• Vital Receives the No. 1 Category Leader Ranking for Advanced Visualization by KLAS Report: “2017 Best in KLAS: Software & Services”

    MINNEAPOLIS, MN – January 31, 2017 — Vital Images, Inc. (Vital), a Minneapolis-based advanced medical imaging and informatics company, has ranked number one for its Vitrea Advanced Visualization software in the Advanced Visualization category of the “2017 Best in KLAS: Software & Services” report released by the independent healthcare research firm.

    Vitrea Advanced Visualization is a modular enterprise imaging platform providing comprehensive multi-modality applications in a variety of IT environments – from single site to multi-site standardization. Vitrea Advanced Visualization can help your organization standardize and consolidate your radiology IT footprint.

    “Vital is pleased to be ranked as the number one advanced visualization 2017 Category Leader by KLAS,” says Jim Litterer, President and CEO at Vital Images. “This demonstrates our continued commitment to providing superior customer service and meaningful clinical solutions to our customers.”

    “The Best in KLAS report celebrates and recognizes vendors who have made significant strides to improve healthcare while addressing changes like payment reform and the shift to population health. The KLAS team applauds your efforts and acknowledges your commitment to innovation and achievement,” said Adam Gale, President of KLAS. “As the years go by, we are continually humbled by the number of providers who share their experiences with us; they make all our reports, especially our Best in KLAS report, possible.” Adam Gale, President, KLAS.

    About KLAS
    KLAS is a research firm on a global mission to improve healthcare delivery by enabling providers to be heard and counted. Working with thousands of healthcare professionals and clinicians, KLAS gathers data on software, services and medical equipment to deliver timely reports, trends and statistical overviews. The research directly represents the provider voice and acts as a catalyst for improving vendor performance. To learn more about KLAS and their reports, visit KLASresearch.com.

    About Vital Images, Inc.
    Vital Images, Inc., a Toshiba Medical Systems Group company, is a leading provider of diagnostic imaging and enterprise informatics solutions to help healthcare organizations deliver exceptional care while optimizing resources across multi-facility organizations. The company’s solutions are scalable to meet the unique needs of hospitals and imaging centers and are accessible throughout the enterprise anytime, anywhere. For more information, visit vitalimages.com or join the conversation on Twitter, LinkedIn and YouTube.

    Vitrea is a trademark of Vital Images, Inc.

    Marks not owned by Vital Images, Inc. are the property of their respective holders.

     

    Posted 1.31.2017

  • DrFirst Acquires VisibilityRx to Optimize Clinical Trial Recruitment with Advanced Patient Matching at the Point of Care

    Combined solution will facilitate the connection of eligible patients to potentially life-enhancing clinical trials through multiple channels

    ROCKVILLE, MD – January 31, 2017 — DrFirst, a pioneer in electronic prescribing, integrated medication management and secure communication for healthcare, announced today the acquisition of VisibilityRx, a leading provider of clinical trial recruitment services to life sciences, clinical research organizations and pharmacies. This acquisition provides DrFirst’s 60,000 physician clients the ability to easily identify and refer their patients to the latest clinical trials. Additionally, by offering this service directly to physicians, it expands VisibilityRx’s capacity for connecting patients to clinical trial recruitment beyond its traditional pharmacy-centric approach. Terms of the deal were not disclosed.

    Patient recruitment costs account for a hefty 32% of clinical trials budgets, according to a Cutting Edge Information study. The combined DrFirst and VisibilityRx solution will help researchers manage these costs through the powerful provider-patient relationship to deliver relevant information about new trials and qualification requirements. Using advanced patient matching, these details are delivered to the provider at the point of encounter, thus accelerating the trial enrollment process, increasing efficiencies and expanding patient treatment options.

    “We are excited to welcome VisibilityRx to the DrFirst family and create new opportunities to advance patient participation in the clinical trial process,” said G. Cameron Deemer, president of DrFirst. “The acquisition delivers an existing client base and experienced management and provides us with a comprehensive solution that addresses a need for so many patients, physicians, pharmacies and clinical research organizations. This platform will enhance the value of our partners’ electronic health record and pharmacy products, while also helping providers deliver the newest and most applicable clinical trial information to their patients.”

    The current VisibilityRx technology utilizes the relationships consumers have with their retail pharmacies to facilitate the matching of patients with relevant clinical trials. This method has proven effective in raising patient awareness of clinical trials and similar opportunities. By making physicians – and by extension the patient – aware of these opportunities at the point of encounter, DrFirst creates additional opportunities for improving the clinical trial enrollment process.

    “Coordinated communications at the point of care and throughout the patient’s prescription experience are essential in the patient care process,” said Joe Rector, president of VisibilityRx. “An additional benefit of VisibilityRx is that it provides DrFirst’s life sciences partners new points of engagement during the patient’s prescription lifetime, enabling them to reinforce critical information with patients. We are excited to join DrFirst and look forward to making VisibilityRx available to a wider variety of end-users.”

    About VisibilityRx
    VisibilityRx is the leader in precise patient identification and communication solutions for clinical trials, risk evaluation and mitigation strategies (REMS), and market research initiatives. This dedicated focus has allowed it to quickly become the standard utilized, and re-utilized, by many well-known healthcare companies to effectively communicate their messages to their patients. VisibilityRx partners with pharmaceutical manufacturers, clinical research organizations, patient recruitment companies, market research organizations and a host of other companies to reduce the time and cost involved with finding and communicating with patients. For more information, please visit visibilityrx.com.

