How to Get Maximum Value When Selling Refurbished Equipment

You’re a medical center that has been using the same MRI machine for over a decade. The latest technology on the block is incredibly attractive and you’d love to upgrade, but the systems out there are out of your budget – or are they?

Because of the expenses of medical equipment, even refurbished equipment, it’s always smart to take a look at your existing equipment to see if selling it could contribute to your budget for new equipment.

This guide, which includes our Equipment Valuation Checklist, lays out the why and the how behind the process of selling refurbished equipment, providing you with valuable insight and direction as you consider your options.

Note: Block Imaging provides refurbished equipment and parts. You can read about it in detail below or reach out to our sales team to learn more about how it can help improve diagnostic imaging.

 

 

 

What factors make hospitals sell equipment?

There are several factors that motivate hospitals to sell their equipment and most common reasons we see are these centers wanting to gain access to the latest technology or the centers wanting to get some value from existing equipment to go towards their equipment budget.

Maybe there is something new on the market that a hospital wants to replace their current system with. OEMs have been boasting some incredible technological advancements with their new equipment: AI integrations, computer software upgrades, or even whole new areas of studies that have been recently introduced with new isotopes or contrast agents. For those hospitals and research centers wanting to get in on these advancements, selling existing equipment provides much needed capital to offset the cost of the new systems.

Another reason why hospitals might sell equipment is because their current pieces of equipment are two to three generations old. However, there is still a demand for those kinds of systems on the secondary market, especially because there could still be components on those systems that could be refurbished and used to service equipment that’s younger. A mature system often has plenty of life left and value to add if you know what to look for.

You might be thinking of some equipment you have in your facility right now that might contain some value that you could sell. However, you still need some actual numbers before you can fully factor your system’s value in to purchasing, new or refurbished.

 

How much is my medical imaging equipment worth?

It can be complicated to ascertain the value of your equipment, especially when you don’t have a checklist of all the value drivers to go through. When approaching potential buyers, having all the information in a list speeds up the estimation process quite a bit.

Equipment Valuation Checklist

  • What is the year, make, and model of your equipment?
  • What is the actual usage of the equipment? Provide as much information as you can on the below categories:
    • How old is the tube?
    • How many scan seconds have been run on it?
    • (For GE equipment) How many milliamp seconds are on it?
  • What is the configuration of the equipment?
  • Do you have accessories? If so, what kind?
  • Do you have injectors?
  • Do you have monitoring?
  • Do you have Mac labs?
  • Do you have workstations or additional workstations? What programs are on those?
  • What licensing software (this tells us what it was used for, and therefore what it can be used for in the future) is on it?
  • Take photographs of the system for the below goals. Note: almost anyone can take these: the radiology manager, your tech, facility staff, etc.
    • To show how it was set up.
    • To show what it includes (i.e. cardiac monitor, lasers, MagLev in the background).
    • To show it in full (take at least one glamour shot).
    • To confirm details, like serial tag (which helps confirm age) and configuration photos from the computers.
    • To show the gantry from the back, side, and front.
    • To show any accessories that are going to be included with the sale.

DOWNLOAD EQUIPMENT VALUATION CHECKLIST

What can I expect in the process of selling equipment to Block Imaging?

Our processes and tools come from out twenty years in the refurbished medical equipment industry, and we share them so that hospitals and facilities are as prepared as possible to make the best decision for their needs.

Though the above tips can be applied to working with any potential buyer, we would be happy to walk you through the equipment valuation journey.

Don’t hesitate to contact us for more information – you can count on a member of our team reaching out to you for more details quickly.

When you work with us, you can expect an experienced team that provides solutions to you: from buying to servicing and refurbishing.

 

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Picture of Josh Nunez

Josh Nunez

Josh Nunez is the Director of Product Management at Block Imaging. Josh is energized by developing an understanding of each customer's unique imaging needs and overcoming the challenge of helping find them the perfect equipment match. When he is not providing PET/CT solutions he enjoys traveling, soccer, and spending time with his wife and five kids.