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Graham Hospital Selects iConnect(R) and Merge Honeycomb(TM) Solutions for Enterprise-Wide Image Interoperability and Storage

Upgrade to Latest Version of Merge PACS(TM) Also Enhances Workflow for Community Hospital

CHICAGO, Feb. 22, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merge Healthcare Incorporated (Nasdaq:MRGE), a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare, today announced that Graham Hospital has selected Merge Healthcare’s entire iConnect Enterprise Clinical Platform as well as Merge Honeycomb Archive to implement an enterprise-wide imaging strategy.

“At Graham Hospital we strive to apply forward-thinking technologies to deliver on our mission of providing compassionate, quality health services. Clearly, interoperability and cloud solutions represent the future of imaging,” explained Jim Schreiner, CIO, Graham Hospital.

“With iConnect Enterprise Clinical Platform we will be able to deliver anywhere, any time access to images as well as secure storage of images in the iConnect Enterprise Archive. We will then be utilizing Merge Honeycomb Archive for cost-effective, long-term storage of the second copy of our patient images. We believe that by taking an enterprise-wide view of imaging we will see a decrease in our total cost of ownership and reduce the drain on our internal IT resources,” Schreiner concluded.

“As a long-time Merge PACS user, this new enterprise-wide imaging strategy builds on our partnership with Merge,” added Penny McElroy, Director of Imaging. “We knew that we wanted to upgrade to the latest version of Merge PACS and realized it was also the perfect opportunity to think longer-term while simultaneously improving our radiology workflow in the near-term.”

“We have seen clients from large IDNs to community hospitals like Graham Hospital start to really embrace enterprise imaging strategies and look at the cloud as a viable solution to the business and operational challenges they are facing,” said Jeff Surges, CEO, Merge Healthcare. “Additionally, now that Meaningful Use Stage 2 rules include image-enabling the EHR as a menu set measure, Graham will be well-positioned to meet these future requirements.”

Merge’s iConnect Enterprise Clinical Platform is the industry’s only comprehensive solution for collecting, archiving, viewing, sharing and exchanging any type of image, anywhere, any time. It includes iConnect Access*, a zero-download DICOM image and XDS server, iConnect Share, a gateway for image sharing across the enterprise and iConnect Enterprise Archive, a vendor-neutral archive to create an enterprise imaging strategy. Ranked the VNA global market leader by InMedica, it works with existing applications, leveraging widely-used web and healthcare technology standards, to provide a vendor neutral interoperable environment.

Merge Honeycomb cloud-based applications are designed to help healthcare stakeholders collaborate and improve the delivery of care while reducing costs. Merge Honeycomb Archive provides a long-term storage option that houses images securely, in multiple locations, providing anywhere, any time access. It delivers comprehensive functionality in a high-availability, high-security framework that meets HIPAA and other privacy requirements.

Merge PACS, a real-time picture archiving communication system, enhances clinical, operational and administrative functions with an approach that emphasizes workflow efficiency and customer satisfaction. Its modular design allows for easy integration with a broad range of third-party systems.

*iConnect Access is not FDA-cleared for diagnostic use on mobile devices.

About Merge Healthcare

Merge is a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare. Merge’s enterprise and cloud-based solutions for image intensive specialties provide access to any image, anywhere, any time. Merge also provides health stations, clinical trials software and other health data and analytics solutions that engage consumers in their personal health. With solutions that are used by providers and consumers and include more than 25 years of innovation, Merge is helping to reduce costs and improve the quality of healthcare worldwide. For more information, visit merge.com.

The Merge Healthcare logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=10757

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February 23, 2013 I Written By

John Lynn is the Founder of the HealthcareScene.com blog network which currently consists of 15 blogs containing almost 5000 articles with John having written over 2000 of the articles himself. These EMR and Healthcare IT related articles have been viewed over 9.3 million times. John also recently launched two new companies: InfluentialNetworks.com and Physia.com, and is an advisor to docBeat. John is highly involved in social media, and in addition to his blogs can also be found on Twitter: @techguy and @ehrandhit.

