GE Healthcare has booked its “largest ever” single ultrasound order in the United States, totaling some $11 million, the company announced on Thursday.
Under the agreement, 12-hospital St. Luke’s University Health Network plans to implement the Chicago-based company’s US and information technology workflow solutions across its entire system. The Allentown, Pennsylvania, provider has seen “exponential growth” in recent years following several acquisitions. With pressure to find efficiency, St. Luke’s is looking to standardize imaging use throughout its radiology, vascular and echocardiography departments.
“The consistency of ultrasound systems across the network will allow accurate replication of patient studies, which would otherwise be challenging when working with different brands,” Hal Folander, MD, chief medical strategy officer and network chairman of St. Luke’s Department of Radiology, said in a statement. “Through our partnership with GE Healthcare, we will maintain this state-of-the-art technology for years to come,” he added, with the deal also including tech upgrades for the next four years.
GE plans to install 76 ultrasound systems at St. Luke’s before the end of 2020. They’re also utilizing the Viewpoint automated reporting and post-processing system, estimating it could save about $300,000 from radiologist efficiency gains, according to an announcement.
Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic.