A Medical Device Daily
Siemens Medical Solutions (Malvern, Pennsylvania) reported that Scott & White (Temple, Texas), described as one of the largest multi-specialty physician practices in the U.S., has signed an agreement with Siemens to provide the NextGen Healthcare Information Systems (Horsham, Pennsylvania) electronic medical record (NextGen EMR) solution.
The agreement is expected to enable Scott & White to establish a framework across its 15 ambulatory clinics to improve clinical efficiencies, reduce costs, and enhance the quality of patient care, Siemens said.
“Implementing this EMR solution in our outpatient environments will help us to more effectively manage physician and patient workflow,” said Bill McCombs, PhD, chief information officer, Scott & White. “Our current system has provided valuable clinical information to all our physicians, but has lacked interoperability. Now, they will be able to interact with that information immediately, connecting them with supporting staff and enabling more streamlined processes across care settings.”
Scott & White will implement NextGen EMR, which was recently certified by the Certification Commission for Healthcare Information Technology (CCHIT; Chicago), first at its Bryan/College Station Clinic and in the Department of Ophthalmology at its main campus in Temple. NextGen EMR will be implemented in a multi-phase roll-out over the next two-to-three years across all its facilities, encompassing 928 providers.
In other agreements news:
UTEK (Plant City, Florida), a specialty finance company focused on technology transfer, and Bacterin International (Belgrade, Montana) a developer and manufacturer of elutive bioactive coatings for medical devices, reported that they have signed a strategic alliance agreement.
“We are enthusiastic about working with UTEK, whose technology transfer model is unique in the industry. This alliance may assist us in locating and acquiring technology and intellectual properties to complement current research and development projects, as well as expanding our core competencies,” said Guy Cook, CEO of Bacterin. “Accordingly, we expect Bacterin's product line of coated medical devices to broaden significantly as a result of working with UTEK.”
UTEK works with companies to enhance their new product pipeline by acquiring intellectual capital from universities and laboratory research centers.
Diagnostic Center to hold grand opening
The Diagnostic Center for Disease (Sarasota, Florida) reported the grand opening of its world headquarters in Sarasota scheduled for December. The center offers “advanced” detection imaging technology and interpretation for prostate disease while featuring a 3.0 Tesla Signa HD-X Magnetic Resonance Imaging Spectroscopy (MRIS) scanner from GE Healthcare (Waukesha, Wisconsin).
The signature “Prostascan” image technology will provide a biochemical “fingerprint” of cancerous tissue (when present) as it evaluates the by-products of metabolism at the prostate cellular level.
“In effect, with my clinical experience, this scan will help us decode the disease, enabling better decisions and better treatment outcomes,” said Dr. Ronald Wheeler, a urologist and medical director for the Diagnostic Center for Disease.
A maturing baby boomer generation that is more open to testing for conditions of the prostate is contributing to a rise in the number of cases of benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH).
That demographic group is demanding treatment of BPH using newer minimally invasive technologies that are both safe and effective, according to analysis by Frost & Sullivan.