Now take this advanced technology and combine it with the imaging field’s staffing shortage. According to the American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT of Albuquerque, NM), about 40% of facilities are understaffed. About 50% of staff radiation therapists and 60% of radiation therapy administrators agree that facilities are understaffed because of the inability to fill budgeted positions; however, those same respective percentages perceive that the number of patients treated in a week’s time has increased due to technological advances.

With these kinds of statistics, what kind of impact have such advancements in technology had on the work environment for radiologists, or even the quality of care?

The ASRT recently released a radiation therapy environmental study in which participants agree that technological advances have increased the quality of patient care. The Environmental Scan of the Radiation Therapist’s Workplace, conducted by the ASRT and its Education and Research Foundation, discovered that 80% of staff and administrators feel that the quality of patient care has improved during the past 5 years, even though the complexity of treatment has increased.

“The Radiation Therapy Environmental Scan definitely showed the positive impact technology has had in the workplace,” said Sal Martino, EdD, ASRT executive VP and chief academic officer. “The survey also provided information on overall job satisfaction and workplace attitudes.”

With 64 slices coming from the Siemens Somatom Sensation 64, radiology departments have more data but the same quantity of staff.

The survey reviewed several factors affecting the workplace attitudes of therapists and administrators. Respondents were asked to rate 29 attributes of their workplaces in order to help predict the overall satisfaction of therapists and administrators with various aspects of their jobs. Staff and administrators gave ratings at or above 4.2 on a scale of one (very poor) to five (very good) on their facilities’ reputations, how well therapists are educated in their jobs, compliance with occupational safety guidelines, safety of the workplace in terms of building and neighborhood security, and in their ability to provide accurate treatment.

“There’s no question that radiation therapy can be an intense, demanding job. However, these therapists and administrators find that having a positive impact on their patients’ lives makes the effort worthwhile,” said Richard Harris, PhD, ASRT director of research. “When asked what they wish they had known before they began their first job in radiation therapy, 44% mentioned one or more negative working conditions, but many of these same therapists also made such comments as, ‘It’s extremely demanding both physically and mentally; it is also very fulfilling.’ ”

About 50% of both staff and administrators who responded to the questionnaire work in community-hospital settings. These settings are evenly split between suburban and urban areas (about 38% and 44%, respectively) with about 19% in rural settings. About 20% of both groups work in freestanding clinics and 10%–15% in university medical centers. In addition, 53% of administrators reported that their facilities provide five or fewer radiation therapy services (primarily on an outpatient basis), while about 10% provide nine or more services.

For more information on the ASRT study, visit www.asrt.org.  

Magnevist from Berlex Laboratories was the most frequently used contrast agent in 2003.

The Sensation 64 provides 64-slice submillimeter imaging per rotation for submillimeter volume coverage and the world’s fastest gantry rotation time of 0.37 seconds. The new system delivers high image quality in cardiac neurology and body imaging applications with a spatial resolution of 0.4 mm.

64 slices revealed.

“Thanks to the previously unknown scan speed, as well as the scanner’s 0.4-mm spatial resolution, the Sensation 64 offers challenging new opportunities in the field of cardiac or vascular imaging and in oncological questions,” said Professor Werner Bautz, MD, director of the Institute of Diagnostic Radiology at the facility. “We can now image the smallest pathology, which could improve early diagnosis and treatment options. Sensation 64 CT angiography shows unprecedented detail in any vascular territory—cranial, coronary, pulmonary/abdominal, or even periphery. Also, the scan times between 20 and 30 seconds for whole body angiography, depending on patient size, offer optimal use of contrast agents, while the total amount administered can be further reduced if compared to previous multislice scanners. And, of course, the scan time reduction, concerning all different kinds of applications, also increases patient comfort.”

The key feature of the system, acquiring 64 slices per rotation, is made possible by way of the new Straton X-ray tube’s Double z-Sampling technology and the company’s proprietary detector technology. According to Siemens, Double z-Sampling allows two focal points in the anode by precise deflection of the electron beam, oscillating almost 5,000 times per second, within the X-ray tube. This generates two overlapping beams to pass the scan field. The double readout of the detector produces 64 slice projections at half the thickness of a detector slice, thus increasing spatial resolution and providing unparalleled image quality.