    About DrFirst
    DrFirst has pioneered healthcare technology solutions that inform the provider-patient point of encounter, optimizing provider access to patient information, enhancing the provider’s clinical view of the patient, and improving care delivery and clinical outcomes. DrFirst’s growth is driven by a commitment to innovation, security and reliability across a wide array of services, including electronic prescribing, medication management, medication adherence, secure messaging and care collaboration. DrFirst is proud of their track record of service to greater than 330 EMR/EHR/HIS vendors and an extensive network of providers, hospitals and patients. For more information, please visit drfirst.com or connect with them @DrFirst.

    DrFirst Media Contact:
    Stephanie Fraser
    Amendola Communications
    734.233.1483
    [email protected]

    Posted 1.31.2017

  • Doc Halo Named 2017 Category Leader for Standard Secure Messaging in Best in KLAS: Software & Services Report

    CINCINNATI, OH – January 31, 2017 — With an overall performance score of 91.9 out of 100, clinical communication leader Doc Halo ranked No. 1 among competitors to earn the coveted KLAS Category Leader designation for Standard Secure Messaging. The honor was announced today in the 2017 Best in KLAS: Software & Services report.

    The Best in KLAS report is published by KLAS, a research organization dedicated to improving the delivery of healthcare technology by independently measuring and reporting on vendor performance. In compiling the rankings, KLAS researchers collect feedback directly from healthcare providers who are using the technology.

    “We are gratified to learn how much Doc Halo is improving workflow and patient care for our customers,” says Jose Barreau, MD, CEO of Doc Halo. “Faster, more reliable clinical communication is at the heart of coordinating care, reducing readmissions and improving outcomes.”

    In an earlier KLAS report published in November, Secure Communication 2016: Vendors Transitioning to Secure Communication Platforms, Doc Halo earned the highest marks for care team communication among standard secure messaging vendors. Doc Halo was also rated by customers as having the highest performance scores in nearly every category, including a perfect score for “Would You Buy Again.” Survey respondents cited pager replacement, faster communication and the security of knowing that nothing “gets lost in translation” as key benefits.

    Clinical communication initiatives are rapidly moving to the forefront as health systems focus on care coordination and the transitions of care. The Joint Commission has identified communication failures to be a leading cause of sentinel events.

    About Doc Halo
    Doc Halo’s clinical communication platform is transforming patient care by streamlining real-time communication and coordinating care among physicians, nurses and staff. The mobile app and online console provide secure, HIPAA-compliant texting for the safe transmission of protected patient information. Robust care coordination tools—including the Halo Pronto on-call management system—integrate with all hospital systems to allow instant access to systemwide schedules, critical and clinical teams, EHRs, call center messages, labs and directories. Exclusively designed for healthcare, the Doc Halo clinical communication platform is used by several of the most prestigious organizations in the country. For more information, please visit dochalo.com.

    Contact
    Marnie Hayutin
    Director of Marketing, Doc Halo
    513.929.1922
    513.310.5858
    [email protected]
    dochalo.com

    Posted 1.31.2017

  • CTG Recognized as “2017 Best in KLAS” in Partial IT Outsourcing

    BUFFALO, NY – January 31, 2017 — CTG (NASDAQ:CTG), an information technology (IT) solutions and services company, announced today that it has been named “2017 Best in KLAS” in the Partial IT Outsourcing category. KLAS Enterprises, LLC (KLAS), a global research and insights firm, unveiled its “2017 Best in KLAS: Software and Services” report today, which recognized CTG as a 2017 award winner. The annual Best in KLAS rankings recognize vendor solutions that received the highest provider scores for software and professional services.

    Over the last three decades, CTG Health Solutions has provided reliable IT services to more than 700 healthcare clients, including a comprehensive suite of Application Management Services (AMS) for which the Company was recognized as Best in KLAS. CTG has successfully provided Partial IT Outsourcing services to more than 70 healthcare clients. Delivered by expert healthcare IT (HIT) management and technical consultants, CTG’s teams provide dependable, high-quality maintenance, support, and upgrades for both legacy and current production applications, including specialized helpdesk support offerings that meet the unique needs of IT, clinical, and patient end users. CTG also provides legacy data archiving support to many AMS clients in preparation for their transition to new systems.

    “Being honored as a 2017 Best in KLAS award recipient reflects CTG’s commitment to providing reliable, value-based solutions that meet the needs of our healthcare clients,” said Bud Crumlish, CTG’s President and Chief Executive Officer. “This award demonstrates our continuous development and progress in offering industry-leading HIT solutions that draw upon the Company’s wide range of capabilities to help clients navigate a rapidly changing healthcare environment.”

    In addition to being recognized in the “2017 Best in KLAS: Software and Services” report, CTG Health Solutions has been recognized as a Modern Healthcare Best Places to Work in Healthcare company each year since 2013, and as a Healthcare Informatics Top 100 firm since 2008. Today, CTG is also ranked in the top 20 Largest US IT Staffing Firms, as reported by Staffing Industry Analysts.

