MILWAUKEE--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Merge Healthcare (NASDAQ:MRGE), a leading medical imaging solutions provider, today announced an alliance with Shanghai Kingstar Winning Co., a healthcare IT leader in China. The Merge Healthcare China office (“Merge China”) will make available clinical imaging solutions and professional services to Kingstar Winning for use by more than 800 hospitals in its install base, as well as future Kingstar Winning customers. This latest win for Merge provides a large step forward with the adoption of Merge technology in this growing market.

“In today’s fast-growing healthcare IT market in China, quality clinical solutions are critical to patient care,” explains Mr. Kai Sun, General Manager of Kingstar Winning’s Medical Imaging Software Division. “Shanghai Kingstar Winning Co. differentiates itself by providing quality products, and we are pleased to introduce Merge Healthcare’s clinical applications into our solution. Merge Healthcare has a strong history in developing medical imaging software and technologies that offer flexibility and scalability. They will enhance our product lines and will, therefore, help our valued customers to obtain the right solutions at the right time.”

The strategic partnership between Merge Healthcare and Kingstar Winning comes at an excellent time for healthcare in China. The Chinese government has announced a new healthcare reform plan, similar to the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009, which allocates almost $20 billion for health IT. The plan outlines $125 billion (USD) in spending over the next three years, including a sizeable investment in rural health technology and infrastructure. Together, Merge and Kingstar Winning will provide cost-effective, quality solutions into more rural areas, leading to better patient care for these communities and contributing to the success of the reform plan.

“Merge is honored that Kingstar Winning recognized the high quality of our technologies,” says Justin Dearborn, CEO of Merge Healthcare. “I am confident our solutions will provide Kingstar Winning’s large install base with excellent clinical solutions and services. In addition, we believe our advanced medical imaging technologies will enhance the opportunity for Kingstar Winning’s national sales network to be even more successful in this fast-growing market.”

About Shanghai Kingstar Winning Co.

Shanghai Kingstar Winning is a leading Healthcare IT solution provider in Mainland China. According to IDC reports, Kingstar Winning is ranked at the top of the Chinese domestic Healthcare IT industry. Kingstar Winning has extensive product lines covering almost every corner of the healthcare IT industry; from HIS, EMR, LIS and RIS/PACS solutions, to insurance systems and community public health management systems. The company’s Registered Capital is 40 million RMB. Its 450 employees in mainland China served more than 800 hospitals all over the country and generated over 100M RMB revenue in 2008. Kingstar Winning’s products and solutions have received many awards from both the Shanghai Municipal Government and the Chinese Central Government for their contribution to the development of the Chinese Healthcare IT industry.

Merge Healthcare’s solutions solve mission-critical issues for radiology practices, outpatient imaging centers, hospitals, pharmaceutical companies and device manufacturers worldwide. Our technologies and toolkits help companies provide innovative imaging applications to their customers. For additional information, visit www.merge.com.

The matters discussed in this news release may include forward-looking statements, which could involve a number of risks and uncertainties. When used in this press release, the words “will,” “believes,” “intends,” “anticipates,” “expects” and similar expressions are intended to identify forward-looking statements. Actual results could differ materially from those expressed in, or implied by, such forward-looking statements. Except as expressly required by the federal securities laws, the Company undertakes no obligation to update such factors or to publicly announce the results of any of the forward-looking statements.