Merge Healthcare (NASDAQ:MRGE)(TSX:MRG), a leading medical imaging software provider, today announced the implementation of the recently released Fusion PACS MX 3.0 with integrated Merge Mammo™ 7.10 at Washington Radiology Associates (WRA). Operating six outpatient facilities in Maryland, Virginia, and Washington, DC, WRA delivers imaging services including digital mammography, digital x-ray, computed tomography, magnetic resonance imaging and positron emission tomography. Clinical, professional and technical staffs now utilize Fusion PACS MX 3.0 and the integrated Merge Mammo 7.10 for diagnostic interpretation and quality control of all modalities across all WRA facilities. The practice realizes improved efficiency by eliminating multiple processes, speeding report turnaround time and reducing the potential for erroneous repeat interpretations.
"The implementation of Fusion PACS MX 3.0 and Merge Mammo 7.10 has increased capabilities of our organization by streamlining workflow for the entire practice," says Ramin Abrahim, MD, of Washington Radiology Associates. "This solution is a major development in paving the way to the ‘holy grail’ of PACS. In the future, imaging organizations will realize new efficiencies from a single, all-inclusive PACS environment with the capability of having various best-of-breed subspecialty software plugged in and serving as the central manager of data. It will communicate with, and seamlessly navigate through multiple solutions, and will be robust and stable enough to handle it all."
Fusion PACS MX provides powerful and efficient workflow for imaging organizations, allowing studies to be assigned to radiologists regardless of geographic location and obviating the need for paper records. Merge Mammo is a multi-modality, vendor neutral digital mammography workstation that displays and reads images from different acquisition devices and different vendors, including digital mammography, ultrasound, MR and CT. Workflow is significantly streamlined by bundling both radiology and mammography onto the same computer, including tracking, reporting, electronic document management, and speech recognition software
"The integration between Fusion PACS MX 3.0 and Merge Mammo 7.10 is a major step forward for our industry because it is one of the first solutions that enable radiologists to launch mammography viewing directly within the PACS workstation," says Nancy Koenig, President of Merge Fusion, a division of Merge Healthcare. "By eliminating the need for separate worklists and separate workstations, organizations can optimize Radiologist productivity and recoup valuable physical space."
Fusion PACS MX 3.0 provides integration points with digital dictation and speech recognition packages as well as mammography reporting software leveraged at WRA. These integration points allow the radiologists to work more efficiently and without the risk of patient image mismatches inherent in non-integrated reporting environments. Additionally, the worklist provides innovations for improving the loading times of all images, including larger mammography data sets, thus improving radiologist throughput and report turnaround time.
WRA uses both the 32- and 64-bit versions of Fusion PACS MX 3.0 and Merge Mammo 7.10, which provide identical features. The enhanced functionality of the 64-bit solution allows radiologists to consider a greater number of current and prior images during interpretation, thus enhancing quality of diagnosis and speeding the reading process.
Merge Healthcare is a leading medical imaging software and services company. Our innovative software solutions use leading-edge imaging software technologies that accelerate market delivery for our OEM customers, while our end-user solutions improve our customers' productivity and enhance the quality of patient care they provide. For additional information, visit our website at www.merge.com.
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Except for the historical information herein, the matters discussed in this news release include forward-looking statements that may involve a number of risks and uncertainties. When used in this press release, the words “will,” “believes,”“intends,” “anticipates,”“expects” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, market acceptance and performance of the Company’s products and services, including the Company’s teleradiology product and services; delay in the offering of the Company’s teleradiology product and services; the Company’s ability to attract and retain qualified radiologist consultants; risks and effects of the past restatement of financial statements of the Company and other actions that may be taken or required as a result of such restatement; the Company’s ability to generate sufficient cash from operations to meet future operating, financing and capital requirements; risks associated with the Company's failing to make timely filings with the SEC or its inability to meet the requirements of The NASDAQ Stock Market for continued listing, including possible delisting; costs, risks and effects of legal proceedings and investigations, including the formal investigation being conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and class action and derivative lawsuits; the impact of competitive products and pricing; and other risk factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such factors or to publicly announce the results of any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future events, developments, or changed circumstances, or for any other reason.
Contacts:
Heidi Stetter
Marketing Manager
414.977.4123
marketing@merge.com
