CHICAGOAs network and internet-based image sharing strategies begin to overtake physical media such as CDs, care providers need a different mindset when it comes to image communication, according to a presentation on Nov. 27 at the 97th annual scientific meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA).

Three days before Thanksgiving, healthcare behemoth Covidien announced that it will gobble up Barrx Medical for $325 million in cash.

When Kaleida Health, a five-hospital system in Buffalo, N.Y., began the process of replacing its radiology PACS and cardiology PACS in mid-2010, it also decided to refresh its displays. The enterprise-wide upgrade entailed display systems across four department, radiology, cardiology, emergency medicine and critical care.

CHICAGOPatients at three major medical institutions can control the sharing of their medical images and reports with their physicians and medical providers through the use of the RSNA Image Share network, demonstrated Nov. 29 at the 97th Scientific Assembly and Annual Meeting of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). By facilitating access to imaging exams for patients and physicians, the network potentially reduces unnecessary examinations, minimizes patient radiation exposure and enables better informed medical decisions.

3D systems will acquire Vidar Systems. The news is part of a wider announcement in which the Contex Group, a subsidiary of Ratos, signed an agreement to sell its subsidiaries Vidar Systemes and Z Corporation to 3D Systems for $137 million.

PACSGear (Booth 8908), the healthcare communications technology company based in Pleasanton, Calif., is introducing the PACSGear Enterprise Imaging Platform at the 97th Annual Meeting & Scientific Assembly of the RSNA, Nov. 27 to Dec. 2, in Chicago.

Mark Twain famously quipped, Reports of my death have been greatly exaggerated. The same may be true of the RIS/PACS market on the cusp of 2011. For years, RIS/PACS has been pegged as a commodity, yet the imaging informatics field continues to innovate and display its relevance to the ever-evolving practice of radiology, as evidenced by both educational sessions and vendors offerings at the 97th Annual Meeting and Scientific Assembly  in Chicago Nov. 27 to Dec. 2. Read on for Health Imagings picks for sessions in image management and informatics and be sure to subscribe to our monthly portal to stay on top of the latest news in image management and informatics.

Carestream Health (Booth 1611) is showcasing its latest offerings in digital radiography, informatics and womens health at the 97th Annual Meeting & Scientific Assembly of the RSNA, Nov. 27 to Dec. 2 in Chicago.