Choosing a PACS Vendor
Jackson-Madison County General Hospital began the search for a PACS vendor in January 2000, forming a PACS Steering Committee with representatives from Radiology, Information Services, Materials Management, Administration, Nursing, and the Medical Staff.
A consultant was hired to determine the overall scope of the project and construct an RFP which center on the following criteria: - Relationship
- Implementation
- Integration
- Functionality
- Technology
- Cost
- Support
"We were looking for a vendor with a total solution, but the Relationship component was clearly the critical factor," says PACS Administrator Ken Hollis. "We wanted a company that we could trust - trust that they would be in business 10, 15 years from now and trust that they would support us 24 hours a day."
CIO Jeff Frieling says the PACS vendor selection process followed the same risk-benefit analysis path of other major capital investments - only with higher stakes.
"Buying PACS technology is stronger than getting married. You can divorce a spouse almost overnight, but just try and change a database once it's up and running - you're talking about a real long-term commitment. That's the issue in PACS. You are stuck with the company you choose."
GE Medical Systems was chosen because it passed the trust test. "None of the vendors scored perfectly in all of the areas, including GE," says Frieling. "But the company has always supported its products well. They've always held up their end of the bargain with us, and that's what we wanted with PACS. We needed to be confident."
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