Located in Biloxi, Miss., Keesler Medical Center is one of the largest medical centers in the Air Force. Its diagnostic imaging department boasts a wide array of state-of-the-art equipment, including the Air Force's only 3-Tesla MRI system.

The Air Force chose IMPAX primarily because of Agfa HealthCare's ability to meet its stringent network security standards. "The security and privacy of our patients is one of our chief concerns, and we challenge our IT vendors to meet tough security requirements," said Tom Lewis, Director, AF PACS Office. "Agfa HealthCare consistently delivers technology that meets our security needs."

IMPAX security features include armoring, encryption, access control, auditing and compliance with regional legislation. These features will allow the Air Force to reach its eventual goal of securely connecting and consolidating data and imaging archives located at multiple regional facilities onto a single point of storage. The ability to span multi-site environments enables a longitudinal view of the patient record, which is particularly important given the mobility of military service personnel.

Agfa HealthCare is a recognized leader in PACS security, a critical component of interconnecting facilities from the military branches and Veterans Affairs (VA). Last year, the company became the first vendor to earn an accreditation based on rigorous Department of Defense guidelines that allows the latest version of IMPAX to be installed on Air Force networks.

In addition to providing the high levels of security that the Air Force required, Agfa HealthCare was able to meet the Air Force's aggressive delivery and deployment schedule. Rapid implementation of a more efficient PACS enabled the Air Force to quickly reduce legacy PACS operation and maintenance expenses by streamlining enterprise workflow and delivering increased efficiency and productivity.

Agfa HealthCare has developed a strong presence in U.S. military and VA hospitals and medical treatment facilities, which use IMPAX PACS, computed radiography (CR) / digital radiography (DR), and speech recognition solutions. The company's technology is installed in more than 160 military and VA facilities, including 14 sites in Europe, five of the VA's multi-facility Veterans Integrated Service Networks (VISNs), and more than 30 Navy ships.

"The Air Force and other branches of the armed services have always required technology that enables sophisticated multi-site healthcare and radiology delivery. Their selection of IMPAX for Keesler Medical Center is a testament to our commitment to meeting the strict requirements of all of our customers," said Tim Artz, Global Government Program Director for Agfa HealthCare. "As the private sector begins to face similar technology challenges, Agfa HealthCare will continue to be very competitive in all sectors by embracing customer requirements to help them meet their evolving needs."