Purdue University is located in West Lafayette, Indiana, U.S. and was founded on May 6, 1869 as a land-grant university by a donation of land and money from local businessman John Purdue to establish a college of science, technology, and agriculture.  The first classes were held on September 16, 1874, with three buildings, six instructors, and 39 students. Today, Purdue enrolls the second largest student body of any university in Indiana and has one of the largest international student populations of any public university in the United States.

The Purdue University Student Health Center provides medical care to the student population through a high-quality outpatient facility staffed by licensed physicians, nurse practitioners, and mental health professionals.  The Student Health Center provides several health services which includes radiological services.  During a recent, three and half year project to update all medical systems to an electronic health record, the decision was also made to move the Health Center’s old film processes to a computerized digital radiology system.

Greg Sabens, EHR Project Manager and Manager of the Healthcare Technology Systems department of the Student Health Center, remembers, “Throughout the project to modernize all the systems at the Health Center, we worked diligently to install a CR-PACS system for the Radiology Department.  Unfortunately, we simply kept hitting walls with our original vendor.  After three years and three attempts, we were ready to give up on the whole project. HXR Imaging, an x-ray sales and service company out of Fishers Indiana, approached us with the iQ-SYSTEM PACS solution from IMAGE Information Systems, Ltd.  Within six months we had the fully functional system that we had always hoped for.”

With IMAGE Information Systems' iQ-SYSTEM PACS, The Purdue University Student Health Center is experiencing multiple levels of benefits; they no longer have to work with processing, chemicals, or film.  The ordering provider can view clear quality images within minutes of the completion of the study, which gives them the ability to provide immediate care.  Consultations and referrals to outside specialists can be viewed by direct access or providing the images via exporting.

Deb Steiner, the Radiology Supervisor, states, “Above all, our ability to provide care to our patients has increased tenfold.  The iQ-SYSTEM PACS is a wonderful quality product. It allows for user friendly features and provides beautifully clear images that can easily be manipulated by the providers.  IMAGE Information Systems, Ltd. has been so willing to work with us and we are very pleased with their level of customer support through our reseller, HXR.” 

Greg Sabens continues, “Indeed, it has been a pleasure to work with a supplier and their reseller that represents themselves and their company with the upmost professionalism, honesty, and integrity.”

Misericordia University is a Roman Catholic four year co-educational university in Dallas, PA  founded in 1924 by the Sisters of Mercy.  Misericordia offers a wide selection of course continuums, including Health Sciences. Integrated Modular Systems, Inc. (IMSI) recently provided licenses for one iQ-WEBX 5, and four iQ-VIEW/PRO from IMAGE Information Systems, Ltd. to Misericordia University of Dallas, PA for the Medical Imaging Department. 

Elaine Halesey, Ed.D., R.T.R. R (QM) (ARRT), wrote to John Mazur, President of IMSI: “John, thanks so much to Integrated Modular Systems, Inc. for this terrific product.  The addition of our ability to utilize this PACS system has positively enhanced the curriculum at Misericordia University in many ways.  It allows our students to see, first hand, on campus, prior to them actually experiencing the clinical portion of the program, the type of product used in actual Radiology Departments. It also will improve our ability to deliver the curriculum in a more efficient manner.”

While its use by other faculty will be expanded as their curricula is revised, the PACS is presently being used by Professor Lorie Zelna, who states: "The Medical Imaging program of Misericordia University is using the iQ-VIEW/PRO software by IMAGE Information Systems, Ltd. as part of the Radiographic Image Analysis course.  The students are assigned  projections by the instructor.  Using a mannequin, under the direct supervision of the course instructor, the students perform the radiologic exposures, and process the image using the CR.  The images are sent to the PACS server.  The students are provided an image analysis rubric by the course instructor.  From their homes or dormitory rooms, the students can access the images to complete the rubric at their leisure.  An assigned due date for submission of the rubric is determined by the course instructor.  Once the instructor receives the student rubrics, he/she accesses the PACS server to view each of the students’ projections and compares the student rubric evaluation of the assigned projections.  This project is a graded assignment that requires the students to apply the skills that are discussed in the didactic component of the course. Having the software accessible to students has afforded greater opportunities for out-of-class assignments thereby enhancing the learning opportunities for the students. Incorporating the use of PACS at the first semester, sophomore level, provides students with experience in the use of PACS prior to entering the clinical environment.  The intention for this early introduction is to assist in the knowledge transfer and ease the transition from the laboratory to the clinical environment.  The process is a success.  The course instructor intends to incorporate additional applications for use of this software."