OffSite Image Management Partners With Newton Medical Center to Solve “Aging” PACS Problems With 3D Mammography
Vendor Neutral Archiving Solutions Highlighted in Community Hospital Case Study
March 1, 2016 (St. Joseph, MO): Newton Medical Center, Newton, KS, like many community hospitals, faces problems managing diagnostic images within an aging PACS system. This includes difficulty with image access, workflow and managing the image requirements of new 3D mammography exams for patients. Working together with solutions from OffSite Image Management, Inc., the facility is experiencing improved workflow, more reliable image management solutions and new disaster recovery strategies through vendor neutral archiving (VNA) technology. The solutions are outlined in a recent case study released by OffSite Image Management.
Like many community hospitals, Newton faces the same regulations other hospitals are required to follow – including diagnostic image storing and sharing and disaster recovery preparation requirements. An outdated PACS combined with implementation of new technology in radiology had created a roadblock to the level of efficient image sharing Newton Medical Center wants to provide for patients and staff.
Staff members at the facility have experienced particular difficulty in storing 3D mammography exams within an aging picture archiving and communication system (PACS). Additional problems with an older PACS included difficulty in reliably storing and tracking imaging data for disaster recovery. Administrators were concerned about data migration and back up, necessitating the search for a solution.
OffSite Image Management, Inc., is uniquely suited to assist facilities, like Newton Medical Center, with medical image archiving, business continuity and ease of access. The administrators learned first-hand about OffSite during a medical conference, becoming immediately attracted to the quality of OffSite’s archiving solution and the value it offers.
OffSite’s team helped upgrade Newton’s PACS, archiving all of their exams while assisting them in securing data. The process only took two days and the results of the work were immediately evident, according to Newton team members.
“The sheer size of the mammogram studies had overwhelmed our PACS, a system that was acquired several years previously and was ill-equipped to handle the mammogram study size demands of today – but OffSite is cutting edge,” said Tom Wells, Imaging Services Director, Newton Medical Center. “Partnering with OffSite also opened the door to be part of a community for better accessibility to other facilities, which improves continuation of care.”
Utilizing the vendor neutral archiving environment and OffSite’s PACS solutions effectively released Newton Medical Center from proprietary technology, giving them full access to their data on a 24/7 level. The hospital continues to report improved workflow, and staff members have the confidence they were seeking in a disaster recovery strategy. To read the new case study about the resolution of PACS challenges, mammography storage and improved workflow at Newton Medical Center, visit offsiteimagemgt.com//.
About OffSite: OffSite Image Management, Inc. provides vendor neutral archiving services based on open architecture design and industry enterprise archiving standards. OffSite solutions integrate seamlessly with other applications and eliminates the concern regarding obsolescence and future storage requirements. For more information about OffSite, visit online at https://offsiteimagemgt.com/.