Extend the life of Your Medical Imaging Equipment …...Sensible Solutions for Refurbished...

Sensible Solutions for Refurbished Radiology

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Extend the life ...

of Your Medical Imaging

Equipment or Replace it?

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atlantisworldwide.com



Extend the Life of Your Medical Imaging Equipment or Replace it?

This e-book explores the steps that should be considered before making a decision on your capital equipment

In our ever-changing world, healthcare in the United States is moving rapidly towards a different and new paradigm. As the Affordable Care Act rolls out, healthcare providers have to prepare to do more with less. Healthcare providers are being tasked with reducing costs while increasing the quality of patient services. We are moving from an Integrated Delivery Network structure to an Accountable Care Organization structure. Healthcare providers are rapidly moving from a fee-for-service reimbursement model to a pay-for-value model. In addition, the bottom line is that access to capital for hospital departments is at an all time low. Specific to radiology, we must determine ways to EXTEND the useful life of our equipment and at the same time reduce the operating costs associated with owning equipment. How do healthcare providers accomplish these goals while creating better patient outcomes?

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Table of Contents

1) Evaluate your capital equipment

2) Planning Stage

3) Options

4) Operations

5) Selling Existing Equipment

6) Service & Maintenance

7) CT Upgrades

8) MRI

9) Service Plans

10) Atlantis Extends Imaging Equipment Life with Software Upgrades

11) Plan Ahead for Medical Imaging Equipment Purchases

12) Benefits of Buying Pre-Owned Medical Equipment from a Stocking Dealer

13) Top 5 Things to Consider Before Buying a MRI

14) Top 4 Considerations Before Installing an MRI

15) Before You Order That MRI: A Checklist

16) Looking to Purchase a CT Answer these 6 Questions First

17) Sweet 16 Program Finding The Perfect 16 Slice CT

18) Marketing Your New Preowned Medical Equipment

19) Secrets to Selling or Trading in Your Medical Imaging Systems

20) Should your Business Lease or Buy Medical Imaging Equipment?



Stages

There are stages that they must go through to evaluate what is best course of action. Atlantis has listed best practices to check off.

Evaluate your capital equipment

• Age of equipment• Functionality• Level of Technology

Planning Stage

• What technology do we currently have?• Does the technology cover what we need now?• Is the technology going to be sufficient in near future?• What are our clinical & strategic priorities?• Are we competitive?

Options

• Do we need new equipment?• Can we upgrade our existing equipment with technology we need?• What is the cost for new opposed to refurbished equipment?• How will we procure the equipment- purchase or lease?

Operations

• What are the logistics to upgrading- will the equipment need to be de-installed or can it be upgraded on site?• How much training will we need to run the equipment?• Can we save money by changing how we service and maintain our equipment?

Selling Existing Equipment

• When is it time to retire the imaging equipment we have?• Do we upgrade it, trade it in or sell it?

Service & Maintenance

• Is our service contract maintaining the equipment effectively?• Are our current service agreements too costly?• What alternative service arrangements could save money and extend the life of our equipment?• Are we losing money due to down time?



Atlantis Worldwide is a leading provider in Refurbished diagnostic imaging equipment. We have a been helping hospitals, imaging centers, surgery centers and private practices for over 20 years evaluate their imaging equipment needs.

We can develop strategies that cover equipment management and maintenance specific for your needs.SOME VERY SIMPLE OPTIONS ON HOW TO EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR EQUIPMENT:

CT Upgrades

• Upgrade your existing CT Scanners to Iterative Reconstruction technology that will reduce dose• Add Dose Monitoring, Tracking, and Reporting technology• Analyze carefully the benefits and necessity to change to newer CT technology with higher slice reconstruction.• Reduce Service CostsMRI

• Rather than replace four channel MRIs, Upgrade to eight channel or sixteen channel technology• Analyze carefully the benefits and necessity to change to 3.0T or Wide-Bore MR • Reduce Service Costs

Before buying new equipment, look carefully and objectively at Refurbished Radiology equipment.

• Very little in new paradigm changing or outcome changing technology• Analyze cost versus benefit of new equipment

Service Plans

• Quality ISO service will save significant money with no loss of downtime or responsiveness• Fully investigate alternative service plans like• Full Service ISO service• Shared Risk • Time and Material• Flexible Plans



Atlantis Extends Imaging Equipment Life with Software Upgrades

by Matthew N. Skoufalos

A Slice of Life Success Story - Medical Dealer August 2013

When a company like Paramount Imaging of Lutz, Fla., looks to replace some of its high-end equipment, several concerns immediately rise to the foreground, says president Robbie Robertson.The first of these are functional and financial: What’s the new device going to do and how much will it cost? The next are strategic: Are we getting as good a deal as we can for the money? And the last are practical: Will we be able to support this equipment if it malfunctions?

