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NovaMed's Biomedical Equipment

Biomedical equipment technician specialists are critical
Like doctors, nurses, and lab technicians, biomedical equipment technician specialists (also known as biomedical engineering technicians or BMETs) are critical members of a patient's health care team. BMETs are trained specialists who are responsible for biomedical equipment repair and maintenance, along with installation, calibration (including calibration of biomedical test equipment), testing and inspection of biomedical equipment designed to diagnose and treat medical conditions. At NovaMed, a leading national provider of healthcare technology management services, each biomedical equipment technician is trained in rapid and efficient biomedical equipment repair and maintenance, knows how biomedical equipment interacts with the patient and instructs doctors, nurses, physical therapists and other medical personnel in its proper use.

Each one of NovaMed's certified biomedical equipment technician specialists has completed a minimum of an associate's degree in biomedical engineering technology, and has an average of nine years in length of biomedical equipment repair and maintenance experience. Experience and quality enables each NovaMed biomedical equipment technician to understand and respond to each hospital's needs and accordingly tailor a professional and effective clinical biomedical equipment service team and biomedical equipment management plan.

Each NovaMed biomedical equipment technician receives training in all types of biomedical equipment, including major brand-name ventilators, anesthesia ventilators, surgical equipment lasers, telemetry systems, patient monitoring equipment, video systems, communication systems, and biomedical test equipment. Each NovaMed biomedical equipment technician performs inspection, calibration and preventive maintenance in accordance with the applicable federal, state and local regulations with emphasis on JCAHO (Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations) and OSHA patient care equipment standards. More areas of biomedical equipment expertise for biomedical equipment technician specialists include anesthesiology machines, cardiac monitors, infusion pumps, defibrillators, radiology equipment, incubators, sterilizers, centrifuges, chemical analyzers, dental equipment, including various types of biomedical test equipment.

Customer satisfaction is the key to success
Customers utilizing NovaMed biomedical equipment technician specialists for biomedical equipment repair and biomedical equipment management rate NovaMed's responsiveness, quality of technical work and overall satisfaction at "above average to excellent" 95 percent of the time, and renew their service contracts over 96 percent of the time.

NovaMed has achieved these ratings through an unwavering dedication to the customer. NovaMed's customer commitment runs through every thread of the organization, from biomedical equipment technician to technology manager to biomedical equipment sales personnel. The staff constantly strives to ensure client satisfaction not only for biomedical equipment repair and maintenance, but to provide all products and services that are the best in their class. To create and retain a staff that has the skills and experience to meet its customer commitment goals for biomedical equipment management, NovaMed places great importance on the quality of personnel it recruits. NovaMed's biomedical equipment technician specialists and other biomedical equipment management employees, are trained and empowered to work in an autonomous, rewarding environment with emphasis placed on continuous professional development to better serve the customer. Interested in joining the NovaMed team as a biomedical equipment technician specialist? Contact NovaMed for more information about biomedical equipment management, including biomedical test equipment today!

For total healthcare technology management with guaranteed cost savings, NovaMed offers The Maintenance Advantage for your biomedical equipment management needs

NovaMed's The Maintenance Advantage (TMA) is a fixed fee, multi-vendor biomedical equipment management program that consolidates service contracts and management of biomedical equipment capital assets for health care facilities into a single source agreement. TMA guarantees cost savings by discounting prior service costs by 10% to 30%.

The Maintenance Advantage is designed to contribute to the client organization's success by proactively managing the service of all covered biomedical equipment. NovaMed provides biomedical equipment services directly using its trained and credentialed staff, or manages the services of the OEM or alternate qualified service provider when called for by the specialization of the technology or by geographic location. NovaMed handles the dispatching, coordination and processing of all service vendor relationships, including scheduling, invoicing and payment, thus freeing clients to concentrate on their healthcare business responsibilities.

NovaMed structures its comprehensive biomedical equipment management service program using the most cost-effective and quality-oriented service strategy, a mix of OEM, qualified independent service organizations (ISO), NovaMed's personnel of on-site and field-dispatched biomedical equipment technician specialists and Technology Managers, and the facility's technical staff. Orchestrating the best mix of these service providers allows NovaMed to design the most cost effective, flexible, and quality oriented biomedical equipment management program for the specific biomedical equipment needs of each facility.

NovaMed's TMA program procedures meet or exceed all biomedical equipment requirements
Regulations and standards for biomedical equipment are extremely rigorous. Using NovaMed's TMA program, biomedical equipment technician specialists follow the scheduled biomedical equipment management procedures recommended by respective biomedical equipment manufacturers and industry standards. Documentation protocols regarding biomedical equipment maintenance procedures are in compliance with all regulatory agency requirements including JCAHO, ACR, MQSA, AAAHC, the National Electric Code and the National Fire Protection Association, as well as all other federal, state and local agencies. NovaMed also calibrates biomedical test equipment to specifications to assure its proper operation for patient care and to reduce health care facility liabilities.

