MOSAIQ® users from hundreds of facilities have attended Elekta’s HITECH 101 and HITECH 201 webinars since 2010. We’re pleased to announce for 2012 that we are continuing to offer the existing events while adding a third session, HITECH 301, focused on the final stage of successful attestation for your providers.
HITECH 101 (Wednesday, May 30, 3 p.m. Eastern)
This webinar is offered exclusively to MOSAIQ users.
Our introductory HITECH 101 will include updated information about proving Meaningful Use. The session is geared for customers who are at the early stages of planning for Meaningful Use and the HITECH Act. This 45-minute session is facilitated by Sima Aziz, Business Line Manager Oncology Software. Click Here to Register
HITECH 201 (Thursday, May 31, 11 a.m. Eastern)
This webinar is a prerequisite for our new HITECH 301 session.
Our intermediate HITECH 201 breaks down the criteria associated with Meaningful Use. Our goal is to give you the information your providers need to qualify for the first-year incentive money, and demonstrate full compliance in subsequent years through a thorough understanding of each element of compliance. This 90-minute presentation is facilitated by Faye Ann MacDonald, Senior Product Manager for General Charting and Medical Oncology. Click Here to Register
HITECH 301 (Thursday, May 31, 3 p.m. Eastern)
HITECH 101 and 201 are prerequisites for this session.
Our capstone webinar, HITECH 301 reviews the reporting capabilities within MOSAIQ, and includes a moderated Q&A session. This 60-minute presentation is facilitated by Natalie Hoad-Reddick, Product Manager for General Charting and Medical Oncology. Click Here to Register
For up-to-date HITECH Act information, and to learn what steps your practice needs to take to demonstrate meaningful use and receive reimbursements, please visit www.elekta.com/hitech.
Kathy Han, Hon. B.Sc. in Immunology, M.D. C.M., and final-year radiation oncology resident at the University of Toronto, is awarded the $75,000 2012 CARO-Elekta Research Fellowship for her proposed study on ‘Optimizing MRI-guided brachytherapy in cervical cancer: target delineation, accessibility, and clinical efficacy’, to be carried out at Princess Margaret Hospital, Department of Radiation Oncology, University of Toronto.
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)-guided brachytherapy (internal delivery of radioactive source directly next to cancer tumour) is a high precision technique that allows physicians to individualize each patient’s radiation treatment. Dr. Han’s research will aid in further defining national and international benchmarks for the clinical use of MRI-guided brachytherapy in treating patients with cervical cancer.
Her hypothesis is that special types of three-dimensional MRI and positron emission tomography (PET) images of the site of the cervical cancer tumour will further improve physicians’ ability to differentiate cancerous vs. healthy tissue. Superior visualization of the tumor will allow generation of a more precise radiation plan that will better target the tumour and spare surrounding normal organs. MRI-guided brachytherapy is expected to be more effective and less toxic than two-dimensional X ray-based brachytherapy, and Dr. Han will also update the outcomes of patients with cervix cancer treated with MRI-guided brachytherapy at the Princess Margaret Hospital.
A challenge faced by Canadian radiation oncologists is that MRI-guided brachytherapy is resource-intensive, and currently available at only a few Canadian centres. A recent Canadian Brachytherapy Group survey reported that 80% of respondents agreed that 3D image-guided brachytherapy should become standard of care for treatment of cervical cancer in Canada. Dr. Han also aims to improve accessibility to MRI-guided brachytherapy by exploring alternative ways of performing the procedure, for example by combining Computed Tomography (CT) images (more accessible) with MRI acquired close to the time of brachytherapy.
“As Elekta continues to advance the technological frontiers of cancer management, we always keep in mind that we’re a human care company, and that patients, their families and caregivers drive our innovation in radiation oncology,” says Gerry Hogue, Senior Vice President & General Manager, Elekta North America. “Supporting research in this field also is consistent with Elekta’s mission. Therefore, we are proud to continue funding CARO’s radiation oncology research fellowship and to reinforce Canada’s long tradition of research excellence in the cause and treatment of cancer.”
Read more at: http://www.caro-acro.ca/AssetFactory.aspx?did=1169.
Two customer sites became the first MOSAIQ users to attest by proving meaningful use over a 90-day period
Users of Elekta’s MOSAIQ® Oncology Information System (OIS) – the first comprehensive, oncology-specific EMR certified for meaningful use under the federal government’s American Recovery and Reinvestment Act – have begun completing the “attestation” process to prove meaningful use. Fulfilling attestation requirements qualifies users of MOSAIQ and other systems to receive payments from the Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) of up to $44,000 over five years under Medicare rules.
Two Elekta customer sites became the first MOSAIQ users to attest in 2012 by proving meaningful use over a 90-day period. During that period, the centers were required to meet 20 patient-focused measures using MOSAIQ to record and manage patient records electronically.
Four medical oncologists at Cancer Specialists of Oklahoma (Oklahoma City, Okla.) submitted their attestations on April 5, qualifying each to receive $18,000 in incentive funds in 2012. Additional payments up to a total of $44,000 per physician are receivable until 2016 by continuing to meet meaningful use requirements under Medicare rules.
“Our physicians and staff are very pleased and proud at having met the challenging attestation requirements, and that they are in the first group of MOSAIQ users to do so,” says Margo Gonzales, Business Office Administrator at Cancer Specialists of Oklahoma.
A radiation oncologist from Tuality / Oregon Health & Science University (OHSU) Cancer Center LLC (Hillsboro, Ore.), submitted her attestation on April 12, according to Tina Dickerson, R.T.(R)(T), Chief Therapist/Manager at Tuality / OHSU Cancer Center, which is affiliated with the OHSU Knight Cancer Institute.
“Completing attestation for Stage 1 meaningful use is an accomplishment – I’m glad we were able to get it done this quickly,” she says. “The Elekta service group was on hand to help answer questions. The experience has made us more confident to achieve the next attestation for Stage 2 meaningful use.”
Agility MLC supports leading edge cancer centre’s ability to target sophisticated tumors, reduce healthy tissue exposure to radiation
Patients at The James Cook University Hospital’s (Middlesbrough, U.K.) new radiotherapy centre are now receiving advanced therapy on a treatment system equipped with Elekta’s Agility™* 160-leaf multi-leaf collimator (MLC). The hospital’s achievement follows the world’s first clinical start of Agility at St. James’s University Hospital (Leeds, U.K.), in April, and sets the stage for patient treatments to begin at additional European hospitals in the coming weeks.
“Agility enables us to give a high dose of radiotherapy to a smaller anatomical area, and its accuracy helps reduce side effects,” says Fiona Milnes, radiotherapy services team leader at The James Cook University Hospital, which recently opened an expansion of its radiotherapy services. “Demand for cancer services is increasing all the time and this expansion gives our patients access to the very latest technology in a purpose-built unit that will really increase the profile of James Cook.”
An MLC, a device made up of numerous, individual tungsten “leaves,” is commonly used to shape beams of therapeutic radiation that are delivered from different angles around the patient. Using twice the number of leaves typical of many standard MLC’s, Agility precisely sculpts delivered radiation to the unique contours of the tumor, while reducing the risk of exposure to healthy tissue. The new Agility MLC also includes ultra-fast leaf movements with extraordinarily low radiation leakage to increase the potential for advanced radiotherapy techniques such as SRS, SRT, and VMAT.
Recently, Elekta announced that it had achieved CE Marking for Agility, enabling medical centres across Europe and other regions to adopt the technology for their patients with cancer.
More information about Agility is available at www.elekta.com/agility.
*Agility is CE Marked, but not licensed for sale in all markets.