Filed Under: Electronic Health Record  Healthcare
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Huntington Memorial Hospital Selects iConnect(R) for Community-Wide Image Interoperability

Solutions Provide Anywhere, Any Time Access to Images and Enterprise-Wide Image Archive

CHICAGO, Nov. 19, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merge Healthcare Incorporated (Nasdaq:MRGE), a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare, today announced that Huntington Memorial Hospital, a 625-bed, not-for-profit community-focused regional medical center, has selected Merge PACS™ and the entire iConnect® Enterprise Clinical Platform to image-enable both their hospital inpatient EHR as well as their community health information exchange, Huntington Health eConnect.

“Our mission Right Care, Right Place, Right Time requires getting the right information in the right hands and on the right device including patient images,” explained Rebecca Armato, Executive Director, Physician and Interoperability Services at Huntington Hospital. “This is just another example of our continued investment to improve the health of our community and continues our vision of creating a connected, collaborative community of care by providing a consolidated, comprehensive view of patient care to their caregivers regardless of technology or EHR. Merge’s iConnect Enterprise Clinical Platform and Merge PACS solutions will act as the foundation for viewing images and will have a positive impact on patient care.”

“The goal of our Imaging Department is to become a fully clinically integrated program with our community of providers. This system is one of the first of many steps that will help us to archive and we are very excited,” explained Donna Townsend, Executive Director Cardiovascular, Gastroenterology and Imaging Services, Huntington Hospital.

“In addition, our enterprise-wide approach will ensure a seamless workflow and immediate access via a single viewer to all prior exams for our partners, The Hill Medical Corporation, where nineteen radiologists provide comprehensive outpatient radiology services in three state-of-the-art imaging centers,” Armato added.

“Now that Meaningful Use Stage 2 rules include image-enabling the EHR as a menu set measure, leading organizations like Huntington Hospital are looking to quickly and easily image-enable their enterprises for compliance,” added Jeff Surges, CEO, Merge Healthcare. “Now the 2,000+ physicians and caregivers in the San Gabriel Valley who connect to Huntington Health eConnect will be able to access images regardless of EMR or technology they utilize.”

Merge’s iConnect Enterprise Clinical Platform is the industry’s only comprehensive solution for collecting, archiving, viewing, sharing and exchanging any type of image, anywhere, any time. It includes iConnect® Access*, a zero-download DICOM image and XDS server, iConnect® Share, a gateway for image sharing across the enterprise and iConnect® Enterprise Archive, a vendor-neutral archive to create an enterprise imaging strategy. It works with existing applications, leveraging widely-used web and healthcare technology standards, to provide a vendor neutral interoperable environment.

A recent InMedica study reported iConnect Enterprise Archive as the world’s #1 vendor-neutral archive. As the industry’s first true standalone vendor-neutral archive, it has been successfully integrated with over seventy-five PACS vendors and specialty workstations at over 350 sites across the United States. In over half of the implementations, Merge’s customers have integrated third-party PACS systems with iConnect Enterprise Archive.

Merge PACS, a real-time picture archiving communication system, enhances clinical, operational and administrative functions with an approach that emphasizes workflow efficiency and customer satisfaction. Its modular design allows for easy integration with a broad range of third-party systems.

*iConnect Access is not FDA-cleared for diagnostic use on mobile devices.

About Merge Healthcare

Merge is a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare.  Merge’s enterprise and cloud-based solutions for image intensive specialties provide access to any image, anywhere, any time. Merge also provides health stations, clinical trials software and other health data and analytics solutions that engage consumers in their personal health. With solutions that are used by providers and consumers and include more than 20 years of innovation, Merge is helping to reduce costs and improve the quality of healthcare worldwide. For more information, visit merge.com.

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November 26, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: Healthcare  Healthcare IT  Meaningful Use Stage 2  PACS
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Wenatchee Valley Medical Center Selects Merge’s iConnect(R) for Regional HIE

Also Upgrades to Merge PACS to Standardize Enterprise-Wide Imaging Around Merge Solutions

CHICAGO, Oct. 18, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merge Healthcare Incorporated (Nasdaq:MRGE), a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare, today announced Wenatchee Valley Medical Center (WVMC) has selected Merge PACSTM to upgrade their existing PACS and Merge’s iConnect® Enterprise Archive to provide real-time access to images and information for care providers across their region.

