National Naval Medical Center successfully manages legacy PACS images and RIS information with Agfa’s Data Migration Service

HIMSS Dallas, TX, February 14, 2005

Agfa HealthCare announced that The National Naval Medical Center (NNMC) in Bethesda, MD, has chosen Agfa's IMPAX(TM) PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications System). The NNMC recently faced a cross-vendor data migration challenge when it switched from a legacy PACS system to a new IMPAX PACS. The NNMC chose Agfa for several reasons including the standards-based, vendor-neutral platform of IMPAX, the transition benefits of Agfa's Data Migration Service, and compatibility with other military hospitals in the National Capital Area.

The time in which Agfa migrated approximately four terabytes (150,000 studies) of the NNMC's archive of general diagnostic, CT and MRI images and RIS (Radiology Information System) data compared favorably to industry benchmarks. The NNMC deemed the process accurate, with Agfa's auto-validation tool saving the Navy significant time and cost. Now that the NNMC's migration of the largest repository of PACS data is complete, it is planning the migration of six years of ultrasound images and additional reports to IMPAX from a separate archive.

"Maintaining an old PACS system to provide access to legacy images is expensive and prevents an institution from maximizing the workflow benefits available with today's next-generation PACS offerings," said Adriano Rosa, Marketing Manager, Professional Services, Agfa HealthCare. "When replacing older image management systems with new, higher-performing PACS solutions, efficiencies in migrating legacy PACS image and RIS data are important considerations in order to cost-effectively maintain patient care continuity."

Key attributes of Agfa's Data Migration Service that contributed to the successful cross-vendor PACS image and RIS data transfer at NNMC included:

• RIS and image data set matching algorithm with auto-validation, minimizing manual reconciliation time and cost burdens

• Throttling mechanism that aligned data migration bandwidth load in accordance with user-defined peak and non-peak traffic schedule to minimize impact on information network performance

• Migration based on exam date range allowed most recent exams to be migrated first, which accelerated automatic prior exam availability.

The ability to integrate with the IMPAX solutions already in place at the Walter Reed Army Medical Center in Washington, DC, and at the Malcolm Grow Medical Center at Andrews Air Force Base, MD, was also part of the NNMC's decision to switch to IMPAX. The IMPAX at NNMC will also be connected with Agfa's PACS and CR (Computed Radiography) solution at the U.S. Capitol Building in Washington, DC, where an imaging clinic administers to U.S. senators, congressmen and congresswomen, and visitors to the U.S. Capitol Building.

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About Agfa

The Agfa-Gevaert Group is one of the world's leading imaging companies. Agfa develops, manufactures and markets analogue and digital systems, intended mainly for the graphics industry and the healthcare markets. Agfa's headquarters are in Mortsel, Belgium. The company is active in 40 countries and has agents in another 100 countries throughout the world. Together they achieved a turnover of 4,215 million euros in 2003.

Product and company information can be found on Agfa's home page on the World Wide Web at: www.agfa.com.

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