Acceletronics Archives - Page 3 of 3

Maintaining Equipment While Sticking To A Budget

In the field of radiation oncology there is always a constant battle between bringing the best treatment options to patients while maintaining equilibrium to the budget. In this latest installment we will continue to look into strategies that can help medical facilities that are struggling to find ways to reduce oncology costs while working to maintain quality.

In our last article we looked into purchasing refurbished linear accelerators and CT scanners to reduce the initial expense of large scaled medical equipment. Today we will look in to two different cost saving ideas: using existing equipment longer and contracting independent oncology equipment repair specialists to repair and maintain radiology equipment.

When facilities hold off on large purchases, such as buying a linear accelerator, it allows them to allocate their budget into other areas such as patient care, facility upkeep and the medical team itself. The downside being that the latest technology available may not be in use. That issue can be addressed in numerous ways such as regularly updating equipment software and performing regular maintenance tasks. When performing these in conjunction with one another, facilities find that they can keep up with the upgrades found in newer equipment.

It is imperative that all equipment within the facility meets all of the manufacturer requirements for maintenance. When maintenance is being performed on any large or small oncology equipment it is necessary that it is done by individuals who have been trained to service the model that is in use. This is an absolute necessity. Not all radiology equipment is created equally and therefore need to be serviced by professionals knowledgeable of your exact models service maintenance requirements.

Another strategy that can be employed for reducing oncology costs is to hire an ISO to maintain and service equipment rather than locking into an unnecessary contract. An ISO can offer a substantial savings while ensuring service on demand at a lower cost. The upsides of hiring an ISO are plentiful. Not only can it save the facility money but time. Time is of the essence when maintenance or repairs are performed on large scaled medical equipment.

When hiring an independent service organization take time to ask the following questions to make sure that the priorities of the ISO are similar to those of your medical organization.

What is the estimated response time to respond to service needs? Can they provide references to match their response?
Are there any guarantees on response time?
Is support available 24/7 Are there extra charges for after hour support? What type of training is done to provide technicians with the latest skills necessary in maintenance and repair for newer technology?
Can we choose between using new radiology parts or refurbished components when repairs and maintenance are being performed on our linear accelerators, CT scanners and other radiology equipment?
Is testing and calibration done in accordance to OEM standards? Will service history be documented and kept on file to ensure compliance with the OEM standards?
What are the hourly service charges? Does the facility pay for travel time?
How long has the ISO been servicing oncology equipment? Are FDA and state vendor regulations met?

It is important for hospitals, medical facilities and specialized radiation oncology treatment centers to look for ways to decrease expenditures without sacrificing patient care. Healthcare facilities must ensure that this is done in a manner that is compliant with industry standards while seeking to increase client satisfaction.

Radparts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts for Linear Accelerators and Radiation Oncology equipment. We provide high quality, user friendly, low cost parts support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. For more information on low cost parts for repairing Linac equipment find us at http://www.radparts.com.

Curtail Equipment Expenses While Keeping Up With The Latest Technology

Nothing is inexpensive when it comes to purchasing equipment for medical use. Medical facilities are in a constant battle to decrease expenses while maintaining quality. This is especially difficult when it comes to radiation oncology where cutting edge equipment, such as linear accelerators and CT scanners can easily cost millions of dollars. It is essential that facilities search for different ways to reduce expenses and cap costs.

In the following installment we will discuss three different options medical facilities both big and small can provide top notch services to stay competitive without sacrificing the delivery and quality of care. One way that medical facilities seek to do this is by purchasing refurbished linear accelerators and CT scanners.

Medical facilities can curtail equipment expenditures while keeping up with updates in technology, improving safety, providing more precise treatments and streamline work flow by budgeting for and purchasing refurbished equipment. This is an extremely attractive alternative to purchasing brand new equipment especially when you can arrange to procure similar models to what is currently being used in your facility. Using similar model equipment to what is already in use saves money on training. It also reduces the amount of time that is usually lost when adopting to a new piece of equipment.

Refurbished equipment can offer the same performance and reliability as new equipment at a discount. Choosing a reputable supplier that specializes in radiology equipment while also offering installation and maintenance services medical facilities save a great deal of money without any sacrifice.

Before seeking to purchase new refurbished medical equipment it is imperative that the decision makers in charge of purchasing get answers to seven very important questions. These include:

Can we purchase refurbished equipment? If so, what is the process of refurbishing that the radiology oncology equipment we are seeking goes through? Are the parts thoroughly tested?
Should we be able to expect that the refurbished medical equipment, either a linear accelerator or CT scanner, perform according to the manufacturer’s original specifications?
Will the equipment comes with any warranties or guarantees covering parts and labor?
Will the supplier that the refurbished oncology equipment is purchased from also be able to perform the installation? What about future maintenance?
What has the overall reaction to this model been? Have facilities that are using this model reported any ongoing issues?
Do they have a radiation test cell? Will full beam testing be done prior to installation within the medical facility?
What is the company’s reputation in the industry? Are you able to speak with other medical facilities that have been provided refurbished equipment and services from the supplier?

