U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavittdiscussed how to build a value-driven healthcare system at an Aug. 1town hall meeting organized by the North Carolina HealthcareInformation and Communications Alliance (NCHICA) and the WNC HealthNetwork in Asheville, N.C.

TeraRecon, a provider of advanced visualization and interpretation software, has released Aquarius iNtuition version 4.3.

Vital Images, a provider of enterprise-wide advanced visualization andanalysis solutions, has named Vikram Simha chief technology officer(CTO) and executive vice president of engineering—the latter of which is a new position.

ARCA biopharma, a biopharmaceutical company developinggenetically-targeted therapies for heart failure and othercardiovascular diseases, has appointed James Carr, PharmD, as VP ofmarketing.

Neoprobe, a developer of oncology and cardiovascular surgical anddiagnostic products, has appointed Gordon A. Troup to its board ofdirectors.

As imaging departments become increasingly digital, many are usingdifferent components of data storage, protection, migration andarchiving to fit different pieces of the business continuity puzzletogether to provide a seamless and continual flow of images and dataacross the enterprise while providing secure backups without impactingpatient care. Having a plan is the first step.

At a time when reimbursement rates are low and the economic climate isuncertain, imaging centers, hospitals and clinics are looking forsavvy ways to produce non-diagnostic prints for treatment planning andconsultation with colleagues and patients while controlling costs.

IT innovation and integration are alive and very well in 2008. This year’s Top 25 Connected Healthcare Facilities bring impressive resumes, tales of major cost savings and return on investment and excellence in patient care and patient and staff satisfaction.