How to Prepare for New PACS in West, Northwest Regions

May 27, 2021 | 2 min. to read

The West and Northwest Regions will receive a new picture archive and communication system (PACS) and workflow orchestrator on Sunday, June 13. The new systemwide PACS provides a common, unified viewer for all diagnostic images at NM, and allows for the seamless transfer of images between hospitals and outpatient centers. Healthcare providers will be able to view radiology images from any NM medical facility.
 
The transition to a more technologically advanced and integrated PACS provided immediate benefits to Michael F. McGee, MD, a colorectal surgeon at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, which has already implemented the PACS, “The new program is a lot faster and I can access a greater amount of old images,” Dr. McGee says. “And, I love that I can see images across all hospitals. It’s great to easily see a CAT scan from another hospital using just one viewer.”
 
Jeanne M. Horowitz, MD, an imaging specialist at NMH, agrees. “I love the speed of the new Visage PACS," Dr. Horowitz says. "Scrolling through exams with large numbers of images like CTAs and MRIs is much easier and smoother.” She adds that that a major improvement is the ability of the new PACS to link images of old and new exams to the same level to compare lesion and nodule sizes. “I also love being able to see the ultrasound exam still images and clips displayed in the order the sonographer acquired them, which makes it easier for the radiologist to answer the ordering physician's clinical question” she adds.

Training
Radiologists, ED physicians, surgeons and orthopaedics specialists will receive virtual and on-site training sessions in May and early June. In addition, radiologists will also receive “first-use,” at-the-elbow support during go-live. Providers in other areas will receive support materials. Visit Enterprise PACS Resources tab (NM Interactive home > Resources > Clinical > Enterprise PACS Transition) on NMI for tip sheets, videos and other resources.

Go-live support
NM Information Services, Visage and Nuance will provide at-the-elbow support in the following areas during go-live week at Central DuPage Hospital, Huntley Hospital, McHenry Hospital, Kishwaukee Hospital, Valley West Hospital and Woodstock Hospital:

• Radiology reading rooms
• RMG Orthopaedics Clinics
• Technologist areas
• EDs and ICUs
• Operating Rooms
• Medical and surgical specialties

 
If you have questions and cannot find on-site support, call the Enterprise PACS Command Center at 6-HELP and press 1. After go-live, access the PACS viewer by clicking the Visage icon on workstations or within Epic, as shown below. View a tip sheet.