    “We are honored to be recognized by our clients as the number one provider of Partial IT Outsourcing services. This Best in KLAS award demonstrates CTG’s commitment to always do what is right for the client and to provide services that deliver measurable results,” said Angela Rivera, Vice President, Health Solutions. “I want to personally recognize our AMS team for setting a new reliability standard for the HIT services industry, which ultimately serves to benefit our clients, employees, partners, and shareholders. The importance of CTG’s reliability is evident in our achievement of 77 percent repeat client business in 2015 and our many client relationships exceeding 10 or more years. Ultimately, it is our clients’ success that proves our value and their direct feedback through KLAS is one of the strongest indicators of the quality of services and value our teams deliver.”

    CTG and other 2017 Best in KLAS winners will be recognized at an awards reception at the Healthcare Information Management and Systems Society (HIMSS) Annual Conference and Exhibition on Sunday, February 19, 2017, at the B Resort & Spa in Orlando, Florida.

    To access a copy of the 2017 Best in KLAS: Software and Services report, visit klasresearch.com.
    For more information about CTG Health Solutions, visit ctg.com/industries/healthcare-and-life-sciences or connect with Company representatives at the HIMSS17 Conference and Exhibition in Orlando, Florida from Monday, February 20 to Wednesday, February 22, 2017, in booth #1223.

    About CTG
    CTG provides industry-specific IT services and solutions that address the business needs and challenges of clients in high-growth industries in North America and Western Europe. CTG also provides strategic staffing services for major technology companies and large corporations. Backed by 50 years of experience and proprietary methodologies, CTG has a proven track record of reliably delivering high-value, industry-specific staffing services and solutions to its clients. CTG has operations in North America, Western Europe, and India. The company regularly posts news and other important information online at ctg.com.

    About KLAS
    KLAS is a research firm on a global mission to improve healthcare delivery by enabling providers to be heard and counted. Working with thousands of healthcare professionals and clinicians, KLAS gathers data on software, services, and medical equipment to deliver timely reports, trends, and statistical overviews. The research directly represents the provider voice and acts as a catalyst for improving vendor performance. To learn more about KLAS and their reports, visit KLASresearch.com.

    Contacts

    Investors: Brendan Harrington
    Chief Financial Officer
    [email protected]
    716.887.7368    		 Media: Amanda LeBlanc
    Vice President, Marketing
    [email protected]
    225.772.8865
    Posted 1.31.2017

  • CynergisTek Wins 2017 Best in KLAS Award in Cyber Security Category

    Company Earns Number One Ranking in New Category, Cyber Security Advisory Services

    AUSTIN, TX – January 31, 2017 — CynergisTek™, an Auxilio company (OTCQB: AUXOD), an industry leader in health information privacy, compliance and cyber security, today announced that it was ranked Best in KLAS in the Cyber Security Advisory Services category in the 2017 Best in KLAS Awards: Software & Services report. This is the first time this category has been included in the Best in KLAS rankings.

    The 2017 Best in KLAS: Software & Services report provides a high-level overview of performance ratings for vendors offering software, professional services and medical equipment to the healthcare industry. The report includes client satisfaction scores and benchmark performance metrics, which many provider organizations reference when they select IT partners. According to the report, CynergisTek received the highest scores from its clients in overall satisfaction. CynergisTek received an overall score of 93.7 out of 100.

    “This is a great honor and incredibly humbling. This accolade is particularly gratifying since it is based on our clients’ own experiences with our consultants and services,” said Mac McMillan, CEO of CynergisTek. “I’ve always been a huge proponent of what KLAS does and how they do it. Moreover, the addition of this category by KLAS reinforces the critical importance of cyber security advisory services in healthcare at this time and the call from CIOs for more resources to help them meet the cyber security challenges they face.”

    CynergisTek was also recognized by KLAS in 2016 in a report titled, “Security Advisory Services: Which Firms Are Helping Providers Sleep at Night?” where it was named the highest-rated firm that healthcare provider organizations rely on for security consulting and services.

    “The Best in KLAS report celebrates and recognizes vendors who have made significant strides to improve healthcare while addressing changes like payment reform and the shift to population health. The KLAS team applauds your efforts and acknowledges your commitment to innovation and achievement,” said Adam Gale, President of KLAS. “As the years go by, we are continually humbled by the number of providers who share their experiences with us; they make all our reports, especially our Best in KLAS report, possible.”

    In mid-January, CynergisTek announced it would be merging the resources of Redspin and Delphiis, adding additional technical security and risk management capabilities to its service offerings, further validating the company’s mission to meet the growing security needs of its customer base.

    About KLAS
    KLAS is a research firm on a global mission to improve healthcare delivery by enabling providers to be heard and counted. Working with thousands of healthcare professionals and clinicians, KLAS gathers data on software, services and medical equipment to deliver timely reports, trends and statistical overviews. The research directly represents the provider voice and acts as a catalyst for improving vendor performance. To learn more about KLAS and their reports, visit KLASresearch.com.

    About CynergisTek
    CynergisTek, an Auxilio company, (cynergistek.com) is a top-ranked cybersecurity and privacy consulting firm. The company offers solutions to help organizations measure privacy and security programs against regulatory requirements and assists in developing risk management best practices. Since 2004 the company has served as a partner to hundreds in the healthcare industry and is dedicated to supporting and educating the industry by contributing to relevant industry associations. The company has been named in numerous research reports as one of the top firms that provider organizations turn to for privacy and security, and won the 2017 Best in KLAS award for Cyber Security Advisory Services.

