CHICAGO, Sept. 16, 2014 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Merge Healthcare Incorporated (Nasdaq:MRGE), a leading provider of innovative enterprise imaging, interoperability and clinical systems that seek to advance healthcare, today announced Willis-Knighton Health System, a large non-profit community healthcare organization with four hospitals in the Shreveport and Bossier City, La. area comprising of a 600+ physician network, has selected Merge's enterprise-wide cardiology and interoperability solutions to simplify workflow and advance clinical reporting and analytics. The solution also supports improved documentation for core measures and Meaningful Use (MU) requirements and enables easier access to images, improved patient experience and enhanced business continuity across all Willis-Knighton locations.
"Our hemodynamics system was nearing end of life. And, it became an increasingly urgent matter that we replace it. The system was unable to work properly due to outdated technology, and we had to build a work-around as well as resorted to many manual tasks to manage the processes." said Kathy Walker, Corporate Director of Cardiovascular Services at Willis-Knighton Health System. "We needed a reliable solution for automation, and Merge's KLAS ranking as Category Leader in Hemodynamics for the third year in a row more than substantiated our decision. From that point, we decided to also implement a centralized, web-based system to access and manage our patient's cardio records. Having a complete, system-wide solution has been critical in better treating our patients."
Initially, Willis-Knighton sought to upgrade solely its hemodynamics system. However, after working closely with Merge to determine the goals of the update, Willis-Knighton ultimately decided to expand the partnership to create a more interoperable and cost-effective, unified workflow across multiple disparate systems for seamless patient care delivery. Willis-Knighton will leverage Merge cardiology and interoperability solutions, including:
- Merge Hemo™, Merge's real-time documentation tool for the cardiac cath lab, which easily automates cath lab documentation into the patient's electronic health record for efficient workflow.
- Merge Cardio™, a web-enabled enterprise-level image and information system that provides a single point of entry to the patient's complete cardio record spanning all cardiac modalities.
- iConnect® Access, a single, universal viewing and image sharing solution that enables referring physicians to review critical patient data from any browser-based device, anywhere, any time.
"We're thrilled to partner with Willis-Knighton and support their enterprise imaging initiative for a unified, interoperable cardiology management system," said Justin Dearborn, CEO at Merge Healthcare. "Willis-Knighton took a collaborative approach for this strategy–one that all healthcare organizations should strive for, both clinically and financially. Being their enterprise imaging partner of choice is an honor, and we look forward to helping them achieve their objectives."
About Willis-Knighton Health System
Willis-Knighton Health System is a non-profit community healthcare organization with four hospitals in Shreveport and Bossier City, Louisiana. The system also includes a Heart & Vascular Institute, a regional heart care provider, offering a wide range of diagnostic and treatment options for patients, including interventional cardiology, heart and vascular surgery, a Valve Clinic and LVAD programs. Throughout its history, the heart institute has been a leader in innovative technologies and was the first in the region to provide a hybrid operating suite for heart and vascular conditions. For additional information about Willis-Knighton Health System and the Heart & Vascular Institute, visit http://www.wkhs.com.
About Merge
Merge is a leading provider of innovative enterprise imaging, interoperability and clinical systems that seek to advance healthcare. Merge's enterprise and cloud-based technologies for image intensive specialties provide access to any image, anywhere, any time. Merge also provides clinical trials software with end-to-end study support in a single platform and other intelligent health data and analytics solutions. With solutions that have been used by providers for more than 25 years, Merge is helping to reduce costs, improve efficiencies and enhance the quality of healthcare worldwide. For more information, visit merge.com and follow us @MergeHealthcare.
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