Mitel's networking technology is helping a US diagnostic imaging centre upgrade the care it offers its patients.

Premier Diagnostic Imaging, the only full-service outpatient medical imaging center between Nashville and Knoxville, TN, has selected the Mitel 3300 IP Communications Platform (ICP), Mitel Customer Interaction Solutions, Mitel Teleworker Solution, Mitel Your Assistanta Softphone and Mitel IP phones to vault Premier onto the first wave of IP communications.

"Leading-edge technology has been a cornerstone of our success and sets

us apart from other centers," said Bob Gunter, Premier's executive director.

"With the Mitel solution we can offer a smoother, faster experience for the

patient, as well as better tools for physicians and staff to do their jobs

faster and more efficiently."

After considering a hybrid system, Premier chose a combined solution of

Mitel IP products and applications and a network by ProCurve Networking by HP.

The centre selected the solution because it delivers greater cost efficiencies

with a single, powerful, centrally-managed IP communications solution that

consolidates voice, data and video traffic across LAN/WANs and allows for

shared resources and improved ease of communications, the companies described.

"In Premier's fast-paced business, having the most advanced

communications technology gives them a competitive edge by increasing customer service and reducing costs," said Mitel USA president Kevin Bowyer. "With the Mitel and ProCurve solution, Premier is also setting the foundation for the future by allowing them to expand and grow as its business needs change."

Premier can also leverage the power of the 3300 ICP by deploying advanced

IP applications now and in the future, including:

The Teleworker Solution is a low-cost "plug and work" solution that

provides Premier's mobile employees transparent access to corporate voice and data services with high levels of security. Premier can now benefit from

reduced overhead and increased employee retention while users can be more

flexible and productive in how they work.

Your Assistant Softphone is a feature-rich conferencing and collaboration

application that allows for real-time audio and video communication. It offers

simplified call management, data and telephony presence and availability,

knowledge management and caller line ID-based routing.

The Mitel Customer Interaction Solutions have enabled Premier to

reorganize tasks and responsibilities resulting in improved customer service.

Using Automatic Call Distribution (ACD) calls can now be routed directly to

operators most capable of dealing with patients' issues, enhancing call

processing capabilities and increasing physician and patient satisfaction.

Already, the average time a caller spends on the line has been reduced by

half. In addition, Premier has lowered the number of employees dedicated to

answering the phones from eight to six, freeing up their time to work on other

projects.

Additionally, Premier is now equipped for even more advanced capabilities

provided by the Mitel Gigabit Ethernet Stand (GigE Stand). The GigE Stand

converts any standard Mitel IP phone into a GigE compatible IP phone. This

allows computers connected via the phones to access GigE services over the

network like MRI, x-ray transfer between buildings or even cities enabling

faster diagnosis and consultation among doctors.

Premier Diagnostic Imaging is a state-of-the-art centre for outpatient imaging services in the Upper Cumberland region. The five physicians at Premier Diagnostic Imaging have 100 years of combined medical service to this community, and are long-time residents of Putnam County. The Premier Physicians are board-certified in diagnostic radiology by the American

College of Radiology.            

Epic Technologies provides technology and professional services across the nation. Epic specializes in delivering high-end data networking and telephony solutions to small and medium-sized organizations. The firm has a particular focus on providing security and compliance services to the financial and healthcare communities as they deal with regulations such as Gramm-Leach-Bliley and HIPAA.            

Mitel provides voice, video and data convergence over broadband networks. With a focus on the user experience, the company delivers advanced communications solutions that are easily customized for individual

business needs. Mitel solutions extend from intuitive desktop appliances and

applications through to Applications and Services Gateways that enable

business process integration and enhancement. Customers are provided with

innovative ways to leverage their resources and migrate to the benefits of IP

communications at their own pace. Mitel is headquartered in Ottawa, ON,

with offices, partners and resellers worldwide.