Cloud-Based Radiology Service Solves Rural Facilities’ Dilemma
KALISPELL, Mont.--(BUSINESS WIRE)-- Bill O’Leary, co-founder of Image Movement of Montana (IMOM), will discuss an innovative image-sharing solution at the upcoming annual conference of the Alaska Society of Radiologic Technologists (AKSRT).
O’Leary’s talk will describe the advantages of cloud computing and the process by which IMOM adopted eMix, a cloud-based service for sharing medical images and reports. O’Leary is an IMOM co-founder and the Regional Outreach/PACS Administrator at Kalispell Regional Medical Center (Kalispell, Mont.)
The AKSRT conference will be held in Homer, Alaska on Friday, April 30 and Saturday, May 1. O’Leary’s talk will be at 11 a.m. on April 30.
“Healthcare facilities in Alaska face many of the same issues we do in Montana,” said O’Leary. “I think the solution we adopted in Montana will be applicable to those facilities and others, urban and rural, around the U.S.”
IMOM is a grassroots organization composed of 30 Montana healthcare facilities. IMOM came into existence to address a problem that is common to all healthcare facilities: how to securely move full-resolution images between facilities with IT systems that don’t “talk” to each other.
Rural facilities must sometimes transport patients to large urban hospitals for treatment of conditions such as cancer, burns, and major trauma. Physicians at urban hospitals often need to compare the patient’s current imaging studies to prior radiology studies from the rural facility.
O’Leary will show how IMOM approached several PACS vendors for a solution to its problem. One vendor, DR Systems (San Diego, Calif.), offered an answer that required no hardware or software purchase, no other upfront costs, and no annual maintenance cost. The vendor-neutral solution, eMix, worked with any PACS or other medical IT system. Another advantage pricing on a per-use and subscription basis so that smaller, low-quantity users paid less.
The other vendors could only offer solutions that cost tens or hundreds of thousands of dollars in upfront costs, plus substantial maintenance fees.
O’Leary’s talk will cover other aspects of eMix, including:
- Eliminating the need for provider facilities to burn CDs, print films, or fax reports
- Avoiding the need to create and maintain labor-intensive virtual private networks (VPNs)
- Secure, traceable distribution of exams and reports
- Instant access to patient exams and reports from out-of-network facilities
- Improved communication between facilities, physicians, and patients
After successful beta tests at six IMOM facilities and other healthcare institutions across the country, eMix is now being used in facilities around the U.S., including in Alaska. For more information, visit www.eMix.com or call 877-EMIX-MED (877-364-9633).
About IMOM
Image Movement of Montana (IMOM) is a grassroots organization that represents 30 Montana healthcare facilities. IMOM has its origins in a survey of Montana hospitals by MHA, an association of Montana healthcare providers. The survey revealed the difficulty of sharing images between different facilities. IMOM was formed so that survey respondents could cooperatively search for a solution.
CONTACT:
Dowling & Dennis Public Relations
Liz Dowling, 800-386-0157
[email protected]
or
Image Movement of Montana
William (Bill) O’Leary, 406-751-2969
[email protected]
KEYWORDS: United States North America Alaska Montana
INDUSTRY KEYWORDS: Technology Data Management Networks Health Hospitals Radiology Managed Care
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