New York-Presbyterian extends agreement With Kodak for PACS, CR, Laser Imagers

Key take-away:

Image capture and digital technologies are giving medical professionals quicker access to more diagnostic imaging solutions in a $22 billion (USD) industry.

The NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital recently renewed a multi-million-dollar, multi-year partnership service agreement with Kodak to support its Kodak DirectView computed radiography (CR) systems, Kodak DirectView picture archiving and communications system (PACS) and Kodak DryView laser imaging systems.

Four dedicated Kodak field engineers work on-site at the NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell campus, and three engineers are present at the NewYork-Presbyterian Columbia Presbyterian campus to help ensure continuous uptime of all equipment. At Columbia Presbyterian, Kodak engineers have responsibility for the entire PACS network, in addition to the PACS and other image capture systems. These campuses generate a combined total of 550,000 imaging procedures a year.

"Kodak's engineers have provided us with the highest standard of service-99.9 percent uptime-that we require. In addition, these engineers conduct testing and preventative maintenance, so that our digital imaging equipment can function at peak performance 24 hours a day," said Rick Perez, NewYork-Presbyterian Weill Cornell's senior radiology administrator.

The U.S. News & World Report's 2002 Annual Hospital Survey named NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital to its prestigious Honor Roll, which also includes Johns Hopkins and the Mayo Clinic.

"The size and complexity of NewYork-Presbyterian's digital imaging network has led them to retain Kodak engineers on-site around the clock, which is the highest level of service any vendor can provide," said Wayne Langlois, vice president of sales for Kodak Health Imaging, U.S. and Canada.

In 1997, Kodak and New York Presbyterian first agreed to install a fully electronic image and information management system for diagnostic images. The original PACS system supported computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imagers (MRI), ultrasound and nuclear medicine - all electronically connected to a digital network. This network enables patients' diagnostic images to be transmitted to workstations throughout the hospital for review by physicians.

Listen to the 60-scond infomercial with Rick Perez, director of radiology at New York Presbyterian Hospital. (.mp3 format)

Learn more about PACS systems.