EXPERT ADVICE
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NECESSITY OF PREMIUM VENTILATOR SERVICE DURING COVID BY MARK TAYLOR
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t’s no secret that the COVID-19 pandemic put a strain on the medical equipment industry and, in particular, has tested the limits of ventilator capabilities worldwide. With the extraordinarily high volume of work performed by many ventilators in 2020, it is more important than ever that these life sustaining ventilators receive attentive and timely service. Neglecting service and routine maintenance can cause units, especially ones that have seen intense use, to perform poorly and provide less-effective therapy. It is crucial to provide proper service and maintenance to avoid exceeding the manufacturer’s range of specs. These critical units need to continue to perform error-free at peak efficiency to save lives in 2021.
Health care providers looking to service their equipment in 2021 have a welcome break. The Coronavirus Response and Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, 2021 (Sec. 1001) extends the deadline for CARES Act relief expenditures to Dec 31, 2021. The U.S. Department of Health & Human Services deems these funds to go toward any “health care-related expenses attributable to the coronavirus,” which not only covers equipment purchasing or renting but also service and maintenance of COVID-associated equipment. This extension gives health care providers the means to find appropriate care and service for their overworked units. Also, all ventilators with internal power sources need service every year regard-
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less of use. Lithium-ion batteries have a finite shelf life and will require a technician before clinical use. As demand for ventilators spiked last year, so will the need for ventilator service spike in 2021. Plan a service schedule with qualified biomedical technicians to avoid a workload backup. How do you select the best biomedical repair and service company to perform your critical ventilator service? As important as it is to service your ventilator, it is pointless if the biomedical techs do a shoddy job or cut corners. We recommend finding an option that is manufacturer-approved as a designated service center, reputable in the industry and ISO certified. If a biomed shop is an authorized service center, they have the manufacturer’s stamp of approval regarding their quality as well as factory-trained techs. Additionally, we challenge our buyers to search for their biomed shop on Google Maps using the street view option. You’d be surprised what turns up and at the types of facilities that your equipment is being repaired in. We also recommend that your depot be ISO 9001:2015 or 13485:2016 certified (or higher). While the ISO certification doesn’t license them to work on equipment, it does ensure that their processes and business quality are tightly regulated. This certification gives you peace-of-mind that you are dealing with a reputable company dedicated to quality and continually striving to improve its biomedical repair processes. On behalf of ReNew Biomedical, we hold our healthcare technology manag-
Mark Taylor Owner/President ers and biomeds to these high standards and are preparing to accommodate the influx of equipment needing service in 2021. As we develop our infrastructure and facilities to take on more work this upcoming year, we embrace the challenge of servicing the hard-working units that have supported health care professionals on the front lines. Lives depend on your ventilators’ reliability and efficiency, and they require service to stay optimally functional. As you send them in for service, make sure you hold your biomedical technicians to a higher standard in 2021. Your ventilators were under heavy stress this past year; find them the premium service they deserve. For more information, visit www.renewbiomedical.com. MARK TAYLOR is the owner/president of ReNew Biomedical.
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