    About Auxilio
    Auxilio (auxilioinc.com) provides complete document workflow solutions and IT security services to healthcare organizations across the United States. Auxilio has helped its clients save more than $80 million since 2004 by providing solutions which lower costs, improve operational efficiency and enhance security. Auxilio’s iPLATFORM, an intelligent workflow automation suite delivers a customer driven, vendor neutral approach to secure patient health information, reduce waste and drive additional savings opportunities. Auxilio serves a national portfolio of nearly 220 hospital campuses and manages over 1.5 billion documents annually from over 90,000 devices supporting over 280,000 caregivers.

    Forward Looking Statements
    This press release contains “forward-looking statements” as that term is defined in the Private Securities Litigation Reform Act of 1995, regarding the enhancement of shareholder value and the Company’s strategy relating to uplisting to a national exchange. Such forward-looking statements are based on current expectations and involve inherent risks and uncertainties, including factors that could delay, divert or change any of them, and could cause actual outcomes and results to differ materially from current expectations. No forward-looking statement can be guaranteed. These forward-looking statements are made as of the date of this press release, and the Company assumes no obligation to update the forward-looking statements, or to update the reasons why actual results could differ from those projected in the forward-looking statements. Readers are urged to read the risk factors set forth in the Company’s most recent annual report on Form 10-K, subsequent quarterly reports filed on Form 10-Q, and other filings made with the SEC. Copies of these reports are available from the SEC’s website at sec.gov or without charge from the Company.

    Media Contact
    Krysta Ferry
    Account Executive
    Aria Marketing
    617.332.9999 x 213
    [email protected]    		 Investor Relations Contact
    Mike Cole
    MZ North America
    949.259.4988
    [email protected]
    Posted 1.31.2017

  • Optimum Healthcare IT Receives Coveted Best in KLAS 2017 Overall IT Services Firm

    Rankings Reflect Opinions of Healthcare Providers Across the Country

    JACKSONVILLE BEACH, FL – January 31, 2017 — Optimum Healthcare IT, a leading healthcare IT staffing and consulting services company, announces today that it has earned two Best in KLAS and one Category Leader distinction in the “2017 Best in KLAS: Software and Services” annual report. As rated by healthcare providers across the United States, Optimum Healthcare IT has earned the following:

    • 2017 Best in KLAS Overall IT Services Firm
    • 2017 Best in KLAS for HIT Enterprise Implementation Leadership
    • 2017 Category Leader for Go-Live Support

    Optimum Healthcare IT earned the Overall IT Services Firm Best in KLAS distinction with a score of 95.7. The firm will be recognized on February 19, 2017, at the KLAS Awards Reception during HIMSS17 in Orlando, Florida.

    “We are honored to receive the Best in KLAS distinction from the opinions of those who matter the most – our clients,” said Jason Mabry, CEO of Optimum Healthcare IT. “Our goal is to provide our clients world-class consulting services with quality and value that deliver results. This recognition is directly attributed to the amazing staff at Optimum and their dedication to our clients. We are humbled and grateful to receive this award.”

    Optimum Healthcare IT provides the most proficient consultants in the industry across all of our solution offerings. We work with our clients to identify their issues and explore the right solutions to fit their organizational needs with services in advisory, EHR implementation, training and activation, Community Connect, analytics, security, and managed services.

    “The Best in KLAS report celebrates and recognizes vendors who have made significant strides to improve healthcare while addressing changes like payment reform and the shift to population health. The KLAS team applauds your efforts and acknowledges your commitment to innovation and achievement,” said Adam Gale, President of KLAS. “As the years go by, we are continually humbled by the number of providers who share their experiences with us; they make all our reports, especially our Best in KLAS report, possible.”

    The title of Best in KLAS is a highly coveted recognition of outstanding efforts to help healthcare professionals deliver better patient care. It is reserved for vendor solutions that lead the software and services market segments with the broadest operational and clinical impact on healthcare organizations. The annual KLAS report is based on feedback from thousands of health care providers. It delivers insight as to how healthcare IT vendors across multiple categories are performing for their clients and against one another. According to the report, the overall IT services firm ranking is reserved for those firms that have a minimum of three separate IT services that meet the minimum KLAS Konfidence levels in three separate market segments. Optimum Healthcare IT is rated in four market segments.

    About KLAS
    KLAS is a research firm on a global mission to improve healthcare delivery by enabling providers to be heard and counted. Working with thousands of healthcare professionals and clinicians, KLAS gathers data on software, services and medical equipment to deliver timely reports, trends and statistical overviews. The research directly represents the provider voice and acts as a catalyst for improving vendor performance. To learn more about KLAS and their reports, visit KLASresearch.com.

    About Optimum Healthcare IT
    Optimum Healthcare IT is a leading healthcare IT staffing and consulting services company based in Jacksonville Beach, Florida. Optimum provides world-class consulting services in advisory, EHR implementation, training and activation, Community Connect, analytics, security, and managed services – supporting their client’s needs through the continuum of care. Their excellence is driven by a leadership team with more than 50 years of experience in providing expert healthcare staffing and consulting solutions to all types of organizations.

    Visit optimumhit.com or call 1.904.373.0831 to find out how your organization can take advantage of their solution offerings.

