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| Vol. 23, No. 02 |
| February 1, 2001 |
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Methodist Partners with Siemens By STEFANIE ASIN The Methodist Hospital The Methodist Hospital announced it has entered into a partnership with Siemens Medical Solutions, one of the largest suppliers of healthcare products and services in the world, to upgrade the hospital's cardiac catheterization labs with the latest technology available. The partners also will introduce cardiac magnetic resonance imaging for clinical and research purposes. Under this multi-million dollar partnership, seven of the eight cardiac cath labs at the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center will be outfitted with new cath lab systems. A state-of-the-art digital imaging network will connect the diagnostic and interventional labs and store the images acquired during the procedures, giving physicians immediate access to them from key locations throughout the hospital, including the critical care unit, cardiovascular operating suites, nursing units and physicians' offices. Converting the labs to digital storage means less radiation for the patients and staff because digital images can be computer enhanced, Patients also benefit because their digital cath lab studies can be sent over the network to other specialists easily and quickly or on compact disc. The Methodist Hospital cath labs provide services to about 8,500 patients a year, including more than 2,000 angioplasties annually and more than 6,000 diagnostic catheterizations. Included in the partnership is the development of a visitor's center where visiting physicians, students and trainees can observe cath lab procedures. With the digital component and video and audio feeds from the procedure rooms, the visitors will be able to see a patient's cardiac images at the same time they are observing the physician performing the procedure. Two-way audio communication will allow the attending cardiologist to explain the techniques used and give students and visiting physicians the opportunity to ask questions. This center is expected to draw international physicians to Methodist to observe the latest in cardiac procedures. Siemens and Methodist also are bringing a cardiac MR machine to the hospital for ongoing research on its effectiveness in diagnosing cardiac disease without using invasive procedures. "This partnership with Siemens gives us a great opportunity to provide the latest in technology to push the envelope on cardiac patient care," said Dr. Albert Raizner, medical director of the Methodist DeBakey Heart Center. "The digital information system offers the physicians fast, accurate and comprehensive records, available at our fingertips." The digital technology is expected to be installed within the next year.
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