McKesson signs agreement to help the statewide medical services innovator streamline workflow

Nov 6 2009

Dedicated to enabling healthcare providers to improve performance using information technology, McKesson has signed an agreement with Iowa Health System to help the statewide medical services innovator streamline workflow and boost productivity. McKesson is deploying its enterprise-wide solution Horizon Medical Imaging^™ picture archiving and communications system (PACS) at 34 metropolitan hospitals and clinics throughout Iowa. Iowa Health System, the state’s first and largest integrated health system, conducts an increasing number of procedures per year and diagnostic imaging is a critical element to delivering high-quality and timely patient care.

Iowa Health System is currently live on the new PACS solution in five of the seven regions it serves – including Des Moines, Quad Cities, Fort Dodge, Sioux City and Waterloo. The remaining regions, Cedar Rapids and Dubuque, are expected to be live by the end of this year. The project also includes data migration of all historical Iowa Health System data, which should be completed in November as well.

“We selected McKesson as our technology partner following an extensive search to replace our previous PACS vendor,” said Joy Grosser, chief information officer for Iowa Health System. “We were looking for an experienced and committed partner capable of quickly improving the overall productivity of our medical and radiology teams across the state. Additionally we wanted a vendor that would be committed to our long-term success. The switch to McKesson represents a strategic step into the 21^st Century that will deliver a real competitive edge for our team statewide.”

Bill Leaver, president and chief executive officer of Iowa Health System, notes the immediate, positive impact the McKesson PACS is expected to have on radiology workflow and patient care. “When this project is fully complete, our physicians and radiologists will have fast, easy access to their files, images and results virtually anywhere and anytime,” he said. “Our goal is to provide the best healthcare possible to the communities we serve. With the new PACS in place, our physicians will be able to make care decisions much faster.”

Iowa Health System will take advantage of the broad range of McKesson PACS features and benefits, including advanced communications capabilities that make real-time work list reviews possible. The system also makes physician and radiologist consultations easier, regardless of whether participants are down the hall or across the state.

“Our team remains focused on providing IT solutions that transform the way healthcare leaders like Iowa Health System distribute and share medical images and information region-wide,” said Rod O’Reilly, president, Medical Imaging Group, McKesson Provider Technologies. “As Iowa Health System completes its switch to Horizon Medical Imaging and anticipates system growth and expansion, its medical teams are well-positioned to provide the best-informed patient care today and far into the future.”