Agfa launches new cardiology portfolio on the back of Heartlab
acquisition
7 September 2005
Stockholm, Sweden. Agfa HealthCare Business Group has launched a new
cardiology portfolio that provides a single point of access and integrates
cardiology, radiology and wider clinical systems. The portfolio includes
Agfa Heartlab Cardiovascular, the first fully web-based cardiovascular
information system in Europe.
The new range of solutions is made possible through Agfa's acquisition of
US-based cardiology specialist Heartlab, a leading designer and supplier of
image and information management networks for cardiology. Consistently
ranked as a top industry performer, Heartlab pioneered the creation of
cardiology industry standards and the development of clinical products that
improve the management of cardiovascular disease. Its acquisition follows a
successful collaboration — begun in December 2003 within a distribution
agreement for Agfa's IMPAX for Cardiology. This created the foundation for
developing a unique approach to hospitals, enabling cardiology to benefit
from both groundbreaking solutions and the capability to interface with
radiology and the wider hospital enterprise.
To address the cardiologist's need for instant and multiple site access
to complex image intensive data, Agfa's new cardiology portfolio now
combines Heartlab's in-depth cardiology knowledge, management expertise, and
solutions with Agfa's reputation for imaging and IT systems, and its
developing competence in systems management. The result is a centre of
excellence for cardiologists that will have far-reaching benefits for the
future, as new solutions are developed.
The Heartlab acquisition, which fits with Agfa's strategy of expanding
into other key disciplines beyond radiology, complements other recent
European acquisitions. Heartlab's large customer base provides Agfa with
significant market access in the US where its customers include many of
North America's leading academic and research heart centres, as well as
numerous regional and community hospitals. Agfa's acquisition also provides
new opportunities within global markets for the Heartlab product portfolio.
Cardiology is a critical discipline in today's healthcare and there is
increasing pressure on cardiologists and hospitals to provide more effective
and efficient care. With cardiovascular disease claiming more lives than any
other disease in the industrialised world, and cardiology accounting for one
in four hospital admissions, some studies show that cardiology departments
account for more than 40% of hospital profits.
Commenting on the acquisition and its benefits, Luc Thijs, Vice President
radiology & departmental solutions, said, "At Agfa, we recognised that we
could combine our expertise and skills gained in radiology, with Heartlab's
strong clinical knowledge and reputation in cardiology, to create a global
center of excellence. With cardiology Picture Archiving and Communication
Systems (PACS) expected to grow by more than 20% year on year for the
foreseeable future, we are now well positioned to provide cardiologists with
the most complete and integrated offering on the market today, and into the
future. And, as the needs of the healthcare industry develop further, we are
spearheading the move to the Electronic Patient Record, with our capability
to integrate radiology, cardiology and information management systems."
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