Catholic Health and GE HealthCare Form $500 Million Care Alliance to Expand Advanced Patient Care Across Long Island
Catholic Health, one of Long Island’s largest integrated healthcare systems, has entered into a landmark 10-year strategic partnership with GE HealthCare that is expected to significantly transform healthcare delivery across the region. Valued at approximately $500 million, the long-term collaboration—known as a Care Alliance—will focus on expanding patient access to advanced medical imaging, precision diagnostics, artificial intelligence (AI)-powered technologies, and digital healthcare solutions.
The agreement represents one of the largest Care Alliance partnerships established by GE HealthCare with a U.S. healthcare system to date. Rather than serving as a traditional equipment procurement contract, the alliance establishes a comprehensive, long-term collaboration encompassing medical equipment modernization, service support, cloud-based technologies, AI-enabled clinical applications, digital workflow optimization, education, maintenance, and ongoing operational collaboration.
Through this extensive initiative, Catholic Health aims to improve patient access to specialized care, enhance diagnostic accuracy, reduce treatment delays, and create a more connected healthcare experience for both patients and clinicians throughout Long Island.
A Long-Term Vision for Modern Healthcare
Healthcare organizations across the United States continue to face increasing demand for specialized services while managing aging infrastructure, workforce shortages, growing patient populations, and rapidly evolving medical technologies.
Recognizing these challenges, Catholic Health and GE HealthCare have designed their Care Alliance as a strategic investment that extends far beyond replacing medical equipment. Instead, the partnership focuses on modernizing healthcare delivery across the entire health system by integrating next-generation imaging technologies, AI-powered software, cloud-based solutions, and comprehensive operational support.
The agreement spans every aspect of healthcare technology, including:
- Advanced diagnostic imaging systems
- Artificial intelligence-powered clinical tools
- Digital workflow solutions
- Cloud-based imaging platforms
- Biomedical equipment management
- Preventive maintenance services
- Staff education and technical training
- Equipment lifecycle management
- Enterprise-wide operational optimization
Together, these initiatives are intended to strengthen Catholic Health’s ability to provide innovative, compassionate, and patient-centered care across its network of hospitals and outpatient facilities.
Expanding Access to Specialized Cardiology Services
Cardiovascular disease remains one of the leading causes of illness and death in the United States, making timely diagnosis and treatment essential for improving patient outcomes.
One of the central goals of the Care Alliance is to expand Catholic Health’s nationally recognized cardiology program by increasing the availability of advanced cardiac imaging throughout Long Island.
Instead of requiring patients to travel to major hospital campuses for specialized imaging, the partnership will extend advanced cardiovascular diagnostic technologies to multiple outpatient and ambulatory care centers.
This expansion is expected to:
- Improve patient convenience
- Reduce travel time for diagnostic services
- Increase appointment availability
- Shorten wait times for cardiac imaging
- Support earlier diagnosis of cardiovascular disease
By bringing high-quality cardiac services closer to patients’ homes, Catholic Health hopes to improve access while delivering a more seamless care experience.
Accelerating the Oncology Care Journey
Cancer diagnosis and treatment often involve multiple imaging studies performed over several weeks before therapy can begin. Delays during this process can increase anxiety for patients while postponing critical treatment decisions.
To help streamline oncology care, Catholic Health plans to install advanced magnetic resonance (MR), computed tomography (CT), and positron emission tomography (PET) imaging technologies equipped with embedded AI capabilities.
These intelligent imaging systems are designed to assist clinicians by improving image quality, automating portions of the scanning process, and helping radiologists identify clinically relevant findings more efficiently.
The modernization initiative aims to reduce the time between:
- Initial diagnostic imaging
- Image interpretation
- Clinical consultation
- Treatment planning
- Therapy initiation
Shortening these intervals has the potential to improve both patient experiences and clinical outcomes.
Strengthening Nuclear Medicine Capabilities
The Care Alliance also includes major investments in nuclear medicine services at two flagship Catholic Health facilities:
- St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center®
- Good Samaritan University Hospital
Nuclear medicine plays an increasingly important role in modern oncology by helping physicians evaluate cancer progression, monitor treatment response, and detect disease recurrence.
