Connecting radiologists in France with a unified, AI-enabled imaging workspace productivity gain

Ocean Imagerie, a rapidly expanding imaging group in southwestern France, found itself at a crossroads: surging imaging volumes, increasingly complex workflows, and a growing need to ensure clinical quality across its network. With 53 highly specialized radiologists operating across 16 offices, 5 clinics, 8 scanners, and 6 MRIs, the organization needed to rethink its model, allowing also internal teleradiology to handle all exams across the sites. 

With a 25% increase in the number of exams from 2023 to 2024, the team needed a more agile, connected, and scalable way to deliver radiology services. The traditional model, where each site operated independently with disconnected tools was no longer sustainable. To meet this challenge, Ocean Imagerie partnered with Philips to deploy a centralized PACS solution with advanced post processing capabilities to unify workflows, scale with growing demand, and empower radiologists to focus on diagnostic quality without compromise. 

Like many private providers, Ocean Imagerie faced the challenge of fragmented systems. Each location had its own setup, its own processes, and its own inefficiencies. Radiologists were losing valuable time switching between platforms, performing manual post-processing, and duplicating effort across sites. To overcome these hurdles, Ocean Imagerie deployed a centralized Philips PACS platform, natively integrated with AI tools. Radiologists now access imaging and diagnostic tools from a single interface, whether they're working in Bayonne, Biarrtiz, Pau or Aires sur Adour. This ensures a consistent experience and allows smooth collaboration across the network.

Personalized display protocols and AI-assisted features integrated directly into the system have significantly streamlined workflows, making tasks like comparing with prior exams both faster and more intuitive. For the users, PACS offers an efficient, user-friendly experience that enhances daily clinical practice. “The integration of AI tools within the PACS helped us significantly reduce exam processing time while improving comfort and efficiency—even with a limited number of radiologists.” shares Dr. Benoit Hecquet, Radiologist.

Additionally, having a centralized PACS also enabled the group to establish robust internal teleradiology and clinical consultation services across the whole network, which is key not only for efficient handling of staff and shift coverage but above all is boosting the cooperation inside the provider network, thus creating synergies and positive learning curves across locations. Radiologists can now interpret imaging studies like CTs, MRIs, and X-rays from multiple sites, including overnight emergency cases, through a single, unified interface. As shared by Dr. Benoit Hecquet “whether we work from home or on-site, the centralized PACS allows us to manage multisite emergencies -especially overnight - with ease. We can interpret CTs and X-rays from different locations through a single, intuitive interface, ensuring seamless night shift coverage “. By eliminating the need to switch between tools or wait for delayed access, radiologists can handle urgent cases faster and more accurately—day or night. 

Today, up to 90% of studies are read directly within PACS, eliminating redundant processes and ensuring consistency. New sites are onboarded faster, collaboration is stronger, and radiologists report higher satisfaction. “Since adopting the Philips PACS, we’ve gained seamless access to all our exams, even those from newly integrated sites. It’s a unified, intuitive solution that truly simplifies our daily practice.” concludes Dr. Benoit Hecquet, Radiologist.

Implementing a new imaging system across multiple sites can be daunting. The project was approached with multiple steps, where the technical team worked closely with Ocean Imagerie, providing a personalized roadmap, weekly follow-ups, and on-the-ground support to guide the transition “Having a defined project With the Philips technical team, we have been able to create a roadmap truly dedicated to our team and subsequent guidance which allowed us to link the specifications and the result” continues Mrs. Alexandra Sarran. This collaborative approach ensured that the solution met 100% of Ocean Imagerie’s technical expectations. Transitioning from a system originally designed for single-site public hospitals to a complex, fast-growing private multisite organization required a high level of adaptation. One of the biggest concerns, data migration, was handled seamlessly, with no disruption to operations or loss of patient information. 

“We had training from the beginning, and it was ongoing. This has allowed the doctors to continue feeling educated and supported by the Philips teams.” shares Alexandra Sarran, CEO Ocean Imagerie. Thanks to the user-friendly interface, radiologists were able to adapt with minimal training, quickly incorporating the new tools into their daily workflow. “Users quickly adapt to the new tool. After an initial training phase, they set up their own interface allowing them great work comfort.” concludes Dr. Benoit Hecquet, radiologists.

A key breakthrough during the rollout was the customization of PACS features to support multisite workflows, a critical requirement given the group’s structure and ambitions. Philips adapted the platform to accommodate Ocean Imagerie’s specific needs, allowing radiologists across 24+ locations to work in a unified, consistent way. At the same time, cybersecurity was a top priority. Given the growing threats in healthcare IT, the team needed strong protection without sacrificing performance. Philips delivered robust safeguards, including centralized access via a single-entry point, ensuring both workflow efficiency and resilience against cyber threats.

The centralization of operations through a single entry point now ensures both workflow efficiency and protection. This strategic collaboration is not just as a successful project, but the foundation of a long-term partnership one that allowed them to implement a solution tailor-made for the private sector and fully in line with their operational complexity and ambitions, from expanding tele-interpretation to integrating new AI tools and strengthening multisite collaboration. “We are now a multisite private establishment satisfied with the Philips PACS solution.” shares Mrs. Alexandra Sarran. With the new unified workspace, Ocean Imagerie has shortened turnaround times, reduced clicks, and improved the consistency of its diagnostic process. Onboarding new sites is faster. Collaboration across departments has increased, while at the same time empowering the radiologists not burdening. 

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