Rush University Medical Center Selects Merge Cardiology PACS

CHICAGO, Jan. 7, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Merge Healthcare Incorporated MRGE, a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare, entered into an agreement with Rush University Medical Center, one of the largest private academic medical centers in Illinois, to provide Cardiology PACS.

Rush was actively seeking a cardiology solution that would streamline its workflows, eliminate departmental silos of information, and deliver structured reporting enabling greater ability to mine data for research projects and benchmarking. With Merge Cardio, a Best in KLAS solution in 2013, Rush cardiology will be able to leverage a centralized, web-based system for report generation and distribution. The structured data within Merge PACS supports the organization's desire to leverage data for research studies and benchmarking. In addition, Rush will be able to access data from legacy systems in order to create a more complete patient history.

"Cardiology as a field is embracing 'Big Data,' to help improve quality outcomes, to enable informative research, and provide clinical care that is both efficient and timely, said Dr. Kim Allan Williams, Sr., FACC, FAHA, FASNC, and chief, Division of Cardiology, at Rush University Medical Center. At Rush, we strive to meet the 'triple aim' of better care, better outcomes, and lower costs. Partnering with Merge will forge a mutually beneficial, dynamic relationship as we embark upon this complex and critical project," Williams said.

"Rush is a highly respected and innovative organization, and it is an honor to support their efforts for improving their internal systems to strengthen their research and improve provider access to imaging reports," said Justin Dearborn, chief executive officer of Merge Healthcare.

About Rush

Rush is a not-for-profit enterprise comprising Rush University Medical Center, Rush University, Rush Oak Park Hospital and Rush Health. The mission of Rush is to provide the best health care for the individuals and diverse communities we serve through the integration of outstanding patient care, education, research, and community partnerships. Rush encompasses a 664-bed hospital serving adults and children. The 376-bed Tower building opened in 2012 as part of a major, ten-year campus redevelopment. Rush has more than 6,000 employees and faculty. Rush University, with more than 2,000 students, is the academic component of Rush University Medical Center. Rush University is a health sciences university offering more than 30 unique degree or certificate options in medicine, nursing, allied health and biomedical research. Rush University is comprised of Rush Medical College, the College of Nursing, the College of Health Sciences, and the Graduate College.

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 on Twitter @MergeHealthcare.

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