OREANDA-NEWS. GE Healthcare, a leading provider of healthcare information technology, today announced the University of Nevada School of Medicine’s (UNSOM) selection of Centricity* clinical and financial solutions to help improve productivity and efficiency across the continuum of care. The School of Medicine has agreed to use Centricity Business, Centricity Practice Solution and Centricity PACS-IW to help get its 250 students and 310 residents and fellows ready for a life in the ever-changing medical profession.

As Nevada’s only statewide public medical school, the University of Nevada School of Medicine conducts the first two years of its medical education curriculum on its Reno campus. The final two years are spent in hospitals and clinics throughout the state, and residency and fellowship training is conducted in both Las Vegas and Reno. The medical school gives students the opportunity to work on research projects, interact with patients, work directly with physicians, and experience the excitement of becoming a physician.
The School of Medicine, like most U.S. medical schools, integrates clinical training with the biomedical sciences in the first two years of a student’s medical education. First and second year students shadow community-based primary care physicians and experience how "real" medicine is practiced early in medical school.

“We believe our curriculum incorporates the best of integrated clinical and basic science education with early clinical experiences and case-based teaching,” said Thomas L. Schwenk, MD, dean of the School of Medicine. The School of Medicine awarded GE Healthcare the contract after an 11-month evaluation process including a competitive bidding process against other top providers.

“Medical students will benefit from working with Centricity Practice Solution and Centricity PACS-IW, in a hands-on fashion, as they learn to leverage advanced technology for the benefit of their patients. We will also prepare our medical students for a career in medicine with exposure to the business aspects of providing healthcare. Investing in Centricity Business will help us optimize our financial performance while preparing for the changes that reimbursement reform presents to the organization,” said Schwenk.

Centricity Business is a proven, next-generation revenue cycle management solution that supports traditional and value-based reimbursement models including shared savings, capitation, and bundled payments, – for greater profitability, efficiency and enhanced quality of care. In addition to being implemented at UNSOM, it is currently used by hundreds of leading healthcare organizations across the United States including 82% of those in the July 16, 2012 US News & World Report “2012-13 Best Hospitals Honor Roll.”

Centricity Practice Solution is designed to enhance the clinical productivity of ambulatory practices. With exceptional customization, progressive technology, and seamless interoperability, Centricity Practice Solution enables practitioners to spend more time with patients.
Centricity PACS-IW is a Web-based solution for imaging modalities and healthcare environments.

Today’s clinicians are online, managing patient images and clinical data via Web-technology, embracing digital radiology. With its SNAP tool innovation, advanced 3D post-processing and easy-to-use technology, Centricity PACS-IW is the PACS of the future, but delivered today. It offers a wide range of functions at high speed, based on the latest international standards.

“The University of Nevada School of Medicine is a wonderful partner to bring into the Centricity family,” said David Hale, vice president and general manager of GE Healthcare IT. “They’re training the next generation of clinicians for Nevada and for the world. GE Healthcare Centricity solutions will be with these men and women along every step of their journey toward enhanced patient care for all.”

 The School of Medicine plans to implement its new solutions toward the middle of 2013.
*Centricity is a registered trademark of General Electric Company.