NovaMed is the only provider of biomedical equipment management services to have the endorsement of the Connecticut Hospital Association, and its programs have received repeated commendation from JCAHO.

The Maintenance Advantage Program Components

Documentation and Equipment Control System

As part of its biomedical equipment repair and maintenance program, NovaMed conducts a complete inventory of the biomedical equipment in the facility and then maintains a current computerized inventory of data for each device, including:

• Maintenance scheduling and service history
• Written results of inspections and preventive maintenance work
• All incidents associated with the piece of equipment
• Equipment replacement planning information

Biomedical Equipment Repair and Maintenance

Performance Assurance Inspections in accordance with manufacturer's performance criteria, and criteria based on ECRI and ASHE recommendations and are performed at a frequency based on JCAHO criteria as a minimum.

Complete Preventive Maintenance of parts and biomedical equipment performed by a biomedical equipment technician as applicable to the published manufacturers' recommendations, including interior and exterior cleaning, lubrication, alignment and adjustment, calibration, inspection and replacement.

Electrical Safety Inspections by biomedical equipment technician specialists of all devices, conducted periodically to insure devices comply with recommended AAMI and NFPA electrical safety standards for medical equipment.

Incoming Inspection of New Biomedical Equipment by biomedical equipment technician specialists prior to its use for patient care.

Quality Assurance Reporting to assess the quality of the clinical equipment support program and its effect on patient care relative to all current JCAHO standards.

Equipment Repair Service provided on-site by biomedical equipment technician specialists between the hours of 8:00 a.m. and 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, excluding holidays. Emergency repair service will be available 24 hours a day, seven days a week at an additional charge.

Incident Investigation consulting services, in compliance with the Safe Medical Devices Act, concerning patient incidents involving medical equipment.

Technology Assessment/Pre-purchase Evaluation
Prior to purchasing or replacing a device or medical system, NovaMed can provide purchase recommendations based on the experience of its biomedical equipment technician specialists and other personnel maintaining medical equipment. A technical evaluation of equipment under consideration will include information and recommendations relating to equipment reliability, serviceability, and possible clinical problems. With this data, clients can make the most informed decisions for their biomedical equipment management program, such as when to select new or refurbished biomedical equipment.

1. Biomedical Equipment Function

• Life support
• Therapeutic
• Monitoring
• Diagnostic

2. Clinical Application
What are possible consequences to the patient and/or operator in the event of equipment failure or malfunction? Could equipment failure cause death, injury, misdiagnosis or have no effect?

3. Maintenance Requirements
What are the manufacturer's recommendations for frequency and type of required maintenance, and routine parts replacement?

4. Biomedical Equipment Incident History
Does the equipment fail often? Has history shown it to be reliable or requiring frequent repairs?

After evaluating biomedical equipment using these criteria and others, the appropriate maintenance and inspection schedule is determined.

This risk-based equipment classification system is an effective management tool designed to ensure patient safety and reduce equipment liability. High-risk biomedical equipment devices are given a higher level of service. Those biomedical equipment devices classified as low risk are assigned a less frequent testing interval. This program is based on current JCAHO EOC standards and articles published in the previous JCAHO PTSM series. The program has received high marks by all JCAHO inspectors who have reviewed it.

NovaMed expertise helps clients with biomedical equipment purchase decisions
NovaMed also leverages the expertise of its technology managers and biomedical equipment technician specialists gained in biomedical equipment repair and biomedical equipment maintenance to help clients with their purchase decisions on new and refurbished equipment. One particular area of NovaMed's expertise is imaging equipment. NovaMed is one of the largest independent multi-vendor imaging equipment service providers in the United States. NovaMed's Diagnostic Imaging Services engineers average twenty years of field service experience, and joined NovaMed as factory-trained field service providers from the major imaging equipment manufacturers, such as General Electric, Siemens, Picker, Hewlett Packard. Their expertise covers all imaging modalities including general radiography, fluoroscopy, mammography, computed tomography, angiography and diagnostic ultrasonography. And, don't forget - NovaMed also calibrates biomedical test equipment to specifications. NovaMed has the expertise and experience to assist clients in all aspects of biomedical equipment management. Contact us today!

Just a few of the other biomedical equipment categories and medical equipment companies in NovaMed's expertise include:

Acuson, ATL, HP Picker	Computed tomography
Ultrasound	Fischer Shimadzu
CGR Philips	Mammography/biopsy computed tomography
Mammography	General Electric Toshiba
Continental Siemens	Ultrasound
Angiography	Special procedures

NovaMed's biomedical equipment technician specialists provide expert biomedical equipment repair and maintenance service for these and all other types and brands of biomedical equipment, including biomedical test equipment.

Biomedical Equipment Management Summary
NovaMed lets clients focus on healthcare by providing outstanding biomedical equipment technician specialists and other personnel for diagnostic imaging and general biomedical equipment repair and maintenance, JCAHO compliance consulting, facility-wide multi-vendor service biomedical equipment management, biomedical test equipment and a range of biomedical equipment sales and installation solutions.