World Health Imaging, Telemedicine, and Informatics Alliance
Founded | Chicago, IL,US |
---|---|
Founder | Mike Hoaglin, Dave Kelso, Matt Glucksberg, Michael Diamond[1] |
Type | 501(c)(3)Non-profit Organization |
Focus | Low-costmedical imaging,X-ray,Health Information technology,sustainability |
Location | |
Area served | Worldwide |
Key people | Newton N. Minow,Chair of the Board Michael W. Ferro, Jr., Vice Chair[2] Ivy Walker, CEO [3] |
Website | worldhealthimaging.org |
TheWorld Health Imaging, Telemedicine and Informatics Alliance(WHITIA) is a non-profitglobal healthtechnology andsocial ventureestablished in 2006 by affiliates ofNorthwestern UniversitynearChicago,Illinois.[1][4]WHITIA was formerly known as the World Health Imaging Alliance (WHIA) until it formally expanded its scope in June 2009.
WHITIA's first formal public launch was in April 2009 at theHealthcare Information and Management Systems Society (HIMSS)Annual Conference & Exhibition inChicago,Illinois.WHITIA announced strategic partners includingSEDECAL,Carestream HealthandMerge Healthcare,receiving extensive coverage inHealth ITmagazines and publications.[5][6]At the 2009 Annual Conference of the Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM) inCharlotte,North Carolina,WHITIA announced its partnership withSIIM,which will allow both organizations to collaborate on specific initiatives.[7][8]WHITIA was recently ranked #15 of the top 25 most influential people, institutions, and organizations in the radiology industry.[9]
At the 2009RSNAAnnual Meeting, WHITIA launched,Remi-d,a remote-operated screening X-ray system for use in the developing world. Its strengths in these areas stem from the higher burden ofHuman Immunodeficiency Virus(HIV) andTuberculosis(TB) co-infection, high incidents ofBlack Lung disease,or outbreaks of other infectiousrespiratory diseases.The teleradiology and remote-controlled features of Remi-d allow resource-limited areas such as sub-Saharan Africa, South and Central America and Southeast Asia, whereRadiologistsandRadiographersare in short supply to have a functioning X-ray service.[10]
WHITIA currently haspilotintegrateddigital X-raysites inSouth AfricaandGuatemalaat establishedclinicsin need and is expanding to new qualified sites inpartnershipwithNGOssuch asRotary Internationalwhile cooperating with thelocalandnational governments.[11]
Guatemala clinics
[edit]The Guatemala pilot sites in urbanGuatemala CityandruralRío Hondoprovide essential healthcare technology to thousands of people in the communities served. They are designed to be models for the wider expansion of the WHITIA network throughout the clinics in need in urban and rural Guatemala. The system's specific design for Guatemala City is an integration of some of WHITIA's partners' strengths and generosity:
- SEDECALprovides the X-ray generator and controls
- Carestream Healthdonates thecomputed radiography(CR) digital scanner and plates
- Kane X-raydonates personnel to perform installation and set up of the CR andPACS
This project was largely funded by several US and GuatemalanRotary clubsalong with the key resource support of the Guatemalan municipal and national governments.[12]
References
[edit]- ^ab"McCormick students and faculty tackle health care challenge in the developing world".Robert R. McCormick School of Engineering and Applied Science, Northwestern University. Archived fromthe originalon 2010-06-10.Retrieved2009-07-02.
- ^"Board of Directors".Retrieved2009-07-02.
- ^"Personnel".Retrieved2009-07-02.
- ^"World Health Imaging Alliance Partners For X-Rays in Developing World".McCormick School of Engineering. Archived fromthe originalon 2010-06-11.Retrieved2009-07-04.
- ^"Not-for-Profit Has a Vision to Help a Billion People".Reuters. 2009-04-06. Archived fromthe originalon 2013-02-01.Retrieved2009-07-02.
- ^"World Health Imaging Alliance Poised to Bring Imaging Diagnostics and Data to the Developing World".Yahoo Finance.Retrieved2009-07-02.
- ^"World Health Imaging Alliance (WHIA) Announces Support From The Society for Imaging Informatics in Medicine (SIIM)"(Press release). Business Wire.Retrieved2009-07-02.
- ^"World Health Imaging Alliance poised to bring imaging diagnostics and data to the developing world".Imaging Economics.Retrieved2009-07-02.
- ^"25 Most Influential in Radiology".rt Image.Retrieved2009-10-22.
- ^"WHITIA launches digital medical X-ray device for screening infectious diseases in developing countries".THE MEDICAL NEWS. 30 November 2009.Retrieved2009-12-01.
- ^"SIIM to Support World Health Imaging Alliance".HealthTech Wire. Archived fromthe originalon 2011-07-11.Retrieved2009-07-02.
- ^"WHITIA Announces the Completion of Digital X-ray Pilot Sites in Urban and Rural Guatemala"(Press release). Business Wire.Retrieved2011-01-09.