages, are of limited value for women with low or average risk of the disease. The review indicated that for every woman, at the age of 50, who receive benefits from mammography, dozens of other women undergo unneeded breast cancer treatment. In addition, hundreds of women receive false positive results for breast cancer. Cindy M. Grimm, PhD, associate professor of computer science and engineering in the School of Engineering & Applied Science at Washington University in St. Louis, commented on the results of the review. She said "It's not just the mammogram that's the problem," she says, "it's accurately interpreting the mammogram. People aren't good at it. Even expert radiologists aren't good at it. Results vary widely from person to person, even when people have gone through the same training." Professor Grimm added that with a new approach, recently designed by her and her team, some improvements in skills of radiologists could be achieved. The new approach is called subtle gaze direction. In a recent study, it was found that a novice could be subtly guided so he or she can follow a scanpath of an expert...