Many hospitals are either thinking about, or are in the process of implementing a Picture Archiving and Communication System (PACS). The final "vision" of PACS within a facility may be obvious to those who have been involved with the PACS project since its inception. However, the goals and advantages may not be as obvious to the everyday user of the system. This program explores the fundamentals of PACS including image acquisition, display, archiving and communication. The potential, as well as the major benefits of PACS are also discussed.