    Posted 1.31.2017

  • Greenville Health System converts to Agfa HealthCare’s Enterprise Imaging Platform for Image Management

    System upgrades to Enterprise Imaging platform to transform its image management

    MORSTEL, BELGIUM and GREENVILE, SC – 24 January 2017 — 

    • Greenville Health System chose a complete platform approach with Agfa HealthCare’s Enterprise Imaging
    • The platform consolidates imaging data from multiple service lines and provides secure access to a
      patient’s medical images, in one view, accessible ‘anywhere, anytime’.
    • The agreement includes an upgrade and expansion of an existing relationship with Agfa.

    In a move to adopt a single vendor information and image-sharing platform for its system-wide collaborative needs, South Carolina’s Greenville Health System (GHS) recently signed an agreement with Agfa HealthCare for its Enterprise Imaging platform. The suite of solutions will allow it to seamlessly connect its facilities with patient imaging and textual data across the Upstate of South Carolina. Agfa HealthCare’s North American headquarters is located right in GHS’ backyard, in downtown Greenville.

    With Enterprise Imaging, the health system will be able to consolidate medical images and information and streamline hardware and storage capacity while eliminating data silos and strengthening data security. GHS had an existing relationship with Agfa for medical image management, but is migrating to Enterprise Imaging to not only upgrade its capabilities and replace other vendor’s products, but to provide better communication between healthcare providers all along the patient care continuum.

    GHS, like most healthcare systems in the United States, faces an enterprisewide challenge to provide efficient and
    secure clinical imaging workflow processes and related technologies to a new generation of imaging producers while complying with regulatory standards, enhancing clinical collaboration and reducing the cost of imaging storage. GHS purchased the entire suite of Enterprise Imaging solutions, which include:

    • Enterprise Imaging Vendor-Neutral Archive (VNA) – consolidates imaging data from multiple
      systems, departments, facilities and vendors into a central clinical data foundation.
    • Enterprise Imaging for Cardiology and Radiology
    • Enterprise Imaging Exchange – allows fast, secure, reliable transfer of patient studies.
    • Web-based XERO® universal image viewer – provides secure access to DICOM and non-DICOM imaging data
      from different departments and multiple sources, in one view, to clinicians inside and outside of the hospital.
    • Standardized Departmental Workflows which allow all image-producing service lines to capture and
      associate imaging studies with an episode of care, with appropriate image descriptors.

    With Agfa’s platform, clinicians can share imaging data, no matter where they practice medicine. A variety of multimedia and textual information can be captured in a variety of ways across the care continuum and associated with patient encounters – including video and still images.

    “Our immediate need was to replace a legacy storage archive system. Rather than solving just that problem and buying only a VNA, we stepped back and took a broader perspective in consideration of patient care operations, organizational growth and strategic support of our population health care model,” said Rich Rogers, chief information officer for Greenville Health System. ““Consolidating all of our medical imaging IT systems on a single platform solution that could scale, enable greater clinical efficiency and reduce cost was the right decision for us.”

    “This relationship means that patients in the Upstate of South Carolina, and in some cases beyond, will benefit from the efficiencies and fast information access that Greenville Health System will realize with Agfa’s single platform solution,” said Frank Pecaitis, senior vice president, North America Sales at Agfa HealthCare. “At the other end of the image is the patient, and fast, efficient capture of images and exchange of information will help clinicians, no matter their specialty or location, with that important image transaction to enhance the care of every patient, every day.”

    GHS is an academic health system and the largest not-for-profit healthcare delivery system in South Carolina. The 1,358-bed system is home to 15 medical residency and fellowship programs.

    For an image, courtesy of Agfa HealthCare, with this press release click here

    About Agfa
    The Agfa-Gevaert Group is one of the world’s leading companies in imaging and information technology. Agfa develops manufactures and markets analogue and digital systems for the printing industry (Agfa Graphics), for the healthcare sector (Agfa HealthCare), and for specific industrial applications (Agfa Materials). Agfa is headquartered in Mortsel, Belgium. The company is present in 40 countries and has agents in another 100 countries around the globe.

    About Agfa HealthCare
    Agfa HealthCare, present in one hospital out of two, is a leading provider of eHealth & Digital Imaging solutions. Care organizations in over 100 countries rely on Agfa HealthCare to optimize their efficiency and improve patient care.

    For more information on Agfa HealthCare, please visit agfahealthcare.com or the Agfa HealthCare Blog For images, courtesy of Agfa HealthCare, please visit agfahealthcare/resources

    Follow them on Twitter

    Posted 1.24.2017

  • Agfa HealthCare scores highest rated in overall satisfaction for Universal Viewer in latest KLAS Enterprise Imaging Report

    KLAS quotes “Potential enterprise imaging customers are looking at Agfa HealthCare more than ever before”

    MORTSEL, BELGIUM – 24 January 2017 —

    • KLAS Performance Report 2016 shows Agfa HealthCare’s VNA and Universal Viewer as only vendor
      with increased satisfaction
    • Report notes that early data indicates Agfa HealthCare is “having good success connecting multiple
      service lines with their VNA* and universal viewer
    • Agfa HealthCare acts as a partner in customers’ enterprise imaging strategies. One provider stated
      “Agfa does both advisory and solution work for us”

    Report addresses “Myth of Deconstructed PACS” in North American Market

    While the expectations of healthcare providers from their vendor neutral archive* (VNA) and universal viewer vendors have risen in the past year, says a new report by KLAS, Agfa HealthCare customers are increasingly satisfied with the company’s Enterprise Imaging solution.

