AUSTIN, TX - Memorial Hermann Healthcare System has completed a major expansion to GE's Centricity Picture Archiving Communications System (PACS)implementation, spanning Memorial Hermann Southwest Hospital's thirty-two modalities in radiology with image distribution to emergency, surgery and intensive care units. This new implementation will increase image throughput across six of its nine acute care hospitals to over one million exams per year. (GE's Centricity PACS solution was showcased last week during the 2006 Society for Computer Applications in Radiology (SCAR) in Austin, Texas.)

"The transition to PACS further advances Memorial Hermann into the digital age of healthcare," said James Polfreman, assistant vice president, System Imaging Services at Memorial Hermann. "The computerization of patient records mirrors the way medical image technology is going, helping us stay at the cutting edge of patient care and making it easier than ever to connect specialists and physicians to the critical diagnostic information they need."

GE's state-of-the-art Centricity PACS offers fast, powerful diagnostic tools that enhance the quality and speed of the diagnostic process. This advanced digital technology replaces film and creates images, such as those from X-Rays, CT or MRI exams. These image files are then stored on magnetic discs and can be retrieved on demand and viewed digitally, helping physicians make decisions and begin patient treatment much more quickly. In addition to decreased waiting time for patients, the new technology includes electronic tools that assist in detailed analysis.


"The implementation of GE PACS technology has helped enable me to focus on my top priority...the patient," said Charles Soderstrom, M.D., a radiologist associated with Memorial Hermann Southwest.

"The ability to view diagnostic images quickly on our computer network brings critical information right to the physicians at the point where they are making decisions and administering care," said James Hesse, director of Imaging Services at Southwest. "Now, there's no more chasing films or records - the CT or MR image needed is just a click away."

Memorial Hermann is also embarking on a plan to expand out patient imaging services throughout the Houston Metropolitan area. PACS and the recent deployment of voice recognition, which provides radiologists with the ability to immediately create the report from their voice commands, will enable the quick turn-around of reports and further Memorial Hermann's efforts to enhance the customer experience.

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