| News Highlights |
 |
ScImage Nets 3 Year Broadlane Agreement
ScImage Awarded National GPO Contract for Multi-Department PACS & Enterprise Imaging Solution Read more |
|
ScImage and Carestream Team Up
Carestream to Offer Powerful Cardiology Workflow Software Read more |
|
ScImage Lands VHA
ScImage Solution to be Used for Centralized Teleradiology Project Serving more than 150 Centers Nationwide Read more |
|
 |
|
|
|
|
|
|
 |
Pulling It All Together - Large Practice Integrates
New Imaging, Information Technology with Existing Systems
|
Here
Founded by the first cardiologist
to practice in the state of Alabama, CardioVascular Associates
(CVA) continues the tradition of dedication, skill and compassion
that Dr. John B. Burrett instilled when he began CVA in 1946.
Over the course of 50-plus years, the practice has grown steadily,
becoming an industry leader by adding nationally recognized
experts and additional locations to provide patients with
better access to the latest in cardiovascular care.
CardioVascular Associates in Alabama operates more than
10 facilities and is one of the largest private cardiology
practices in the Southeast.
With 28 physicians on staff, CVA offers a full spectrum of
cardiology treatment options in addition to participating
in cardiac research and focusing on heart disease prevention.
It is one of the largest private cardiology practices in the
Southeast with offices located at Brookwood Medical Center,
Montclair Baptist Medical Center and HealthSouth Medical Center
in Birmingham; Coosa Valley Baptist Medical Center in Sylacauga;
and Citizens Baptist Medical Center in Talladega. Physicians
also see patients at several outreach locations including
Childersburg, Oneonta, Pell City and Pelham. Unique diagnostic
services include ultrasound imaging of the heart, PET/CT for
cardiac stress testing to assess heart function and outpatient
cardiac catheterization.
Recently, the practice set about implementing an overall diagnostic
image and information management solution for its entire enterprise.
In March of 2005, CVA selected ScImage's PicomEnterprise PACS
solution as part of its overall strategy. The Web-based solution
employs an electronic patient folder (EPF) to store images
and related information. This data may be retrieved using
hierarchical access protocols that only allow users to see
the data they are authorized to review.
CVA selected ScImage for this project based on several criteria.
The practice required a tight integration with its electronic
medical record (EMR) solution, Encite. The Encite product
is also linked with the practice's document imaging solution
from ImpactMD and its practice management system, Groupcast,
from IDX. CVA needed to address key workflow considerations
that include post acquisition conflict resolution and interfacing
with the IDX practice management system. The practice also
needed to convert its existing archive of images.
Through a tight integration to these systems, ScImage is making
the information stored among them available through a single
point of access. The vendor is also providing redundancy for
the organization via an automatic failover hotsite at CVA's
Greenway business office for all applications, including the
cardiac PACS solution. This is accomplished through ScImage's
scalable single database architecture that can be accessed
by multiple facilities.
"One of the key considerations in our decision to go with
ScImage was their scalable Web-based architecture," said Eric
Two Bears, CVA CIO. |
|
"Moreover, since it was installed,
we have found their solution to be far more efficient than
our previous [system] when it comes to network resources.
The result has been lower demand on our infrastructure and
faster data throughput."
Understanding that workflow and data migration were also key
considerations in designing a solution for CVA's needs, ScImage
began developing a solution to tie together the various data
gathered by numerous systems. The final solution must make
information from these numerous systems available to CVA physicians
at various points of care - wherever and whenever the physician
needs that information.
Based on these criteria, the vendor worked closely with the
practice administrators and key physician staff to create
a master Web-based repository for all diagnostic imaging and
reporting data. The challenge: creating an end-state solution
that continued to leverage the existing application base and
current infrastructure - all imaging and related reporting
had to be tied together when complete. ScImage was even able
to gather much of the practice's ECG-based stress tests, Holter
monitoring and pacemaker analysis using document parsing technology
that appends the data to the appropriate patient's medical
record.
In addition, CVA required integrated echo measurement auto-capture
utilities in order to import measurements directly into its
Web-based diagnostic reporting application developed by senior
CVA staff member, Percy J. Colon, III, M.D.
Working closely with Dr. Colon, ScImage developed a solution
that ports all measurements obtained by the ultrasound technicians
directly into CVA's reporting system.
"A great deal
of effort has gone into developing a comprehensive diagnostic
reporting application that augments the way we practice medicine
at CVA," said Dr. Colon. "ScImage was able to integrate our
reporting application with their image and information management
solution. The result is that information obtained from the
ultrasound machine is captured, processed and dispatched into
the final report with less effort and greater efficiency."
Physicians review images in one
of CVA’s cath labs. Doctor input was key in developing a
master
Web-based repository for all diagnostic imaging
and reporting data.
Senior CVA staff member, Michael E. McKinney M.D., FACC, agrees:
"Because CVA is a comprehensive practice with more than 10
facilities in the greater Birmingham area, the organization
required a solution that could make a variety of clinical
data available to any practitioner, anywhere, anytime. Our
integrated solution does just that." |
|
Here
|
 |
 |
 |
Customer Focus - Diagnostic Imaging Assoc.
“We interpret more than 200,000 exams annually that come from 41 facilities around the state. ScImage helped us unify our approach to reading.”
Dr. Dean Fullingim - President
Diagnostic Imaging Associates - Tulsa, OK |
 |
|
 |
 |
|
|
Download this Case Study 