In our next installment we will continue looking into ways that medical organizations can save money when looking into reducing expenses in their medical equipment budgets while keeping up-to date with advances in technology in the field of radiation oncology.

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Hiring Professionals To Maintain and Repair Medical Equipment

Most individuals experience a sense of confidence when it comes to making repairs to their personal items. Some car owners enjoy doing their own automobile repairs. The same is true of many homeowners; they thrive on being capable to keep up on the maintenance and improvements that need to be made around their homes. It is important for many individuals to do this type of work on their own because of the money it saves overtime. Think about the amount of money that could be saved if you didn’t need to hire a mechanic or contractor each time something wasn’t working.

Do-it-yourself maintenance and repairs are not always so simple in other areas. Once such field that requires experts is when medical equipment needs to be maintained or repaired. In order for a professional to be trained to repair equipment throughout medical facilities such as linear accelerators and CT scanners they will need a specialized education. This can be obtained through many community college or vocational schools. Individuals that service medical equipment are referred to as biomedical equipment technicians.

Some hospitals or medical facilities will have a full time staff member that is equipped to handle all of the maintenance and repairs that need to be done throughout the facility on large scaled medical equipment. They are on staff and available to fix malfunctioning equipment immediately. However, in many circumstances hospitals and medical facilities are functioning on a budget therefore relying on biomedical equipment technicians who work on contract or are available for on call service.

Immediate response to medical equipment repairs is necessary. Patient’s lives rely in this equipment to be up and running properly for treatment and diagnosis. If machines are functioning improperly or not at all nurses and physicians risk making critical mistakes. When individual lives are at stake there is absolutely no room for any errors especially from the machines that set out to help them. In the health field, biomedical technicians and the work that they do are critical to the day to day operations of the facility.

It takes quite a few people throughout medical facilities and hospitals to keep the everyday flow running smoothly. Medical equipment that is operating properly allows radiologists to offer patients proper diagnostics and treatments. It takes many trained professionals to ensure that medical equipment is in proper working order. Routine maintenance and proper repairs made the first time around by trained professionals has a significant contribution to the overall health and wellbeing of patients.

Reducing Medical Equipment Repair Costs

Is your medical facility looking to reduce the costs involved in repairing medical equipment used to treat patients? There are three important questions to answer when deciding how your facility will reduce the costs associated with repairing medical equipment.

First, it is important to know the overall expense for annual medical equipment maintenance and repair including repairs that are made in-house, those that are outsources, OEM, T&M and more. Next, it is essential to determine the cost of long term contracts that are in place regarding maintenance on medical equipment. Be sure to take note of what type of maintenance and repairs are covered by the long term contract. The last question that needs to be answered is what the actual cost reduction goal for the facility is. After these three questions are answered clarity regarding a plan of action in reducing the repair costs of medical equipment in your facility can reached.

Medical facilities are facing a myriad of uncertainties. There is a need for healthcare facilities to find ways to trim expenses and cut careless spending. It is vital that medical facilities recognize, measure, implement, and maintain a cost reduction strategy regarding maintenance and repairs to medical equipment in order to remain operational while enduring economic downturns.

In order to find ways to save money a facility needs to understand the cost of their current medical equipment maintenance program. To clearly see the big picture of the program that is currently in place it is key that all of the contracts regarding equipment maintenance are taken into consideration. The contracts should be completely understood. What do the contracts cover? Are failed parts replaced as a part of the contract? Does the contract fully cover the expense of labor and parts? Does the plan cover the expenses incurred whether they are in house, outsourced? What about the time and cost of materials be it new or refurbished? Reducing the costs within a medical facility are never easy but having a clearer understanding of the bigger picture and overall costs helps.

Take a complete inventory of all of the medical equipment that your facility currently has on hand. From linear accelerators to CT scanners access the number of pieces, their overall condition, repair history, replacement parts that have been installed and everything in between. Determine what is still being paid on the contracts. Many times facilities find that they are still paying on maintenance contracts on equipment that is no longer being used by the medical facility.

One way to cut costs is through this inventory process. There is no reason to pay on contracts on equipment that is no longer in use at the facility. By evaluating the current medical equipment in your facility and removing excess unused equipment or canceling contracts on equipment no longer at the facility medical facilities can save a significant amount of money.

Radparts is the world’s largest independent distributor of OEM replacement parts for Linear Accelerators and Radiation Oncology equipment. The mission is to provide high quality, user friendly, low cost parts support for linear accelerators and radiation equipment. For more information on low cost parts for repairing Linac equipment find us at http://www.radparts.com.