As a multi-site imaging services provider, Paramount had first tapped the New York, N.Y.-based refurbished imaging equipment provider Atlantis Worldwide years ago when the company was pricing out a new magnet for one of its outpatient facilities in Dayton, Ohio, Rob-ertson recalls. “Reimbursements were starting to fall,” he says, and that fact was shortening up his vendor list.

Atlantis offered Paramount an out-of-the-box solution that met the needs of the facility at terms more favorable than those available through the big-name OEMs.“[Atlantis CEO] Jeff [Weiss] had a good solution for our situation in Dayton for a high-field machine, and was able to provide us with some help on the build-out as well as financing,” Robertson says. “They had the expertise to do it all.”

Robertson says Atlantis offered his company “a good piece of equipment at a better price,” and led the Para-mount facility through everything from the build-out to the financing of the equipment. “They were the turnkey in the whole project for us,” he says.

The next couple of years saw Paramount contract with Atlantis on a number of smaller but equally fruitful proj-ects. Then, when Atlantis became the exclusive vendor for MedicVision SafeCT, that technology seemed a natural fit for Paramount’s next CT upgrade.

“This was a great solution for us Atlantis helped Paramount Imaging save money when they replaced the magnet on their MRI scanner. to be able to go in for maybe a third of the cost of the OEM package,” Robertson says.

Although recognizing that the purchase of a new piece of equipment put greater pressure on his sales team to perform, Robertson said the SafeCT actually provided Paramount with a competitive edge that perhaps a differ-ent piece of equipment may not have been able to do.

“It gave our marketing folks an advantage to be able to go out and say ‘We’re the only facility in this market to be able to offer low-dose, Safe CT’,” Robertson says, “for a fraction of what the new scanner would cost.”



Doctors and patients alike are more conscious of the benefits of low-dose medical imaging, Robertson says, but most of the OEM systems that provide those features are far more expensive than Paramount would have deemed feasible in which to invest. But to be able to compete in the low-dose market, he says, “From the time Atlantis approached us, we were sold.

“It gave us an advantage,” Robertson says. “That was what we were really after: to be able to give us a new feature.” Within a single day, Atlantis installed several machines, trained some of his technicians, and enabled Paramount to be up and running and effectively marketing its new services. “This was a great fit for us, especially where we were in some of these markets,” he says. By working with a company like Atlantis, Robertson said, he feels like Paramount gets a higher quality of personalized customer service that he hasn’t experienced as consistently from other vendors.

With an OEM, Robertson said, salespeople are often made to insulate clients from relationships with every de-partment from engineering to finance, and can find themselves in the middle of problems they’re not equipped to solve. With Atlantis, he says, “it’s more of a team approach.

“We kind of have access to the whole team,” Robertson says. “It helps build that relationship. If you have a prob-lem, they’re going to stick in and help you solve it. “You develop a little bit of a stronger core relationship with these third parties because you get to know them a little better,” he says. “There’s a handful of individuals who are going to take care of your account. You’ve got access to a bunch of people and we like that.”

That same level of access is especially appreciated, Robertson said, when Paramount considers how the equip-ment it purchases will be supported in the event that devices require preventive maintenance, or even repairs.

“We have to have confidence that they have engineers that can support us and take care of us,” he says. “The other part is understanding the dynamics of the imaging business.”

When repairs are necessary, Robertson says, Atlantis works very closely with staff technicians from Paramount “to explain everything in detail” from the cost of parts to personalized payment arrangements.

“They’re very transparent on what things cost,” he says. “They’re more in tune with our cash flow and the needs of the facility in this particular market as opposed to someone who hasn’t gotten it done.” That same personal attention is a big part of doing business with a company the size of Atlantis, Robertson says. Even in some of the more distributed areas in which Paramount operates, he says he’s never had an issue with support service.

“A lot of those guys, the larger OEMs, they’re going to tell you that the response time is going to be better, even in outlying areas,” Robertson says; “they’re going to have someone close to you. “I think it’s more about selling [the customer] on the fact that they’re going to take care of the equipment,” he says. “It’s more about the relationship.

When Robertson and other executives from Paramount met with the team from Atlantis at RSNA in Chicago last year, he got to meet the technicians who were going to be installing his equipment before he took delivery of it. That level of access is uncommon from OEMs, he says.

“Before we even started all the installation on the SafeCT, I had met and spoken with the individuals who are go-ing to be onsite,” Robertson says. “You felt like you got to know everybody and be real comfortable with it. “They handled it the right way,” he says. “It was a very smooth rollout.”



