by
Lisa Chamoff, Contributing Reporter | August 08, 2017
From the August 2017 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
Enticing with service
While MES contracts are relatively new, other OEMs continue to entice hospitals to invest fully in their assets, offering package deals with service, parts and equipment, creating a desirable alternative to in-house service departments and independent service organizations.
Along with extended warranties, Fujifilm Medical Systems provides upgrade paths for various types of imaging equipment.
“We can tailor those agreements to a fleet of equipment,” says Johann Fernando, chief operating officer at Fujifilm Medical Systems. “We offer flexibility.”
Todd Minnigh, vice president for worldwide service sales and marketing development for Carestream, says that while service contracts may not at first appear to be cheaper for a facility, they provide insurance for when valuable equipment goes down and helps facilities better manage budgets by delivering predictable expenses.
Carestream also hasn’t ignored the rise of in-house service departments or ISOs, and trains staff from both sides on servicing equipment. This is particularly important in remote rural areas where company service personnel may be hundreds of miles away. Facilities with their own biomedical staff may enter into an agreement with Carestream to buy parts and technical support.
“The cost of keeping the machines running is far less than having a day when the machines don’t run,” Minnigh says. “It really comes down to who can get you back online as fast as possible.”
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