“WVMC is a large rural healthcare delivery system with a regional focus and a commitment to serve patient needs. To effectively deliver on that mission, we’re establishing a regional health information exchange (HIE) that will allow sister organizations like Central Washington Hospital (CWH) and other regional hospitals to have anywhere, any time access to patient images and data,” said Jay Johnson, Associate Administrator, WVMC. “Merge’s iConnect Enterprise Archive will serve as the backbone for this initiative and its advanced replicated content management capabilities will ensure a fully redundant disaster recovery solution for imaging across our enterprise and region.”

“We are pleased to be a part of the initiative to develop a health information exchange for images in our region,” added John Hamilton, Interim CEO, CWH. “We previously selected Merge’s iConnect® Share and iConnect Enterprise Archive as well. The seamless combination of these solutions will allow our two organizations and others in our area to easily share and access patient images.”

“While we’re working to develop our regional exchange, we also made the decision to upgrade our PACS to Merge PACS,” added Karla Gustafsson, Associate Director of Radiology. “We’re excited about the clinical, operational and administrative efficiencies that we believe this will deliver to our busy radiologists.”

“We are pleased to see WVMC, a long-time Merge client, extend our solutions across their enterprise,” said Jeff Surges, CEO of Merge Healthcare. “Diagnostic images are a critical component of a patient’s electronic medical record. By being able to deliver those images faster and by providing better access to that content, our iConnect solutions will assist physicians to more quickly diagnose patients across the entire North Central Washington region.”

iConnect Enterprise Archive and iConnect Share are part of the iConnect® Enterprise Clinical platform, Merge’s comprehensive offering for viewing, sharing and archiving any type of image, anywhere, any time. It also includes iConnect Access*, a zero-download DICOM image and XDS server. iConnect Enterprise Archive acts as the backbone of an enterprise imaging strategy. With current trends in patient safety and healthcare reform as well as competition for referring physicians, the need for image sharing across the enterprise is more critical than ever.

A recent InMedica study reported iConnect Enterprise Archive as the world’s #1 vendor-neutral archive. As the industry’s first true standalone vendor-neutral archive, it has been successfully integrated with over seventy-five PACS vendors and specialty workstations at over 350 sites across the United States. In over half of the implementations, Merge’s customers have integrated third-party PACS systems with iConnect Enterprise Archive.

Merge PACS, a real-time picture archiving communication system, enhances clinical, operational and administrative functions with an approach that emphasizes workflow efficiency and customer satisfaction. Its modular design allows for easy integration with a broad range of third-party systems.

*iConnect Access is not FDA‐cleared for diagnostic use on mobile devices.

About Merge

Merge is a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare. Merge’s enterprise and cloud-based solutions for image intensive specialties provide access to any image, anywhere, any time. Merge also provides health stations, clinical trials software and other health data and analytics solutions that engage consumers in their personal health. With solutions that are used by providers and consumers and include more than 20 years of innovation, Merge is helping to reduce costs and improve the quality of healthcare worldwide. For more information, visit merge.com.

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November 17, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: Healthcare  HIE  Hospital IT  Medical Imaging  PACS
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Merge to Unveil Mobile and Internet Platform for Patients at RSNA

Solutions to Demonstrate How Enterprise Imaging Solutions Support Achieving Meaningful Use Objectives

CHICAGO, Nov. 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merge Healthcare Incorporated (Nasdaq:MRGE), a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare, will unveil a national mobile and internet platform for consumers and demonstrate how enterprise imaging solutions support achieving Meaningful Use objectives at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in booth #4845.

Merge is showcasing a new mobile and Internet platform for consumers to select a radiologist, schedule an appointment and receive results electronically. The platform will also feature:

  • A mobile app for referring physicians to send patients to recommended imaging centers
  • A website for consumers to complete pre-work and schedule appointments
  • A cloud-based portal for imaging centers to share results with referring physicians and patients
  • Analytics for practices to maximize throughput

“We are proud of the fact that in 2011, 82 million imaging procedures were referred to current Merge customers,” said Jeff Surges, CEO of Merge Healthcare. “Our goal with this new platform is to help close the loop between a referral and a patient receiving results while at the same time enabling our customers to grow their businesses to deliver the best patient care.”

This mobile and Internet platform will be available in early 2013 and will become the new merge.com. Users will be able to sign up at RSNA and will be notified once the portal is live.

