Imaging ‘Best in KLAS’ winners named, leadership change at Hyperfine, plus more vendor news

KLAS Research has named the winners of its annual awards, with several familiar names in the radiology vendor space.

Those earning the “Best in KLAS” designation for 2022 in the Imaging Systems and Equipment category include Sectra, Fujifilm, Intelerad, 3M M*Modal, GE Healthcare, Epic, Philips and Varian. The report recognizes software and services companies who excel in helping healthcare professionals improve patient care.

Ranks are based on feedback from thousands of providers over the past year, the Pleasant Grove, Utah-based research group said Tuesday.

“A Best in KLAS award signifies to the healthcare IT industry the commitment and partnership that the top vendors should provide,” the firm said in a Feb. 8 announcement.

Hyperfine names senior medical director

Portable MRI maker Hyperfine Inc. has appointed radiologist Chip Truwit, MD, as its senior medical director, the Guilford, Connecticut, company announced Feb. 8.

He has spent more than 30 years in the industry, most recently serving as chief medical officer of precision diagnosis at Philips. Prior to that, Truwit served for 27 years as a professor of neuroradiology at the University of Minnesota and 19 years as chief of radiology at Hennepin County Medical Center.

“Hyperfine offers me a return to my roots in pediatric neuroimaging and my efforts at expanding access to care,” he said in an announcement.  

New AI partnership with Viz.ai and TeleSpecialist neurologists 

Artificial intelligence firm Viz.ai has partnered with “leading” neurologists at TeleSpecialists LLC in a bid to improve stroke care, the two announced Wednesday.

Following the union, partner hospitals will be able to integrate the two companies’ platforms to create a more seamless experience. This will allow TeleSpecialists docs to view advanced imaging and data on their smartphones as soon as it’s available and make decisions more quickly.

“This partnership will further facilitate stroke care coordination even when the patient and provider are hundreds of miles apart,” the two said in a Feb. 9 announcement. “Moving forward, the two organizations will partner on additional technology, workflows, and research opportunities.”

Point-of-care ad company expands into imaging

Point-of-care advertising company Mesmerize is expanding into the imaging industry, the company announced Feb. 8.

Through a partnership with OneScreen.ai, the firm is broadening its reach into medical imaging offices to reach 16 million visitors annually. Mesmerize targets patients for advertising during their doc visit through digital wallboards, literature distribution and branded medical essentials.

“Mesmerize reaches patients at multiple points along their healthcare journey, and we are excited to offer our clients an additional environment to target patients at the point of care through this new partnership,” Craig Mait, Mesmerize’s president and chief revenue officer, said in a statement.

Rapid fire medical imaging news 

Here are a few more vendor news items of note, in rapid fashion:

  • Royal Philips is expanding its ultrasound portfolio with advanced hemodynamic assessment and measurement capabilities.
  • The Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance recently submitted comments to a key U.S. Senate committee, underlining imaging’s crucial role in pandemic preparedness.
  • Fivos Health announced the spin-off of its cardiovascular imaging business into a new company called Astute Imaging.
  • Agfa has appointed Mona Issa as its new financial planning and analysis lead for North America.
  • And finally, Siemens Healthineers recently released its latest quarterly earnings results.
Marty Stempniak

Marty Stempniak has covered healthcare since 2012, with his byline appearing in the American Hospital Association's member magazine, Modern Healthcare and McKnight's. Prior to that, he wrote about village government and local business for his hometown newspaper in Oak Park, Illinois. He won a Peter Lisagor and Gold EXCEL awards in 2017 for his coverage of the opioid epidemic. 

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