GE Healthcare announced yesterday that it has completed its acquisition of healthcare IT provider IDX Systems Corp. With the two company's combined capabilities, they hope to become a leading healthcare IT vendor by offering a comprehensive suite of clinical, imaging and business information systems available, according to a release.
            
Specifically, GE hopes the acquisition will bolster efforts to connect physicians' offices to hospitals through enterprise-wide electronic health records (EHR), for safe, efficient and cost-effective patient care.

Vishal Wanchoo, president and CEO of GE Healthcare's Information Technologies business, will lead the combined business. GE Healthcare's IT business will have its global headquarters in Barrington, Ill., with major offices in Burlington, Vermont; Boston; Seattle; and London, along with satellite offices both within and outside the United States, GE Healthcare said.

The acquisition should enable GE to offer a comprehensive suite of financial and business management systems for group practices, hospitals and integrated delivery networks, as well as a combined industry-leading radiology information system  and picture archiving and communications system solution, said Wanchoo.