Merge Healthcare, which has
already made a name for itself in enterprise-class medical imaging and scalable
laboratory information systems, as well as in interoperability solutions that
make it easy to use and share all this rich data, dropped some huge news today
(especially for their integrated radiology solutions portfolio), as ONC-ACB
(Office of the National Coordinator Authorized Certification Body) Meaningful
Use (MU) 2014 standards-compliant certification has been achieved for their top
radiology offerings, the Merge RIS™ and Merge PACS™ systems, as well as the
associated iConnect® Access viewer. Trusted test lab and certification body,
Drummond Group’s ONC-ACB program, validates MU criteria compliance for access
to federal stimulus funds that have been designated for the purposes of
strategic clinical care delivery upgrades in the form of high-impact EHR
implementations (Electronic Health Records).
Since 2011, the company has
been on a mission to take their MU-focused outpatient radiology information
system, Merge RIS, and transform it into the ultimate in certified EHR
platforms for storage, management and distribution of patient radiology data,
which is also geared for administrative efficiency. This campaign has led to
sweeping MU-focused activity across deep bench of solutions developed by MRGE
and today’s announcement further solidifies the company’s leadership role in
the space.
Merge PACS (picture archive
and communications system) is designed for high-functionality, web-based
enterprise location use and allows for real-time comprehensive review, sharing
and archiving capabilities (3D, mammography and PET/CT/MR/NM fusion), as well
as robust interactions between radiologists and referring physicians. Such
massively improved operational efficiency is further enhanced with iConnect
Access, a zero-download, web-based viewer for native DICOM and XDS image
formats which referring physicians need to review. By having access to a
complete, lightweight, yet powerful image viewer without being tethered to a
workstation, referring physicians can easily get the job done using tablets,
laptops and even smartphones outside of work, also allowing customers to image
enable any EHR or other health information system with a simple embedded link.
CEO of MRGE, Justin
Dearborn, noted that with the addition of imaging to the overall set of MU
measures set forth for 2014, the company’s efforts to develop and certify their
sophisticated array of solutions will be a huge boon to their customers, who
will be more readily able to clear broader MU Stage 2 compliance as well. This
kind of dedication to leading the charge on standards has already proven to be
a big win for MRGE and the company is clearly doubling down on their imaging
portfolio here. MRGE is quite proud to be able to say today that their
automated lab process solution and scalable laboratory information system,
Merge LIS™, is MU certified, as is their Merge OrthoPACS™ orthopedic image
viewing and management system, and Merge Eye Care PACS™, a web-based image and
diagnostics management system.
Dearborn underscored the
importance of these systems for achieving the kinds of interoperability and
enterprise imaging capabilities required for the next stage of MU, which
emphasizes the formation of a tightly interwoven health information exchange
network. Sentiments which were echoed resoundingly by Tom Smith, CIO over at
Triad Radiology Associates (veteran team of 36 Board Certified radiologists and
7 mid-level practitioners on staff), an outfit widely known in the industry for
their high-quality imaging services, who asserted how crucial the MU component
of their overarching strategy was. Smith further explained that MRGE’s
solutions have not only helped Triad clear the most recent MU standards, the
company’s solutions have also allowed Triad to support their referring
physician network as well in their own efforts to achieve MU compliance,
ultimately resulting in major improvements to patient care, as information can
be analyzed in a shared environment and with greater efficiency than ever
before.
Merge will be showcasing
their compelling array of solutions at the highly influential HIMSS 14 Annual
Conference & Exhibition (booth #5551) this February 23 to 27 in Orlando,
which will be keynoted by Mark Bertolini, CEO of managed healthcare giant, AETNA,
as well as Former Secretary of State and noted healthcare reform proponent,
Hillary Rodham Clinton.
Learn more about Merge
Healthcare Inc. at www.Merge.com
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