Merge Accelerates Move to the Cloud with Merge Honeycomb™

Introduced last year at RSNA, Merge Honeycomb has seen rapid adoption with more than 3.3 million studies under contract in the cloud-based archive. Merge Honeycomb cloud-based applications are designed to help healthcare stakeholders collaborate and improve the delivery of care while reducing costs. The applications currently available via Merge Honeycomb include:

  • Merge Honeycomb™ Archive: Store medical images securely in the cloud and access them from anywhere, any time
  • Merge Honeycomb™ Image Sharing: Free application that enables any user to upload, download, view and share medical images

“Image management in healthcare is very much in a state of reform, with HIPAA requiring providers to keep retrievable exact copies of health information including images and Meaningful Use requiring that information is sharable,” said Surges. “With our expertise developed from more than 20 years of managing medical images and leading technology, Merge is uniquely positioned to deliver a secure, efficient and accessible solution for archiving images in the cloud.”

Merge Showcases the Latest in Enterprise-Wide Image Interoperability with iConnect®

Merge’s iConnect® Enterprise Clinical Platform is a suite of image interoperability solutions that improve workflow, reduce care delays and lower costs by enabling access to any image, anywhere, at any time, on any device. iConnect supports an enterprise-wide imaging strategy by providing access to medical images from any approved web-enabled device and facilitates the sharing of images between referring centers without the need for additional equipment or software. Components include:

  • iConnect® Access: A zero-download image viewer
  • iConnect® Share: An Internet-gateway capable of receiving and morphing studies from outside the enterprise, allowing for prompt electronic transfer of images
  • iConnect® Enterprise Archive: A vendor-neutral archive (VNA) to create a patient-centric record of images across all sites and modalities, enabling physicians to manage content from disparate storage solutions

“With current trends in patient safety and healthcare reform as well as competition for referring physicians, the need for image sharing across the enterprise is more critical than ever,” continued Surges. “We’ve listened closely to clients such as Children’s Memorial, Ascension Health and Dignity Health, and have incorporated features that will significantly improve ease of use, reduce storage costs and streamline operational workflow.”

Merge Radiology Clients to Receive More than $14 Million in Incentive Funds in 2012

To date, more than 50 clients have already attested or are in the attestation process using the web-based, feature-rich Merge RIS™ solution. Merge RIS is used by hundreds of ambulatory care practices, imaging centers and radiology group practices to improve profitability and provide radiologists with the capability to capture and report on the metrics required to demonstrate “meaningful use” of electronic health records.

“With more than 90% of radiologists able to qualify for Meaningful Use incentives, it is essential that they develop a strategy to meet criteria, earn incentive funds and more importantly, avoid future penalties,” said Surges. “In fact, Merge clients have already received $3.1 million in Meaningful Use incentive dollars with an additional $10.9 million expected by the end of the year. This is powerful proof that Meaningful Use is relevant to radiology and that Merge solutions can help them successfully navigate the attestation process.”

Merge RIS provides the functionality needed to achieve Meaningful Use requirements, including:

  • Data collection: Gather mandated patient data intuitively within your preferred workflow
  • Reporting: Access pre-configured, easy-to-use reports to assist with Meaningful Use data submission
  • Patient portal: Provide patients with clinical summaries, electronic copies of their health information, educational information, reminders and more
  • ePrescribing: Qualify for reimbursement and deliver added value to patients

Merge Highlights Best in KLAS Cardiology Solutions

Merge Hemo™, a real-time documentation tool for the cardiac cath lab, was ranked #1 in KLAS in 2011. Merge Cardio™ provides a single view of a patient’s complete record across all cardiology modalities. Combined, these solutions allow access to simplified reporting tools and integration with the industry’s largest health information systems and EHRs for interoperable image exchange.

“Busy healthcare professionals don’t have time to jump between systems to locate critical patient data and images,” continued Surges. “Merge cardiology solutions allow for a single point of access from any web-enabled location to create reports more efficiently, improve workflow and help build referral business.”

Merge Demonstrates Latest Version of Merge PACS™

At RSNA Merge will be showcasing the most recent version of Merge PACS, a real-time picture archiving communication system that enhances clinical, operational and administrative functions with an approach that emphasizes workflow efficiency and customer satisfaction. Its modular design allows for easy integration with a broad range of third-party systems.

