Xavier University Center for Innovation to Partner with Konica Minolta on Primary Imaging Design Thinking Labs at next Healthovate! Activate! Summit

WAYNE, N.J., and CINCINNATI, Oct. 9, 2015 /PRNewswire/ -- Xavier University's Center for Innovation (CFI) will hold two Design Thinking labs with Konica Minolta Medical Imaging (KMMI) on October 12.   Konica Minolta is collaborating with CFI to utilize Design Thinking to help healthcare providers imagine and develop their Primary Imaging strategy for the future using a visual roadmap that they can customize for their practice.

Primary Imaging is the initial procedure, or study, in medical imaging diagnostics and is comprised of Digital Radiography and Ultrasound—which encompass 70% of the diagnostic medical imaging studies performed today. Also, clinicians need patient information that is readily available through integrated healthcare IT systems and services. Together, these technologies are known as Primary Imaging Solutions.

Advances in technology allow healthcare providers to use Primary Imaging at the point-of-care, whether in a hospital, radiology department, musculoskeletal department, a doctor's office, a clinic, or a battlefield.   Primary Imaging provides clinicians with immediate diagnostic information to make an informed, clinically confident diagnosis to rule-in or rule-out disease or injury, or determine the appropriate use of more advanced and expensive diagnostic tools, such as CT and MRI.

"Konica Minolta chose the Center for Innovation at Xavier University as a partner to utilize Design Thinking alongside key stakeholders as a path to understand their challenges, educate on technology and co-create the future of Primary Imaging to improve outcomes for the patient and practice.  Xavier University is the partner of choice as a university with a leading Health Services Administration and Nursing program," said Diane Hunt, Konica Minolta Vice President, Marketing – the Americas.

CFI's ongoing Healthovate! Activate! Summits blend focused and informal engagement. They are IDEO/Experience Point trained and certified design thinkers.  "The purpose of Healthovate! Activate! is to give healthcare leaders an opportunity to share their expertise and engage in conversations with their peers and leaders about their challenges with a goal of finding new solutions," said Shawn Nason, Chief Innovation Officer, Xavier University.

Primary Imaging Design Thinking Labs will give healthcare providers a new perspective on current and future technologies in Digital Radiography, Ultrasound, and related Healthcare IT and Support Services. Providers will co-create a Primary Imaging roadmap for their future practice that will be a tool to help improve outcomes and maintain practice health.

"Our goal is to help our customers face the quickly changing healthcare environment by constantly being in touch to understand their needs and help them solve their challenges," said David Widmann, President and CEO of Konica Minolta Medical Imaging. "We are committed to learn from customers and providers.  We want to get deep into our users' experiences and unmet needs," Widmann said.

About Xavier University Healthovate! Activate! Series 
The Center for Innovation's Healthovate! Activate! Series is platform for dialogue on the future of healthcare: innovations, systems, trends and consumers.  For more information watch the YouTube video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=XLC380coF6I

About Konica Minolta Medical Imaging 
Konica Minolta Medical Imaging is a world class provider and market leader in medical diagnostic primary imaging. With over 75 years of endless innovation, Konica Minolta is globally recognized as a leader providing cutting-edge technologies and comprehensive support aimed at providing real solutions to meet customer's needs. Konica Minolta Medical Imaging, headquartered in Wayne, NJ, is a unit of Konica Minolta, Inc. (TSE: 4902).  For more information on Konica Minolta Primary Imaging Solutions, please visit www.konicaminolta.com/medicalusa.