Regional Diagnostic Imaging Project to Share Images and Reports Across
26 Hospital Sites.
Mortsel / Belgium, July 14, 2006
Agfa HealthCare today announced that it has been selected by the Toronto East
Network (TEN) as the preferred vendor for the region's Diagnostic Imaging
Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS) project. Requiring the
integration of several RIS and PACS systems from different vendors, this project
will leverage the open architecture and interoperability offered by Agfa's
proposed IMPAX solution.
The TEN Diagnostic Imaging (DI) PACS Project is a joint initiative
commissioned by a voluntary consortium of 16 hospital corporations. These
hospitals manage 26 clinical sites throughout the central, east and northern
regions of Ontario in Local Health Integration Networks (LHINs) 7, 8 and 9. In
cooperation with these hospitals and Canada Health Infoway, the TEN DI PACS
Project Management Office has defined a three year phased implementation
strategy for the creation of a shared Diagnostic Imaging Repository for images
and reports.
The preferred vendor status will allow Agfa HealthCare to negotiate a binding
contract for the provision of its IMPAX solution for current non-PACS sites in
the TEN (four hospital corporations across eight sites) and for the
implementation of a regional Diagnostic Imaging Repository. The Repository
will allow all participating hospital corporations to centrally store image and
report data, and to access relevant prior patient images, regardless of which TEN
site acquired them.
In 2004/5, the TEN hospitals performed 1.9 million diagnostic exams.
Approximately 73 per cent of these exams are already electronically archived by
local hospital PACS. The remaining exam volume will be managed by the new
PACS installations.
"We believe that this complex PACS implementation requires a vendor such as
Agfa who has a great deal of experience with open architecture and
interoperability between disparate systems," said Michael Green, President, Agfa
Inc. "The integration requirements play to our strength as a company."
The proposed shared digital imaging network will build on the investments in
PACS and Radiology Information Systems (RIS) already made by some sites
within the TEN. The proposed network will enable and support interoperability
across all hospital sites within the region. Additionally, the system will enhance
diagnostic imaging services across the region and between facilities by migrating
to a filmless environment, and enabling authorized access to both images and
reports on an ongoing, as needed basis.
The TEN PACS Project is a hospital partnership initiative that uses and adapts
proven solutions to create a shared imaging data repository in accordance with
the interoperability architecture and standards established by Canada Health
Infoway. Joint planning with the e-Health Office of the Ontario Ministry of
Health and Long Term Care and Canada Health Infoway Inc. ensures that the
project identifies opportunities and aligns local, regional, provincial and national
e-Health strategies.
End of message
About Agfa
The Agfa-Gevaert Group is one of the world's leading imaging and information
technology companies. Agfa develops, manufactures and markets analogue and digital
systems for the graphics industry, the healthcare sector and specific industrial
applications. Agfa's headquarters are in Mortsel, Belgium. The company is active in 40
countries and has agents in another 100 countries throughout the world.
The Agfa-Gevaert Group achieved a turnover of 3,308 million euro in 2005.
Agfa HealthCare supplies hospitals and other healthcare centers with state-of-the-art
systems for the capturing, processing and managing of diagnostic images and with IT
solutions that integrate information and imaging workflows into the overall hospital
operations across departmental disciplines. In addition, Agfa is a leader in the fast
growing market of IT systems that span the entire healthcare enterprise and through
which healthcare facilities become more efficient and effective, with improved patient
outcomes. For more information on Agfa, visit www.agfa.com.
1US$ = 0.804281 Euro
Agfa and the Agfa rhombus are trademarks of Agfa-Gevaert N.V., Belgium or its affiliates. All rights
reserved.
Contacts
Werner Vandevelde
Global MarCom Leader IT Solutions Division Agfa HealthCare
Phone +32 (0)3 444 80 04
Fax +32 (0)3 444 72 85
E-mail werner.vandevelde@agrfa.com
Jason Knox
Marketing Manager Agfa HealthCare
Phone +1 (0)416 241 41 57
Fax: +1 (0)416 241 54 09
E-mail jason.knox@agfa.com
