On June 18, 2015 Varian Medical Systems reported that it has entered into a multi-year agreement with Inova to be its exclusive supplier of advanced technology for image-guided, high-precision radiotherapy and radiosurgery (Press release, InfiMed, JUN 18, 2015, View Source [SID:1234505459]). Inova, a not-for-profit healthcare system operating five hospitals in Northern Virginia, will also install Varian software across its sites, as part of a long-term plan to create an integrated informatics system and to unify cancer care across its network.

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Under the agreement, Inova will acquire multiple Varian TrueBeam radiotherapy/ radiosurgery systems over nine years, with initial replacements at Inova’s Alexandria and Loudoun Hospitals. TrueBeam technology offers clinicians tremendous versatility in choosing and administering different types of radiation treatment for each patient as appropriate, from intensity-modulated radiotherapy to stereotactic radiosurgery. These treatments can be delivered with greater time efficiency—and hence cost effectiveness—than is possible with many other radiotherapy systems.

Inova will also expand its deployment of Varian’s ARIA information management and Eclipse treatment planning software, currently in use at two of the five sites, across the Inova network, and add Varian’s new InSightive software for data analytics.

"We have been managing radiation oncology departments at two of our sites using Varian software for some time," said says Gopal K. Bajaj, MD, Chairman and Medical Director of Radiation Oncology, Inova. "We will replace competitive solutions at the other sites in order to unify cancer care across the system. We like the fact that ARIA is a comprehensive system that consolidates all treatment data in a single database. It dovetails with our plans to integrate all of our cancer treatment services in support of better care coordination and closer collaboration among clinical team members."

Inova will also deploy Varian’s InSightive software for data analytics, which will enable clinicians and administrators to mine the enormous amount of data housed within the ARIA oncology information system database.

"ARIA is a robust practice management system and electronic medical record with a tremendous amount of information that Inova can mine and analyze to enhance the quality of care and the efficiency of its clinical operations," says Sukhveer Singh, vice president of Varian’s Oncology Continuum Solutions. "ARIA includes many interfaces for importing data from other hospital information systems, resulting in a very rich resource. InSightive Analytics provides access to this data, making it visible and useful."

"Our partnership with Varian will help as we create an integrated healthcare delivery system that uses knowledge-based approaches for the optimal benefit of patients," adds Donald Trump, MD, CEO of the Inova Dwight and Martha Schar Cancer Institute. "We will study the data from cancer patients across our network, including detailed information regarding patient characteristics as well from a detailed study of patients’ tumor tissue and their own genetic makeup, ultimately to analyze why different patients react differently to the same treatments. Varian’s ARIA and Insightive informatics will help us aggregate and analyze that data, and tease out actionable information for the benefit of our patients."

The total value of the multi-year agreement is estimated at $25 million inclusive of products and services, such as turnkey hardware and software support. Varian booked approximately $4 million of this amount during the third quarter of fiscal year 2015. The remainder of the order will be booked in accordance with the company’s policies over the term of the agreement.