Plan Ahead For Medical Imaging Equipment Purchases

So you think you’re ready to buy medical imaging equipment. And maybe you are. But the reality is, many physicians, practitioners, clinic managers and medical administrators may THINK they’re ready to buy, but of-tentimes, they haven’t even done the basic homework that will help them determine if they’re actually ready to buy. As you well know, medical imaging equipment is far from inexpensive, so let’s talk about the easiest way to determine 1) If you really need the equipment and 2) if you can really afford it.

It all starts with the development of a business plan—or pro forma. By taking the time to answer key questions, you can determine the financial feasibility of any such purchase—and it can make it easier for you to convince others (investors, senior management, the CFO) that it’s time to buy, as well.

1) Determine the cost of the piece of equipment. While this may be the largest portion of the cost of acquisition, by no means is it the only cost consideration

2) Prepare realistic projections of the volume of patients and what the reimbursements will be per patient study.

3) Estimate the monthly cost of maintaining your medical imaging equipment. This can include supplies, parts and general maintenance.

4) Determine the real costs of the personnel required to operate the equipment—including receptionists, office staff, technicians and even management. Be sure to include salaries and the cost of benefits.

5) Estimate the cost of utilities required to keep your equipment running.

6) Be sure to include marketing costs in your business plan, as well. After all, it won’t do you any good to buy a new piece of medical imaging equipment if no one knows about it. This can include marketing efforts to physicians, clinics, practices and even potential patients.

7) Make sure your projections aren’t inflated. Just as you are considering the purchase of a new piece of equipment, competing hospitals, clinics and facilities may do so, as well. Do a thorough competitive analysis in your market before whipping out the checkbook.

8) Remember, we are living in an economic environment that is challenged by declining reimbursements and patient volumes. Examine your local economy carefully and then make reasonable projections.

9) Once your homework is complete, then it’s time to determine if it’s wise to purchase medical imagining equipment. If the answer is “yes,” then it’s wise to determine if brand new equipment is the best solution, or if refurbished medical imagining equipment will give you the performance and quality you want, for a great deal less. Experts like those at Atlantis Worldwide can help you gather all the information you need to make a well informed, economically sound decision.



Download the Proforma at: http://info.atlantisworldwide.com/Medical-Imaging-Equipment-Proforma/

http://info.atlantisworldwide.com/Medical



Benefits of Buying Pre-Owned Medical Equipment from a Stocking Dealer

Buying from a Stocking Dealer is usually not the cheapest way to buy used and refurbished medical equipment. It’s not. Think about it… they do things like pay to pick-up and deliver the equipment to their location, compen-sate extra staff, and spread out the costs of forklifts and other warehouse equipment. So, why buy equipment from a firm with the actual systems in their warehouse? Why does it make sense to sometimes pay a little more than buying from a broker?

Systems Available When Needed:

When plans are in place to take delivery of a system, it can cost dearly if the unit becomes delayed or unavail-able because the existing owner has a construction issue or change of mind. If you are reading this, chances are you’re involved in the decision process… chances are you’ll be one of the people getting hammered with the anger from your partners, bosses or staff if the system isn’t there when needed. When it’s in a Stocking Dealer’s warehouse, there’s no doubt about receiving the equipment on schedule.

Inspections & Trouble Shooting:

Stocking Dealers inspect systems to confirm condition and functionality prior to removal from the original owner. They also test and troubleshoot systems at their warehouse before delivery to the next user. With cost cutting and budgets such a focus now, it’s taxing for a piece of equipment to arrive at the Point of Care and not operate. No one wants major repairs required when the system should already be functioning for patients.

Glaring Deficiencies Addressed:

Cracked covers can be repaired. Re-painting is possible. A thorough exterior cleaning occurs. The fine points that can mean the difference between a wonderful transaction for the provider, leading to a long-term relation-ship, or a “Whatever… thanks… later” deal that brings little goodwill for the future. In addition, full Refurbish-ments can be done; replacing monitors, X-ray tubes, broken knobs, and more, as well as proper calibration. The idea is to have firms like Atlantis Worldwide prevent surprises for you. Professional Packing & Transport:

There’s great comfort in knowing that people who specialize in medical devices are handling the equipment. The last thing someone wants to see is their MRI on the latest episode of the A&E network’s ‘Shipping Wars’. There’s little that’s more troubling than seeing a huge outward crack in a crate that is caused by a C-Arm or CT that wasn’t properly secured to the pallet. These aren’t issues for those buying from Stocking Dealers who do this work daily.

You Get What You Pay For

Sure… money can be saved by buying from an Internet Jockey who spends their day sitting on the living room couch in a bathrobe and slippers (except in those rare moments when they put on a suit to meet their prospec-tive clients). However, what happens when there’s a problem with the system discovered at removal… if the site was wrong when it said the unit would fit out the doors… when there are extra expenses for removal, ship-ping, and delays? These things should never be your concern, but they become huge problems if you work with someone without resources. They are never your concern for systems already waiting for you in one of the two warehouses of an industry leader like Atlantis Worldwide. This is definitely one of the times when working with a Stocking Dealer provides big savings, because they are professionals who fix these problems without asking you for more money. This is why you absolutely want to work with a Stocking Dealer. Feel free to visit the Atlantis Worldwide warehouse to see the benefits for yourself.



