Hitachi Healthcare Americas Corporation has acquired VidiStar LLC, in a move that builds upon its clinical reporting and analytics capabilities for diagnostic imaging, and marks its entrance into the information technology market.

The addition of the South Carolina-based IT firm is expected to assist Hitachi in improving workflow and intelligence among physicians, particularly for those associated with providers conducting ultrasound diagnostic exams.

“With strengths in cardiovascular ultrasound and general radiology, VidiStar's platform makes a great add-on to the ultrasound portfolio,” William A. (Bill) Burns, SVP and chief strategy officer at Hitachi Healthcare Americas, told HCB News. “While there are some overlaps in customer base, VidiStar opens doors to new customers for Hitachi's U.S. business, while Hitachi's customer base can benefit from new products in the Hitachi portfolio."

The incorporation of VidiStar as a wholly-owned subsidiary of the Japanese corporation provides Hitachi customers with access to new products and services, including VidiStar’s cloud-based diagnostic viewer and customizable structured reporting solution.

The use of these solutions enables physicians to interpret exams online and work with extended care teams to provide results in a timely manner and with improved visualization. New functionalities and capabilities are to come, based on customer demands.

Hitachi will offer VidiStar customers extended capabilities in sales, service and support, as well as investments in the ongoing development of products. The size and stability of Hitachi will benefit VidiStar employees too, in terms of benefits, career opportunities, investments and infrastructure.

Burns says the addition of VidiStar will provide technology that better ensures quality reporting and helps in identifying key value drivers, improving decision-making and informing providers and health care professionals.

"With the advancement of analytics in the health care space, VidiStar brings new capabilities that have forward-looking potential for where Hitachi wants to grow its business," he said.

Hitachi has recently entered a number of agreements to enhance various segments of its business, including the acquisition of Mitsubishi Electric’s particle therapy system business in December to strengthen its own particle therapy division. It also just formed a partnership with Partners Connected Health to assess the value of its AI technology in predicting readmission rates among heart failure patients.

VidiStar will maintain its current headquarters in Greenville, along with its employees, and will become a wholly-owned subsidiary within Hitachi, which will invest in growing sales and product functionality as integration takes place over the next twelve months. It will be part of the Hitachi Healthcare Americas business group.

It should be noted that the acquisition marks the entrance of Hitachi Healthcare Americas into the information technology market, where other sections of Hitachi, such as Hitachi Vantara and Hitachi High Technology, are already players.

Financial details were not disclosed.

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