During the 2012 European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO) exhibition, Elekta will host a lunch symposium titled One Elekta: Your Clinical Partner on Thursday, 10 May from 13:00-14:20 in room 116 at the at the Centro de Convenciones Internacional de Barcelona. An interactive forum, the symposium will feature presentations by notable experts in the field of radiation oncology:
- Prof. F. Guedea, Instituto Catalán de Oncología, Barcelona, Spain: Targeting Radiation Therapy to Patients: The Role of Brachytherapy
- June Dean DCR(T), MSc Medical Physics, Oncology Center, Addenbrooke’s Hospital, Cambridge, U.K.: Integrating MOSAIQ into a Multi-Vendor Department
- Dr. Vivian Cosgrove, St. James’s Institute of Oncology, Leeds, U.K.: Commissioning of the Elekta Agility for Clinical Use
To download the lunch symposium program, click here.
Iain Duncan Smith, British Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, visited Elekta’s Crawley facility
Iain Duncan Smith, British Secretary of State for Work and Pensions, visited Elekta’s Crawley facility on May 1.
The Minister, who was accompanied by Crawley Member of Parliament, Henry Smith, received a demonstration of Agility™*, Elekta’s new multileaf collimator (MLC).
The Minister’s visit follows the April 21 announcement that Elekta was awarded the 2012 Queens Award for Enterprise in International Trade Category.
“It was a great honor to be announced as a Queen’s Award winner last month,” says Johan Sedihn, Executive Vice President, Elekta Oncology. “And today, the Minister’s visit gave us a wonderful opportunity to demonstrate the work that helped to achieve our Queen’s Award success – in particular, the innovation exemplified in the new Agility project.”
The number of people employed at Elekta in Crawley continues to rise, growing from 400 to 680 employees in the last three years. And, Elekta plans to recruit approximately 80 employees throughout the next 12 months.
More information about careers with Elekta is available at: http://www.elekta.com/company/career-center.html.
*Agility is CE Marked, but not licensed for sale in all markets.
New Agility MLC expected to attract many ESTRO attendees to Elekta exhibit
At the 2012 European Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ESTRO) exhibition, 9-13 May at the Centro de Convenciones Internacional de Barcelona, Elekta (Booth #200) will demonstrate the richness of its spectrum of radiation oncology solutions with the Elekta Cancer Care Clinic. The clinic is the patient’s or doctor’s view of the comprehensive, well-integrated radiotherapy department, showcasing Elekta’s entire portfolio.
The Elekta Cancer Care Clinic will feature a floor plan that includes replicas of a reception area, pre-treatment and simulation rooms, doctor’s office, treatment planning and physics rooms, and a treatment delivery suite. Within each area will be arrayed Elekta solutions, encompassing Leksell Gamma Knife® Perfexion™ stereotactic radiosurgery, linac-based radiotherapy, brachytherapy, MOSAIQ® Oncology Information System, treatment planning solutions and much more. The primary theme for the 2012 ESTRO exhibit is “Experience the Elekta Difference.”
“Our secondary theme is “With You All the Way,” which conveys to our customers and prospective customers that Elekta is their single partner who can provide them with complete, integrated solutions for their clinical practice,” says Olof Sandén, Elekta’s Executive Vice President, Europe and AFLAME. “This theme also communicates that we can offer customers tailored and personalized solutions regardless of whether they’re just starting a practice or need to expand.”
New Agility MLC
To be prominently highlighted in the Elekta exhibit will be Agility™*, Elekta’s revolutionary new 160-leaf MLC, featuring leaf speeds of up to 6.5 cm per second – twice as fast as the leaf speeds of other MLCs commonly used in the industry. The Agility high resolution MLC will enable clinicians to further exploit the benefits of advanced techniques such as SRT and VMAT. Agility also features an extremely low leakage design – considerably lower leakage than other commercial MLCs. Elekta strongly believes patients and clinics will benefit from the speed and reliability of this new MLC design.
