Fuji News

Combines leading PACS technology with proven conversion experience to move legacy PACS users to Synapse^®

Seattle, WA. - May 15, 2008 - FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA, Inc. today announced that it has successfully converted more than 10,000,000 digital studies from a legacy PACS to its Web based Synapse® PACS platform. Having invested in the conversion process early-on, Fujifilm is able to deliver a turnkey digital-to-digital transition that meets facilities needs by expediting the process, maintaining system uptime, and allowing access to all prior exams as the legacy vendor is being de-installed.

The replacement PACS market is in full swing as healthcare facilities are facing a number of challenges, including an array of clinical and technical issues from outdated software that has not evolved with the changing dynamic of the market. In addition there is also the growing obsolescence of some PACS, resulting from an increasing number of vendor acquisitions.

“As more and more facilities look to replace their PACS, they will see that Fujifilm has the right PACS, with the most current technology, and the experience to successfully transfer all of their digital data to Synapse,” said Jim Morgan, Fujifilm’s Director of Marketing, Network Systems. “Fujifilm has a refined conversion process that – regardless of the number of studies – has been field-proven and time-tested to assure maximum uptime with minimal disruption to workflow while facilities convert from their existing PACS to Synapse PACS.”

Fujifilm’s innovative PACS conversion process enables facilities to affordably and seamlessly switch to Synapse with a turnkey, three-step process. In addition to the technological expertise, Fujifilm offers flexible purchasing options that take into consideration unique needs conversion sites might have, such as the requirement for supporting the legacy PACS for the shortest duration possible. A guaranteed film reduction program is also offered for sites that may not have achieved their original filmless objectives with their current PACS.

A 450 bed hospital with 175,000 radiology procedures each year, St. Peter’s Hospital in Albany provides New York’s Capital Region with a comprehensive, integrated continuum of care. After installing a competitive PACS several years ago, St. Peter’s found they were still printing films and the technology was not keeping up with the radiology department’s needs. Fujifilm delivered their conversion expertise and the guaranteed film reduction program to enable St. Peter’s to convert to an enterprise web-based PACS while also decreasing costs.

“Once we determined we needed to change our PACS vendor, we carefully analyzed not only the clinical impact, but also financial and IT considerations,” explained Edward Vining, St. Peter’s Administrative Director of Medical Imaging. “Fujifilm clearly demonstrated both the viability of Synapse as a long-term PACS solution, and their technical grasp of the conversion process. As a result of careful pre-planning of our day-to-day operations we have been able to execute this conversion successfully and stay on schedule with currently about 60 percent of our 340,000 studies converted,” he said.

For more information on Fujifilm’s PACS Conversion Service, visit Fujifilm at SIIM Booth #639.

About FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA, Inc.
As one of the FUJIFILM Corporation family of companies with 70 years of imaging experience and almost $25 billion in sales, FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA, Inc. is a leading provider of diagnostic imaging products and network systems to meet the needs of healthcare facilities today and well into the future. Fujifilm’s Synapse® PACS (picture archiving and communications system) provides a seamless solution for managing, storing and distributing images and information throughout the entire healthcare enterprise. Its Web integrated design and hardware-independence provide a technological infrastructure and deployment model that can be expanded upon in a myriad of ways to adapt to evolving technologies. FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA is headquartered in Stamford, CT.