Toshiba and Shands Healthcare of Florida Announce Strategic Partnership

Premiere Healthcare System to Serve as Toshiba’s National Show Site and Regional Physician Education Partner for Cardiology Modalities

TUSTIN, Calif.,
April 21, 2005

As part of an ongoing strategy to expand its position in the U.S. cardiology market, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc. (TAMS) today announced a long-term, strategic partnership with Shands HealthCare of Florida to serve as the company’s national show site, highlighting the latest medical imaging advances and offering regional physician education programs to further the application of medical imaging modalities in cardiology.

Toshiba medical imaging equipment installations at Shands HealthCare include the AquilionTM 64 CFX cardiac computed tomography (CT) scanner, the UltimaxTM all-digital, multi-purpose X-ray system, and the family of InfinixTM vascular X-ray systems including a pair of VC-i (single-plane) systems, and CB-i (bi-plane), DP-i (dual-plane) and VB-i (bi-plane neurology) systems.

“The Shands HealthCare partnership will serve as a national vehicle to showcase the clinical effectiveness of the Aquilion 64 CFX, the Infinix and the Ultimax X-ray systems, as well as strengthen Toshiba’s position in the U.S. cardiology market,” said John Zimmer, vice president of marketing, Toshiba America Medical Systems, Inc.  “Our new relationship also will result in expanded physician education opportunities designed to improve the diagnosis and treatment of cardiovascular diseases.”

Shands HealthCare, an affiliate of the University of Florida, is one of the Southeast’s premier health systems.  Shands HealthCare includes nine hospitals, more than 80 affiliated primary and specialty physician practices and a medical staff of 1,500 University of Florida faculty and community physicians.

“As a leading academic medical center, Shands HealthCare and the University of Florida are well-known for bringing the latest medical advances to the patients of Florida, as well as the nation, and our strategic partnership with Toshiba will continue that commitment,” said Melinda Chitty, director of radiology, Shands HealthCare.  “We look forward to a mutually beneficial relationship that will assist both organizations in providing the most advanced diagnostic and medical services to improve the overall practice of cardiovascular medicine.”

For more information about TAMS and its wide range of medical imaging products, please visit www.medical.toshiba.com.


About Toshiba

With headquarters in Tustin, Calif., Toshiba America Medical Systems markets, sells, distributes and services diagnostic imaging systems, and coordinates clinical diagnostic imaging research for all modalities in the United States.  Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation, an independent group company of Toshiba Corporation, is a global leading provider of diagnostic medical imaging systems and comprehensive medical solutions, such as CT, X-ray, Ultrasound, Nuclear Medicine, MRI and information systems.  Toshiba Corporation is a leader in information and communications systems, electronic components, consumer products, and power systems.  Toshiba has approximately 161,000 employees worldwide and annual sales of $53 billion.

quilionTM, InfinixTM, and UltimaxTM are trademarks of Toshiba Medical Systems Corporation.