Thursday, April 17, 2014

Accelarad Nuance Makes It Official


Dear Accelarad customer,You should have received an email from me on Monday of this week, when I provided our customers an early insight into the announcement that Accelarad is now a part of Nuance Communications. At this time, I wanted to provide you some additional information and invite you to learn more.

You can read the full press release here: (Nuance Unveils PowerShare – April 17,2014)As discussed, this new union brings together our cloud-based medical image sharing technology and Nuance’s PowerScribe radiology reporting and communication platform. The partnership will give you, our valued customer, access to Nuance’s expansive healthcare technology and professional services, while continuing to provide you with the proven software and solid relationships you have come to expect from Accelarad. With this partnership, Accelarad’s SeeMyRadiology solution has been rebranded to align with the Nuance diagnostic brand, and will be part of the Nuance PowerShare Network. To learn more about PowerShare | Image Sharing, sign up to join one of our webinars.

Most importantly, know that the products and people you have come to rely on will not change. Accelarad's leadership team and valued employees will be deeply involved in creating a smooth transition for our customers, and our focus remains on making sure you continue to receive the excellent service you deserve.

Thank you again for your support and confidence in us. We will keep you informed about any incremental changes along the way and are open to your feedback.

Sincerely,                

Willie Tillery, CEO, Accelarad 

Rodney Hawkins, General Manager, Diagnostic Solutions, Nuance
For your viewing pleasure, here is the press release:

Nuance PowerShare Network Unveiled for Cloud-Based Medical Imaging and Report Exchange
Industry’s Largest Medical Imaging Network Helps Providers and Patients Coordinate Care and Share Information Across Distances and Disparate Healthcare Systems

BURLINGTON, Mass., – April 17, 2014 – Nuance Communications, Inc. (NASDAQ: NUAN) announced today the immediate availability of Nuance PowerShare™ Network, the industry’s largest cloud-based network for securely connecting physicians, patients, government agencies, specialty medical societies and others to share essential medical images and reports as simply as people exchange information using social networks. Nuance PowerShare Network promotes informed and connected physicians and patients who can instantly view, share and collaborate while addressing patients’ healthcare needs.

“Organizations are being tasked to communicate efficiently both in and out of their networks to provide clinical insight to physicians beyond one person or office to a much broader team involved in the continuum of care,” said Keith Dreyer, DO, PhD, FACR, vice chairman of radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital and Chair of the American College of Radiology (ACR) IT and Informatics Committee. “Nuance PowerShare Network addresses the information sharing challenge physicians face today with a network that supports things we’ve dreamed of doing for years,” he adds.

Fully Connected Patients & Providers
Nuance PowerShare Network is already used by more than 1,900 provider organizations for sharing images via the cloud using open standards. Made possible through the acquisition of Accelarad, this medical imaging exchange eliminates the costly and insecure process of managing images on CDs and removes silos of information in healthcare that inhibit providers from optimizing the efficiency and quality of care they provide. Anyone can join the network regardless of IT systems in place to instantly view and manage images needed to consult, diagnose or treat patients, enabling clinicians to more seamlessly evaluate and deliver care for patients who transition between facilities or care settings.

Nuance is already used by more than 500,000 clinicians and is a critical component within the radiology workflow and a trusted partner for 1,600+ provider organizations that rely on Nuance PowerScribe for radiology reporting and communications. Healthcare organizations that use Nuance PowerScribe, a group that produces more that 50 percent of all radiology reports in the U.S., can immediately leverage their existing investment and begin sharing radiology reports along with images, such as X-rays, MRIs, CT scans, EKGs, wound care images, dermatology images or any other type of image. This simplifies secure health information exchange between multiple providers, patients and disparate systems without costly and time-consuming interfaces, CD production or the need to install additional third-party systems.

“The challenge of sharing images with interpretive reports is something we’ve heard about consistently from our customers and EHR partners, and we know Nuance PowerShare Network will overcome this major obstacle, helping physicians treat patients more efficiently and effectively,” said Peter Durlach, senior vice president of marketing and strategy, Nuance Communications. “This nationwide network, one that is fully integrated into the EHR workflow and already connected to approximately half of all clinicians producing diagnostic imaging information, is a ground-breaking solution that delivers immediate benefits at an unprecedented scale to our healthcare system.”

“Integrated image and report sharing helps us deliver quality care and drive down costs especially when patients transfer from one facility to another. Whether at their desktop or on their mobile device, our physicians can see the study that was done along with the interpretive report, which provides the information they need to treat the patient and avoid duplicate testing,” says Deborah Gash, vice president and CIO, Saint. Luke’s Health System in Kansas City. “By integrating this with our EHR, PowerShare will enable physicians to manage inbound imaging through one point of access and login. Physicians in our 11 hospitals and 100-mile radius referral network see this cutting-edge technology as a way to deliver the highest level of patient care,” she adds.

To learn more about the PowerShare Network and the new image sharing solution, visit http://www.nuance.com/products/PowerShareNetwork to join one of our webinars. Connect with Nuance on social media through the healthcare blog, What’s next, as well as Twitter and Facebook.
Definitely an interesting constellation of services! I wonder where this might lead. Ironically, Rodney is also an old friend from the AMICAS days...

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