Summa Health System selects Agfa HealthCare’s digital radiography and expertise to drive image quality, dose management and cost savings through its Digital Radiography Upgrade Program

- Implementing a multi-pronged strategy designed to address key radiography goals of improving image quality and managing dose while maximizing the investment of existing radiography technologies to capture cost efficiencies - Enhancements include installations of Agfa HealthCare’s DX-D Retrofit and DX-D 100 Mobile direct radiography (DR) systems, DX-M and CR 30-X computed radiography (CR) systems - Purchase was preceded by a thorough analysis of the existing imaging systems, leading to a strategic DR Upgrade Program

Agfa HealthCare announced today that Summa Health System has selected the company’s digital radiography technologies, including the DX-D Retrofit and DX-D 100 mobile DR systems, DX-M multi-plate CR, and CR 30-X single plate table top CR, in combination with an upgrade of Agfa HealthCare’s patented MUSICA image processing software through Agfa HealthCare’s Digital Radiography Upgrade Program. The technology installations are part of a broader strategic initiative developed jointly by Summa Health System and Agfa HealthCare to improve performance and patient care experiences across the multiple radiography departments within Summa Health System’s network of hospitals and health centers.

Summa Health System is one of the largest integrated healthcare delivery systems in Ohio. Encompassing a network of hospitals, community health centers, a health plan, a physician-hospital organization, a multi-specialty physician organization, research and multiple foundations, Summa is nationally renowned for excellence in patient care and for exceptional approaches to healthcare delivery.

Improving performance and patient satisfaction
Summa Health System selected a portfolio of digital radiography solutions in large part due to the personalized consultation provided by Agfa HealthCare to create a strategic upgrade program to DR systems. Agfa HealthCare brought in DR and IT specialists to provide a detailed needs analysis that aligned with Summa Health System’s clinical, technological and budget objectives.

Jeanette Doria, System Director of Imaging Services, Summa Health System, commented, “After an extensive consultation evaluating our current technology situation, we found the DX-D Retrofit, DX-D 100, DX-M and CR 30-X with an upgrade to our MUSICA image processing and acquisition workstations to be the best quality to meet the needs of Summa Health System. This initiative allows us to continue using existing equipment, but with key add-ons that provide a seamless transition to the digital format. This upgrade is expected to increase overall productivity, workflow, image quality, as well as improve patient satisfaction.”

Agfa HealthCare’s comprehensive digital radiography platform includes several industry-leading technologies that deliver ROI benefits either as stand-alone installations or as part of an interconnected system upgrade.

• DX-D Retrofit is a vendor neutral, cost effective solution for seamlessly migrating CR-based modalities to the benefits of DR. Key to the DX-D Retrofit is its ability to leverage existing equipment to enable a cost and process-efficient transition from image cassettes to digitized X-ray images that can then be shared and accessed within the EHR.

• DX-D 100 mobile DR system wirelessly connects to the hospital information system and contains onboard dose management tools, allowing for instant high-quality image capture at the patient bedside to facilitate improved patient comfort and workflow improvement.

• DX-M is a fully integrated multi-plate computed radiography system for general radiography and mammography. The technology provides a combination of superb image quality, workflow and high throughput with the ability of using standard phosphor plates and dose efficient, cesium based needle-phosphor detectors. Featuring a small footprint and unique drop-and-go cassette buffer-based workflow, the DX-M can be used as a centralized or decentralized CR system.

• The multi-application CR 30-X is a desktop, compact and convenient CR system that leverages proven technologies to deliver excellent and consistent image quality that users would expect in full-size floor mounted models.

• Integrated with all Agfa HealthCare digital radiography solutions, Agfa HealthCare’s industry-leading MUSICA imaging processing software allows clinicians to capture consistently high-quality images. MUSICA is extremely easy to set-up, adaptive and is fully automatic. It also eliminates the need for time consuming window and leveling or post processing making it immediately more productive for both technologists and radiologists.

George Curley, Senior Marketing Manager, Agfa HealthCare North America, remarked, “Summa Health System’s adoption of our tailored digital radiography portfolio is a testament to Agfa HealthCare’s expertise in providing imaging solutions that align with each customer’s clinical and technological needs. At Agfa HealthCare, we’re dedicated to developing products that make it easy for our customers to adopt cutting edge technology so their clinicians can provide patients with the best care and quality medical images while managing the radiation dose.”