Memorial Hermann Manages High Volumes of Imaging Data with Ambra

Today, with Ambra Health, over 100 external sending sites are connected to its main campus receiving from PACS systems in real-time.

Summary

Memorial Hermann - Case studyMemorial Hermann is the largest health system in Southeast Texas with over 16 hospitals and 200 specialty facilities. With rapid growth across its wide network, and CDs still acting as a core method of image exchange, Memorial Hermann faced challenges surrounding efficiency and risk. Today, with Ambra Health, over 100 external sending sites are connected to its main campus through gateways, for receiving trauma and general referrals from external PACS systems in real-time. Ambra has also image-enabled a system-wide EHR and separate outpatient EHRs leading to a reduction in duplicate imaging exams, improved ACO quality metrics, and a preservation of critical patient data across the network. Additionally, business continuity for 2.2M studies per year in case of PACS service interruption has now become a reality with Ambra’s cloud VNA.

Ambra allows us to manage high volumes of image data in the most efficient way possible.
David Bradshaw, Chief Technology Officer, Memorial Hermann

Anytime Access & Viewing

Powered by the cloud, Ambra enables medical image uploads from a myriad of sources. Admissions staff save time with the easy-to-use one-click CD uploader and can automatically upload imaging directly from the EHR. Ambra also performs both automated and semi-automated processes to match incoming studies to local orders for imaging based on basic patient information.

Anytime Access & Viewing

Ambra Health has image enabled inpatient and outpatient EMRs including eCW, Cerner, Allscripts, and Epic within the Memorial Hermann network.

“Bridging the gaps between the EHR and other systems is a complicated yet essential piece in the creation of full interoperability between a health system and its ever-growing network.”
– David Bradshaw, Chief Technology Officer, Memorial Hermann

Ambra image-enables industry leading EMR and EHR systems, allowing the unification of patient health records and management of imaging directly from within the patient jacket. In addition, orders involving imaging can be placed, processed, viewed, and completed from within the EMR or EHR.

Memorial Hermann also began sharing images with patients as part of the Medical Image Exchange network (MHiE) initiative, image enabled by Ambra.Ambra has championed the conversation for HIE in the Houston region, by encouraging connectivity and participation between Greater Houston Healthconnect and the MHiE gateway.

Cloud VNA

In addition, Memorial Hermann has backed-up over 2.2M studies per year in the Ambra Cloud VNA, creating the ultimate disaster recovery solution. Ambra’s cloud VNA provides a flexible framework over the Internet in which images can be transferred, viewed, and patient imaging and data can be joined together. A system user can then access images in need of emergency from anywhere and anytime, including on mobile devices and tablets.

Trauma & Telestroke Use Cases

Memorial Hermann is the largest high volume trauma center in the US with thousands of studies generated each week. Patients arriving from outside facilities frequently carried CDs that were lost, broken, or otherwise unreadable, further delaying care. Today, CDs are almost a thing of the past as Memorial Hermann receives imaging through Ambra gateways from over 100 sending sites, putting critical data in physician hands even before the patient arrives.

The John P. and Kathrine G. McGovern Medical School at UTHealth, in partnership with Memorial Hermann-Texas Medical Center and powered by Ambra’s image management platform, unveiled the country’s first mobile stroke unit. A computed tomography CT scanner that is on board the ambulance allows mobile stroke unit teams to quickly assess whether a patient is having a stroke caused by a blood clot, and, if so, administer clotbusting medications.