Enhanced nuclear medicine technologies are expected to improve diagnostic confidence while supporting more personalized treatment planning for oncology patients.
These investments further reinforce Catholic Health’s commitment to expanding comprehensive cancer services across the region.
Modernizing Ultrasound Services
Ultrasound remains one of the most frequently used diagnostic imaging technologies in healthcare because of its versatility, safety, and real-time imaging capabilities.
As part of the partnership, Catholic Health will add hundreds of new ultrasound systems throughout its healthcare network.
These systems will support numerous clinical departments, including:
- Emergency medicine
- Critical care
- Obstetrics
- Gynecology
- Cardiology
- Surgery
- Primary care
- Bedside patient care
By expanding ultrasound availability, clinicians will have faster access to diagnostic information directly at the point of care, helping improve workflow efficiency while supporting faster clinical decision-making.
Advancing Women’s Health Services
Women’s healthcare represents another major focus of the Care Alliance.
Catholic Health plans to strengthen services across:
- Obstetrics
- Gynecology
- Maternal-fetal medicine
- Breast imaging
- Prenatal care
Among the first equipment additions expected during the initial phase of the agreement is contrast-enhanced mammography technology, which can expand access to advanced breast imaging and biopsy services.
The health system also plans to upgrade maternal and infant monitoring technologies at Good Samaritan University Hospital, enhancing care for mothers and newborns during pregnancy, labor, delivery, and postpartum recovery.
These investments are intended to improve access to comprehensive women’s healthcare while supporting earlier diagnosis and better clinical outcomes.
Embedding Clinical Expertise into Innovation
One distinctive feature of the Care Alliance is the inclusion of an embedded cardiovascular scientist who will work directly alongside Catholic Health physicians and clinical teams.
Rather than simply supplying technology, GE HealthCare will collaborate closely with frontline healthcare professionals to better understand:
- Clinical workflows
- Physician perspectives
- Patient care priorities
- Operational challenges
- Opportunities for future innovation
Insights gathered from these collaborations may help influence future equipment development, software enhancements, workflow improvements, and clinical technologies.
This collaborative model reflects an increasing trend in healthcare partnerships where technology companies work directly with clinicians to ensure innovation addresses real-world clinical needs.
Leadership Highlights the Importance of the Partnership
Gary Havican, Interim President, Chief Executive Officer, and Chief Operating Officer of Catholic Health, described the agreement as a major investment in the future of healthcare across Long Island.
According to Havican, combining Catholic Health’s clinical expertise with GE HealthCare’s advanced imaging technologies, artificial intelligence capabilities, and digital innovation will strengthen the health system’s ability to deliver precision medicine while expanding specialized care closer to patients’ homes.
He also emphasized that the partnership gives physicians and clinical teams a meaningful voice in shaping future healthcare innovations, ensuring that technology development remains aligned with patient care needs.
Significant Equipment Deployment Begins Early
Implementation of the Care Alliance will begin almost immediately.
Approximately half of all planned equipment additions are expected to be delivered within the first three years of the 10-year agreement.
Patients may begin experiencing improvements during the first year through expanded access to:
- Advanced breast imaging
- Additional diagnostic imaging technologies
- Upgraded maternal-infant monitoring systems
- Enhanced outpatient imaging services
The phased deployment strategy allows Catholic Health to begin realizing clinical benefits while continuing long-term modernization efforts across its healthcare network.
Financial Benefits Support Continued Investment
Beyond clinical improvements, the Care Alliance also offers financial advantages compared to traditional capital purchasing models.
Instead of acquiring equipment through multiple independent purchases, the agreement uses a long-term investment structure featuring unitary payments and financial accelerators.
This approach is expected to generate capital savings while allowing Catholic Health to reinvest resources into:
- Technology modernization
- Clinical program expansion
- Additional patient services
- Infrastructure improvements
- Future healthcare innovation
By reducing the financial burden associated with equipment replacement, the health system can allocate more resources toward improving patient care.
