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NEWS RELEASE:
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
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MERGE HEALTHCARE ANNOUNCES FUSION RIS/PACS™ ORDER
Algemeen Ziekenhuis Heilige Familie ( Rumst, Belgium) acquires Fusion RIS/PACS™ solution
Milwaukee, WI, May 16, 2007 –Merge Healthcare, (NASDAQ: MRGE; TSX: MRG), a leading medical imaging software and services provider, today announced an order for a RIS/PACS solution with speech recognition from the Algemeen Ziekenhuis Heilige Familie (AZHF, www.hfr.be) in Rumst, Belgium. Fusion RIS/PACS™ integrates Merge Healthcare’s comprehensive Fusion RIS GL Radiology Information System (RIS) with the image visualization, distribution and storage technologies of the company’s Fusion Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS), to create a unified, intelligent, distributed business and clinical workflow solution. Merge Healthcare’s Fusion RIS/PACS™ solution helps customers increase productivity while also providing a higher level of value and convenience.
The AZHF order represents Merge Healthcare EMEA’s first comprehensive RIS/PACS/speech recognition agreement in the Belgium market and was coordinated by its Nuenen ( Netherlands) office. Implementation is scheduled to be completed by October 2007.
The 207-bed medical center, with over 450 personnel and including 60 medical specialists, began its evaluation of integrated RIS/PACS solutions in 2006, and assessed the solutions of different vendors via a thorough RFI/RFP-process.
"Our information philosophy emphasizes maximum data availability among all clinical and business stakeholders," says Dr. Storms, radiologist at AZHF. "Ultimately, we chose Merge Healthcare’s RIS/PACS solution for several reasons: user-friendliness, high uptime and data access, the number and clinical usefulness of features, support for standards and IHE profiles, price and scalability."
"First, we are very honored that the AZHF has selected Merge Healthcare for such a strategic project, saysJacques Cornet, President Merge Healthcare EMEA. "It demonstrates the value of our solution and is another important milestone for our company success in the European market. In 2006, we added RIS to our portfolio for the EMEA market, to extend Merge’s capabilities in the end-user market, and to allow us to provide a more comprehensive product offering to our growing PACS customer base. The RIS was specifically designed to address the divergent needs of the international marketplace: supporting multiple languages [including Flemish], local billing rules, and providing flexible workflow for healthcare professionals of different nationalities. We are very pleased to be working with the AZHF as the first Belgium end-user of our RIS. Our comprehensive RIS/PACS/Speech solution will help AZHF streamline their clinical workflow and enhance communications with referring physicians by providing relevant information instantaneously."
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Merge Healthcare is a developer of medical imaging and clinical software applications and developmental tools that are on the forefront of medicine. We develop medical imaging software solutions that support end-to-end business and clinical workflow for radiology department and specialty practices, imaging centers and hospitals. Our software technologies accelerate market delivery for our OEM customers, while our end-user solutions improve our customers’ productivity and enhance the quality of the patient experience. For additional information, visit our website at www.merge.com.
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Attn: Beth Frost-Johnson
Merge Healthcare
6737 West Washington St.
Suite 2250
Milwaukee, WI 53214
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| Except for the historical information herein, the matters discussed in this news release include forward-looking statements that may involve a number of risks and uncertainties. When used in this press release, the words “will,” “believes,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “expects” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, the forward-looking statements based on a number of factors, including, but not limited to, the uncertainty created by, the adverse impact on relationships with customers, potential customers, suppliers and investors potentially resulting from, and other risks associated with, the changes in the Company’s senior management; costs, risks and effects of the investigation by the Audit Committee of the Board of Directors; the impact of the restatement of financial statements of the Company and other actions that may be taken or required as a result of such restatement; the Company's inability to timely file reports with the Securities and Exchange Commission; risks associated with the Company's inability to meet the requirements of The NASDAQ Stock Market for continued listing, including possible delisting; costs, risks and effects of legal proceedings and investigations, including the informal, non-public inquiry being conducted by the Securities and Exchange Commission and class action, derivative, and other lawsuits; risks in product and technology development, market acceptance of new products and continuing product demand, the impact of competitive products and pricing, ability to integrate acquisitions, changing economic conditions, credit and payment risks associated with end-user sales, dependence on major customers, dependence on key personnel, and other risk factors detailed in the Company’s filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such factors or to publicly announce the results of any of the forward-looking statements contained herein to reflect future events, developments, or changed circumstances, or for any other reason.
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