“With Merge PACS, radiologists can accelerate workflow, enabling them to operate with fewer resources,” said Surges. “And the ability to quickly and easily communicate and document results with referring physicians improves treatment time and helps expand referral networks.”

About Merge

Merge is a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare. Merge’s enterprise and cloud-based solutions for image intensive specialties provide access to any image, anywhere, any time. Merge also provides health stations, clinical trials software and other health data and analytics solutions that engage consumers in their personal health. With solutions that are used by providers and consumers and include more than 20 years of innovation, Merge is helping to reduce costs and improve the quality of healthcare worldwide. For more information, visit merge.com.

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Filed Under: Cloud Computing  Healthcare  Healthcare Conferences  Healthcare Interoperability  Healthcare IT  Meaningful Use  Medical Imaging  PACS  Radiology
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Coosa Valley Medical Center Selects Merge’s iConnect(R) Enterprise Clinical Platform

Also Upgrades to Merge PACS to Improve Workflow

CHICAGO, Nov. 6, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merge Healthcare Incorporated (Nasdaq:MRGE), a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare, today announced Coosa Valley Medical Center(CVMC), an independent, community, non-profit medical center that serves five counties in Alabama, has selected Merge PACSTM to upgrade their existing PACS, iConnect® Access to provide real-time access to images and iConnect® Enterprise Archive to further expand their enterprise imaging strategy.

“As a long-time Merge client, we were excited to move forward with the latest versions of both Merge PACS and iConnect Enterprise Archive,” explained Amy Price, COO, CVMC. “We not only upgraded to the latest releases of those two products, but also added iConnect Access to provide referring physicians with access to patients’ images anywhere, any time. We believe this approach to an enterprise-wide imaging strategy will deliver substantial workflow efficiencies for our physicians.”

“Additionally, by upgrading to Merge PACS, radiologists will now be able to access a full suite of mammography tools from one workstation,” noted Andy Gill, Director of Imaging and CV Services, CVMC. “This will allow us to consolidate workstations and ultimately allow for faster diagnoses.”

“With Stage 2 Meaningful Use requirements focusing heavily on the viewing of diagnostic images, health systems of every size need to look at how to image-enable their enterprise,” said Jeff Surges, CEO of Merge Healthcare. “By implementing an enterprise-wide imaging strategy, CVMC will be well-positioned to address information exchange, changing payment models and future regulatory requirements as they relate to the sharing of images.”

iConnect Enterprise Archive and iConnect Access are part of the iConnect® Enterprise Clinical Platform, Merge’s comprehensive offering for viewing, sharing and archiving any type of image, anywhere, any time. It also includes iConnect® Share, an internet-based gateway for image sharing between enterprises. With current trends in patient safety and healthcare reform as well as competition for referring physicians, the need for image sharing across the enterprise is more critical than ever.

A recent InMedica study reported iConnect Enterprise Archive as the world’s #1 market share vendor-neutral archive. As the industry’s first true standalone vendor-neutral archive, it has been successfully integrated with over seventy-five PACS vendors and specialty workstations at over 350 sites across the United States. In over half of the implementations, Merge’s customers have integrated third-party PACS systems with iConnect Enterprise Archive.

Merge PACS, a real-time picture archiving communication system, enhances clinical, operational and administrative functions with an approach that emphasizes workflow efficiency and customer satisfaction. Its modular design allows for easy integration with a broad range of third-party systems.

About Merge

Merge is a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare.  Merge’s enterprise and cloud-based solutions for image intensive specialties provide access to any image, anywhere, any time. Merge also provides health stations, clinical trials software and other health data and analytics solutions that engage consumers in their personal health. With solutions that are used by providers and consumers and include more than 20 years of innovation, Merge is helping to reduce costs and improve the quality of healthcare worldwide. For more information, visit merge.com.

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November 7, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: Healthcare  Meaningful Use Stage 2  Medical Imaging  PACS  Radiology
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Merge Healthcare Sees Traction in Client Adoption of Subscription-Based Models

Physician Practices of All Sizes Look to a New Purchasing Model Across Range of Merge Solutions

CHICAGO, Aug. 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merge Healthcare Incorporated (Nasdaq:MRGE), a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare, announced several new additions to its growing list of clients who have selected to utilize a Merge solution via a subscription-based model.