Enhancing the Patient Experience
Patients stand to benefit significantly from the new technologies introduced through the partnership.
Standardized imaging equipment, AI-powered clinical tools, and integrated digital workflows can contribute to:
- Shorter appointment wait times
- Faster diagnostic evaluations
- Improved scheduling efficiency
- Reduced treatment delays
- More consistent care experiences
- Greater availability of specialized services
The expansion of outpatient imaging services also allows patients to receive advanced diagnostic testing closer to home, reducing travel requirements and improving convenience.
Collectively, these improvements are expected to enhance patient satisfaction while supporting higher-quality healthcare delivery.
Supporting Clinicians Through AI and Digital Innovation
The Care Alliance is designed not only to improve patient care but also to support physicians, nurses, technologists, and other healthcare professionals.
Clinicians will gain access to advanced AI-enabled technologies capable of automating routine tasks, improving workflow efficiency, and providing enhanced clinical decision support.
Additional collaboration with GE HealthCare specialists will help optimize operational processes while identifying opportunities for continued innovation.
Reducing administrative burdens allows healthcare professionals to devote more time to direct patient care while improving workplace efficiency.
Comprehensive Service Beyond Equipment
Unlike conventional equipment purchasing agreements, this partnership includes an extensive 10-year multivendor service program.
The agreement covers more than 40 Catholic Health facilities and includes:
- Biomedical equipment maintenance
- Preventive servicing
- Fleet management
- Equipment lifecycle planning
- Performance optimization
- Comprehensive staff training
- Technical education
- Service coordination
Maintaining equipment reliability is essential for healthcare organizations, where unexpected downtime can disrupt patient care and reduce operational efficiency.
The service component helps maximize equipment availability while lowering long-term operating costs.
AI, Cloud Computing, and Imaging 360
Digital transformation remains a cornerstone of the Care Alliance.
Among the technologies included is Imaging 360, GE HealthCare’s cloud-based radiology operations platform.
Imaging 360 brings together imaging workflows across multiple facilities, providing centralized operational insights while enabling remote scanning support.
The platform allows healthcare administrators to monitor system-wide imaging performance, helping identify workflow bottlenecks, optimize scheduling, and improve patient throughput.
By leveraging cloud computing and AI, Catholic Health can improve operational efficiency while maintaining consistent imaging quality across its healthcare network.
Digital solutions incorporated into the alliance are also designed to reduce repetitive manual work, lessen cognitive burden for clinicians, improve communication with patients, and create a more connected healthcare environment.
A Shared Commitment to Better Healthcare
Rachel Gilbreath, Region President for the East, U.S. and Canada at GE HealthCare, emphasized that the Care Alliance is built upon deep collaboration and a shared commitment to expanding access to high-quality healthcare throughout Long Island.
She noted that over the next decade both organizations will work together to implement advanced technologies, integrate AI-powered software and cloud solutions, strengthen cardiology services, improve operational performance, and support better patient outcomes.
According to Gilbreath, aligning people, technology, and clinical processes creates measurable improvements for both healthcare professionals and the communities they serve.
Transforming Healthcare Across Long Island
Throughout the duration of the agreement, Catholic Health will expand services across its major hospitals, including:
- St. Francis Hospital & Heart Center®
- St. Charles Hospital
- Good Samaritan University Hospital
- St. Joseph Hospital
- St. Catherine of Siena Hospital
- Mercy Hospital
In addition, another 36 healthcare facilities throughout the health system will receive upgraded technologies.
The modernization program will include equipment across numerous specialties, including CT, MR, PET/CT, nuclear medicine, mammography, X-ray, surgical imaging, ultrasound, women’s health, anesthesia, diagnostic cardiology, and maternal-infant care.
By combining advanced imaging technologies, artificial intelligence, cloud computing, digital workflows, and long-term operational collaboration, Catholic Health and GE HealthCare aim to establish a new model for healthcare delivery that improves patient access, strengthens clinical excellence, and supports the future of precision medicine across Long Island for years to come.
Source link: https://www.businesswire.com/
