Medical Equipment Resources & Consulting

Acquisitions: The Need for Inventory & Valuation - Medical Equipment Consultants Is your facility involved in an acquisition of another facility/practice or looking to sell your own? Obtaining the most accurate value for the medical equipment assets plays a vital role in this process. At MERC we provide comprehensive inventory services with condition assessments and a multi-face...

Head over to our MERC News blog check out some milestones we've reached through the mid-point of 2020
https://www.medicalequipmentconsultants.com/2020-mid-point-merc-milestones/

2020 Mid-point MERC Milestones - Medical Equipment Consultants Having made it over half way through 2020, we would like to take this time to share with you some relevant statistics and accomplishments we have reached. The Medical Equipment Resources & Consulting team has now performed Estimated Remaining Useful Life (ERUL) analysis on over 212,000 assets. Whene...

Hospital and Physician spending hit a one decade low in April. Due to low patient volume, hospitals and physicians are looking to cut costs and save money. One place we suggest you look is your medical equipment portfolio by optimizing replacement strategy with data-driven asset management. At MERC, we can help you plan, manage, and properly value your medical equipment. Once you know what you have from an inventory, using market driven ERUL (Estimated Remaining Useful Life) metrics will help you maximize the value and gain a better understanding of the life-cycle of your equipment.

https://www.medicalequipmentconsultants.com/services/asset-management-analytics/

Head over to our LinkedIn page to see the positive and negative effects wearable technology is having on healthcare delivery.

https://www.linkedin.com/feed/update/urn:li:activity:6679042008646078464

This week celebrated MERC's 13th anniversary! We just want to say thank you to the team that has helped make these 13 years a success and the customers we've enjoyed serving.

Not only has the spread of the Coronavirus re-calibrated the way visiting or working in a healthcare facility is looked at, but technology has also created opportunities to reduce or eliminate the need for staff to be on-site. Hospitals, surgery centers, and clinics still have to manage and understand their asset portfolios to better optimize the life-cycle and value of their equipment. Now with MERC’s Virtual Inventory & Evaluation Workplan (VIEW) services, you can keep those initiatives moving forward with less impact to operations. Below are three reasons why a VIEW inventory is valuable to your facility:

Eliminates or reduces the need for MERC staff to be on-site. This helps by reducing operational, staff, and logistical interruptions in a dynamic patient care environment.

In many cases, the reduction or elimination of a site visit will help save the facility money

Accuracy and a high-quality deliverables are uncompromised. We know what it takes to record the necessary information to deliver quality solutions whether we step in the facility or not.

Utilizing technology to lessen the impact of a MERC site visit has long been at the forefront of our minds. With VIEW now taking shape and becoming an expansion of our existing service line, we are excited to share with customers the years of development and capability that can help them optimize the value of their medical equipment in an innovative way.

At the beginning of the Coronavirus social distancing guidelines, the FDA postponed in-person inspections of most medical devices. They are currently working with the CDC to create a process that would help them resume on-site inspections that match the White House guidelines for reopening. As these policies and procedures continue to adapt, it is likely to change how healthcare facilities interact with FDA officials who are performing inspections. With the requirements changing and the need for accurate information being paramount, it is important to have an updated inventory and understand your assets. Let our team help you with that - for more information visit us at:

www.medicalequipmentconsultants.com

https://www.fda.gov/news-events/press-announcements/coronavirus-covid-19-update-fda-updates-surveillance-inspections-during-covid-19

Happy Memorial Day from MERC! Thank you to all those who serve and have served our great nation. 🇺🇸

Over the past couple of weeks, we have taken the opportunity to update the MERC website. Check out the new and improved look and content - we hope you are as excited as we are! http://www.medicalequipmentconsultants.com/

Although many different companies stepped up to the plate to make ventilators in the response to COVID-19, the NASA Jet Propulsion Lab also joined the response and showed the American spirit of ingenuity is still alive. This simple design, utilizing far fewer parts, was not designed as a long-term use ventilator, but designed to treat COVID-19 patients and only last for several months. This means it would not replace the typical hospital use ventilator, but compliment them in case of increase in demand.

NASA’s ventilator passed stimulated human testing within the past few weeks and offers a free license so anyone can begin manufacturing them at scale. What do you think about the temporary ventilators? Is this something that you think facilities could implement as an emergency use stockpile?

https://www.nasa.gov/feature/jpl/nasa-develops-covid-19-prototype-ventilator-in-37-days

Tandem has been working with the FDA to get approval for insulin pumps that are controlled through a smartphone app. Polling showed that having insulin injections being controlled by a smartphone is the number one feature that users want for the next generation of pumps. If this technology catches on, the trend could have major implications for the pumps that are currently on the market. What do you think of a smartphone controlling day-to-day therapy?

https://www.medtechdive.com/news/tandem-reworks-fda-strategy-for-new-insulin-pump-features/572846/

With the increasing population of elderly people in the United States, there is a growing need for joint repair and replacement surgeries. With this increase in demand and improved technology allowing these procedures to be done in an outpatient setting, ASCs that are prepared for this will likely benefit. If your facility wants to prepare for this trend, reach out to our team at MERC. If it’s planning a new facility, expanding an existing one, or just getting a better understanding of your medical equipment and what is needed to adapt, we can help.

https://go.beckershospitalreview.com/total-joints-in-the-asc-what-to-know-and-how-to-get-started?utm_campaign=Cardinal_Health_Podcast_March_2020&utm_source=email&utm_content=etextad&oly_enc_id=7021F1655890G8L

What’s next for vendors and service providers?

