Imaging Systems vendor Agfa HealthCare (Toronto, Canada), has announced the opening of a new research and development (R&D) facility and global data center in Waterloo, Ontario, Canada. The facility will be a place where Afga says it will expand on current product offerings and build its digital pathology offering, which it says will continue to improve and transform the field of medical imaging and image-enable the electronic health record (EHR).

 The facility, which will also house a global data center, will add 100 jobs according to Afga. Additionally, the company says with its proximity to the University of Waterloo campus, it will strengthen its ties with the university's faculty and students.

According to Canada Health Infoway, an independent non-profit Canadian based health IT research firm formed by the government, from a care perspective, it is estimated that PACS help the avoidance of 800,000 to 1.3 million unnecessary exams annually. Financially, it is estimated that PACS will generate $850 million to $1 billion a year in health system through added efficiencies, the firm cites.