Top 5 Things to Consider Before Buying a MRI

Maybe it’s time for a new MRI for your department, imaging center or practice. Or you think it might be a good idea to look into buying a pre-owned MRI. Well, before you start saying things like “1.5T” or “high field open” or even “how much,” there are five important things to consider and they all lead to one single fact: if you don’t have referral patterns that support this kind of pricey purchase, you may as well head to Las Vegas and blow that money at the casino.

How you answer these five important questions can save you time, money and even more money.

1) Why do you want to make this purchase in the first place? Don’t say that you always wanted to buy an MRI or you think that if you had a 3T your business would grow. Those reasons just aren’t good enough to warrant in-vesting time and money into new or expanded MRI projects. You need to develop a strategic plan based on finan-cial and market-based analysis. If you need guidance, of course Atlantis Worldwide can help with the process.

2) Do you have a business plan for this acquisition or project? If you don’t, it’s time to develop one. While you might have an MRI that’s working at capacity, that’s not a good enough reason to go out and buy a new or re-placement unit. If you haven’t gathered facts, crunched numbers, made projections and written a plan, STOP and do it. And be sure to consider “worst case scenarios” in the equation. After all, even with a replacement MRI, your imaging project will involve a lease or purchase for five years, real estate purchase or rental for 10 years, RF shield and chiller, facility or room construction and possibly ancillary support equipment and services. As important as you think your best case financials may look, if you fail to think in terms of “What if…?” you will be doing yourself a disservice. Your ability to consider the up as well as the downside of any project will help you develop the real volume and related budget discussions. The last thing you should do is start the process with the question “how much is the MRI?” There’s a much bigger picture in play here and your investors or senior leadership will want to see it.

3) How do you plan to capture your share of the business? Again, you need a strategic plan to market your new MRI, which means you have to identify the following:

• Who are your current referring physicians?• What are their referral patterns like?• What is the competition doing? Where do their referrals come from? What are their strengths and limitations?• What would make your facility different or better? Location? Patient access?• You should create a go-to-market strategic program before you buy a new or replacement MRI. This will

impress your investors or leadership, and also help your lenders appreciate your vision.



4) What is your payer mix and how effective is your billing? You need to thoroughly analyze and understand your payer mix and reimbursement patterns for studies you currently do and plan to do—which includes Medicare, Medicaid, Private Pay, HMO and a host of others payers or groups. If you calculate revenue stream based on reality rather than wishes, it will help you determine whether the purchase of new or refurbished equipment is justified. Once you’ve done that, it’s time for the hard part. Take your estimates down a notch and again, look at worst-case scenarios. After all, you will be providing services for five years in the future— and what is true today will not be true in 2018. As for billing, if you fail to collect what you forecast, it taxes your proforma estimates and best-case goals for your project. Make sure your plan includes strategies to stay ahead of billing issues and consider both accuracy in billing as well as turn around time. If your billing entity isn’t working, you’ll know it soon enough.

5) What is your overall budget? Last but not least, you need to thoroughly understand all of the costs, includ-ing the unexpected MRI system and siting costs. In most cases, if you fail to recognize that construction, even though you might buy a pre-owned 1.5t or 3T MRI at a great price (compared with a new system) the cost for your MRI facility or renovation will cost exactly the same as if you purchased a new MRI. You’ll also want to include a budget for your second year service bump after warranty, unexpected upgrades during five years, and other costs such as operational, billing, marketing and radiology fees. But that’s not all. If you dig even deeper and consider unexpected declines in your imaging revenue due to local changes in employment or insurance coverage, a new competitor in your market, seasonal population changes or drops in reimbursement and you will realize that a new MRI requires more than just a vision or a great idea. Once you realize that it comes down to the numbers, the real numbers, then you will be able to establish a realistic budget while you create a market strategy for the “worst case scenario.”

It’s true these questions could frighten some of you away from a new MRI—but if it saves you from a costly mis-take, that’s a good thing. However, if you answer these questions with hard facts and research, Atlantis World-wide can then help you through this strategic and financial planning process while you review your options and plan for a successful MRI purchase and business expansion.



Top 4 Considerations Before Installing an MRI“I want a quote for an MRI. I know I need a 24 ft. X 30 ft. space for one, and I’ve got it. When can you deliver?”

At Atlantis Worldwide, we’ve actually fielded calls like this one, usually from someone who’s new to the business and knows “you can make a lot of money with your own imaging center.”

