Adds details throughout, CEO comment in paragraph 5

Nov 20 (Reuters) - GE HealthCare GEHC.O said on Thursday it will acquire medical imaging software provider Intelerad for $2.3 billion in cash as the medical device maker seeks to expand into outpatient care markets.

Intelerad offers cloud-based medical imaging software and digital enterprise workflow solutions, and has a significant presence in outpatient ambulatory care settings that provide medical services without requiring an overnight hospital stay.

GE HealthCare's medical equipment are prominent in hospitals. Outpatient enterprise imaging presents an attractive high-growth, $2 billion-plus opportunity for the company worldwide, it said.

The medical device maker expects Intelerad's acquisition to immediately lift revenue growth and margins, and deliver a high single-digit return on invested capital by the fifth year.

"As hospitals and clinics face increasing demand for imaging, they want to simplify and unify their workflows," GE HealthCare CEO Peter Arduini said in a statement.

Montreal-based Intelerad's revenue is growing at a low double-digit annual rate and is expected to generate about $270 million in revenue in the first full year after the deal closes, GE HealthCare said.

GE HealthCare expects the deal to close in the first half of 2026, pending regulatory approval. Intelerad's majority shareholder, Hg Capital, and another investor, TA Associates, will fully exit their investments through the transaction.

(Reporting by Padmanabhan Ananthan in Bengaluru; Editing by Leroy Leo)

((Padmanabhan.Ananthan@thomsonreuters.com;))