Philips and SpineMark partner for global care centers

Royal Philips Electronics and SpineMark Corporation, a San Diego-based company that develops specialized centers for spinal care, have announced a partnership that will bring Philips’s imaging and other healthcare IT solutions to new SpineMark facilities around the world.

The first centers for spine care resulting from this agreement will be established in the Netherlands, Spain and Turkey in the first quarter of 2011, officials said.

SpineMark’s centers bring together highly skilled and dedicated spine specialists, allowing patients quick and easy access to care for all spine related needs. These centers create efficient patient triage and care management systems, help manage healthcare costs and provide patients with a complete continuum of care from diagnosis to pain relief, surgery and rehabilitation. The result is a highly efficient, patient-centric standard of care.

As part of this agreement, Philips will draw on its competencies in healthcare, lighting and design to provide an integrated solution to enhance optimal patient outcomes. This includes advanced imaging equipment such as MRI and CT scanners, health IT products to improve spine center efficiency, and learning tools for physicians and nurses. Furthermore, Philips will equip the centers with innovative lighting that creates a stimulating workplace, as well as design solutions to streamline workflow for spine center staff.

"A major part of spine care is non-surgical," said Eric Silfen, chief medical officer, at Philips Healthcare. "For example complex diagnosis, numerous pain relief interventions and extensive rehabilitation often mean that patients can experience long waiting times for services, repeated referrals and unnecessary expense. SpineMark’s innovative care delivery model and our unique partnership will help simplify spine care and create a patient-friendly environment."

"With four out of five people suffering from back pain and an emphasis on finding quality, cost effective healthcare, we have seen a growing need for best practices in spine care across the globe," added Marcy Rogers, CEO of SpineMark Corporation."The partnership with Philips offers us access to the tools needed to not only implement the spine center model globally but also manage each center. This is the first time that a standard model for spine care is being set up globally."