Agfa HealthCare signs European PACS agreement with Spanish private radiology group CETIR

Agfa HealthCare, a leading provider of IT-enabled clinical workflow and diagnostic imaging solutions, announces today that it has signed an agreement with the Spanish private radiology group CETIR Grup Mèdic (CGM), one of Spain’s leading private Radiology providers based in Barcelona, to install its IMPAX™ PACS solution (Picture Archiving and Communications System). The agreement is valid for 5 years and includes co-operation in the field of reference & testing.

The CETIR radiology group, specialised in Nuclear Medicine and Imaging Diagnosis, provides radiological services for small, medium and large private and public hospitals and clinics. The group is one of the two main private providers of radiological services in Catalonia, Spain. It has been offering its services to the Catalan region since 1963. Always acquiring the latest technologies, the group has been a pioneer in the field of radiology. Today, it is widely recognised in Spain as a leader in clinical practice and medical research. This is primarily due to the quality of its imaging devices, its constant innovation, and the excellence of its staff.

The group consists of the headquarters in Esplugues de Llobregat, just outside Barcelona, and 20 satellite sites - probably more by the end of 2008 - mainly located in the Barcelona area. It employs around 80 radiologists and nuclear medicine doctors and has a total staff of about 400 people. Around 300,000 exams are managed every year, with a potential growth to over 400,000 exams per year in years to come. One of the core businesses of the group is the offering of Teleradiology Services.

Agfa HealthCare is installing IMPAX, its PACS solution, at the CETIR headquarters and 2 satellite sites at this moment and the go live is planned early March. The deployment of the 18 remaining satellite sites will be done by CETIR and Agfa HealthCare engineers in the months to come.

Mr. Marçal Aguado, CETIR Director of Information Systems, stated: “Some of the reason why we have chosen to work with Agfa HealthCare are the trusted working relationships we have had with them in the past, the excellent technical competence of its employees and their reputed technology support. We know Agfa HealthCare is ideally suited for this specific integration in our healthcare enterprise.” Mr. Enric Delgado, Diagnostic Imaging Director of CETIR, added: “Agfa HealthCare is one of the most important industry leaders in the PACS business and has become a technological and strategic partner for CETIR.”

Xavier Catasús, PACS/RIS Business Unit Manager at Agfa HealthCare, said: “CETIR is a unique reference site due to its use of state-of-the-art technology. It has customized its integration to optmize specific customer workflows and in that way it has been able to become one of the most important radiology providers in Spain. Agfa HealthCare has provided the latest technology in IT, which has enabled a highly efficient workflow that exactly fits CETIR’s very particular needs. Working with the group allows us to contribute to the business development of an excellent and innovative organization. This is a challenge for us which gives us a lot of professional satisfaction.”

Agfa HealthCare kindly invites you to visit its booth at ECR 2008 (booth 212-213) to discover its solutions and Works in Progress. The exhibition will be held in Vienna from March 7 until 11. You are also invited to get a sneak preview and visit our virtual booth.