GE Medical Systems, Waukesha, Wis, has signed an agreement with i3ARCHIVE Inc", Philadelphia, a company specializing in storage, access, and distribution of health images and data, to offer i3ARCHIVE's National Digital Mammography Archive" (NDMA) to health care facilities nationwide. This agreement will include marketing and sales activities to distribute NDMA services and offer the NDMA to customers as an integrated part of GEM's breast care solution...

Eastman Kodak Co will cut its workforce by as much as 21% by the end of 2006 and take charges of $1.3 to $1.7 billion, according to an article in the January 22 edition of The Wall Street Journal. The cutbacks will impact primarily its traditional film, paper, and photofinishing businesses, according to the article, as the company prepares to compete in the competitive digital sector...

Sectra, Linkoping, Sweden, has received the 2003 Frost & Sullivan Business Development Strategy Leadership Award. The PACS vendor was given the award based on its ability to best perceive clients' needs, develop and introduce products and/or services to the industry, and identify new market segments to expand existing customer bases. In addition, Sectra is partnering with R2 Technology, Sunnyvale, Calif, to integrate ImageChecker® CAD with the Sectra MicroDose MammographyTM system. Under the agreement, Sectra will have exclusive worldwide distribution rights to R2's CAD technology as applied to the Sectra MicroDose Mammography system for 3 years...

NovaRad, American Fork, Utah, has announced a partnership with iPro Inc, Calhoun, Ga, to market NovaRad's NovaPACS product, in addition to the company's RIS, archive products, servers, and radiology accessories. iPro will reportedly focus its efforts toward the small to mid-sized hospitals and radiology centers in the southeastern United States...

Air Products, Allentown, Pa, has made a strategic investment in Sterilox Technologies Inc, Radnor, Pa, which markets and develops Sterilox technology for the production of a biocide for room-temperature, high-level disinfection, decontaminations, and biofilm removal applications...

IDX Systems Corp, Burlington, Vt, was recognized among the top 20 highest overall rated health care information technology products by KLAS Enterprises. The company won the award for its Flowcast" business performance solution suite for large physician organizations, hospitals, and integrated delivery networks...

Barco, Kortrijk, Belgium, and Toyo Corp, Tokyo, have announced the creation of a joint-venture company, Barco-Toyo Medical Systems Japan Co, Ltd, to be located in Japan. The new company will provide customized solutions for the growing Japanese medical imaging market...

Orex Computed Radiography, Auburndale, Mass, has inked an agreement with Medical Solutions Group, Siemens Ltd, China, for the exclusive distribution of the Orex line of compact CR scanners throughout China...

Merit Medical Systems Inc, South Jordan, Utah, has broken ground on a new 180,000-square-foot expansion project at the company's 32-acre campus. Upon completion, this expanded facility will represent a doubling of the current manufacturing space...

The American Society for Therapeutic Radiology and Oncology (ASTRO), Fairfax, Va, has opened a Washington, DC, satellite office at 1101 Pennsylvania Avenue, NW, designed to reinforce the organization's reputation as an important player in the country's cancer treatment health care debate. In addition, the American Medical Association could be following suit. The AMA is rumored to be mulling a permanent move to DC from its long-time Chicago headquarters, according to a recent article in Crain's Chicago Business.