Centracare Health System Selects Merge iConnect for Enterprise-Wide Image Interoperability

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Merge Healthcare , a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, today announced that Centracare Health System’s St. Cloud Hospital, the largest healthcare provider in the St. Cloud, MN region, has selected Merge’s iConnect VNA (vendor neutral archive) and iConnect Share for their image interoperability and informatics strategy.

In use at more than 300 sites, iConnect VNA is the most widely-deployed vendor neutral archive in the industry. iConnect VNA stores medical images from multiple sites and multiple specialties, providing a valuable patient-centric view of all diagnostic images, as well as workflow documents, and other key information from multiple specialties on demand.

“To create a backbone for an enterprise imaging strategy, a true vendor neutral archive is a requirement,” said Jeff Surges, CEO of Merge Healthcare. “Our iConnect VNA allows St. Cloud to have centralized imaging storage for all of the images across its entire system – without the need to replace existing viewer platforms or other legacy systems. Plus, because our VNA provides true vendor independence, St. Cloud will now enjoy worry-free data migration and image exchange in the future.”

“We selected Merge because they have the best vision for the future of imaging, as well as a strong track record of stability and support,” said Amy Porwoll, CIO of St. Cloud Hospital. “With iConnect VNA, we will be able to grow our infrastructure without additional investments in management, storage, migration or integration. And as we bring cardiology and other silos of information into the VNA, we’ll be able to reduce the isolation of data and increase access to images, which ultimately will result in better patient care.”

By utilizing Merge iConnect VNA and iConnect Share – an internet-based gateway for image sharing between enterprises – physicians can selectively view outside studies and store them in a local environment, regardless of the source system, location or format. As a result, they can provide faster time to treatment, increase referrals and leverage existing investments to reduce costs.

About Merge Healthcare

Merge Healthcare is a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, with a client base consisting of more than 1,500 hospitals and 6,000 clinics across the country. 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; a suite of products for clinical trials; software for financial and pre-surgical management, and applications that fuel the largest modality vendors in the world. Merge’s products have been used by healthcare providers, vendors and researchers worldwide to improve patient care for more than 20 years. Additional information can be found at www.merge.com.

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About St. Cloud Hospital

As the largest health care facility in the region, St. Cloud Hospital offers a full spectrum of inpatient and outpatient services. From state-of-the-art care for heart disease and cancer to preventive health screenings and behavioral health counseling, the hospital has the technology and skilled professionals to meet the needs of the region. Currently the hospital has nearly 4,300 employees and a medical staff of 400 physicians. St. Cloud Hospital conducts more than 350,000 imaging studies a year.

Contacts
Merge Healthcare
Media Contact:
Brenda Stewart
Director, Marketing Communications
773.726.8901 | brenda.stewart@merge.com