Surgical Information Systems (SIS), a leader in perioperative information systems for the hospital market, has acquired AmkaiSolutions, a leader in ambulatory surgery center electronic medical record and business management software.

The addition of AmkaiSolutions strengthens SIS's position in the perioperative IT market, where it already serves more than 300 hospitals and health systems in the United States and Canada, says SIS. SIS says AmkaiSolutions will "extend its capabilities into the ambulatory surgery market. At the same time, AmkaiSolutions will benefit from SIS' robust capabilities in product development and client support."

By joining forces, Amkai says the combined company "will be able to meet the needs of both the outpatient and acute care environments for practice and perioperative information management".

Amkai offers both an EMR system (AmkaiCharts) and management software (AmkaiOffice). The company's systems are currently installed in more than 200 U.S. facilities. "We look forward to combining our strong ambulatory experience with the rich, acute care experience of the SIS team," says Joe Macies, Amkai's executive vice president.

Dan O'Connor