Kodak picks new leader of Health Sciences unit

Kodak chose a new general manager of its Health Sciences divisionlast month to replace Robert T. Hamilton, who is leaving to becomeassistant managing director of Kodak in Great Britain. Carl F.Kohrt will head up the vendor's medical business starting nextmonth.

Kohrt, who holds a doctoral degree in physical chemistry, hasworked at Kodak for 20 years, most recently as director of thefirm's Photographic Research Laboratories. He brings both technicaland business expertise to Health Sciences, having received a master'sdegree in management from Massachusetts Institute of Technologyin May.

The future GM also possesses a knowledge of both analog anddigital imaging technologies that is particularly suitable forthe medical field. Kohrt created the Hybrid Imaging division ofKodak in 1985, which constituted the vendor's first attempt tocombine research and advanced development in hard-copy and electronicimaging.

"We (in medical imaging) are in a long transition betweenthe analog/traditional and digital modalities," Kohrt said."My background has allowed me to stand in both camps forthe last 20 years. I will be in a good position to further theneeds of Health Sciences," he told SCAN.

Digital imaging technology has some advantages over hard copyin handling and processing, but falls short in certain areas relativeto information capacity. Since the amount of information on animage is directly related to its quality and resolution--a primeconcern of radiologists--chemical-based imaging will retain astrong position in the medical field, he said.

The medical area appeals to Kohrt in part because of the sophisticationof the professional users, who require a high degree of technicaland personal attention from their imaging vendors, he said.

"They (the individual customers) have a specific ideaof what they need. Our sales and technical managers have to talkto them on the mutual basis of what they need and we can provide.That is different than taking orders from, say, a K-Mart,"he said.

Kohrt will have worldwide responsibility for sales of medicalimaging film and digital products. He brings a strong personalinterest in international markets to the new position, he said.

The Asia/Pacific region seems to have the highest potentialfor growth in both analog and digital medial imaging, Kohrt said.

"North America is leading (in the adoption of) electronicand digital modes. Europe follows by a year or two. Asia/Pacificand Japan are more of a mixed bag," he said.