    These were amongst the findings of the “Enterprise Imaging 2016: Early Leaders in a Growing Market” report. The report speaks to Enterprise Imaging having “the potential to revolutionize patient care across the continuum by consolidating critical patient images and integrating them into the clinician workflow”.

    An enterprise imaging partner
    Independent research firm KLAS is known for honestly, accurately and impartially measuring vendor performance on behalf of healthcare providers. KLAS data and reports represent the combined opinions of actual people from provider organizations comparing how their vendors, products, and/or services performed when measured against participants’ objectives and expectations. Findings are a unique compilation of candid opinions, and are real measurements representing those individuals interviewed. KLAS can thus provide a transparent window into what users actually think of products.

    In the report released in December 2016, Agfa HealthCare customers testified to their increased levels of satisfaction with the company’s Enterprise Imaging solution, including its VNA and universal viewer. According to the report, “Potential enterprise imaging customers are looking at Agfa HealthCare more than ever before. Agfa HealthCare’s solution is solid overall and provides decent functionality and above-average integration.”

    The study also noted that Agfa HealthCare can play a clear and significant role in healthcare providers’ enterprise imaging strategies. One customer specified, “Agfa HealthCare is a major partner in our enterprise imaging strategy. We make sure our roadmaps are aligned.”

    A true enterprise imaging platform
    Agfa HealthCare’s Enterprise Imaging is a workflow-oriented solution. It provides all imaging applications and services on a single modern IT platform, with 64-bit architecture that enables a single integration point into the EMR. Extremely fast software, intuitive use, dedicated clinical tools and a powerful workflow engine maximize productivity while keeping cost of ownership exceptionally low. Going far beyond the traditional PACS, the platform supports multi-specialty collaboration, image exchange, shared working and mobility, as well as patientfocused healthcare.

    The Enterprise Imaging VNA offers a robust solution for enterprise archiving of DICOM and non-DICOM data, with intelligent lifecycle management tools and maximum interoperability. It consolidates imaging data, from multiple systems, departments, facilities and vendors, into a central clinical data foundation. Images from all patients are in one archive, and multimedia patient imaging records can be shared across the healthcare enterprise and beyond. Data ownership, migration and storage costs are reduced, while management is simplified. And the improved interoperability enables sharing of multimedia patient imaging records across the healthcare enterprise and beyond.

    The KLAS report quotes a customer who explained, “Enterprise imaging with Agfa is different in that Agfa offers a platform of services. Other vendors have a VNA component and tell you that it can connect to outside components. Lots of these components are conglomerations of other vendors’ tools or workflows missing in the main system. Most vendors offer a suite of compartmentalized solutions that aren’t on the same platform. But Agfa’s product is one server and one database, and it does everything as a platform. We can turn functionality on or off by essentially checking a box.”

    Fast, reliable and secure image access
    The XERO universal viewer – which also includes an FDA-cleared diagnostic viewer – provides secure access to imaging data from different departments and sources or multiple imaging managers, in a consolidated view. It offers enhanced viewing, clinical depth, collaboration and sharing on a single web viewer. Images from the Agfa HealthCare Enterprise Imaging IT platform or third-party VNAs or PACS can be seen in one display.

    According to the KLAS report, Agfa HealthCare is one of two vendors offering usable viewers that are fast and reliable, and noted for continually improving their solutions. “I am happy that Agfa is continuing to develop and put resources into the product to make it better,” commented one customer.

    Another explained, “Enterprise Imaging XERO Viewer is great because it is web based, and it allows our radiologists to look at images from their houses. If they need to look at an image, they can just bring it right up and look at it. The system is just plain and simple to use. We just plug in a URL, and we are there.”

    The myth of deconstructed PACS
    KLAS also researched the position of “deconstructed PACS”, which involves eliminating the PACS entirely and replacing it with the VNA and universal viewer. KLAS commented that this concept is often brought up by “some vendors and consulting firms”. However, its own research suggests that it is far from a reality today. Feedback from healthcare organizations indicated that only 4% are actually going down deconstructed PACS strategy and nearly 75% percent are not doing nor considering deconstructed PACS as their go-forward strategy. While 22 percent are not doing deconstructed PACS, but are still considering it.

    A customer specified, “We have Agfa’s PACS, VNA, and XERO enterprise viewer. We feel that everything works together, and we have a setup that works really well for enterprise imaging. I don’t see us going away from our PACS; what we have done is very functional.”

    Innovation that meets real expectations
    “We are very pleased that the 2016 report from KLAS shows that our ongoing commitment to delivering innovative image information management services is bearing fruit, in increased satisfaction amongst our customers,” comments Bill Corsten, Regional President, North America, Agfa HealthCare. “This report offers direct insight into real customer experiences, and demonstrates that, even as expectations from healthcare providers increase, we are able to meet their evolving needs for tools that enable collaboration, integrated care along the care continuum, population health management, and more. Agfa HealthCare is dedicated to acting as a partner for our customers in developing operating and clinical strategies to meet today’s healthcare models.”