“Increasing demand for subscription offerings was an important trend we continued to witness in the second quarter of 2012,” said Jeff Surges, CEO of Merge Healthcare. “This followed the announcement in Q1 that we were making changes in our operations to offer subscription-based pricing to align more closely with our clients’ long-term operating plans. Since that time we have seen acceleration in clients’ eagerness to adopt this of type of purchasing model. The interest has ranged from very large multi-location groups to single doctor practices. Additionally, the interest has spanned a wide range of our solutions including Merge RISTM, Merge PACSTM, and Merge Eye Care PACSTM among others.”

“With many locations across Long Island and throughout the greater New York area, our strategic plans are based on continued growth. We needed the flexibility to continue our expansion,” said Dr. Daniel Beyda, Medical Director, Long Island Radiology Associates. “Not only was the economic model a factor in our decisions, but we knew we also needed to partner with one vendor who could offer an end-to-end solution for our practice across our six locations.”

“We are a long-time Merge client and are excited to be able to upgrade to the latest version of Merge PACS in a manner that worked for the operating realities of practice,” added Dr. Philip Triantos, President of Horizon Imaging located in Vestavia Hills, AL. “We wanted the latest, most advanced technology while also ensuring that we could accurately manage the cash flow of our business. With Merge PACS, we were able to do both.”

About Merge Healthcare

Merge is a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare. Merge’s enterprise and cloud-based solutions for image intensive specialties provide access to any image, anywhere, any time. Merge also provides health stations, clinical trials software and other health data and analytics solutions that engage consumers in their personal health. With solutions that are used by providers and consumers and include more than 20 years of innovation, Merge is helping to reduce costs and improve the quality of healthcare worldwide. For more information, visit merge.com.

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August 17, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: Healthcare  Healthcare IT  Medical Imaging  Radiology
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Centracare Health System Selects Merge PACS(TM)

Web-Based PACS Consolidates 3D, Mammography, PET and CT to Improve Workflow and Deliver Faster Results With Fewer Resources

CHICAGO, June 28, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merge Healthcare Incorporated (Nasdaq:MRGE), a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare, today announced that Centracare Health System’s St. Cloud Hospital, the largest healthcare provider in the St. Cloud, MN region, has selected Merge PACS™ to enable its radiologists to read, review, archive and share images and data.

“Challenges related to payment reform and changes in reimbursement are driving providers to find ways to reduce costs and increase efficiencies, while still improving outcomes,” said Jeff Surges, CEO of Merge Healthcare. “One way St. Cloud Hospital, who conducts more than 350,000 imaging studies a year, is addressing this challenge is by implementing Merge PACS. With Merge PACS we are delivering the next generation of picture archiving communication systems to clients utilizing our legacy solutions, as well as the overall market, and streamlining workflow because radiologists now have all the data they need in one centralized place.”

“One of the nicest aspects of Merge PACS is its inherent functionality that eliminates the need for other workstations,” said Amy Porwoll, CIO of St. Cloud Hospital. “In the past, our radiologists had to use multiple workstations, which added time to their workflow and costs to our bottom line. Now, because Merge PACS is web-based, we can deploy it across our entire enterprise without the expense of additional physical workstations.”

Merge PACS is a real-time picture archiving communication system with 100% web-based architecture and a vendor-neutral archive infrastructure. What makes Merge PACS unique is its consolidation of workstations including 3D, mammography and PET/CT/MR/NM fusion which allows for faster diagnoses. And only Merge PACS brings true acceleration of workflow with real-time, customizable worklists, critical results management to help patient care and physician efficiency.

About Merge

Merge is a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare.  Merge’s enterprise and cloud-based solutions for image intensive specialties provide access to any image, anywhere, any time. Merge also provides health stations, clinical trials software and other health data and analytics solutions that engage consumers in their personal health. With solutions that are used by providers and consumers and include more than 20 years of innovation, Merge is helping to reduce costs and improve the quality of healthcare worldwide. For more information, visit merge.com.

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.

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July 11, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: Healthcare  Medical Imaging  PACS  Radiology
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Lakeland Healthcare Group Selects Merge Healthcare for End-to-End Radiology Solutions

Full Suite of Cloud-Hosted Applications Provides Scalability and Expedited Implementation

CHICAGO, May 23, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merge Healthcare Incorporated (Nasdaq:MRGE), a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, today announced that Lakeland Healthcare Group, a multisite practice including two regional hospitals and numerous affiliated and free standing clinics in Illinois, will implement its integrated suite of cloud-hosted radiology solutions to improve workflow and achieve Meaningful Use.

