SAN FRANCISCO--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- AMERICAN SHARED HOSPITAL SERVICES (NYSE AMEX:AMS), a leading provider of turnkey technology solutions for advanced radiosurgical and radiation therapy services, announced today that it has entered into a contract to supply a Gamma Knife® Perfexion™ system to Lovelace Medical Center in Albuquerque, New Mexico. The Perfexion system will be an upgrade to the existing Gamma Knife at Lovelace Medical Center that was installed by AMS in 2003. Patients will start being treated on the Perfexion at Lovelace Medical Center in May 2011. This is the tenth Perfexion system AMS has installed to date.
"For years, our integrated cancer care program has provided a full range of treatments for cancer and tumor-related illnesses, including radiation therapy and Gamma Knife technology through the only Gamma Knife center in New Mexico," said David Nevill, Chief Executive Officer of Lovelace Medical Center. "The Perfexion system, widely regarded as the most advanced stereotactic radiosurgery system available today, refines and expands the therapeutic potential for radiosurgery procedures in the brain, cervical spine and head and neck regions. We are proud to provide this state-of-the-art technology to better serve our cancer patients."
Lovelace Medical Center is the flagship hospital of Lovelace Health System, which is comprised of a network of three acute care hospitals that include Lovelace Medical Center, Lovelace Women's Hospital and Lovelace Westside Hospital, a rehabilitation hospital, the Lovelace Health Plan offering access to a wide range of health care providers and specialists across New Mexico, S.E.D. Medical Laboratories, and 12 retail pharmacy locations in Albuquerque, Rio Rancho and Santa Fe.
AMS Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Ernest A. Bates, M.D., said, "We are pleased that our creative financing solutions have made possible this upgrade to next-generation radiosurgery technology at an affordable price."
About Gamma Knife®PerfexionTM
Gamma Knife Perfexion maintains full clinical compatibility with the classic Gamma Knife and is supported by efficacy and outcome data from 500,000 treated patients worldwide and thousands of peer-reviewed scientific articles, making it a proven choice for radiosurgery of the brain. According to its manufacturer, Elekta, Gamma Knife Perfexion reduces unwanted body dose to the patient by up to 100 times compared with competing technologies, which is particularly important for treatment of children and women of childbearing age, and allows for a dramatically increased treatable volume, which is expected to increase the number of patients that can benefit from Gamma Knife surgery. Elekta estimates that the fully automated and efficient single push-button approach can save 3-5 working weeks of physician time per year at an average Gamma Knife center.
About AMS
American Shared Hospital Services (www.ashs.com) provides turnkey technology solutions for advanced radiosurgical and radiation therapy services. Since 1991, AMS' creative financing solutions have enabled its clinical partners to make the latest advances in radiation oncology available to patients at an affordable price. AMS is the world leader in providing Gamma Knife® Radiosurgery equipment, a non-invasive treatment for malignant and benign brain tumors, vascular malformations and trigeminal neuralgia (facial pain). The Company also offers the latest IGRT and IMRT systems, as well as its proprietary Operating Room for the 21st Century® concept. AMS also is a leader in proton beam radiation therapy (PBRT), the next great growth opportunity in radiation oncology. AMS currently is developing PBRT centers in Dayton, Ohio (Kettering Medical Center), Boston (Tufts Medical Center), Orlando (Orlando Regional Healthcare) and Long Beach, California (Long Beach Memorial Medical Center), and is negotiating additional projects. AMS also owns a preferred stock investment in Still River Systems, developer of the compact Monarch 250 PBRT system, which has not yet been approved by the FDA.
Safe Harbor Statement
This press release may be deemed to contain certain forward-looking statements with respect to the financial condition, results of operations and future plans of American Shared Hospital Services, which involve risks and uncertainties including, but not limited to, the risks of the Gamma Knife and radiation therapy businesses, the risks of developing The Operating Room for the 21st Century program, and the risks of investing in a development-stage company, Still River Systems, Inc., without a proven product. Further information on potential factors that could affect the financial condition, results of operations and future plans of American Shared Hospital Services is included in the filings of the Company with the Securities and Exchange Commission, including the Company's Annual Report on Form 10-K for the year ended December 31, 2010, and the definitive Proxy Statement for the Annual Meeting of Shareholders held on June 2, 2010.
CONTACT:
American Shared Hospital Services
Ernest A. Bates, M.D., (415) 788-5300
Chairman and Chief Executive Officer
[email protected]
or
Berkman Associates
Neil Berkman, (310) 826-5051
President
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America California New Mexico
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Surgery Health Biotechnology Hospitals Medical Devices Oncology
MEDIA:
| Logo |