While that can be true, we wouldn’t be true professionals if we let someone make a purchasing decision they would later regret. Even before you decide which MRI you want, it’s important to understand what you need to consider before you install one.

To that end, here are four things to keep in mind regarding MRI installation.

1) Site planning is critical. In most cases, the cost of the site itself can be more than the cost of the MRI—and an MRI can cost hundreds of thousands of dollars! Sure, you need the four walls that surround an MRI system. But the next step is to place an imaginary football around that 24 ft. X 30 ft. box. The space will expand to the area above and below the MRI Suite. It will go outside the walls, and probably outside the building—and what happens outside the building is critical to image quality. Power lines, immediate traffic patterns, moving metal objects, elevators and other exterior elements could cause major issues with MRI performance.

2) Understand the RF and magnetic shielding requirements for your MRI and MRI site—and hire the right shielding professional to do the job. Think of it this way: not every contractor is a medical imaging construc-tion specialist. Likewise, every “shielding” group is not the same. Make sure you are working with an expert in MRI shielding, or you could end up with poor images from your MRI system. A shielding professional will know whether or not magnetic shielding or sound dampening is require in order to get ideal images. They’ll also administer shielding tests before the design, after the completion of the room and then after the installation of the MRI.

3) Pay attention to exterior features. For example, moving metals, whether from a nearby garage or traffic out-side the building are limiting factors. Overhead power lines or underground power can be challenging, as can running water or sewer lines above and below the magnet. There are specific structural steel support guide-lines and HVAC requirements, as well. It’s important to research all of these issues BEFORE committing to a facility, unless you have unlimited time or funds!

4) Patient safety is key. That’s why the American College of Radiology has developed a four-zone plan for MRI facilities with patient safety in mind. This plan provides a safe environment for patients and staff, with appropriateplacement of changing rooms and waiting areas. It’s also ideal for managingdiagnostic imaging workflow.

There are other things to consider before taking the leap and purchasing an MRI—but that’s another story!



Before You Order That MRI: A Checklist

The income potential that an MRI offers can be seductive. But before you place an order for a new or refurbished MRI system, there are quite a few things to consider. Here’s a handy checklist that can guide you through what can be a complicated process.



Looking to purchase a CT? Answer these Six Questions First!

This outline should help bring in a focus on clinical, not just technical specifications. Start with some of the basics:

What’s your goal with this CT?

• Are you buying the new CT for a new service line such as cardiac, ED, pediatric or bariatric?• What type of studies does your referring physicians need?• What exams do you primarily do on your CT?• Are you hoping to improve current CT shortcomings such as patient throughput or the need to add a new

application or the need to reduce dose? If so, what applications? (list them just in case)

What are some of the limitations that you’d like to alleviate with a new scanner?

• Is it to provide a more competitive technology?• Who are you competing with in your local market?• Another hospital?• An imaging center?• A specialist’s office?

If so, what is your competition doing that you are not?

Are you looking for a slice of the market that requires “Low Dose CT Images”?

If so, is the upgrade to a new CT based on that, or is there an alternative such as SafeCT, for image enhancement of low dose CT studies?

Do you find yourself obligated to buy a high priced new CT just because the OEM doesn’t provide an inexpensive upgrade to reducting dose on your existing CT?

Will you be trading in a 4 or 16 slice CT just because the OEM isn’t offering a “Low Dose” upgrade for your current CT systems?



Are you upgrading to the latest and most expensive technology in CT, to get more referrals?

• If you do get additional referrals, will the number of referrals and reimbursement offset the new debt?Your calculation could be estimated by month (for example with a lease) plus+ monthly service costs (note that service on a new CT with the latest technology could cost 2x as much as your existing CT service cost). When it comes to reimbursement, remember you can’t fix an amount through the entire 5 years as rates decline.

Are you budgeting an adequate amount for room renovation?

Siting is important and OEM specifications will help guide the construction of the new room.

• Renovation comes with a cost and the more complicated the system, the more demands on the HVAC, me-chanical, engineering and room requirements.

• Consider this, what is the footprint of your existing CT that you have in a current room and how much larger is the “new” CT.

Have you budgeted the correct amount to purchase a CT?

Now Imagine that your leadership has budgeted $1.3 Million Dollars for a new, top of the line CT that can do every CT study performed in research centers across the country.

Continue thinking about the studies you actually do and the potential of new studies you can bring in, from YOUR referring physicians (not what you imagine referrers to Johns Hopkins sends, but your primary and potential referring physicians in your market).

Now review your original proforma and imagine what a $1,300,000 new CT with a $120,000 service contract per year will cost your hospital- $36,000 per month in lease payment for five years.

Five Long Years in a challenging healthcare environment where current reimbursements will probably be reduced.

