CHICAGO, Jan. 7, 2015 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Merge Healthcare Incorporated (Nasdaq:MRGE), a leading provider of clinical systems and innovations that seek to transform healthcare, entered into an agreement with Rush University Medical Center, one of the largest private academic medical centers in Illinois, to provide Cardiology PACS.

Rush was actively seeking a cardiology solution that would streamline its workflows, eliminate departmental silos of information, and deliver structured reporting enabling greater ability to mine data for research projects and benchmarking. With Merge Cardio, a Best in KLAS solution in 2013, Rush cardiology will be able to leverage a centralized, web-based system for report generation and distribution. The structured data within Merge PACS supports the organization's desire to leverage data for research studies and benchmarking. In addition, Rush will be able to access data from legacy systems in order to create a more complete patient history.

"Cardiology as a field is embracing 'Big Data,' to help improve quality outcomes, to enable informative research, and provide clinical care that is both efficient and timely, said Dr. Kim Allan Williams, Sr., FACC, FAHA, FASNC, and chief, Division of Cardiology, at Rush University Medical Center. At Rush, we strive to meet the 'triple aim' of better care, better outcomes, and lower costs. Partnering with Merge will forge a mutually beneficial, dynamic relationship as we embark upon this complex and critical project," Williams said.

"Rush is a highly respected and innovative organization, and it is an honor to support their efforts for improving their internal systems to strengthen their research and improve provider access to imaging reports," said Justin Dearborn, chief executive officer of Merge Healthcare.