In an agreement intended to broaden its PACS collection, GE Healthcare of Chalfont St. Giles, U.K., has acquired PACS vendor Dynamic Imaging (DI) of Allendale, NJ.

The agreement adds Dynamic Imaging's Web-based IntegradWeb suite of products to GE's PACS line, allowing GE to expand its information technology products and services across a wide range of healthcare concerns that includes hospital integrated delivery networks (IDNs), community hospitals, outpatient imaging centers, radiology group practices and physician offices.

GE Vice President and Global Manager Don Woodcock said that it was a perfect fit from GE's point of view because "we see Dynamic Imaging's offerings as complementary to GE's existing IT business, and this deal fast forwards us into the Web-based PACS market." Woodlock went on to say that GE's Centricity PACS software has been targeted primarily at academic centers, while Dynamic Imaging's market has been outpatient imaging centers and small hospitals. Combining the two companies' customer bases will hopefully allow GE to penetrate markets that have been more difficult to serve.

According to President and CEO Alex Jurovitsky of Dynamic Imaging, which was founded in 1991, DI is considered by many industry observers to be a leading PACS vendor in the outpatient imaging and community hospital environment. Jurovitsky believes that like GE, the combination of the two firms will expand DI's reach.

"DI has been successful in developing tools that assist workflow in the outpatient imaging center environment," Jurovitsky said. "Now, by offering an ambulatory workflow solution in conjunction with GE's Centricity PACS, we'll be able to facilitate a flow of information and help clinicians access data in markets that weren't accessible before."

Jurovitsky will continue to head Dynamic Imaging, which will run as an independent unit within GE. The senior management team will also stay in place.

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