Different kind of society holds unique medical imaging informatics meeting in Vancouver, May 20 to 23

GREAT FALLS, VA - Physicians, administrators, technologists, physicists, industry leaders, and information specialists come together once a year at the annual meeting of the Society for Computer Applications in Radiology to discuss the crucial intersection between medical practice and the expanding array of information technologies that process, manage, and protect images.

SCAR 2004 - to be held in Vancouver, BC, May 20 to 23 - promises to continue a tradition maintained for more than two decades: offering unique content on cutting-edge topics in a collegial atmosphere unlike that found at any other medical meeting.

"SCAR takes a very ecumenical approach by bringing together all of the professionals involved in medical imaging technologies," said Dr. Bruce I. Reiner, SCAR chair. "This is the one place where we can meet and address the challenges we see every day as both technology and clinical medicine change rapidly. We may come from widely diverse work settings, but we all speak the same language."

The industry agrees. More than 125 companies will be technical exhibitors in the main hall of the Vancouver Convention Centre. SCAR members from industry participate along with their medical and IT colleagues in more than 100 scientific and educational sessions.

"At SCAR, companies meet and listen to highly specialized professional attendees who share a common interest in computer applications in imaging," said Henri "Rik" Primo, director of marketing and strategic relationships for Siemens Medical Solutions USA. "What was once a small academic meeting has become a place of excellence for interaction and information exchange between users and vendors."

Highlights of SCAR 2004 will include:
??a gala opening session, featuring the premiere of a lively educational movie on room design in the filmless environment
??SCAR University, a comprehensive curriculum in computer applications in radiology
??original scientific papers, posters, and demonstrations approved for continuing education credit
??tours of electronic imaging activities at four Vancouver hospitals
??vendor demonstrations and presentations on the newest technologies
??special sessions and press conferences addressing the challenges of security, image overload, and open source software

SCAR is devoted to the advancement of computer applications and information technology in medical imaging through education and research.