Case Study
The Nebraska Medical Center
At a Glance
Streamlines Radiology Workflow
Organization
with PACS from McKesson
The Nebraska Medical Center The Nebraska Medical Center, the were forced to repeatedly get
Omaha, Neb. premier academic hospital for the up and move to proprietary
– 689 beds University of Nebraska’s medical workstations to perform certain
– Tertiary/quaternary academic school, replaced its aging picture parts of their daily function. Doing
medical center archiving and communication any kind of data manipulation
system (PACS) with a McKesson just wasn’t an option.”
– More than 1,000 physicians solution. The implementation
– 26,000 annual inpatient not only allowed the radiology The legacy system’s inability to
discharges department to eliminate paper coordinate interpretive activity
– 500,000 outpatient encounters orders but also improved work by physicians at different locations
annually processes and image handling. sometimes led to duplicate work.
Radiologists achieved a 25% In fact, the radiologists required
increase in productivity. a paper order to begin reading
Solution Spotlight a study to ensure it wasn’t already
– Horizon Medical ImagingTM Challenges being reported by another
Based in Omaha, The Nebraska colleague.
Critical Issues Medical Center performs more
than 250,000 imaging procedures These shortcomings slowed the
– Radiologists’ workflow interpretation of images as staff
annually. Increasingly, complicated
– Availability of images imaging technology placed a was forced to wait to receive and
– Third-party product integrations strain on its aging legacy system, process a steady stream of paper
which offered clinicians limited orders. Orders were batched and
– Report turnaround times sent either by fax or by courier. This
functionality and interoperability
– Access to radiology information and delayed image availability. process was particularly burdensome
system data in the PACS during night shifts when residents
– Anytime, anywhere access Radiologists’ productivity provided imaging interpretation
was limited by the system’s for the medical center’s emergency
cumbersome workflow and department.
Results
inability to load images quickly.
– Increased radiology department System limitations slowed Answers
productivity by 25% turnaround time and made it The need for a new, more capable
– Eliminated paper orders more difficult and time-consuming solution led the medical center to
– Improved report turnarounds to manage the teaching and organize a PACS steering committee
by 8% clinical research demanded to identify the market-leading
by a busy academic hospital. vendors. This group included both
– Created Web-based access 24x7 staff from the IT department and
– Increased resident training “The tools available to the physicians from the radiology
radiologists weren’t adequate department, who were intimately
for everything we needed to familiar with the needs and
accomplish,” says Craig W. Walker, shortcomings of the existing system.
M.D., radiology chair. “Clinicians

Case Study
“McKesson has a reputation In addition to finding a system ensure that clinicians had on-site
with improved image handling expert assistance in working
of building a PACS, validating capabilities, interoperability through any initial workflow issues.
it in its test labs to make sure with the medical center’s hospital
information system (HIS), the Results
it works the way it’s designed radiology information system Deployment of Horizon Medical
and third-party vendors became a Imaging has enabled radiologists to
prior to shipping to a user site. critical concern for the committee. optimize clinical efficiency through
That was important to us. an enhanced workflow and improve
“We were not going to throw report turnaround time by 8%.
We knew we needed a stable everything away when we brought The department estimates that
in a new PACS,” explains Chuck it has achieved a 25% increase in
system out of the gate.” Lakso, radiology director. “We productivity since the solution
had significant post-processing was implemented.
technology on-hand that our
Chuck Lakso heavy users (neurosurgeons) were Features such as adaptive image-
accustomed to working with. We loading that can bring up large
Radiology Director had to ensure the solution would complex studies and a three-click
The Nebraska Medical Center accommodate and improve the reporting feature have enabled
interoperability between our HIS the department to eliminate delays
and our radiology system.” in viewing images. And since
physicians are receiving reports
After a competitive evaluation, the faster, they are better able to
medical center selected Horizon manage patient care delivery. Plus,
Medical ImagingTM from McKesson. physician satisfaction rates have
The choice was driven by McKesson’s increased with the introduction
reputation for service and the of an improved Web-based portal
positive experiences with the for viewing images remotely.
solution of physicians and residents
at other academic institutions. “The increased efficiency gained
from McKesson’s PACS allows us to
“McKesson has a reputation of conduct more nonclinical activity,
building a PACS, validating it in its such as spending more time with
test labs to make sure it works the residents, teaching both at the
way it’s designed prior to shipping workstation as well as outside
to a user site,” says Lakso. “That of the reading room,” notes
was important to us. We knew Charles H. Morris, M.D., radiology
we needed a stable system out service chief. “The radiologists now
of the gate.” have more time to do investigative
research, and that’s been a huge
To ensure a smooth installation, the improvement.”
medical center brought in sufficient
McKesson training personnel to
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