    *Agfa VNA satisfaction scores based on limited data collected by KLAS

     

    For an image, courtesy of Agfa HealthCare, click here

     

    About Agfa
    The Agfa-Gevaert Group is one of the world’s leading companies in imaging information technology. Agfa develops manufactures and markets analogue and digital systems for the printing industry (Agfa Graphics), for the healthcare sector (Agfa HealthCare), and for specific industrial applications (Agfa Materials). Agfa is headquartered in Mortsel, Belgium. The company is present in 40 countries and has agents in another 100 countries around the globe.

    About Agfa HealthCare
    Agfa HealthCare, present in one hospital out of two, is a leading provider of eHealth & Digital Imaging solutions. Care organizations in over 100 countries rely on Agfa HealthCare to optimize their efficiency and improve patient care.

    For more information on Agfa HealthCare, please visit agfahealthcare.com or the Agfa HealthCare Blog

    Follow them on Twitter 

    Posted 1.24.2017

  • Inside CHIME: An ‘Obligation’ to Advance Health IT

    Inside CHIME - header

    Weinstock 70x70 1.19.17 by Matthew Weinstock
    Director of Communications and Public Relations, CHIME

    CIO Focus Groups give CHIME members a unique opportunity to shape the direction of products and services that will ultimately end up in the health IT marketplace.

    Sean Moynihan keeps a busy schedule. Like all CHIME members, the CIO of Virginia Urology, Richmond, VA, is focused on implementing IT systems that will enable clinicians to deliver better care to patients. He also knows he can’t go it alone.

    “I understand how valuable my time is,” Moynihan says. “But getting the tools that I need to succeed is just as important.”

    One key way he accomplishes that is by participating in CIO Focus Groups. He says CHIME members have “an obligation” to support Foundation firms, just “as they support us.”

    Moynihan started attending online and in-person focus groups almost immediately after joining CHIME two years ago. He participates in 15 to 20 focus groups a year, and it is not for the honorarium; he donates that back to the Education Foundation. Rather, he says Foundation firms are critical to helping members improve their operations, which in turn contributes to CHIME’s success.

    “Focus groups are where our partnerships with Foundation firms really have a chance to come together,” he says. “Foundation firms can present products, services or concepts that we think the market needs and we can give them valuable feedback. We are all partners in the development and direction of health IT. The success of those partnerships should have a positive outcome on our patients and physicians.”

    Moynihan also appreciates the interaction that takes place with fellow CHIME members during focus groups. He says it usually leads to “great discussions and sometimes presents a roadmap I may not have initially considered.”

    As you get ready for the CHIME-HIMSS CIO Forum, make sure you too are working to build partnerships across the industry and advance health IT. Sign up for focus groups taking place every two hours starting at 8:00 AM, Feb. 20-22, in Orlando. Regardless of which CIO Focus Groups you participate in, know that your insights are highly valued, there are tangible takeaways, and they are a great opportunity to share your expertise with your fellow CHIME colleagues.

    More Inside CHIME Volume 2, No. 2:

    Posted 1.19.2017

  • Inside CHIME: CHCIO Bundle Offers Members a Great Value

    Inside CHIME - header

    1.19.17 by Michelle Patterson
    Director of Membership and Professional Development, CHIME

    CHIME has streamlined the CHCIO registration process, making it easier for members to take their careers to the next level.

    Created in 2008, the certified healthcare CIO (CHCIO) designation serves as the ultimate recognition of knowledge, skill and experience for healthcare IT leaders. It has substantiated and elevated the profession, especially at a time when CIOs are becoming more integral to the overall strategic direction of their organizations.  Today, 330 CIOs carry the CHCIO designation and another 76 are CHCIO eligible.

    Yet for all of the success the program has experienced over the years, we know there have been frustrations surrounding fees and the registration process.

    We heard you loud and clear! CHIME is excited to announce a new, easy and cost-effective way to register for the CHCIO program.

    The entire CHCIO experience is now available for $625, a savings of $100 and we’ve even streamlined the registration process. The bundle covers all expenses – CHCIO application, study materials, practice exam and exam fees – and if you don’t take or pass the exam within a year, you can re-up for just $99.

    We hope you will take advantage of this streamlined registration and bundled package. The next in-person is Saturday, Feb. 18, in Orlando. Click here to learn more about the CHCIO program and to register.

    More Inside CHIME Volume 2, No. 2:

    Posted 1.19.2017

  • Spok to Add 60 Employees in Minnesota to Support Accelerated Solution Development

    SPRINGFIELD, VA -January 18, 2017 — Spok, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK) and the leader in healthcare communications and collaboration, today announced the company’s expansion of its Minneapolis/St. Paul presence by approximately 45 percent, with the addition of more than 60 employees over the next two years, the majority of which will be added in 2017. As part of Spok’s ongoing capital allocation strategy, which includes making key strategic investments in its product solutions and infrastructure, the company is increasing its world-class team to enhance Spok Care Connect®, a unique healthcare communications platform that is transforming how hospitals coordinate care.

    “We are pleased to announce these planned additions to our already strong team of professionals,” said Vincent D. Kelly, chief executive officer. “In 2017, Spok is committed to the necessary investments supporting our strategy to deliver the best-in-class unified critical communications platform, Spok Care Connect.”

