MUSC pens $40-million deal with Siemens Medical

CHARLESTON, S.C., Nov. 13 /PRNewswire/ — The Medical University of South Carolina (MUSC) and Siemens Medical Solutions have entered into a five-year, $40-million strategic alliance that will bring leading-edge diagnostic technologies to MUSC’s departments of radiology and cardiology.

The agreement will include introducing the latest technology in MUSC’s Heart & Vascular Center, which brings together advanced cardiology and interventional radiology services in the same facility. Medical staff and patients at MUSC will have access to Siemens systems in areas including angiography, digital radiography, computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and positron emission tomography (PET).

“MUSC has world renowned cardiologists and radiologists. With this Seimens agreement we now have the best equipment to go with the best doctors, which makes us unique,” said Michael Gold, M.D., director of MUSC’s Heart and Vascular Center. “This agreement with Siemens’ cutting edge technology further enables our physicians to provide the highest quality of care for the detection and treatment of cardiac disease.”

As part of the alliance, MUSC and Siemens will collaborate on research and development activities. Researchers will employ breakthrough technologies while MUSC’s clinical experts help advance applications of diagnostic imaging. Siemens also will work closely with MUSC’s clinical care teams to streamline healthcare workflow processes, anticipate clinical and patient needs within the communities it serves, and incorporate emerging technologies to support MUSC’s vision for advanced patient care.

“The collaboration has allowed us earlier access to advance medical technology, whether hardware or software,” said Philip Costello, M.D., chair of MUSC’s Department of Radiology. “We are able to apply this technology in patient care ahead of other leading institutions in the United States.”

An example of Siemens technology being utilized at MUSC is the recently installed SOMATOM® Definition dual-source CT system, which incorporates two X-ray sources and two detectors in a single scanner. MUSC was among the first five facilities in the United States to obtain this technology.

Through this alliance, imaging equipment will share the Siemens syngo® operating platform, which has a standard user interface and enables operational and workflow improvements such as faster training of physicians and staff.

“This is a significant step in MUSC’s quest to become a fully digital hospital thus vastly improving efficiency, quality, and safety in the care delivery process,” said Frank Clark, MUSC CIO and vice president of information technology.