“The Double z-Sampling technology enables a significant reduction of spiral artifacts, which improves cranial CT exams considering brain stem imaging and evaluation of skull-adjacent pathology,” Bautz said. “The increased scan speed, as well as improved postprocessing of workflow, enables us to increase patient throughput. Sagittal, coronal, or double-oblique diagnostic images can now be directly generated from each study’s raw data with full isotropic resolution. Within standardized imaging protocols, we now simply predefine ranges of arbitrarily oriented image planes that might be needed for diagnosis, which eliminates time-consuming reconstruction steps based on axial thin-slice data.”

The Sensation 64 was first introduced at RSNA 2003. Now installed at the Friedrich-Alexander University Erlangen-Nuremberg, the system is operated jointly by the Institute of Diagnostic Radiology and the Institute of Medical Physics. After completing a comprehensive testing phase at clinical institutions in the United States, Europe, and Asia, the system will be commercially available in fall of 2004.

AFC Industries Inc (College Point, NY) introduced its height-adjustable MaxFlex Series of carts and workstations. The new line includes single-tier carts (rectangular, corner, and bean shaped), dual-tier carts, and telescopic carts, all available with a range of shelves, keyboard trays, and storage compartments. This ergonomic furniture is customizable for each user.

CoActiv Medical Business Solutions (Ridgefield, Conn) released Exam-PACS, which CEO Ed Heere calls “a PACS for the other 80%”—in other words, a more affordable system. Heere cited a 250-bed hospital in New York that paid for Exam-PACS in 4 months and is realizing a more than $200,000 annual savings by replacing film with the system. Offering full PACS functionality, the system also includes a full-featured viewer, quad-redundant on-site and off-site HIPAA-conforming archive, Exam-Sender technology for referring physicians’ reports, and Exam-Filer and Exam-CD to put images in the hands of patients and referrers.

Dynamic Imaging (Allendale, NJ) unveiled IntegradWeb 3.3, the latest version of its Web-driven PACS. New capabilities include enhanced Web-driven 3-D, extended IHE-compliant integration, new presentation protocols with image sorting, desktop management options, and an enhanced user interface.

Eizo Nanao Technologies Inc (Cypress, Calif) introduced RadiCS calibration and QC management software as well as RadiNET and RadiNET Pro network QC software. The software works in concert with Eizo’s RadiForce monitors, allowing users to control their monitors’ image quality and be assured that the image presentation will be consistent regardless of location.

Fujifilm Medical Systems USA (FMSU of Stamford, Conn) made several announcements and hosted a few first-class events. First, the company announced the commercial availability of Synapse 3.0 modular release 1, which includes enhancements to its Reading Protocols. And for the Synapse solution, FMSU announced new pricing models, one of which includes volume-based licenses to allow customers unlimited use. And the company also unveiled Flex UI, a CR software interface that enables users to define functionality according to departmental protocol. The new solution can run on most hardware platforms, including PDAs and tablet PCs.

Then, the day after its “wild ’n’ crazy” party at Vancouver’s famous SkyBar, FMSU hosted a luncheon with several speakers, including Bob Cooke, executive director of network systems at FMSU; Clayton Larsen, FMSU’s VP of marketing and network development; and Keith J. Dreyer, DO, PhD, vice chairman of radiology informatics at Massachusetts General Hospital (Boston) and principal of the Radiology Consulting Group (Boston). The luncheon also served as the first annual awarding of FMSU’s PACS Administration Scholarship. Winner Timothy M. Holtz, RT(R), the PACS/RIS administrator at Cooper University Hospital (Camden, NJ), was selected by an independent panel of SCAR members to receive the scholarship. It included registration fees for the entire SCAR meeting, airfare and hotel costs, and the preconference PACS Administration Overview course, all valued at more than $2,000. “Thanks to Fuji, I now have an opportunity to learn the key things that a new PACS administrator needs to know,” said Holtz, who was promoted to PACS administrator about 6 months ago.

In addition to exhibiting a host of its Centricity PACS offerings, GE Healthcare (Waukesha, Wis) presented the entertaining yet informative Digital Eye for the Analog Guy, a 30-minute video featuring “the Digital Five”—Bruce I. Reiner, MD, on style; Eliot L. Siegel, MD, on ergonomics; Khan M. Siddiqui, MD, on lighting; Steve M. Severance on sounds; and Ryan Moffit on furniture. The video, which highlighted a radiology reading room redesign at the Baltimore VA, was sponsored through an unrestricted educational grant provided by GE Healthcare and EMC2 Corp.

