Hartland, WI (March 3, 2004) – In its first-of-a-kind use of technology, The Congenital Heart Institute at Miami Children’s Hospital and Arnold Palmer Hospital is efficiently streamlining echo images and improving patient care with the VERICIS® Cardiovascular Information System. VERICIS, from Camtronics Medical Systems, Ltd., a subsidiary of Analogic Corporation (NASDAQ:ALOG), acquires and stores imaging studies generated in each hospital’s echocardiography labs, giving physicians instant network access to this data at high-performance cardiac workstations for review and diagnosis. The VERICIS systems at each site are connected by a high-speed digital communication link, which facilitates seamless sharing of studies and virtually real-time remote consultations.
According to Leo Lopez, MD, medical director of the pediatric echocardiology laboratories at Miami Children’s Hospital and Arnold Palmer Hospital and one of the nation’s leading experts on pediatric echocardiography, being able to share information this quickly represents a tremendous advance in the delivery of care. “The fact that I can now view a study done more than 250 miles away, ten seconds after it’s captured, is astounding,” says Dr. Lopez. “To make a diagnosis, all I really need to do is look at the images. In effect, VERICIS allows me to provide the same high level of care for our patients regardless of whether they’re in Orlando or Miami. This technology helps make our two-location program seamless.”
Before this technology, Dr. Lopez was consulted by phone on patients at Arnold Palmer Hospital and had to wait at least a day until he could advise on the case. That’s because a videotape containing the echocardiogram needed to be sent overnight to Miami. Today however, he’s able to provide his expert advice just seconds after a colleague from Orlando calls -- often before the child even leaves the examination table.
Setting up the link between the two hospitals took more than simply leasing a T3 connection and plugging in a few network cables. It required the help of Camtronics Professional Services IT consulting group. “When the communications link was first established and tested, system performance fell well short of the customer’s expectations,” noted Scott Sippel, an IT analyst with Camtronics Professional Services. “Our tests showed the VERICIS system performing according to specifications, so we worked with staff in Orlando Regional Healthcare’s IS Department to test the connection and ultimately traced the problem back to one of Miami Children’s routers. After they updated the software on the router, the issue was resolved.”
Founded in 1950, Miami Children's Hospital (MCH) is the only licensed specialty hospital for children in South Florida. The 268-bed medical complex treats more than 185,000 patients each year. US News and World Report has ranked MCH among the nation’s top 25 children’s hospitals and the number two-ranked pediatric facility in the Southeast for two consecutive years. Hospital and Health Networks, the journal of the American Hospital Association named MCH one of the nation’s “Most Improved and Most Wired Hospitals” in its 2003 report. The echocardiography lab at MCH is one of only four pediatric labs in Florida granted accreditation by the Intersocietal Commission for the Accreditation of Echocardiography Laboratories (ICAEL).
Arnold Palmer Hospital for Children & Women, part of Orlando Regional Healthcare, is a 281-bed facility dedicated exclusively to the needs of children and women. Located in Orlando, Arnold Palmer Hospital includes a regional center for neonatal care, maternal intensive care, pediatric intensive care, pediatric cardiology and hematology/oncology services. Since 1989, more than 100,000 babies have been born at Arnold Palmer Hospital. To learn more, visit
www.arnoldpalmerhospital.org.
Camtronics offers the most comprehensive image management and reporting solution for pediatric echocardiography on the market today. Founded on the respected fetal and pediatric echocardiography database developed and refined by Children’s Hospital, Boston, VERICIS features a broad array of analytical tools specifically designed for assessing, diagnosing and treating patients with congenital heart disease. Camtronics’ pediatric echo solution is in clinical use at 28 children’s hospitals across North America.
Camtronics Medical Systems, Ltd., a subsidiary of Analogic Corporation, was founded in 1986 and is a market leader in cardiovascular information management and hemodynamic monitoring technology. Its industry-leading VERICIS Cardiovascular Information System provides single point access to the complete cardiovascular patient record, including both inpatient and outpatient data. Camtronics operates engineering, manufacturing, sales and marketing, and customer support activities from its headquarters near Milwaukee, Wisconsin as well as technology development centers in Winter Park, FL and Ottawa, Ontario, Canada. For more information call 1-800-634-5151 or visit
www.camtronics.com.