In March 2012, Elekta achieved CE Marking for Agility, enabling medical centers across Europe and other regions to adopt the technology.
*Agility is CE Marked, but not licensed for sale in all markets.
Proton therapy programs represent a significant investment. To protect and maximize this investment, Elekta offers a comprehensive patient and practice management solution including EMRs, treatment planning and patient immobilization systems specifically designed to reduce clinical risk and ensure exceptional patient care.
Visit Elekta at booths 4,5,6,10,11 and 12 during the PTCOG51 exhibition at the COEX Convention and Exhibition Center in Seoul, Korea for a demonstration of Elekta’s particle therapy solutions, including MOSAIQ® Oncology Information System (in English and the Japanese language), XiO® treatment planning, patient fixation with BodyFIX®, and for the first time at PTCOG, soft tissue visualization with Clarity®.
Questions? Contact Ian Shaw, Business Marketing Manager, Particle Therapy at ian.shaw@elekta.com or visit www.elekta.com/PT.
Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center
Over the last three years, cancer centers across China have embarked on an unprecedented effort to modernize and improve access to cancer management technology. In addition to sophisticated treatment and therapy planning technology, clinics and hospitals are implementing oncology information management systems to coordinate radiotherapy department activities. Sun Yat-sen University Cancer Center is China’s first cancer center to use Elekta’s MOSAIQ® in the Chinese platform and is among the country’s premier showcases for advanced oncology EMR solutions.
More than merely a translation of MOSAIQ into Chinese, Elekta worked to localize the MOSAIQ user interface, harmonizing it to the unique cultural and workflow priorities of the Chinese healthcare organization.
Celebrating its second anniversary, SYSUCC hosted Elekta’s National RT New Technology Conference February 9-11. Top radiation oncology professionals from more than 30 provinces and cities attended the meeting, where they had the opportunity to see SYSUCC’s expansive range of modern radiation technology, including its three Elekta Synergy® systems with VMAT capabilities, three Nucletron simulators and an afterloader, and 25 treatment planning stations. MOSAIQ is the center’s newest addition and has already made a major impact by integrating and managing all department workflow and processes.
The integrated Elekta hardware and software “total” solution has optimized SYSUCC’s workflow substantially, enabling SYSUCC clinicians to reduce patient waiting time for treatment from one month to 20 days, increasing patients treated from 520 per month to 600 patients, says SYSUCC Vice President, Ma Jun.
The Chinese version of MOSAIQ also is easily understood by all members of the SYSUCC staff, adds Dr. Sun Ying, Vice Director of SYSUCC.
“Effective data management across different departments and locations had been a challenge in the past,” he observes. “We had to go to four different systems to schedule appointments for each patient. With MOSAIQ , we only need to find the right slot and then schedule the patient’s appointment once in MOSAIQ.”
BBCI at vanguard in country’s efforts to massively expand healthcare technology access
Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh, honored Bhubaneswar Borooah Cancer Institute (BBCI) by presiding over the inauguration of its Elekta Synergy® linear accelerator on April 20 in Guwahati (Assam). The Synergy system – equipped to perform the most advanced radiotherapy techniques – joins BCCI’s first Elekta treatment system, installed in 2000. BBCI, established in 1973, is among the leading cancer institutes of east India, and was recognized as a Regional Cancer Centre in 1980.
“It was very gratifying to have an influential public figure such as Dr. Singh recognize the importance of increasing access to medical technology in India – which will hopefully influence the decision-making process at other regional hospitals that are seeking to invest in linear accelerators,” says Brendhan Vahey, Managing Director, Elekta India. He, and his predecessor, Percy Shroff, attended BCCI’s Synergy inauguration.
Elekta and other healthcare providers have partnered with medical centers and clinics across India to address a serious shortage of radiation therapy equipment. India’s population of 1.21 billion* significantly dwarfs the number of radiotherapy systems available to its residents, Vahey adds.
