New PACS System Means Quicker Diagnosis And Treatment For Mercy Health Partners’ Patients

Muskegon, MI – Mercy Health Partners is advancing imaging services for the lakeshore community with the installation of the new, system-wide Picture Archiving and Communications System (PACS).

In early September, Mercy began using state-of-the-art computer imaging technologies throughout the organization, including the Imaging Department and all affiliated physician offices.  Computer networks were created to ensure patient information and images could be electronically transferred from one location to another for referral, diagnosis, and consultation through a secure, confidential system.

"This means a patient can go to the emergency room in Muskegon, for example, have an x-ray taken, and that x-ray can be read by a radiologist immediately.  It can also be sent immediately to the patient’s primary care physician,” said Ken Uganski, Director of Clinical Support Services at Mercy. "The radiologist provides a diagnosis and consultation to the attending physician, without the patient having to leave his or her community or wait for the x-ray film itself to be sent by courier to the radiologist and back again."

"Instead of moving patients and health care providers, PACS allows us to move information, saving our patients, the physicians, and hospital staff time," said Uganski.

Through the use of the PACS technology, radiology images will be available on the hospital nursing floors, in the emergency department and throughout the physician network, but only to the patient’s immediate caregivers.

"What makes PACS really valuable is that it will provide information to multiple users at the same time regardless of their location," said Roger Spoelman, President and CEO. "Our staff and physicians have been extremely supportive.  They immediately recognized the benefits of the PACS system for our patients and have quickly adjusted the current process to accommodate PACS."

Implementation of the PACS technology also enables Mercy to have one record for all radiology encounters per patient, allowing radiologists and physicians to review both current and prior radiology exams online, which gives them immediate access to the patient’s past case history along with any new images.

The recent implementation of PACS at Mercy Health Partners will mean more rapid diagnosis and treatment for all Mercy patients.