Timothy M. Holtz (right) is the first recipient of FMSU’s PACS Administration Scholarship, presented by Clayton Larsen. Holtz’s essay, “Why it is valuable to my career to attend the PACS Administration Overview course, and how my attendance benefits my healthcare facility,” was among more than 50 submitted for the scholarship.

Redesign tips included incorporating sound-absorbent materials, like curtains, carpets, and paneling, to facilitate better voice recognition; using flexible panels instead of drywall for easier changes down the road; trying out chairs (with lumbar support) for at least a week before buying one; replacing CRT monitors with flat panels; using an optical mouse; and installing individual temperature gauges to keep the room at an ideal temperature: 68°–75° with a humidity of 40%–60%.

InSiteOne Inc (Wallingford, Conn) unveiled its InDex Mammography for digital mammo. The solution provides storage options specifically designed for the large data sets of digital mammo, local access of up to 3 years of studies, and a variety of pricing structures.

Orex Computed Radiography (Auburndale, Mass) introduced a host of new options for its compact, lightweight ACLxy CR scanner. The product now offers configurations for mammography, CAD bone mineral densitometry, and orthopedic long-bone and related exams. Delivering 75 plates per hour, the scanner comes with image enhancement and management software to support image manipulation, annotation, and measurement.

RamSoft Inc (Toronto) featured its PACS 3.1, now offering the ability to push studies to PowerReader Web clients. This new feature includes an indicator to inform the physician which studies are local and instantly accessible and which ones need to be pulled from the server. Version 3.1 also now integrates OrthoView 2.0, a digital imaging solution that offers preoperative planning and templating for knees, hips, and other joints.

RealTimeImage (RTI of San Bruno, Calif) unveiled iPACS OrthoPlanner, PACS iLink broker, and iPACS stand-alone viewer. The OrthoPlanner is a Web-based orthopedic digital workflow solution for orthopedic image review and analysis as well as preoperative digital surgical planning. RTI’s iLink is a broker that links standard HIS and EMR patient demographic data directly to DICOM imaging devices prior to exams. Finally, the company’s iPACS stand-alone viewer enables reviewing of DICOM images from any source, independent of network connection to the iPACS server. RTI is distributing this viewer free to any user who registers on the company’s Web site, located at www.realtimeimage.com.

TeraRecon Inc (San Mateo, Calif) showcased its AquariusGATE software, which provides for efficient use of limited bandwidth when transferring large data sets across a network. The solution receives images from existing devices using the standard DICOM protocol and then applies configurable compression before routing the data sets to a receiving station.

Vital Images (Minneapolis) introduced ViTALConnect, a diagnostic software tool that allows physicians to use PCs or notebook computers to access 2-D, 3-D, and 4-D advanced visualization from a Web-enabled thin-client server. With the solution, users can process, analyze, review, and distribute multidimensional images securely over the Internet.

An estimated 40% of the radiology imaging sites surveyed by IMV Medical Information Division Inc (Des Plaines, Ill) do not use film for primary diagnosis, and 7% report that they are 100% filmless in their operations. According to sources from IMV, the increasing adoption of PACS and its related technology is making it easier for imaging sites to implement filmless capabilities with increased confidence. An estimated 28% of the imaging procedures performed by the 3,000 sites covered in the study use no film for primary diagnosis. This is more than triple the rate of procedures performed 5 years ago. For more information about the PACS Census Database and Market Summary Report, visit www.imvlimited.com or call 847-297-1404.

Members of the committee will be responsible for examining data and information gathered during certification surveys and then determining the final certification status of each participating organization. Committee members, who will serve 2-year terms, will periodically discuss and review PCBA program certification policies and scoring guidelines.

“The public doesn’t distinguish between a privacy breach that is the fault of a business associate versus the fault of a covered entity,” said William Tulloch, NCQA’s director of product development. “The PCBA program is about avoiding problems as much as it is about satisfying regulatory requirements.”

Any organization that handles HIPAA-protected health information on behalf of a covered entity is eligible for the PCBA program. Such entities include software firms, healthcare IT firms, data collection, analysis and processing firms, practice management firms, third-party administrators, disease management organizations, and survey vendors.

“One of the biggest draws a facility would have to purchasing equipment online through a company like eBay is the drastic price difference,” Ward said on a phone interview with MI staff. “You might save 40%–50% compared to buying the equipment from the OEM or a dealer, but certain services compensate for that extra price, and you won’t get those services if you order equipment online.”

Ward warns that online buyers could be misled by the simplicity of the bid-and-buy process. “Physicians might get the idea that once the equipment is purchased via eBay, all they have to do is plug it in and go. But that’s not always the case,” he said. “A lot more goes on behind the scenes.”

At press time, eBay’s medical equipment listing offered almost 7,000 items on the block, including this listing for a Medison SonoAce 9900 color 3-D ultrasound system. Bidding started at $45,999, but a service contract isn’t included.

Because X-ray rooms require specialized layouts, leading plans, power, and structural planning for equipment installation, Ward is concerned that facilities will overlook these necessary steps or are simply unaware that they need to take place.

“[Not all] doctors know the laws—they shouldn’t have to know them. It’s up to us dealers to keep them informed,” he said. “If physicians are going to do their own thing, with regard to purchasing and installing imaging equipment, then they need to read and understand the laws from the state and federal standpoint.”

In addition to legislative preparation, Ward suggested researching the machinery before making an online purchase because of the possibility of extra costs that the equipment could entail. “There is more involved with X-ray than just buying the X-ray system,” he added. “When you pay an extra amount to purchase from a dealer, you’re paying for that dealer’s knowledge of the equipment, the laws, and what is necessary to complete a proper installation. With online purchasing, you’re going to have to go out and find someone to make sure all your bases are covered. This could end up costing you more in the long run.”

Congratulations to Bette Schans, whose award-winning article on RTs’ ethical reasoning won her ASRT recognition.

This award is presented annually for a peer-reviewed article appearing in the journal. Members of the journal’s Editorial Review Board select the winning article. The award is named for Jean Inglis Widger, who combined her talents in radiologic technology and journalism as a longtime editor of Radiologic Technology, from 1956 until her death in 1980. The award carries a $1,000 prize.

The exam consisted of 185 questions—30% were based on knowledge, 40% on problem solving, and 30% on analysis. The test questions focused on five domains of management: human resources, asset resources, fiscal, operations, and communications and information. Those that received passing scores for the exam will be recognized by the credential “CRA” after their names. Currently, more than 4,000 CRAs are certified nationwide.

The CRA program for radiology administrators is administered by the AHRA and is designed to elevate professional standards, enhance individual performance, and recognize administrators who demonstrate knowledge essential to the practice of radiology management. The next CRA examination will be held July 31 from 1 pm to 5 pm in Boston in conjunction with AHRA’s Annual Meeting and Exposition. For a complete list of new CRAs and registration information, visit www.ahraonline.org.

All those buzz words can mean only one thing: more site sightings from MI.

www.asrt.org
The American Society of Radiologic Technologists (ASRT of Albuquerque, NM) has announced the redesign of its Web site. Guided by a self-service premise for its members, the site enables members to define and identify areas of interest based on their specialty through a user profile. The site’s new main feature is its CE Navigator, a menu-driven task bar that gives members access to their continuing education records. Future plans for the site include a community forum, which will enable users to find others with similar concerns through threaded discussions, and a learning management system area, which will provide interactive distance education in multimedia formats.

www.ascension-tech.com
Ascension Technology (Burlington, Vt) has launched its live tech support forum, an open venue for Ascension customers and potential customers to discuss their knowledge of and experience with the company’s motion-tracking products. Online discussions will give users an opportunity to collaborate with others, share experiences, and collect supporting information. Ascension technical experts will moderate the forum’s discussions and participate in them as well. Product troubleshooting and application solutions will be presented, and the company’s technical support team promises accurate, timely responses to all questions.

www.FutureHealth.net
FutureHealth Corp (Timonium, Md) has completed its new corporate Web site, which features a more content-focused and streamlined appearance. The site is geared toward multiple audiences, including employers, consultants, and current clients. The overall content of the new site’s design is to give clients and brokers a better understanding of FutureHealth’s capabilities.

www.mayoclinictechnology.com
Mayo Clinic (Rochester, Minn) offers its new Web site for companies and investors interested in new technologies designed by Mayo Clinic physicians, scientists, and staff. The site gives visitors the opportunity to learn about many of the clinic’s inventions and discoveries, and the licensing opportunities available for each.

The capabilities of Siemens Medical Solutions’ equipment have long been in the spotlight, but what about the design of the equipment? Recently, I.D. magazine—a leading critical publication covering the art, business, and culture of design—awarded the c.cam cardiac gamma camera from Siemens (Malvern, Pa) with a Design Distinction honor in the Equipment category of I.D.’s 50th Annual Design Review. The product also was given a 2004 Excellence in Design Award in AM (Appliance Manufacturer) magazine in the Appliances/Laboratory Equipment category.