Now, imagine, instead of spending the hospital’s money, you are spending your own money on that replacement CT.

Isn’t it time to consider a refurbished, pre-owned CT?



“Sweet” 16 Program! Finding the Perfect 16 Slice CT

Like so many things in life, there’s a belief that “bigger is better” in CTs. The more slices you get, the better, right? Not necessarily. There are lots of different things to consider before you decide which CT is right for your hospital, facility or practice. Let me try to help.

First of all, it’s always wise to do you homework before you start shopping. That means you need to explore many factors beyond the budget you have to spend. The reason for a market analysis is simple. Buying a CT is a huge investment, and if you over buy this time, there may not be a next time. Your market analysis would include:

• Your current CT system(s)

• Patient studies being offered to referring physicians

• CT studies most frequently performed

• A thorough understanding of your market, including payer mix and your competition, in both hospital and non-hospital sites

It’s normal to get excited when you hear about new “mega channel” CT systems with oodles of software capabili-ties and options. But don’t be confused by terms like “rows” or “slices” or “channels” as the critical differentiator for your purchase. If you only focus on the number of slices, you could overlook what you really need in order to do the job in your market.

So let’s examine the truth about “slices.” The common thought is that as the number of “channels” or “slices” increase, so will the revenue side of your business—as the number of CT channels increases, there is a good chance that your bottom line will suffer.

Why? For one thing, CT reimbursements and referrals for CT studies are declining. In addition, the demands for very advanced studies including “stop action” cardiac imaging have not become part of everyday scanning for most hospitals and imaging centers. So to pay $500,000 to a $1 million or more for one of these mega CTs, when your market isn’t demanding it, really makes no practical sense.

There can also be many hidden costs to your new Mega Channel CT system. For example, you’ll probably be encouraged to buy an expensive OEM service contract, including “add ons” like a tube contract. While this is designed to offset the cost of replacing the “Mega-Tube,” the life-cost of the system will be significantly more than you imagined.



That ‘s why it makes sense to take a close look at a 16 channel CT—ideally, a refurbished or pre-owned sys-tem. The cost is sweet—under $300,000. And that can even include a system with Low Dose technology, like SafeCT*. And more times than not, a 16 Slice CT delivers most of what most clinics, hospitals and facilities need: bread and butter CT scans, and a few specialty studies. So why buy a system with more bells and whistles than you really need?

That’s why a market analysis is so important to the buying process. Gather all the numbers so you and your team can have a fact-based discussion about your CT needs and strategy. If a 16 Slice can do the job, sweet. And if you truly need a “Mega-Multi,” the good news is there is plenty of pre-owned and refurbished ones out there, so you can even save on the mega system. And most come with new tubes!

With your market analysis in hand, you’re sure to make the right decision. And if you need assistance with your analysis, be sure to get some advice from an expert at Atlantis Worldwide. It’s free. And that’s reallysweet.

Sweet.

* SafeCT is a great system that can reduce radiation doses by more than 50 percent. (Buy a new Mega-Channel CT system and the low dose software from the OEM is another significant add -on!)



Marketing Your New Pre-Owned Medical Equipment

So you’ve discovered the enormous benefits of purchasing pre-owned, refurbished medical equipment like MRIs, CTs, C-arms, PETs or other imaging devices. And you’re feeling pretty smart. After all, you get the ideal imaging equipment for your facility without paying full price for the shiny new toy. If you were wise enough to buy from Atlantis Worldwide, you like the fact that they put all pre-owned equipment through a no-holds-barred process that ensures the highest quality standards, rock star performance and reliability and a price point that makes you look like a genius. In other words, it’s as good as new, without the OMG price tag. You also like the fact that Atlantis Worldwide provides an amazing warranty and the exact kind of service contract that will keep it running like new—without the headaches. Think your job is over?

Actually, it’s just beginning. Because if you don’t have a strategic marketing plan in effect, you won’t get the most out of your purchase—or your equipment. If you want to maximize the impact (and profitability) of your new equipment, you have to let your suppliers (i.e. referring physicians) and your end users (patients) KNOW that you have what they need.

So what do you do?

1. First, you have to define who your target audience is. And in most cases, you have several target audi-ences. Of course, you have to let physicians and other healthcare providers know about the availability of your new equipment. After all, they’re the ones who refer patients to your facility. But the reality is, today’s patients are much more in tune with “what’s out there.” They are taking much more active roles in their healthcare. Instead of blindly doing whatever their family physician or specialist says to do, they hit the internet. They do research. They go to chat rooms and talk to other people about their recommendations and experiences. They research new technologies. They compare facilities. They do their homework and ask intelligent questions before they choose a facility, treatment or caregiver. It’s important to understand who your end user is, as well as your source of referrals.

