Merge Healthcare - Press Room

X-ray & Mammography
A Valuable Option: Merging Mammography and PACS
August 2008. By Elaine Sanchez

If a radiologist needs to spend an extra minute or so to access mammography images, that may not seem like a huge inconvenience. But multiply that by 90,000 mammograms annually, and it becomes not only a waste of time for radiology but also a huge expense for the institution. "You don't want to throw away minutes and hours because it costs hundreds of thousands of dollars," says Ramin Abrahim, MD, a partner radiologist at Washington Radiology Associates, Fairfax, Va.

MRI Spots Early Biological Markers of Alzheimer's
August 2008. By H.A. Abella

The era of postautopsy confirmation of Alzheimer's disease may be coming to an end. MR imaging could spot signs of brain deterioration predictive of cognitive decline months, even years, before the onset of dementia, according to recent studies performed in Canada, Europe, and the U.S.

Clinical studies have found significant links between mild cognitive impairment and AD. Patients with MCI do not always progress to Alzheimer's disease, however. Many go on to develop different types of dementia, while others remain cognitively healthy.

Practice Matters
Hemmed-In Group Finds Seamless PACS Integration
August 2008. By Elaine Sanchez

These days, physician-owned Metro Imaging, a diagnostic imaging services provider serving the greater St Louis area, is known for exclusively offering OnSite Results, handing over preliminary exam results to patients before they leave the office.

But before implementing its current PACS system from Milwaukee-based Merge Healthcare, Metro Imaging operated its five outpatient facilities under five different databases. Although solid in day-to-day tasks, its previous radiology management system offered limited reporting and no consolidated network.

Pushing Productivity: How Imaging is Building Efficiency & Cutting Costs
June 2008. By Beth Walsh

Metro Imaging, a five-location radiology practice in St. Louis, has been a Merge RIS customer since 2003. In 2005, the practice added Merge PACS and in 2006, its mammography viewing software. Rather than tightening its belt, the practice implemented digital mammography when the DRA went into effect, says Christine Keefe, CFO. “With the cuts, everybody worried about buying new equipment, but it turned out to be a real benefit because it increased our volume and our reimbursement.”

Practice Matters
Operations "Control Tower" Allows for Real-Time Monitoring
June 2008. By Elaine Sanchez

In its earliest days, Outpatient Imaging Affiliates (OIA), Nashville, Tenn, was faced with a challenge.

It was operating three different imaging centers on three disparate platforms without an ability to consolidate the necessary information for proactive management. Each center had its own approach to scheduling and billing. A centralized technology strategy for selecting solutions did not exist. Company executives knew they needed to standardize their operations.

That's when they turned to Merge Healthcare and its RIS Logic system for help.

Imaging Informatics
Choosing the Right RIS and PACS
May 2008. By Alex Dobuzinskis

Sales professionals have their maxim—the ABCs of "always be closing" remind them to keep pressing to seal a deal. But Tim Gould has his own advice for any medical facility wanting to stay on top of the latest developments in PACS and RIS technology.

"Always be in the market," said Gould, who is PACS administrator for Texas-based Radiology Associates of San Antonio.

Back in 2003, Gould led Radiology Associates in buying a new PACS, and he maintains that the system has worked well. But Gould said that even after a practice has bought the perfect PACS or RIS, it's important to keep looking—both to get ideas for when it comes time to buy the next system, and also to learn new ways to deploy the existing system.