“Hosting applications in the cloud is a fast-growing trend in healthcare,” said Jeff Surges, CEO of Merge Healthcare. “It’s where the market is going – for a number of reasons, including the fact that practices simply don’t have the capital for large hardware expenditures or the resources for ongoing management and maintenance. By utilizing a subscription-based payment model, it frees up practices like Lakeland to re-allocate financial and staff resources and be better positioned to achieve more of their patient-centric goals.”

“Lakeland is a national radiology group that performs 300,000 studies a year for hospitals across the country,” said Dr. Aldo Ruffolo, President and CEO, Lakeland Healthcare Group. “Our goal is to increase the number of hospitals we contract with, and increase our number of studies to more than one million in the next two years. Because this is happening for us at a fast pace, we realized we needed a vendor whose solutions could quickly and easily scale up to fit our growing needs. With Merge, we have a partner who will grow with us.”

Merge Radiology Solutions include Merge RIS, a web-based radiology information system that streamlines workflow and enables providers to meet Meaningful Use criteria; Merge PACS, a real-time picture archiving communication system that provides storage and access to images from any enterprise web-based location; Merge Financials, a web-based billing system; Merge Documents, a paperless office solution to store and manage documents electronically; Merge Referral Portal, a web-based portal to engage referring physicians; and Merge Dashboards, an on-demand business intelligence solution.

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.

The Merge Healthcare logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=10757

About Lakeland Healthcare Group

With the latest in high quality imaging equipment and services in interventional radiology, Lakeland Healthcare Group offers referring physicians and their patients a host of new treatment options for a wide range of medical problems. Utilizing expertise in imaging modalities such as x-rays and fluoroscopy, magnetic resonance imaging, ultrasound, and computed tomography, Lakeland provides minimally invasive, targeted treatments performed under imaging guidance. For more information, visit lakelandradiology.com.

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May 24, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: Cloud Computing  Healthcare  Healthcare IT  Meaningful Use  Medical Imaging  PACS  Radiology
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Lutheran HealthCare Selects Merge Healthcare for Enterprise-Wide Imaging Platform

Utilizes iConnect(R) Solution to Expand Archive Capacity; Ensure Full Business Continuity

CHICAGO, May 9, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merge Healthcare Incorporated (Nasdaq:MRGE), a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, today announced that Lutheran HealthCare, Brooklyn’s premier health care network, has selected its iConnect® portfolio to create an enterprise-wide imaging platform across its hospital system.

“In the U.S. alone, more than 480 million radiology exams are performed a year,” said Jeff Surges, CEO of Merge Healthcare. “Hand-in-hand with this is an increase in the cost of image storage and maintenance. These factors, as well as the need to expand archive capacity have led many organizations to adopt a long-term enterprise-wide imaging strategy.”

In the next few years, most networks that conduct more than 150,000 imaging studies annually will deploy enterprise-wide VNAs, and the number of organizations with this volume of studies will only increase as industry consolidation continues. The growth of VNA installations is driven by the benefits they deliver, which include improved efficiency through reductions in complexity, improved access to images through better data sharing and interoperability, support for Meaningful Use and accountable care strategies and streamlined costs.

“Our goal was to expand our archive capacity, and by doing so we were able to build a fully redundant infrastructure that insulates us from upgrade downtime,” said Steve Art, CIO, Lutheran HealthCare.

Merge’s iConnect suite is the industry’s only comprehensive solution for collecting, archiving, viewing, sharing and exchanging any type of image, anywhere, any time. It includes iConnect Access*, a zero-download DICOM image and XDS server; iConnect Share, an Internet-based gateway for image sharing between enterprises; and iConnect VNA, a vendor neutral archive to create an enterprise imaging strategy. It works with existing applications, leveraging widely-used web and healthcare technology standards, to provide a vendor neutral interoperable environment.

The addition of the Merge iConnect suite will complement the existing portfolio at Lutheran HealthCare which includes Merge PACS, a real-time picture archiving communication system that provides storage and access to images from any enterprise web-based location.

*iConnect Access is not FDA-cleared for diagnostic use on mobile devices.