Budgeting For the Expense of Medical Equipment

One of the biggest issues facing medical facilities is the cost of purchasing, maintaining, and operation much needed medical equipment. Linear accelerators can cost anywhere between three to four million dollars to purchase. When budgeting for such large scale equipment, facilities should consider that maintenance on a linear accelerator can average approximately half a million dollars each year. This figure does not include any of the expense in regards to personal involved in operations.

Medical facilities, especially cancer facilities need to be equipped with state of the art, reliable equipment in order to achieve a high level of patient care. As medical linear accelerators start to age the machines reliability starts to decrease and errors increase. The average lifetime of a machine like a linear accelerator or CT scanner is between five to ten years. Medical machinery errors can often be detoured by upgrades in software or by replacing parts with parts that have been refurbished that bring machine back to its original state.

Many companies that offer linear accelerators for sale also offer maintenance contractors or are affiliated with refurbished linear accelerator part distributors. There are several levels of support that facilities can choose from. So many medical facilities are facing budget constraints that they are often left choosing between updates on machine software, operating manuals or continued training for machine operators and physicists. All of which is above and beyond the initial expense and regular maintenance of the machine itself.

Another dilemma that plagues medical facilities needing large pieces of medical equipment to diagnosis and treat patients is the pressure of production. Each piece of machinery is expected to pay for itself overtime its lifetime. The pressure is even more present when used in a profit generating facility verse a non-profit medical facility.

The demands of patient care and quality, error free treatment also plagues medical facilities operation large equipment like CT scanners and linear accelerators. When treating illnesses such as cancer it is crucial that treatment follows a certain schedule. Most cancer patients are experiencing enough disruption in life that the last thing they need is scheduling conflicts because of issues pertaining to medical equipment.

Independent Linear Accelerator Services Vital to Future of Healthcare

The capital cost of technology has been sharply increasing in recent years with Varian and Elekta and others developing some great products. However, a large part of the Lifetime Cost of this technology is maintenance and service; a monopoly has developed because the original equipment manufacturer (OEM) controls more of the service than normal for complex medical technology, and annual costs are rising disproportionately.

Failure to attack technology lifetime costs inevitably results in a focus on reductions in the patient facing staff you’ve invested in who ensure excellent patient experience and outcomes. As a result, it makes sense to revisit ways to spend less to maintain clinical up-time.

It is generally agreed that negotiating with a monopoly rarely leads to the optimum outcome for the buyer, which is why Acceletronics, as an Independent Linear Accelerator Services Organization, is so important to the future of your Cancer Clinic.

Acceletronics has built its business to provide leverage to buyers by offering a quality alternative from its nationwide network of linear accelerator engineers and parts supply company. Typical savings of one third in annual costs are achieved using our ISO9001:2008 compliant processes and procedures, across all major brands and models including TrueBeam.

Get a quotation from Acceletronics today, and join the hundreds of sites who have become long term satisfied customers, who are protecting their future through proactive positive change.Acceletronics also offers turn-key capital technology solutions based on pre-owned refurbished Linear Accelerators to overcome economic barriers to serving patients in challenging demographic areas, and will dispose of excess equipment at fair market prices.

Call us anytime at 1-800-626-8704, email us at support@acceletronics.com, or visit our brand new website at www.Acceletronics.com for more information about linear accelerator services and replacement parts.

ACCELETRONICS INSTALLS AND MAINTAINS LINEAR ACCELERATORS FOR A LIVING

The Acceletronics install team recently completed the relocation of an Elekta Synergy® linear accelerator in Lakewood Ranch, Florida and this is what our customer representative said:

“Greetings from Bob Duerkes,

The Acceletronics team did an outstanding job in the relocation of our Elekta Synergy XVI accelerator from our BAO office to our LWF office. They came in within our budget guidelines and performed the work in an efficient manner. We were able to complete acceptance of the accelerator at its relocated site within a month of signing the agreement to do the work, actually a whole week ahead of schedule. We are very pleased with the excellent work done by Acceletronics, and would highly recommend them to anyone who needs a remarkably trained team to do exceptional work at an affordable price.

Thank you again, Bob”.

Robert J Duerkes
21st Century Oncology, Inc.

Founded in 1981, Acceletronics is proud to be of service to the Radiation Oncology community to which we give our best efforts providing high quality and efficient linear accelerator and CT Simulator services. Whether you need service on your Varian Truebeam ® or Trilogy® system, need service for your GE or Philips CT Simulator, need your linear accelerator relocated or removed and disposed of, or need a newer, more capable Elekta or Varian linear accelerator for your department, Acceletronics is there when you need us with a high quality, timely and cost effective solution. Please contact us via email atinfo@acceletronics.com or call us at 800-543-5144 for more information.