Vendor Neutral Archive Consolidates Disparate Silos of Information; Provides Interoperability and Access to Any Image, Anywhere, Any Time
CHICAGO, April 10, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merge Healthcare (Nasdaq:MRGE), a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, today announced Mercy will utilize iConnect VNA as the vendor neutral archive across its enterprise of more than 200 clinic and hospital locations in the Midwest.
“This was an important and strategic decision for Mercy that we came to after carefully weighing the operational, functional and financial components of Merge’s iConnect VNA,” said Will Showalter, vice president and chief information officer for Mercy. “This solution allows us to continue to leverage our existing partnership with Merge Healthcare, while providing the technology platform to meet future challenges.”
“We needed a solution that would address the challenge of the disparate formats found in the myriad of PACS solutions on the market,” continued Showalter. “Without it, silos of data are created that hamper the quality of care and drive up costs. Merge’s iConnect VNA solves that challenge and goes a step further by providing our users with access to images and information across our enterprise whether that information came from a disparate departmental solution or an outside facility.”
“With Merge’s iConnect VNA, Mercy has created the foundation for a long-term, enterprise-wide imaging strategy,” said Jeff Surges, CEO, Merge Healthcare. “Not only does iConnect solve the challenge of consolidating images and data across the continuum of care, but it also addresses the critically important aspect of disaster recovery. The implementation of iConnect will provide Mercy with the ability to tackle future challenges while providing the highest level of patient care.”
Merge’s iConnect suite is the industry’s only comprehensive solution for collecting, archiving, viewing, sharing and exchanging any type of image, anywhere, any time. It includes iConnect Access*, a zero-download DICOM image and XDS server; iConnect Share, an Internet-based gateway for image sharing between enterprises; and iConnect VNA, a vendor neutral archive to create an enterprise imaging strategy. It works with existing applications, leveraging widely-used web and healthcare technology standards, to provide a vendor neutral interoperable environment.
*iConnect Access is not FDA-cleared for diagnostic use on mobile devices.
About Merge Healthcare
Merge Healthcare is a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions. Merge solutions facilitate the sharing of images to create a more effective and efficient electronic healthcare experience for patients and physicians. Merge provides enterprise imaging solutions for radiology, cardiology, orthopaedics and eye care; electronic health record and practice management solutions for image-intensive specialties; a suite of products for clinical trials; software for financial and pre-surgical management; applications that fuel the largest modality vendors in the world, and a network of patient-centric, wellness stations. Merge’s products have been used by healthcare providers, vendors and researchers worldwide to improve patient care for more than 20 years. For more information, visit www.merge.com.
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About Mercy
Mercy is the eighth largest Catholic health care system in the U.S. and serves more than 3 million people annually. Mercy includes 31 hospitals, more than 200 outpatient facilities, 38,000 co-workers and 1,500 integrated physicians in Arkansas, Kansas, Missouri and Oklahoma. Mercy also has outreach ministries in Louisiana, Mississippi and Texas. For more about Mercy, visit www.mercy.net.
