Merge Healthcare, a health IT and interoperability solutions company, announced the appointment of Jeffery A. Surges as the company's CEO Monday.

Most recently, Surges was the president of sales with Allscripts Healthcare Solutions, Inc., a partner of the Chicago, Ill.- based Merge Healthcare. In the past, Surges served as the president and CEO of Extended Care Information Network, Inc., before the company was acquired by Allscripts in 2007.

Surges brings 20 years of experience managing technology companies in the health care and information services markets to Merge Healthcare.

"I am extremely pleased to be joining the Merge team. These are unprecedented times in health care IT. The adoption of electronic health records is creating a new wave of growth in interoperability, connectivity, and electronic commerce in health care," Surges said in prepared remarks. "As a member of the Merge board since June of 2010, I have been fortunate to see the foundation Merge has put in place to capitalize on these trends and realize our organic growth goals."

Surges will be replacing Justin Dearborn, who will assume the newly created position of Merge's president. Dearborn will focus on expanding the company's international business.

Merge also announced the financial results for the third quarter of 2010 Monday. Revenue grew to $45.2 million in the third quarter of this year, compared to $16.9 million in the third quarter of 2009.