Bulgarian Ministry of Health selects Agfa HealthCare to integrate diagnostic imaging at four leading hospitals

Four IMPAX™ 6 and six Computed Radiography solutions to enhance workflow and efficiencies

Agfa HealthCare, a leading provider of diagnostic imaging and healthcare IT solutions, announces today that it has signed an agreement with the Bulgarian Ministry of Health to implement its sixth generation Picture Archiving and Communications System, IMPAX™ 6, at four of its leading sites in Bulgaria. To support the hospitals’ transformation into digital imaging, Agfa HealthCare will also deliver and install two CR 85-X and four CR 35-X solutions. The solutions will be installed at the Clinical Center Alexandrowska in Sofia, and the hospitals at Sveta Anna, Blagoevgrad and Stara Zagora.

The University Hospitals of Alexandrowska, Sveta Anna and Stara Zagora and the Hospital of Blagoevgrad cumulatively serve a population of over 3.25 million and employ over 4,000 staff members. Agfa HealthCare’s solutions will support the country in meeting the existing and future demand for diagnostic imaging and supporting the increasing demand for the service. The systems will also be used for teaching a majority of new radiology students in the country and will form the core of the four hospital’s teleradiology services, enabling more efficient and effective reading of the increasing volumes of radiology exams.

“Agfa HealthCare has been selected for this project because of its excellent local and international reputation on both the PACS and CR front”, states Prof. Vassil Hadjidekov, Head of Imaging Diagnostics Clinic at Alexandrovska Hospital and Head of Bulgarian Association of Radiologists. “The integration of our diagnostic imaging efforts across four hospitals will enable us to deliver more timely and qualitative results, to the benefit of our radiologists and their patients alike. Bulgaria has, like many other markets, faced a shortage of radiologists and the introduction of more effective and efficient solutions is designed to enable us to continue to meet our current high standards, we achieve, as well as to position our hospitals at the forefront of clinical science and technology. The new solutions will also strengthen the reputation of the four hospitals as leading sites in Bulgaria.”

“We are looking forward to the implementation of this project which will support a significant next step in the country’s transition from analog to digital to IT solutions for Radiology and other image intensive departments”, states Gyorgy Hodosi, General Manager Central and Easter Europe for Agfa HealthCare. “The fact that we are, currently, successfully implementing our sixth generation PACS and some of the best CR solutions on the market is a strong signal that many years of experience as a healthcare provider is being recognized by our users and that they are keen to partner with us in their drive to transform.”