ADVISORY/ Dr. Thrall of Massachusetts General and Dr. Behlen of University of Chicago Hospital to Share Experiences with Web-Based Medical Image Management during RSNA Assembly.

Business/Technology Editors and Health/Medical Writers

ADVISORY...for Sunday (Nov.26)

--(BUSINESS WIRE)

Who/What: Dr. James Thrall, chairman of the Department of Radiology at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), and Fred Behlen, Ph.D., assistant professor of Radiology at the University of Chicago, will share their respective views and experiences with medical image management via the Internet (aka "filmless radiology") prior to and during the 86th Assembly of the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA). Both experts will be available to provide first-hand comparisons of filmless radiology to either film-based methods or PACS (Picture Archiving and Communications Systems). Hamid Tabatabaie, CEO of AMICAS, Inc., provider of image management systems to both hospitals, will be available for additional commentary.

When: From now until the end of the RSNA Assembly, November 26 - December 1, 2000.

Where: Press room (South building, Level 1, Room S103) or AMICAS booth #8362, the McCormick Place, Chicago.

Why: Dr. Thrall brings a wealth of knowledge and perspective on the pros and cons of filmless radiology within a large hospital setting. MGH moved from traditional film-based radiology to a Web-based image management solution provided by AMICAS in early 1997. Dr. Behlen can explain the challenges that face a multi-site health facility as it integrates existing information systems into enterprise-wide image management. Both experts will evaluate the digital image process in light of its four essential components: image capture, display, distribution and archiving.

AMICAS, Inc. is the nation's leading provider of Internet-based software solutions for medical image management. Since its founding in 1995, the company has utilized the Web as a technology platform to provide hospitals and imaging centers with diagnostic quality services, including secure image capture, distribution, workflow integration, and image archiving. AMICAS now manages over 3 million image studies a year.

The RSNA Assembly is recognized as the premier forum for peer-reviewed presentations of new research by radiologists and allied scientists from around the world.

Interviews: To arrange an interview with Dr. Thrall, Dr. Behlen, or Mr. Tabatabaie, please contact Ernest Norris at [phone] or Karen Barzilay at BBK Healthcare, Inc. [phone] x237.

More Information: Further information on the RSNA Assembly or Internet-based medical image management is available at the following Web sites: rsna.org or amicas.com, respectively.