Putnam County Hospital invests in state-of-the-art technology

Monday, February 28, 2011

GREENCASTLE -- Putnam County Hospital is pleased to announce that it has recently installed Synapse, a state-of-the-art, radiology image and information network system that will dramatically streamline hospital operations and enhance patient care. Developed by FUJIFILM Medical Systems USA, Inc., a leader in medical imaging technology, Synapse is a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), that permits the ability to electronically view, transmit and store diagnostic images, such as those generated by MRI, CT scan, ultrasound and x-ray.

With a PACS, both patients and hospital staff benefit from the numerous advantages of a digital solution, including: overall improved efficiency in the diagnostic and patient care cycles; nearly instant access to diagnostic images and results anywhere; and the elimination of overhead costs associated with managing film. "The benefits we are experiencing with this technology are not only allowing us to do our jobs more effectively and efficiently, but are also allowing our patients to experience improved care and service," stated Paul Sanders director of radiology at Putnam County Hospital.

Because diagnostic images are now being stored and viewed electronically, versus the alternative, traditional method of printing films which must be viewed on a light box, PCH has been able to increase staff efficiency in relation to the retrieval and transportation of the images for diagnosis. Once a diagnostic image has been "captured," the PACS technology enables radiologists to immediately and securely call-up that image on any networked PC and make a diagnosis within seconds, thus eliminating the lengthy wait times previously necessitated by film development and the need to hand-carry images through the hospital for delivery to the radiologist's office. This efficiency is a significant benefit to patients who now experience shorter waiting times, receive quicker diagnosis, and are on a faster path to necessary treatment.

Patients receive additional diagnostic advantages from the PACS when it is utilized in concert with the hospital's Fujifilm computed radiography (FCR) system. With FCR, radiology technologists are able to produce a highly refined digital image that can be enhanced using Synapse's sophisticated image processing tools to reveal medical problems that cannot always be as easily identified when using standard film x-rays.

But perhaps the biggest benefit of the PACS is that Fujifilm's Synapse is a Web-based technology, enabling members of the patient care team to ultimately view the diagnostic image, via a secure connection, from any designated computer--even a home PC. This means patients can be diagnosed quickly and never need to wait for an on-call physician to arrive. And joint consultations are now easily facilitated by simply transmitting the images to off-site radiologists and specialists. "The networking capabilities of the PACS have noticeably impacted our ability to provide patients with immediate, accurate diagnosis," explained Sanders. "Not to mention that the system also contributes to shorter wait times, and reduces extra trips to pick-up or drop-off hardcopy films to various medical specialists."

In addition to resulting in enhanced care and improved efficiencies, the Synapse PACS is also bringing Putnam County Hospital the added convenience and cost savings associated with storage advantages. Because diagnostic images are now archived electronically, valuable hospital space previously allocated to the storage of hard copy films is now available for other uses--such as additional exam rooms. And physicians can now make more efficient use of their time; historical comparative films can now be retrieved and reviewed with the tap a few computer keys, permitting more time with their patients.

Respond to this story

Posting a comment requires free registration: