A multi-center PACS implementation to enable 360° comprehensive patient care 

Fondazione Don Gnocchi (FDG) provides rehabilitation, long-term care, and clinical research for elderly patients and people with complex conditions. With more than 6,700 professionals, 3,720 beds, 25 residential centers and 28 outpatient clinics across nine Italian regions, FDG operates a highly distributed healthcare network. As imaging volumes grew, FDG relied on four different PACS systems from multiple vendors. These fragmented environments created data inconsistencies, increased IT complexity, and limited the ability of radiologists and clinicians to collaborate effectively across sites. The organization needed a unified enterprise imaging strategy to support 24/7 operations, standardize workflows, and scale for the future.

After an in-depth technical and clinical assessment across eight centers, FDG selected Philips to implement a centrally hosted hybrid cloud PACS integrated with its existing RIS and diagnostic equipment. The solution delivers a single enterprise viewer across all sites, centralized image storage with logical site separation, secure – allows access management, and built-in disaster recovery. This architecture simplifies IT operations while ensuring clinical continuity and business resilience.

Implementation began in July 2023 with extensive testing to validate performance, latency, and system integration. The first site, IRCCS Santa Maria Nascente in Milan, went live in February 2024. Full deployment across all eight centers was completed by November 2024, including the migration of 200,000 historical imaging studies.

With the Philips enterprise viewer available across wards and services, clinicians can now access images and reports immediately eliminating CDs, film printing, and manual workflows. Radiologists and clinicians benefit from consistent access to imaging studies, faster turnaround times, and improved collaboration.

The unified PACS also supports FDG’s research mission by separating clinical and research workflows while maintaining a single patient registry and strict access controls. As stated also by Prof. Francesca Baglio, Scientific Vice Director, IRCCS Santa Maria Nascente, “The unified PACS has enabled more efficient execution of research projects by eliminating all low-value tasks related to data exchange based on CD production, while simultaneously ensuring data consistency and security for the future”. This allows for informed consent requirements while eliminating low-value data exchange tasks.

More than a year after go-live, a survey of over 100 users showed strong adoption and satisfaction. Based on the Technology Acceptance Model (TAM 3), perceived usefulness, ease of use, and intention to use averaged 6.4 out of 7. Users reported improved efficiency, reliability, and workflow performance, with an estimated 30% increase in productivity.

Beyond operational improvements, FDG now sees its centralized imaging platform as a strategic asset supporting future models of care.

Looking ahead, FDG’s ambition is to evolve from a radiology PACS toward a true Enterprise Imaging platform, progressively integrating imaging from multiple specialties into a single ecosystem that supports continuity of care, clinical research and multidisciplinary collaboration.

Discover how Philips enterprise PACS solutions can help unify imaging, streamline workflows, and support patient-centered care across your organization.