• celebrated the 10-year anniversary of the first installation of its oncology management system for Valley Radiation Oncology Center (VROC) in Tarzana, CA; VROC is one of IMPAC’s more than 1,000 customers and is illustrative of its 99% customer retention rate

• installed its IMRT Open Suite at five hospitals, including Cedars-Sinai Comprehensive Cancer Center in Beverly Hills, Calif., Long Island Jewish Hospital in New York, Princess Margaret Hospital in Toronto and St. Joseph’s Hospital & Medical Center in Phoenix, with more than 50 customers pending installation; IMRT Open Suite streamlines the setup, verification, delivery and documentation of IMRT (intensity modulated radiation therapy), a new treatment delivery technique that is expected to augment or replace conventional radiation therapy for many forms of cancer

• implemented its medical oncology management system in four additional practices, increasing the number of medical oncology practices using IMPAC’s system to more than 30

• released its Portable Multi-ACCESS, which allows physicians to access appointments, task lists and patient data on a PDA

First Oncology Management System Installed Ten Years Ago 
IMPAC’s original oncology management system was developed to help radiation oncologists better manage their practice and provide enhanced care to their cancer patients. First installed in 1991 at VROC, IMPAC’s system has over the years helped this cancer center (and its continually growing base of loyal customers) provide more efficient, integrated care to its patients. The first patient treated at VROC with the IMPAC system is alive today and living as a cancer survivor. 

“IMPAC delivered its first system in March 1991 and has continued to consistently deliver innovative and effective products and services that reflect the changing needs of our customers,” said Joseph K. Jachinowski, president of IMPAC. “Over the years, we have earned the trust and loyalty of our customers by providing practical solutions that help healthcare providers better manage the process of delivering care to their patients. Our customers are so satisfied with the products we develop and the excellent service we provide that we have a 99% customer retention rate. We are proud that VROC is one of the many outstanding institutions with which we have enjoyed a long and successful relationship.”

The original oncology management system was unique in its integration of such core business functions as registration, scheduling, charge capture and billing, with a comprehensive electronic medical record designed specifically for radiation oncology. The result was a single system capable of streamlining the entire radiation therapy process. 

“For the ten years during which we have used IMPAC’s integrated clinical and administrative management system, our professional team has seen significant improvements in our ability to save time, reduce costs and improve the care that we give to our oncology patients,” said Leslie Botnick, M.D., president and chief executive officer of VROC. “IMPAC has consistently provided us with excellent customer service and new and innovative products that are efficient, easy to use, meet our specific needs and help us enhance the quality of care that we provide to patients.”

The original IMPAC management system also included the first treatment verification system designed to interface to virtually any linear accelerator regardless of make or manufacturer. IMPAC has since provided the first verification system to support multileaf collimators, the first to integrate digital images, and the first and only to interface to every major manufacturer’s accelerator, simulator or portal imaging device. And in 1995, IMPAC took the lead in interfacing to radiotherapy treatment planning systems. Today, IMPAC’s management system is capable of importing radiotherapy treatment planning plans – including IMRT plans – from most major RTP systems. 

IMRT Open Suite for Breakthrough Radiation Treatment Launched
IMPAC continues to lead the industry in open systems integration with IMRT Open Suite. With IMPAC’s systems, cancer centers can upgrade their existing equipment to handle IMRT treatments and then use IMRT Open Suite to streamline the flow of data from one system to the next, facilitating IMRT treatment setup, verification and delivery. IMRT is a state-of-the-art technology for destroying tumors with radiation. IMRT uses a special computer technology to deliver the radiation in the same three-dimensional shape as the tumor it is targeting. The high-intensity radiation beam is so tightly focused on the tumor that it minimizes the risk of destroying adjacent healthy tissue. IMRT may improve outcomes for cancer patients undergoing radiation therapy.

Medical Oncology Management System Implemented in Four More Practices
IMPAC, already the leader in radiation therapy information systems, expanded its systems in 1997 to include an electronic medical record designed specifically for medical oncology. IMPAC has since installed its system at more than 30 medical oncology practices, including most recently Oncology Care Center of Illinois, Oncology Hematology Associates of Central Illinois (OHACI), Hematology-Oncology Associates of Central New York (HOACNY) and South Carolina Oncology Associates (SCOA). IMPAC provides medical oncology practices with a single, integrated management solution – and only an integrated solution can truly improve overall communication, process efficiency and quality of care.

Portable Multi-ACCESS Launched to Provide Access to Patient Data via PDA
IMPAC’s flagship product, Multi-ACCESS, is unique in its integration of clinical and practice management features designed to meet the needs of any type of cancer program. The system combines electronic charting with full-featured registration and scheduling, automated charge capture, audit, export, authorizations tracking, transcription generation and management, custom reporting and medical billing. IMPAC recently released Portable Multi-ACCESS to allow physicians to download critical Multi-ACCESS data to their PDA.

IMPAC Medical Systems, Inc. is the leading provider of integrated clinical and administrative management systems for cancer specialists. Specializing in the development of practice management, electronic medical record, image management and decision support software, IMPAC offers practical solutions that help healthcare providers better manage the process of delivering care. IMPAC is privately held and is based in Mountain View, Calif. Founded in 1990; IMPAC systems are utilized by over 20,000 clinicians to manage the daily care of more than 50,000 cancer patients. For more information about IMPAC Medical Systems’ products and services, please call 650-623-8800 or visit http://www.impac.com.