. Long-term agreement targets improved efficiency and quality of care through hospital-wide procurement, operation and management of ultrasound technology

Amsterdam, The Netherlands – Royal Philips (NYSE: PHG, AEX: PHIA) and Erasmus University Medical Center (Rotterdam, the Netherlands) today announced a comprehensive strategic partnership for hospital-wide ultrasound solutions. Under the terms of the agreement, Philips will be responsible for the management, procurement, maintenance and optimization of ultrasound solutions, together with associated staff education/training, for all of Erasmus University Medical Center’s departments for the next five years. This long-term partnership will ensure that the hospital has continuous access to the latest ultrasound imaging innovations, enabling continuous enhancement of operational efficiency and quality of care.

"We are constantly looking for innovative ways to optimize our quality of care while also making it affordable, and this partnership is an excellent example of that endeavor,” said Ernst Kuipers, Chairman of the Executive Board of Erasmus University Medical Center. “By centralizing the procurement and management of a large part of our medical technology, we can focus much more on efficiency with the benefit of stable and predictable costs now and in the future.”

"This partnership further deepens our collaboration with Erasmus University Medical Center, allowing us to better understand the needs of the hospital and its individual care professionals,” said Henk Valk, General Manager Philips Benelux. “We will proactively use our knowledge and skills to achieve the common goal of optimizing the hospital’s existing processes and enhancing its quality of care.”

In recent years, Erasmus University Medical Center has seen a significant increase in the number of ultrasound systems it uses for patient care, research and education. However, many departments and specialisms in the hospital currently work autonomously, often dealing with more than ten different suppliers for the purchasing and maintenance of their ultrasound systems. Standardization of the hospital’s ultrasound purchasing, maintenance and utilization processes will ensure greater workflow efficiency and costs that are more predictable. Philips’ ultrasound equipment and software meets the requirements of all the relevant clinical specialisms, which means that all departments will be able to uniformly use the new systems, simplifying the hospital’s operation and reducing the amount of time spent on training.

Global leader in ultrasound
Ultrasound imaging, which uses high frequency sound waves to view organs within the body, has several advantages. It is relatively easy to use, non-invasive and does not involve the use of ionizing radiation such as X-rays. Equally importantly, it can provide real-time images that show the movement of internal organs. Typical imaging applications range from monitoring unborn babies to guiding minimally-invasive surgical procedures. Philips is a global leader in ultrasound imaging, with a broad portfolio of ultrasound solutions for use in general practice, radiology, cardiology, gynecology and image-guided minimally invasive surgery. It was the first to launch live 3D ultrasound and live 3D TEE, a technology with which clinicians can see cardiac structure and function in real-time. Philips’ innovative Anatomical Intelligence technology provides advanced 3D organ modelling and quantification helping to make ultrasound exams easier to perform and more reproducible.