    Making a difference in the lives of patients and healthcare professionals, the newly hired associates will be based in Spok’s Eden Prairie, Minn. location. There, they will join the company’s collaborative teams that work with industry-leading technology to create innovative product solutions. Healthcare organizations around the world rely on Spok to improve clinical communications by delivering information to care teams when and where it matters most to improve patient outcomes. Spok® solutions help hospitals evolve their communications strategy and technology from disparate systems to a single communications platform, which supports clinical workflows and allows for the seamless flow of data among departments.

    With increased demand for its range of solutions, Spok is accelerating work on Spok Care Connect. “We are excited to be building an even larger world-class development team as we continue to deliver the most effective solutions to our customers,” said Kyle Gunderson, vice president of product development at Spok.

    “In line with our mission to attract and retain the best talent, this initiative will provide opportunities for people with a diversity of skills and backgrounds,” said Bonnie Culp, executive vice president of human resources. “We are an innovative company, and we believe our employees are our most valuable resource. We offer a flexible and collaborative work environment that promotes a customer focus for success across the organization.”

    Spok’s expedited application process can be accessed at spok.com/careers.

    About Spok
    Spok, Inc., a wholly owned subsidiary of Spok Holdings, Inc. (NASDAQ: SPOK), headquartered in Springfield, Va., is proud to be the global leader in critical communications for healthcare, government, public safety, and other industries. They deliver smart, reliable solutions to help protect the health, well-being, and safety of people around the globe. Their customers send over 100 million messages each month through their Spok® solutions, and they rely on Spok for workflow improvement, secure texting, paging services, contact center optimization, and public safety response. When communications matter, Spok delivers. Visit them at spok.com or find them on Twitter @Spoktweets.

    Spok is a trademark of Spok Holdings, Inc. Spok Care Connect is a trademark of Spok, Inc.

    Contact
    Spok, Inc.
    Jill Asby
    +1 952-230-5363
    [email protected]

    Posted 1.18.2017

  • Fortune Ranks Health Catalyst One of the 30 Best Workplaces in the US Technology Industry

    SALT LAKE CITY, UT – January 18, 2017 — Health Catalyst, a leader in healthcare data warehousing, analytics and outcomes improvement, has been named one of the 30 Best Workplaces in Technology by Fortune magazine and Great Place to Work®. Health Catalyst ranked No. 9 on the annual list among companies with fewer than 1,000 employees, and is the only healthcare technology company to make the 2017 list.

    Health Catalyst’s ranking is based on anonymous survey feedback from its employees and more than 42,000 employees at Great Place to Work–Certified™ organizations across the US technology industry. Survey questions focused on how frequently respondents experience the behaviors that create a great workplace, including the transparency of communication, degree of collaboration, quality of benefits programs, opportunity for professional development, and support for work-life balance.

    “Our leadership team is convinced that we cannot succeed in our mission of transforming healthcare unless we are able to attract and retain the best and brightest team members in our areas of expertise,” said Health Catalyst CEO Dan Burton. “We are encouraged by the direct feedback from our team members that is reflected in this recognition.”

    According to Great Place at Work, 97 percent of Health Catalyst team members say their workplace is “great.” Other findings highlighted by the survey include:
    • 98% of team members say Health Catalyst management is “honest and ethical in its business practices”
    • 98% believe management would lay people off only as a last resort
    • 97% say they are encouraged to balance their work life and their personal life

    Health Catalyst supports work-life balance for its team members with perks like unlimited paid time off, flexible schedules, telecommuting options, free food and drinks, and 84 days of maternity and paternity leave. The company supports a culture of health through monthly wellness reimbursements, a fitness program allowing team members to collect points and receive discounts on health insurance premiums, an onsite fitness center, and subsidized outside gym memberships. Health Catalyst also hosts regular family-friendly fun events like movie nights, baseball games, chili cook-offs, variety shows, fun runs for a cause, and picnics in the park.

    Health Catalyst expects to have 90 job openings this year across all locations. Interested candidates can see available positions and submit applications at www.healthcatalyst.com/job-openings.

    About Health Catalyst
    Health Catalyst is a mission-driven data warehousing, analytics and outcomes-improvement company that helps healthcare organizations of all sizes perform the clinical, financial, and operational reporting and analysis needed for population health and accountable care. Our proven enterprise data warehouse (EDW) and analytics platform helps improve quality, add efficiency and lower costs in support of more than 70 million patients for organizations ranging from the largest US health system to forward-thinking physician practices. For more information, visit www.healthcatalyst.com, and follow them on Twitter, LinkedIn and Facebook.

    About Great Place to Work®
    Great Place to Work® is the global authority on high-trust, high-performance workplace cultures. Through proprietary assessment tools, advisory services, and certification programs, including Best Workplaces lists and workplace reviews, Great Place to Work®provides the benchmarks, framework, and expertise needed to create, sustain, and recognize outstanding workplace cultures. In the United States, Great Place to Work®produces the annual Fortune “100 Best Companies to Work For®” and a series of Great Place to Work® Best Workplaces lists, including lists for Millennials, Women, Diversity and over a half dozen different industries.

    Follow Great Place to Work® online at www.greatplacetowork.com and on Twitter at @GPTW_US.

    Contact
    Todd Stein
    Amendola Communications
    916.346.4213
    [email protected]

    Posted 1.18.2017
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