Kaiser Permanente inks vendor agreements

Two vendors have won significant sales contracts with Kaiser Permanente. Emageon will provide diagnostic image archiving, while SonoSite will supply handheld ultrasound scanners.

Kaiser Permanente will use Emageon's Enterprise Archive Manager for DICOM software suite to provide archiving capabilities for acute-care hospitals and clinics. The five-year contract covers all U.S. Kaiser Permanente facilities. The archive manager is described by the HMO as a highly scalable, standards-based product that will serve as a key component in its overall PACS strategy and infrastructure. When fully deployed, Emageon's software technology is expected to help manage more than six million diagnostic studies per year for Kaiser Permanente.

SonoSite's agreement will bring it at least $2 million in product sales over a two-year term. Further sales could accrue as part of an optional two-year renewal. The highly portable ultrasound systems will be used in all imaging applications and clinical settings. SonoSite executives described the agreement as a milestone for the company, capping a more than three-year effort during which the company sought input from physicians and management leaders at Kaiser Permanente.