Midwest Advanced Radiology Center Implements Full eRAD Platform

Addresses MU2 and Distributed Environment Requirements

Greenville, SC (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) - Midwest Advanced Radiology Center (MRAD), a multi-modality outpatient imaging facility with two locations in the northern Chicago suburbs, has deployed a comprehensive suite of eRAD solutions to automate its business and clinical workflow.

eRAD, a subsidiary of RadNet, Inc. (Nasdaq:RDNT), a leading provider of standards-based, web-centric radiology image and data management solutions, delivered its RIS, PACS, Integrated Speech Recognition, Mammography Module, and RADAR, its tool for clinical communication.

MRAD wanted a platform that would provide physician and patient portals, to satisfy requirements for Meaningful Use Stage 2, and that would reduce the complexity of sharing patient and study data across multiple sites. The objective was to have a single, flexible platform that would obviate the need to rig disparate components together.

"Our previous system wasn't web-based, and it didn't have speech recognition. I had to assemble an interface to a third-party system," said John Saldanha, President of MRAD. "It's like comparing apples and oranges. Other systems didn't come close to eRAD's feature set."

MRAD now has speech recognition embedded into the RIS, so that radiologists can dictate directly into the system without the need for third-party support. Similar efficiencies are gained by automating many processes that MRAD had to handle manually before.

"We had a manner of mammo tracking, but it wasn't really connected to the PACS system. We had to print out the film, since it couldn't be saved in our PACS. The best thing eRAD has done for us is to have everything incorporated under one server domain—DEXA, ultrasound, and especially mammography," said Saldanha. The eRAD Mammography Module gives MRAD a full toolset for breast imaging and eliminates the need for a dedicated—and expensive—mammography workstation.

"You can't have systems that aren't integrated—that is not the way to go," said Saldanha. "Everything is seamless now, all components are connected and talk to each other, so we can process information in an expeditious way."

RADAR, eRAD's tool for clinical communication, enables MRAD to notify its referring physicians of unexpected results right away, plus it allows the practice to communicate appointment reminders, prep instructions, and education to its patient population. Saldanha said: "We'll use it to the fullest extent."

Reducing IT complexity allows MRAD to focus on clinical priorities. "The workflow will be well-controlled by our technologists and radiologists, so we can provide excellent care for our patients," Saldanha said.

Saldanha also recognizes that the collaborative nature of the eRAD team will serve him well as MRAD grows, and this solidified his decision. "I looked at many others and went with eRAD because I found friendly support and service, including during the sales process," he said. "Before we made up our mind, I talked to a lot of people, and eRAD worked with me with all the questions that I had. They were very, very helpful. They were dedicated in finding the best way to get this done. I was very pleased with the whole process. I feel completely confident in the eRAD team."

About Midwest Advanced Radiology Center
Midwest Advanced Radiology Center is a full-service outpatient imaging facility with two convenient locations in Des Plaines and Barrington, IL. Both locations provide a comfortable outpatient environment and are among the few full-service radiology practices to specialize in MRI, PET, CT, Ultrasound, DEXA, Nuclear Medicine, and Breast Imaging. Both facilities are accredited by the American College of Radiology (ACR) and staffed with licensed ARRT (registered) technologists.

For more information, visit www.golfimagingcenter.com.

About eRAD, Inc.
eRAD offers a complete suite of workflow solutions for the imaging industry. Its Meaningful Use-ready RIS, web-based PACS, and multi-site workflow solutions are used by teleradiology businesses, specialty reading groups, multi-site reading groups, hospitals and outpatient imaging centers. With over 400 customers in the US and several other countries, eRAD's solutions are available as cloud-based hosted solutions, or as in-house enterprise solutions.

For more information, visit www.erad.com.

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