Research from the University of Iowa supports the claim that tele-emergency services can extend emergency care in rural hospitals. The study was published in the February edition of Health Affairs. Tele-emergency is the urgent care component of telehealth, services consisting of diagnosis, treatment, assessment, monitoring, communications and education of medical conditions via digital technologies like videoconferencing. Telehealth can deliver important medical services where they are needed most, and remove barriers of time, distance and limited health care providers. This includes remote, rural areas and medically underserved urban communities.

Carestream showcased upgrades to its healthcare IT portfolio at HIMSS 2014. Included are Carestream Vue PACS and Vue for Vendor Neutral Archive with a Windows environment and 64-bit Intel Xeon servers that can help enhance performance while reducing costs.

The ViewRay system, a MRI-guided radiation therapy system, is being used to treat patients at Siteman Cancer Center at Barnes-Jewish Hospital and Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, Mo. The ViewRay system provides a combination of simultaneous radiation therapy delivery and continuous magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) for the treatment of cancer.

Fluke Biomedical, a manufacturer of biomedical test instruments, acquired Unfors RaySafe. Unfors RaySafe produces quality assurance devices for diagnostic x-ray including real time dose monitoring systems for medical personnel and patient dose tracking software solutions.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) released an updated Mammography Quality Standards Act and Program (MQSA) Scorecard, which offers answers to the most commonly requested national statistics regarding the MQSA program. These statistics are updated on the first of each month.

After several months of intense review and assessment of its specialized worker training program by an independent agency, Operon Resource Management of Lowell, Mass. received ISO 13485 certification.