Migrating Ultrasound Service In-House

Migrating ultrasound service in-house is a current trend in the HTM industry and makes sense for a variety of reasons. We developed a program called In-House Development Program almost 10 years ago and have partnered with many large healthcare providers to transition ultrasound support in-house and our analysis shows a 35 to 50 percent annual savings without factoring in the other benefits of increased uptime, better record keeping and customer satisfaction.

As with any major project, a successful outcome is contingent on proper planning as well as execution. The first step is to partner with an organization like MXR Imaging to receive expert guidance throughout the process. Next you will need to receive approval from the C-suite which should not be difficult these days given tight budgets and imaging reimbursement reductions.

Now comes the most critical component and that is getting the approval of the clinical departments. They may have established relationships with their current service providers, developed a comfort zone with current service delivery or may have concerns regarding HTM expertise when it comes to their equipment. You must involve them in the decision and show them how they will benefit from the transition by discussing faster response times, greater uptime and cost savings.

An inventory must be taken of all systems and transducers including current contracts and warranties, expiration dates and termination restrictions. A pre-inspection schedule will be created using these dates so any existing issues can be remedied while current coverage is intact. This inventory will also be analyzed to determine FTE hours needed, training programs and the pace of the transition.

Once training begins, the program gradually begins to migrate systems off of an external agreement to in-house ownership. Our expert training, technical support, supplemental field service and extensive inventory of fully reconditioned parts and probes will ensure your team has all the support needed for a successful and cost-effective program.

Migrating ultrasound service in-house is a great way to save scarce funds and improve service delivery but should be planned and executed as a project and should involve the experts when looking for a partner to assist you.