Since the COVID-19 pandemic has changed the landscape of our world, the healthcare market has seen many changes and “ripple” effects from the virus. In some ways, we may only be seeing the beginning of safety regulations, facility entry procedures, and protocols for not only staff, but visitors and patients. What are some of the steps your facility has taken during this time? How has this affected vendor relationships and their availability to serve facility needs? Are vendors, visitors, and service providers being asked to wear masks? Will we see required health screening the day of vendor/service visits? Will current vendor screening platforms have more in depth requirements for immunity testing, vaccination, and other cleaning/hygiene training? MERC would really enjoy your feedback as either a vendor or healthcare facility. It’s a daily changing environment in the world today and our team wants to be part of the solution.

Our team is excited to share that we’ve now tagged over 100,000 assets! Thank you to our great customers and the opportunities we’ve had to serve you and your facilities.

During this difficult time that we are dealing with the COVID-19 situation, MERC has our front-line healthcare providers in our thoughts and prayers. Working with these people on a nearly day-to-day basis, we know that this group is dedicated to taking care of others, often at the expense of their own wellness. Our team is ready to help in any way we can to support equipment initiatives that need to continue or cannot be postponed. In an environment where staff are being forced to isolate and many are working remotely, MERC can provide insight into this process as we work from home or on the road on a daily basis. Also, don’t let the travel restrictions discourage you from keeping your initiatives involving medical equipment moving forward. Our team can help deliver solutions with data-fueled consulting services without having to be on-site. Be safe out there and know that MERC is ready to serve you now, and together we’ll get through this difficult time.

Anesthesia machines are one of the most vital pieces of equipment in the operating room. Even though the technology is constantly improving, you continue to see older, reliable units in the marketplace.

Here are some factors that will affect pricing of both newer and older models of anesthesia machines.

• Newer units have more automation, taking less of the anesthesiologist’s time. This will drive doctors to newer units and put less demand on older models.

• Older units may use less accurate ventilation systems and not be compatible with current monitoring technology.

• As older models are phased out, there will be less OEM support and parts will be limited to secondary market suppliers.

Running a couple days behind, but here we go...

Ultrasound technology is constantly evolving, producing higher definition images that provide more accurate care as well as being more portable and user friendly. With ultrasounds, there are several factors you must consider when it comes to your equipment’s lifecycle and ongoing value.

- Smaller, point-of-care units such as the Sonosite iViz system are becoming more popular and are replacing larger, more cumbersome units.

- Ultrasounds can often be refurbished, giving them a second life on the used market.

- When budgeting for an ultrasound, it is important to remember that you may have to pay for delivery, installation, as well as application specific training for staff.

- Some manufacturers have a stronger reputation in the ultrasound market than others with reliability and overall quality therefore retaining more value.

Had the opportunity to present and attend at the ACE Summit in Atlanta last week. Excited for the new connections we made!

Medical Equipment Monday:

The Carefusion Alaris Platform is an infusion pump system that is one of the most popular on the market. These systems give the healthcare provider the ability to have IV systems, pain medication, monitoring, and patient ID systems all in one controller. These features are added by attaching modules to the main control module.

These are the factors that could influence the lifecycle and value of the Alaris infusion system:

· Infusion pumps are in constant use and see heavy wear and tear in a facility.

· Due to their popularity, there are plenty of replacement parts and market support for these units that helps extend their lifecycle and maintain value.

· Because of the use of modules, it is easier to replace a broken module than replacing an entire unit, thus providing more value for users and a potentially longer lifecycle.

Want to know more about your equipment’s lifecycle and value? Contact us to find out today.

Medical Equipment Resources & Consulting updated their business hours.

Does your facility have that “dungeon”, “basement”, or area that is being designated as the storage unit for equipment that rarely gets used? Do you have too many assets sitting around not being utilized? MERC can help. Our team of consultants has the capability to work with your facility to maximize the return on your surplus assets. We work with you to recuperate your dollars, so you can put that capital back to work updating your portfolio or saving money. Contact us today to see how we can help you clear out the “basement” that is costing you daily and put that money back to work.

Medstar Health has received a grant based upon an invention that is being used to improve the feeding tube process for infants. This new invention is a gravity-feed syringe holder that would be used with feeding tubes in the neonatal intensive care (NICU) as well as potential other applications throughout the hospital.. At MERC, our team has spent significant time in the NICU performing asset inventories, so we understand how busy and delicate the care in these departments can be. Once these devices get to real-world patient care areas, will they have any downside compared to the current process? Let us know what you think.

https://www.medicaldesignandoutsourcing.com/protolabs-healthcare-grant-spurs-2-feeding-tube-inventions/

Thankful to have been part of another successful surgery center move. Teamwork and planning from all the stakeholders helped make this project go a smooth as it did!

After an asset inventory is completed, reconciling to the asset ledger improves financial accountability. Don't stop short with your data; utilize it to maintain your records and empower decision making.

Gyroscopic Radiosurgery for the brain - wow! First ever clinical model installed is something we don’t always hear on an inventory - amazing technology in healthcare!

Looking forward to a great 2020!