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.

The Merge Healthcare logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=10757

About Lutheran HealthCare

As Brooklyn’s premier health care network, Lutheran HealthCare (LHC) is a comprehensive medical and social support system committed to providing services for the whole person — physically, emotionally and spiritually. The LHC system of community health providers includes Lutheran Medical Center, the Lutheran Family Health Centers, Lutheran Augustana Center for Extended Care and Rehabilitation, Community Care Organization, Inc, senior housing programs and more. Learn about LHC and its 129-year-old commitment to serving Brooklyn neighborhoods by visiting www.lutheranhealthcare.org. Click here for nine ways to connect with Lutheran on social media.

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May 13, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: Healthcare  Healthcare IT  Healthcare IT Vendor  Medical Imaging  PACS  Radiology
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Chicago’s Largest Independent, Multi-Specialty Physician Group Selects Merge Healthcare to Create Enterprise-Wide Imaging Strategy

“We serve one-third of DuPage County, and our goal is to improve quality, efficiency and access in that region,” said Dennis Fine, Chief Operating Officer, DuPage Medical Group. ”To do so, we believe we must have a strategy in place that fosters the sharing of information and creates an enterprise-wide imaging platform. With Merge iConnect, we have connected our silos of imaging data and image enabled our EMR so our physicians have access to and can view images from any specialty. I’m confident this type of connected information is going to enhance our delivery of care.”

DuPage Medical Group Adds Merge iConnect(TM) Access and Merge Eye Care; Image Enables Epic EMR

CHICAGO, Feb. 15, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) — Merge Healthcare (Nasdaq:MRGE), a leading provider of enterprise imaging and interoperability solutions, announced today that DuPage Medical Group has added Merge iConnect Access and the Merge Eye Care suite to its existing portfolio of Merge solutions to eliminate disparate silos of information and create a true enterprise-wide imaging platform among its 330 physicians and 45 locations.

“We serve one-third of DuPage County, and our goal is to improve quality, efficiency and access in that region,” said Dennis Fine, Chief Operating Officer, DuPage Medical Group. ”To do so, we believe we must have a strategy in place that fosters the sharing of information and creates an enterprise-wide imaging platform. With Merge iConnect, we have connected our silos of imaging data and image enabled our EMR so our physicians have access to and can view images from any specialty. I’m confident this type of connected information is going to enhance our delivery of care.”

“With an enterprise-wide imaging strategy, organizations like DuPage Medical Group are building a foundation that will improve how they deliver care,” said Jeff Surges, CEO, Merge Healthcare. “With Merge, they now have an end-to-end solution that integrates with their Epic EMR, speeds the radiologists workflow and provides a complete view of their patients’ medical records – a factor that is critical to success.”

Merge iConnect Access provides access to medical images for hospital physicians and referring physicians from any approved web-enabled device. With iConnect, images can be accessed faster and easier without the requirement of downloading images to a workstation. iConnect also eliminates the need for multiple clinical viewers integrated to the electronic medical record. Clinicians can use iConnect’s, single, multi-specialty viewer to access images from radiology, cardiology, and other image intensive areas from multiple departments, with no additional software downloads required on the viewing device.

Merge Eye Care Solutions provide a suite of solutions for ophthalmic image and informatics which allow eye care specialists to significantly improve practice efficiency. Solutions include Merge EyeScan™, a portable imaging device with a modular design built for ease of use and diagnostic capabilities for both the anterior and posterior segments; Merge Eye Station™, an image capture software and digital interface for existing fundus cameras, and Merge Eye Care PACS™, a web-based image management system.

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.

The Merge Healthcare logo is available at http://www.globenewswire.com/newsroom/prs/?pkgid=10757

About DuPage Medical Group

With more than 330 physicians and 45 locations, DuPage Medical Group provides physician-directed healthcare that is focused on quality, efficiency and access. DuPage Medical Group’s approach to service excellence is based on the following C.A.R.E. values which are all common principles for what we believe and achieve in our daily practice with all of our customers (patients, staff/employees, physicians, vendors, and the community): compassion, accountability, respect and excellence. For more information, visit www.dupagemedicalgroup.com.

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February 16, 2012 I Written By

Filed Under: Electronic Medical Record  EMR  Healthcare  Medical Imaging  PACS
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