There are a lot of things that can throw annual capital budgets into chaos, but few may raise the immediate level of concern, like receiving an End of Life or End of Service letter from the manufacturer of your medical imaging equipment.
Don't panic (or take a deep breath if panic has already set in!).
There are many options to keep your system running for years to come!
End of Life/End of service Overview
While reading an EOL/EOS letter may lead you to believe you need to sell your current system and upgrade to a new one right away, most of this time, it's just not necessary.
The International Medical Device Regulators Forum (IMDRF) which is backed by the FDA says that "End of life indicates the life cycle stage of a product starting when the manufacturer no longer sells the product."
The good news for end users is that even though the OEM is moving on from a particular model, many third-party imaging equipment, parts, and service companies like Block Imaging are equipped to offer OEM-quality parts and service support for years after your system is deemed EOL/EOS.
Still not sure? Here's an example of how our team was able to help a customer who had received an EOL/EOS letter.
A Customer example:
How a Diagnostic and Vascular Healthcare facility saved $1,000,000 and reduced its annual service cost by 30%
An interventional radiology customer received an EOL/EOS letter for their mid-2000s GE Innova 4100 Cath Lab.
The system was purchased for over $1,000,000 and had been a workhorse for their facility for many years. With an EOL/EOS letter on the table, they assumed upgrading to the latest GE Innova model was their only option.
They received a quote for a new model from GE which included a very low trade in value, so they called Block Imaging in hopes of selling their system to our team.
After an initial conversation on the lack of value, our team asked why they were looking to sell. They explained the EOL/EOS letters they had received and how at odds they felt. Their current system was a good unit and they did not have it in their budget to purchase a new system.
We ensured the customer they did not need to sell their current system, and that we could support their parts and service needs.
The customer shelved the idea of buying a new $1,000,000+ system from the OEM and ended up signing a 7-year service agreement to keep their current Innova 4100 up and running!
Overall, this customer saved $1,000,000+ by keeping their current system and reduced their annual service costs by around 30%!
Recap
So, what do we learn from this customer example?
First, don’t panic. Take a deep breath.
Second, your medical imaging equipment can continue providing patient care for years to come after being deemed EOL/EOS. Block Imaging offers 35,000+ parts in stock, 24/7 technical support, and skilled field service engineers to perform maintenance on your system.
Have you received an EOL / EOS letter recently and have questions? Contact our service team to better understand available options!
Josh Nunez: April 22, 2024