Prime Minister of India, Dr. Manmohan Singh
“To match a developed nation’s ratio of inhabitants to linear accelerators alone, India would need about 10 times as many treatment systems,” he notes. “Fortunately, the Indian radiation therapy market is growing at an unprecedented rate – over 15 percent per year – almost double its current GDP growth,” Vahey says.
*India is projected to be the world’s most populous country by 2025, surpassing China, with a population reaching 1.6 billion by 2050.
- Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion Advanced Program for Stereotactic Radiosurgery September 8, 2015Objective To further enhance the participant’s knowledge of Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion and its advanced applications in the field of stereotactic radiosurgery. Specific focus will be placed on Gamma Knife surgery with or without the Extend System for several different indications. Patient selection, radiosurgical techniques and complication avoidance as […]
- Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion - Upgrade Program December 10, 2013Objective To receive aspects of clinical and technical training for handling new features of Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion, when upgrading from previous models. Training on the dynamic workflow of Leksell GammaPlan includes instruction on using the pre-planning and follow-up features of the program as well as on developing treatment plans using composite sho […]
- Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion - Introductory Program December 8, 2013Objective To identify the basic principles and biophysics of Gamma Knife surgery and how they apply to day-to-day patient treatment. Review the clinical indications, parameters of treatment and outcomes of Gamma Knife surgery. Recognize radiation safety issues and principles, as well as become familiar with emergency procedures that pertain to Leksell Gamma […]
- Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion - Applications Introductory Program November 17, 2013Objective To make users confident in the operation, care and maintenance of Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion. The course focuses on radiation physics, dosimetry, stereotaxy for Gamma Knife surgery, quality assurance (QA), technical information and treatment planning using Leksell GammaPlan®. Content ■ Principles of stereotaxy and radiosurgery ■ Prin […]
- Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion / 4C - Introductory Program November 10, 2013Objective To obtain knowledge about the practical aspects of stereotactic radiosurgery using Leksell Gamma Knife. Principles of radiation physics and radiobiology, that apply to single-session, focused, small volume irradiation will be covered. Registrants should be able to create radiosurgery dose plans for various indications. Content ■ Principles a […]
- Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion Clinical Introductory Program October 6, 2013Objective To introduce clinicians to Gamma Knife® surgery with Leksell Gamma Knife Perfexion and Extend™ System. The course focuses on clinical information, combined with hands-on sessions using Leksell GammaPlan®. Experts with years of experience from Gamma Knife surgery are selected to lecture on this course. Training center and duration 4-day course at Un […]
- XiO - Application December 16, 2012OBJECTIVE To provide applications training in the use of XiO for treatment planning. The course provides an understanding of the software enabling the user to efficiently create effective treatment plans using our product. COURSE CONTENT Structure Contouring Digitized Contour-based Planning 2D Irregular Field Planning 3D External Beam Planning Special Plann […]
- XiO IMRT December 9, 2012Objective To provide applications training in IMRT treatment planning utilizing the Xio Treatment Planning System. The course provides an understanding of the IMRT software enabling the user to efficiently create effective IMRT treatment plans using our product. Course Content Contouring for IMRT Planning Beam Placement IMRT Prescription Optimization Segme […]
- SRT December 9, 2012OBJECTIVE This advanced clinical training program is designed to present the processes required to implement SRT for routine treatment on Elekta Axesse™ and other Elekta linear accelerators sterotactic capabilities. COURSE CONTENT • Recognize indications for and outcomes of SRT/Radiosurgery • Understand dose selection, fractionation and planning techniqu […]
- Monaco December 9, 2012OBJECTIVE To provide applications training in advanced radiobiology-based IMRT treatment planning. The course provides an understanding of the IMRT software enabling the user to efficiently create effective IMRT treatment plans using our product. COURSE CONTENT Contouring / Image Fusion for IMRT Planning Beam Template Creation The IMRT Prescription IMRT Co […]