OU Health Partners with Siemens Healthineers to Improve Health in Oklahoma, Promote Research, Innovation

• 10-year Value Partnership includes imaging and laboratory equipment 
• New Imaging Institute will promote research, innovation and workforce development 
• Mobile and digital solutions particularly address needs of underserved communities 

OU Health, a comprehensive academic health system, and Siemens Healthineers, a global medical technology leader, have entered into a strategic 10-year Value Partnership¹ to bring the latest diagnostic and therapeutic equipment to people across Oklahoma. OU Health, the University of Oklahoma Health Sciences and Siemens Healthineers share a vision for improving health outcomes in Oklahoma through the academic health mission of excellence in patient care, research and education. Through the strength of their combined expertise, they aim to transform healthcare delivery with technology and innovation. 

“No one should have to leave Oklahoma to access the most advanced healthcare, and this Value Partnership furthers our dedication to that effort,” said OU Health President and Chief Executive Richard Lofgren, MD, MPH. “It will serve as a focal point for patients as we apply technology to conditions most affecting Oklahomans, including cancer, cardiovascular disease, neurological and lung conditions.” 

A key feature of the Value Partnership is the addition of advanced imaging and laboratory equipment, giving OU Health patients access to healthcare informed by the most sophisticated tools for the diagnosis of complex medical conditions. Among them is the 7-tesla magnetic resonance imaging scanner Magnetom Terra², the only such scanner in Oklahoma and one of only five in the Midwest. Its high magnetic-field strength helps physicians see extremely fine internal structures of the body much more clearly. Another addition, the photon-counting computed tomography (CT) system Naeotom Alpha², represents a breakthrough in CT imaging by creating highly detailed images using minimal doses of radiation and contrast for the patient. 

“The most pressing challenges in healthcare — improving healthcare access and building the workforce of the future — can be solved only through partnership and technology,” said David Pacitti, president and head of the Americas at Siemens Healthineers. “Along with our partners, we’re proud to be leading the way in tackling these challenges to benefit the people of Oklahoma.” 

Along with new imaging equipment on the Oklahoma City campus, OU Health will use Siemens Healthineers mobile technology to provide preventive screenings and laboratory diagnostics across Oklahoma, particularly in rural and underserved communities. OU Health will use Siemens Healthineers technology, such as the syngo Virtual Cockpit, to connect with community hospitals across the state to provide remote imaging expertise for complex patient examinations, especially scans for cardiology and neurological procedures. This technology provides patients with access to more advanced imaging regardless of their location, empowering physicians in community hospitals to make quicker, more precise diagnosis and treatment decisions. 

The alliance will serve as a catalyst for innovative research and training for current and future imaging professionals through OU Health’s creation of the OU Health Sciences Imaging Institute. The institute will play a crucial role in research to help drive future breakthroughs. Researchers across the University of Oklahoma will have access to the imaging equipment for their studies, and the institute will facilitate collaborations between clinicians and researchers to translate their discoveries into improved methods of preventing, diagnosing and treating disease. The institute also will address the critical shortage of imaging professionals by training the next generation of professionals on the newest imaging equipment. Residents, health profession students and graduate students across the OU Health Sciences campus will use the Siemens Healthineers technology during their training, positioning themselves to be leaders in their future careers as radiation oncologists, radiologic technologists, scientists and other professionals.

For further information on Value Partnerships, please see https://www.siemens-healthineers.com/services/value-partnerships.