2. Understand the benefits of your new equipment. What does it do? What makes it better or different from other equipment in the marketplace—or even in your own facility! Make sure you understand both the physical and emotional benefits to all of your target markets. Will a patient be more comfortable? Will a physician feel confident about the equipment and the personnel who will be administering the service? Look at the benefits from all points of view.

3. Understand the negatives, too. What are the limitations of your equipment, facility or personnel. If you over promise and under deliver, people will talk, post negative reviews in chat rooms and let the world know (or at least their own little piece of it) about their unhappiness.

4. Talk to the folks who sold it to you. Hopefully, you’re working with Atlantis Worldwide, because we can provide you with best practices and lots of market-proven marketing strategies for your consideration. Just re-member—a cookie cutter marketing approach is rarely effective. You will need to devise a plan to fit your specific situation. Be sure to ask what kind of support you’ll get when you buy equipment from any vendor.





5. Define your geography. You don’t want to select marketing options that aren’t cost effective. You don’t want to promote your new equipment, facility or service to a geographic area that simply won’t travel to your facility or use your services. Advertising in Yellow Pages or even traditional newspapers and magazines are most likely not the best places for your marketing dollars.

6. Understand who your competition is. Who are they? What are they saying? How are they better, worse or different from you?

7. Update your website. Be sure to “celebrate” the fact that your facility has this equipment and what the physi-cal and emotional benefits are. This is a great place to provide lots of information about the new equipment and service, because more words don’t cost you more. Product and service benefits in ads, brochures or other mar-keting materials must be succinctly written because space is more limited. Your website isn’t.

8. Develop a short benefit-oriented statement or tagline that communicates the benefits of your new equip-ment simply. For example, “Home of Low Dose CT” or “Ask Your Physician if a Low Dose CT is Right for You.”

9. Educate your staff. Make sure they can speak intelligently about your new equipment or service. Create an informative “cheat sheet” for your staff to refer to. Have them mention the new equipment or service when making appointments—“you can now choose digital mammography instead of traditional mammography, if you prefer.” Think about preparing a Frequently Asked Questions brochure or sign for your office, as well.

10. Establish a budget. You can’t make a plan without knowing how much you can spend to get the word out.

11. Create a plan and stick to it. A strategic marketing plan doesn’t just happen. It takes research, planning and then execution. Sure, if something isn’t working, rethink it. But make sure anything you do achieves the goals you’ve set for your marketing plan. Spending $1,000 in a charity program at your kid’s school may make you feel warm and fuzzy, but if it doesn’t help you get the patients you want and need—and if you don’t have money to burn, don’t do it.



Secrets to Selling or Trading-in your Medical Imaging Systems

Okay, so you’ve got some medical imaging systems that you don’t need or want anymore. It happens. Well, you basically have three options.

1. Sell it.2. Trade it in toward the latest, greatest equipment you DO want.3. Let it languish in some storage closet.

Obviously, you don’t want to waste what can be a valuable resource, so the closet is out.

First, let’s examine using your existing equipment as a trade-in toward new equipment. Here’s what you need to keep in mind.

• Trade-in value is never the same as what you can get by selling the equipment outright. But a lot of folks don’t like the idea of trying to sell it themselves. We’ll get back to that.

• Once you decide you want to use your old equipment as a trade-in toward new equipment, keep it to yourself!

What I mean is, don’t let a new equipment vendor know you want to do a trade-in. First, get their best “all cash” proposal on the new equipment. Make sure they give you a firm, written proposal. Tell the seller you will think about it and get back to them. THEN, call back a day or two later and ask what discount would give you if you traded in used medical imaging equipment. This process provides you with an accurate assessment of your used equipment’s value, with no hidden inflation on the back end. The reality is, vendors will often increase the trade-in value of the medical equipment to make you believe you are getting a better deal, but this trade-in value is often a disguised discount that you’d get anyway.

Now, back to if you just want to sell your medical imaging equipment.

• Before you try to sell your equipment—either yourself or by using a broker—do your research. Find out what the Free Fair Market Value is for your medical imaging equipment. Unfortunately, there isn’t a “blue book” for used medical imaging equipment, so your best bet is to comparison shop. Talk to a few resale vendors. Visit a few websites. The information you can find in an hour can provide you with the information you need in order to price your equipment well, and sell it quickly.

• Don’t let anyone “shop” your equipment without a signed agreement. If you have multiple brokers trying to shop your equipment around, it can actually drive the price you’d receive for your medical imaging equipment down. Not a good thing.

• Choose your broker or reseller wisely. Make sure they can deliver upon promises. Do your homework. Ask for references.



Secrets to Selling or Trading-in your Medical Imaging Systems

And remember, Atlantis Worldwide is one of the most respected, experienced resellers in the industry.

