Leading MSO Doubles Medical Device Inventory. Partners with Crothall for a Comprehensive Asset Management Solution.

Results

Program Flexibility and Regular Communication.
Program flexibility and regular communication empowered Crothall’s Healthcare Technology Solutions (HTS) team to respond effectively to this leading Managed Services Organization’s (MSO) evolving market conditions and stay aligned with its strategic vision. This adaptability allowed us to collaborate seamlessly, making timely program adjustments, fostering innovation, and improving the overall efficiency of its healthcare technology management (HTM) solution.

Significantly Improved Response Time.
Technicians are on-site within four hours to repair mission-critical devices and address non-urgent devices within 48 hours. As a direct result, critical devices such as imaging equipment boast an impressive 98 percent operational uptime. The average time to close a work order for non-critical assets has been reduced by 60%.

Improved Efficiency of Maintenance Operations.
Working towards an Alternative Equipment Maintenance (AEM) program and a slight adjustment to service coverage levels in 2024 will make the solution more efficient and cost-effective. In addition, by adjusting technicians’ time to focus on mission-critical equipment and other high-priority devices, the MSO is expected to save approximately $350,000 annually while maintaining the highest uptime for mission-critical devices.

New Services Improve Efficiency, Drive Cost Avoidance.
Key stakeholders can now access an Executive Dashboard showing work order completion and prioritization of equipment replacement. The executive dashboard gives our partner needed visibility into its equipment maintenance and repair history, identifying areas where costs can be reduced.
The capital equipment prioritization report helps ensure that equipment failures do not negatively affect patient care, budget for future equipment purchases and replacements, avoid costly unplanned purchases, and optimize equipment investments throughout the system.

Significant Reduction in Out-of-Scope Billing.
By introducing a full-service program and a process for approving out-of-scope work, our partner achieved a $400K or 93% reduction ($44K/month to $3K/month) in out-of-scope billing charges for services outside the original scope of work. This includes incoming inspections, consumables, avoidable damage, batteries, etc.

Improved Communication and Data Verification.
Medical devices designated as “unable to locate” have been reduced by 98 percent from April through July. By strengthening the management team in Texas and Florida, work orders are completed, inventory is accurate, and documentation in the database is correct.

“With Crothall’s expertise and cutting-edge approach, our healthcare technology management program feels like it’s on autopilot. We have a central point of contact; our equipment has significantly more coverage, and the Crothall database provides tremendous insight into daily operations. Their team ensures that our medical devices are operating at peak performance. From the inventory process and seamless maintenance schedules to data-driven insights, their commitment to excellence has elevated our patient care, allowing us to focus on what truly matters – delivering top-tier healthcare to each of our communities.”

— Director, Facilities Clinical Support, Leading MSO

Challenge

Crothall partnered with a leading MSO in 2020 to deliver preventive maintenance services to the system’s 16,000+ medical devices in its medical office buildings, urgent care centers, and imaging centers across three states. The partnership aimed to ensure its equipment was properly maintained and repaired through a unique field-service solution. The PM-only program included a schedule of preventive maintenance based on the manufacturer’s recommendations and the specific needs of the equipment, as well as a process for responding to equipment failures and corrective maintenance.
Between 2020 and 2023, this prominent MSO, added more medical practices, doubling its number of medical devices to 30,000+ in over 290 locations. Their rapid growth presented a challenge for its preventive maintenance-only solution, as the company needed to find a way to keep up with the increasing number of devices over an increasingly expansive coverage area. The expansion led to a full-service program, reducing risk and taking complete lifecycle management into account.

Crothall has exceeded expectations in the following categories:
• Response time to corrective maintenance requests • Critical equipment uptime
• Work order completion • Streamlined invoice management
• Reduction in missing or “Unable to Locate” devices

“Since partnering with Crothall, we have seen a significant improvement in the response time to repair imaging equipment and other critical devices. This has helped us to keep our imaging equipment operating at 98% uptime, which is critical for our patients. We are also pleased with the efficiency of Crothall’s maintenance operations. As we continue to establish an AEM program and slight adjustments to service coverage levels, Crothall’s offering will be even more efficient and cost-effective. We are confident that Crothall will continue to provide us with the high-quality service we need to ensure the safety and effectiveness of our medical equipment.”

— Vice President, Facility Management, Leading MSO

Solutions

More Than New Biomedical Technicians.
In January 2023, Crothall launched a full-service maintenance solution. The program covers complete lifecycle management of medical equipment to ensure that devices are safe and effective for patients.
Crothall hired six new technicians and imaging engineers to provide these services and placed them in key cities across three states. With the addition of the new personnel, there are now ten technicians/engineers based in major cities, including Dallas, San Antonio, El Paso, Miami, Orlando, and Tampa. Technicians will be on-site within four hours of a service call, significantly reducing response time to repair equipment compared to the original field service program. Due to Crothall’s ability to procure and ship parts quickly through its Technical Resource Group, most imaging systems are repaired within 1-2 days, improving the “uptime” for mission-critical equipment.

Enhancing Leadership Visibility: Strengthening Management for Greater Impact.
We are also broadening our leadership team to provide additional oversight of all work, including quarterly business reviews with key decision-makers. A new regional manager and unit director oversee Texas operations; a new unit director is now based in the southeastern US. This team provides enhanced auditing of technicians’ work to ensure work orders are completed, inventory is accurate, and documentation in the database is correct. This reporting structure creates heightened visibility through regular site visits, open communication, and essential customer service support, so attention is paid to every detail quickly.

Ensure Timely Equipment Replacements.
Replacing equipment strategically avoids unnecessary purchases and costly reactive maintenance. This translates to predictable spending and annual budget alignment.

Consistent Reporting Practices.
The physician-led medical group employed up to eight companies to maintain its equipment. It sought one company to standardize services, processes, and reporting, providing a centralized database of all assets, including their location, condition, and maintenance history. Because their footprint is so large, Crothall was one of the few companies with the resources to provide a full-service healthcare technology management solution in these states.
Prior to our selection as the single-source solution, the system managed hundreds of invoices from multiple vendors monthly. They now access costs and service activity for its 290 sites in one report and no longer spend time and energy working with multiple vendors.

Establish Communication Protocols.
Establish clear communication protocols for reporting lost or misplaced devices. Instruct staff to promptly notify the appropriate personnel if a device cannot be located.

Introduce AEM Program to Streamline Maintenance and Enhance Efficiency.
Slight adjustments to coverage levels will reduce program costs and create capacity for other critical service-related tasks.

“Our ability to provide a full range of technology management solutions is helping them better serve their patients. An increase in biomedical technicians and placing them in large cities has significantly reduced our response time to service all imaging equipment and other critical devices. And access to an executive dashboard provides our partner’s leadership team with key data that can help support important decisions and improve care.”
— Eric Massey, Regional Director of Operations, Crothall Healthcare