Community Health Network, Inc. Selects iConnect(R) and Merge Honeycomb(TM) for Image Interoperabilty and Cloud-Based Storage

CHICAGO, June 1, 2012 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Merge Healthcare Incorporated MRGE, a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare, today announced Community Health Network, Inc. (CHN) has selected Merge Healthcare's iConnect® VNA and iConnect® Access to provide real-time access to images and information among its network of providers and referring physicians. CHN has also selected Merge Honeycomb™ to provide cloud-based image storage.

"Our enterprise-wide approach consists of three components," said Mike Bartman, CIO, Community Health Network. "First, we had to make sure all of our physicians and referring docs had access to images wherever they were. Then we had to consolidate our onsite image storage into one vendor neutral archive. Lastly, we needed to move our long-term archive to the cloud. We were able to do this with Merge, and as a result I believe we're going to be able to provide a faster and broader exchange of health information that will help us improve patient care."

"In addition to improving care, we believe our enterprise imaging strategy with Merge will help us financially," continued Bartman. "Because iConnect Access is a zero-footprint, web-based viewer referring physicians can view images anywhere, including on mobile devices, and get immediate access to reports. And with the iConnect VNA, all of the information is instantly fed into our Meditech EMR. All of this makes it easier for referring physicians to work with us."

"In addition to their image interoperability strategy, Community Health Network has embraced the cloud for enterprise-wide image storage," said Jeff Surges, CEO of Merge Healthcare. "While many are talking about it, CHN is actually doing it. With Merge Honeycomb's archive application, CHN has virtualized its hardware and can eliminate the countless hours and dollars associated with the traditional approach to image archiving."

Merge Honeycomb is a cloud-based platform that provides a new and innovative way to share, manage and store diagnostic images. For providers, the burden of managing images can be overwhelming as a single image can require 2GB or more in storage. It's also expensive as new storage regulations require multiple copies and that image data be stored for years. The Merge Honeycomb archiving application will provide a long-term storage option that will store images securely, in multiple locations and be accessible anytime, anywhere without the hassle of onsite storage management, power, cooling and bandwidth.  

Merge's iConnect suite is the industry's only comprehensive solution for collecting, archiving, viewing, sharing and exchanging any type of image, anywhere, any time. It includes iConnect Access*, a zero-download DICOM image and XDS server and iConnect VNA, a vendor neutral archive to create an enterprise imaging strategy. It works with existing applications, leveraging widely-used web and healthcare technology standards, to provide a vendor neutral interoperable environment.

*iConnect Access is not FDA-cleared for diagnostic use on mobile devices.

About Merge Healthcare

Merge is a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare.  Merge's enterprise and cloud-based solutions for image intensive specialties provide access to any image, anywhere, any time. Merge also provides health stations, clinical trials software and other health data and analytics solutions that engage consumers in their personal health. With solutions that are used by providers and consumers and include more than 20 years of innovation, Merge is helping to reduce costs and improve the quality of healthcare worldwide. For more information, visit merge.com.

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About Community Health Network, Inc.

Community Health Network (CHN) provides a continuum of high-quality health services and comprehensive care to people of all ages in the east central Wisconsin area. CHN provides preventative programs, primary and long-term care, hospital-based services and home health care through its network of two hospitals, a nursing home, nearly two dozen outlying community clinics, a retail pharmacy and a rehabilitation program serving nine surrounding communities.

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