Sectra (Linköping, Sweden) recently received FDA clearance to market its analysis package for cardiovascular imaging in the United States. The application provides physicians with analysis functions for quantifying arterial stenosis and overall heart function, including tools for quantitative coronary analysis and left ventricle analysis. Sectra’s cardiology application enables physicians to access specific clinical tools designed to support the diagnostic process, increase productivity, and improve workflow efficiency.

Joseph DeVivo, current president and CEO of RITA, will serve as president and CEO of the combined company. “The merger of our two companies is an excellent fit,” he said. “We both have developed technologies that positively impact the way cancer is treated for many patients.”

Robert J. Wenzel, COO and interim CEO at Horizon, will serve as the COO. “We expect our new and larger selling organization to build upon our combined existing solid base of business to deliver greater value to our customers and shareholders,” he said. “We believe the merger is the best way to … empower our staff to further develop the medical oncology device category.”

The combined company will have headquarters and operations in Mountain View, Calif, and further operations in Manchester, Ga.

Beginning in 1997, 74 patients with squamous cell carcinoma of the oropharynx were treated with IMRT. Of those patients treated, 70% were at stage IV and the remainder at an earlier stage. After IMRT treatment, the estimated 4-year survival of all patients was 87%. Eighty-one percent of those patients were estimated to be completely disease free after completing treatment. If patients had surgery to remove the tumor in addition to being treated with IMRT, the chances of survival rose to 92%. Without surgery, 66% of the patients survived.

“This is the largest IMRT study in patients with oropharyngeal cancer, and the results are very promising,” said K. S. Clifford Chao, MD, lead author of the study and a member of the department of radiation oncology at the University of Texas MD Anderson Cancer Center (Houston).

Another study finding is that the use of IMRT reduced painful side effects of the treatment and allowed for more normal post-treatment salivary function. Of the 74 patients in the study, 32 reported grade I dry mouth, 9 reported moderate dry mouth, and 33 had no complaints at all.

“When administered correctly, IMRT alone or combined with surgery helps to cure patients of their disease while improving their quality of life by reducing painful side effects, such as dry mouth,” Chao explained. He added that gross tumor size is one of the most important predictors of treatment success. In patients with a more advanced tumor, tumor control rate is lower, and surgery is less likely an option.

ASTRO has taken its findings of IMRT and other forms of radiation therapy one step further. As part of a continuing effort to help patients and their families better understand how radiation therapy works to safely and effectively treat cancer, the organization has published a patient information brochure, Radiation Therapy for Cancer: Facts to Help Patients Make an Informed Decision. Free to patients and cancer support groups, the 28-page booklet provides information and pictures to help cancer patients who are considering radiation therapy as a treatment option.

Cedara Cedara Software Corp (Toronto) has entered into a cooperative sales, marketing, and support agreement to integrate a customized version of its I-ReadMammo workstation software with Fischer Imaging Corp’s (Denver) SenoScan digital mammography scanning system. This partnership expands the family of soft-copy workstations offered by Fischer. In addition to its current workstation, Fischer will now offer its customers the I-ReadMammo-based SenoView dedicated mammography soft-copy workstation. For more advanced applications, where multimodality image display and review are required, Fischer will offer the SenoView Plus, combining both the I-ReadMammo and I-SoftView Cedara software.

Consorta Consorta (Schaumburg, Ill) has signed three agreements with GE Healthcare (Waukesha, Wis) in which GE will provide its Critikonâ blood pressure cuffs to more than 400 acute care hospitals within Consorta’s membership. Through two additional multisource agreements, GE also will provide its patient monitoring systems, MUSE cardiology information system, and MAC ECG systems to Consorta’s member hospitals. One agreement covers specific physiological monitoring technology, including GE’s DINAMAP patient monitors, QS fetal monitoring products, and invasive cardiology technology for both hemodynamic and electrophysiological labs.

Consorta also was selected by Community Health Network (CHN of Berlin, Wis) as its group purchasing and resource management firm. CHN includes two acute care hospitals, one long-term care facility, CHN Home Care, Partners Family Pharmacy, Proformance Rehabilitation, and the CHN Medical Group.

