How To Save Money While Becoming a Center of Excellence

Within the imaging field, there’s been a lot of pressure on facilities to achieve Center of Excellence designation. Major insurance and large employers are actively steering patients toward Centers of Excellence in an effort to eliminate unnecessary procedures, reduce the number of medical mistakes, and control costs. And obviously, every health care facility wants to be known for providing the best patient care.

That being said, achieving a Center of Excellence designation is a major commitment. It requires a lot of time, energy and effort from everyone involved in patient care, from the reception staff that checks the patient in to the rad techs who perform the diagnostic imaging tests and the radiologists who read reports, perform procedures, and more.

BMC Health Services Research’s study “Centers of excellence in healthcare institutions: what they are and how to assemble them” articulates the process health care facilities must go through to achieve the desired Center of Excellence designation.

From the report – which you can access here,

“…centers of excellence distinguish institutions as citadels of expertise for the care and treatment of particular medical conditions, increasing opportunities to attract patients. They also have the ability to deliver enhanced quality through the application of innovative tools, technologies, and techniques which improve outcomes. Recruitment initiatives, too, are bolstered, permitting centers of excellence to assemble extensive reservoirs of skill and experience on clinical and administrative fronts. Further, centers of excellence can benefit institutions financially by increasing efficiencies and improving reimbursements.”

To meet these standards, facilities need the best available imaging equipment. That can be an expensive proposition, especially if you need multiple mobile c-arms or mini c-arms to meet patient needs. Sourcing these units new from the manufacturer can cost up to 40% more than choosing the same equipment from a refurbished diagnostic imaging dealer. This can result in saving tens of thousands of dollars, per unit. Refurbished diagnostic imaging equipment provides the same superior image quality, reliable performance, and familiarity to technicians and physicians as new units offer, at a fraction of the cost.