• If a broker calls with an offer, try to establish how he arrived at the amount. Does he have an offer from a real customer or a hypothetical one? Is it a firm offer? Offers from brokers that are based on their customers’ ability to perform are usually not reliable. Dealers who commit and buy inventory are more reliable.

• Whether you’re buying or selling, make sure the contract spells out all conditions and terms clearly. Be sure all reasonable eventualities are covered, including liability, failure to perform, etc. Submit it to the “what if” test.

• Before you accept any offer, be sure you get a minimum deposit of 10%. Make the deposit nonrefundable fol-lowing inspection.

• Give yourself at least 10-12 weeks from offer acceptance to targeted removal date.

• Use common sense. If an offer seems too good to be true, it probably is.

• And here’s the best tip of all— talk to Atlantis Worldwide. We can provide you with insight into current prices in the secondary market for a wide range of used medical imaging equipment. We can also offer you the highest market prices for the equipment you no longer need, and since we’ve been doing this for more than 20 years, you can trust us to negotiate a trade-in or upgrade of your existing equipment at the most competitive price in the marketplace.



Should your Business Lease or Buy Medical Imaging Equipment?

The answer depends on your situation. Leasing medical imaging equipment can be a good option for business owners who have limited capital or need equipment that must be upgraded every few years, while purchasing equipment can be a better option for established businesses or for equipment that has a long usable life.

Each business is unique, however, and the decision to buy or lease business equipment must be made on a case-by-case basis. Here’s a look at both options.

Leasing Equipment

Leasing medical equipment preserves capital and provides flexibility but may cost you more in the long run.

Advantages of Leasing Equipment

Less initial expense. The primary advantage of leasing equipment is that it allows you to acquire assets with minimal initial expenditures. Because equipment leases rarely require a down payment, you can obtain the equipment you need without significantly affecting your cash flow.

Tax deductible. Lease payments can usually be deducted as business expenses on your tax return, reducing the net cost of your lease.

Flexible terms. Leases are usually easier to obtain and have more flexible terms than loans for buying equip-ment. This can be a significant advantage if you have bad credit or need to negotiate a longer payment plan to lower your costs.

Easier to upgrade equipment. Leasing allows businesses to address the problem of obsolescence. If you use your lease to obtain items that may be outdated in a short period of time, such as computers or other high-tech equipment, a lease passes the burden of obsolescence onto the lessor. You are free to lease new, higher-end equipment after your lease expires.

Disadvantages of Leasing Equipment

You don’t own it. You don’t build equity in the equipment. Unless the equipment has become obsolete by the end of the lease, this lack of ownership is a significant disadvantage.

Obligation to pay for entire lease term. You are obligated to make payments for the entire lease period even if you stop using the equipment. Some leases give you the option to cancel the lease if your business changes direction and the equipment you leased is no longer necessary, but large early termination fees always apply.



Buying Equipment

Ownership and tax breaks make buying business equipment appealing, but high initial costs mean this option isn’t for everyone.

Advantages of Buying Equipment

Ownership. The most obvious advantage of buying business equipment is that you gain ownership of it. This is especially true when the property has a long useful life and is not likely to become technologically outdated in the near future, such as office furniture or farm machinery.

Tax incentives. Section 179 of the Internal Revenue Code allows you to fully deduct the cost of some newly purchased assets in the first year. In 2013, you can deduct up to $500,000 of equipment (subject to a phase-out if you placed more than $2,000,000 of equipment in service in any one year). For example, if you are in the 25% tax bracket and you purchase $100,000 in business equipment this year, the net cost to you is only $75,000.

Possibility of depreciation deduction. Although not all equipment purchases are eligible for Section 179 treat-ment, you can still receive tax savings for almost any business equipment through depreciation deductions. (Some assets that don’t qualify for the Section 179 deduction are real estate, inventory bought for resale, and property bought from a close relative.)

Disadvantages of Buying Equipment

Higher initial expense. For some people, purchasing medical equipment may not be an option because the initial cash outlay is too high. Even if you plan to borrow the money and make monthly payments, most banks require a down payment of around 20%. Borrowing money may also tie up lines of credit, and lenders may place restrictions on your future financial operations to ensure that you are able to repay your loan.

Getting stuck with old equipment. Although ownership is perhaps the biggest advantage to buying medical equipment, it can also be a disadvantage. If you purchase high-tech equipment, you run the risk that the equip-ment may become technologically obsolete, and you may be forced to reinvest in new equipment long before you had planned to. Certain equipment has a lot less resale value.

Next Steps

Contact Atlantis Worldwide for more information we would be happy to help you with your imaging equipment needs.

212-366-9100

61 Broadway, Suite 1602, New York NY 10006 www.atlantisworldwide.com

Extend the life of Your Medical Imaging Equipment …...Sensible Solutions for Refurbished...

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