Finally, Consorta recently established a contract with Elekta (Atlanta) for stereotactic radiosurgery and associated neuroscience products. The joint venture will enable Consorta to offer a range of technologies to battle brain disorders. Physicians will have access to the Leksell stereotactic system, enabling them to perform precision microsurgery, and the Magneto-Encephalography system for presurgical mapping of the brain.

E Solutions E Solutions Corp (Tampa, Fla) and MD TalkNet (Tampa, Fla) have joined efforts to provide Internet-based medical transcription services to physician’s practices and hospitals nationwide. E Solutions will host and maintain MD TalkNet’s transcription service, which is based on MD TalkNet’s Healthcare Solutions Provider model.

HIMSS The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS of Chicago) has signed an asset purchase agreement to acquire the Dorenfest IHDS+ Database and related business assets from Sheldon I. Dorenfest & Associates Ltd (Chicago), a provider of health information technology consulting and IT market data. HIMSS plans to use this acquisition as the foundation for its new subsidiary that will offer market research–based services to provide timely data to healthcare organizations for their business and IT decision making.

Kodak Eastman Kodak Co (Rochester, NY) and Fischer Imaging Corp (Denver) recently announced a worldwide agreement: Fischer will offer Kodak DirectView PACS System 5, which includes Kodak’s DirectView Versatile Intelligent Patient Archive (VIParchive) management software, with Fischer’s SenoScan systems for digital mammography. With Kodak’s PACS capabilities, Fischer can now offer an open, end-to-end image and information management solution for organizations that prefer to maintain their own information management operations.

Kodak’s Health Imaging Group also has been selected as one of the digital solutions suppliers for the National Health Service’s National Program for IT, an alliance led by Computer Sciences Corp (El Segundo, Calif). According to the terms of the agreement, Kodak will design, build, and operate a system across the North, West, and West Midlands regions of England that will reduce the time needed to diagnose illness and injury.

MedLearn Medical Learning Inc (MedLearn of St Paul, Minn) now offers an online continuing education source for individuals who need to renew their radiology coding certification. MedLearn recently reached an agreement with the Radiology Coding Certification Board of the Radiology Business & Management Association (RBMA of Irvine, Calif) to provide this online service. Previously, MedLearn reached an agreement with the RBMA to become the exclusive provider of the official study guide for the national RCC exam.

Varian Varian Medical Systems (Palo Alto, Calif) and Proxima Therapeutics Inc (Alpharetta, Ga) have entered into a distribution agreement whereby Varian will make available to European healthcare providers Proxima’s MammoSite device for treating breast cancer with localized high-dose-rate brachytherapy. The agreement is expected to facilitate European patient access to accelerated partial breast brachytherapy for the treatment of early stage breast cancer. Under the agreement, the MammoSite device will be made available to European cancer treatment centers through Varian’s distribution channels.

Vital Images Vital Images Inc (Minneapolis) has signed an integration agreement with Sectra (Linköping, Sweden) stating that Vital Images’ Vitrea 2 software for advanced 3-D visualization and analysis will be integrated with Sectra’s PACS solutions. All current and future Sectra PACS customers who have purchased Vitrea will have the ability to access the advanced visualization tools at their Sectra workstations.

Consorta Inc has moved its headquarters from its suburban Chicago location in Rolling Meadows, Ill, to Schaumburg, Ill. The company is now located at Schaumburg Corporate Center, 1475 E Woodfield Rd, Suite 400, Schaumburg, IL 60173. Reach Consorta via phone at 847-592-7800.

Jack Plummer

ETS-Lindgren (St Louis) has appointed Jack Plummer as western regional sales manager. Plummer brings with him 27 years of experience providing solutions in the MRI, medical, PACS, and electronics industry.

The Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS of Chicago) has named David E. Garets as president and CEO of the new HIMSS subsidiary company that will provide research and information services to the healthcare information technology field. Garets resigned his position as chairman of the HIMSS Board of Directors when assuming this new position. HIMSS also announced David J. Brailer, MD, PhD, as the country’s first National Health Information Technology (NHIT) coordinator. Brailer has worked on health-information-exchange projects in consulting and executive roles, including as former chairman and CEO of CareScience Inc.

Virtual Radiologic Consultants (VRC of Minneapolis) will expand its operations to include a central reading facility in Hawaii. The new facility will provide VRC’s radiologists with the option of working in a centralized location, allowing them to combine their work and vacation schedules to spend extended time on the islands or to work from their preferred US-based location. The Hawaii facility also will serve as a conferencing site and training center for radiologists who are new to soft-copy interpretation and reporting methods.