Sensible Solutions for Refurbished Radiology

by Matthew N. Skoufalos
A Slice of Life Success Story - Medical Dealer August 2013

July 18, 2013
by Loren Bonner , DOTmed News Online Editor

Jeff Weiss, CEO of Atlantis Worldwide , has been in the refurbished medical equipment business for over 20 years. His company has survived many changes in the market. He shares his opinions on some of the challenges facing dealers and sellers in today's shifting health care environment. Here's an edited version of our conversation.

Purchasing a refurbished C-Arm is a great investment for a private practice that is just starting out, a cost-conscious hospital looking to upgrade their radiology equipment, or any medical facility that is looking for a sensible solution while maintaining a high quality of care. The catch in this market is what “refurbished” means to one company may be different from what “refurbished” means to another. Some companies say they refurbish C-Arms, but in reality all they do is give the C-arm a paint job, and while that’s important, it’s not enough. So before you get to the buying stage, make sure you read this article, it will clearly outline all the things you should know and expect from a refurbished C-Arm. 

The 98th RSNA Annual meeting is the largest medical meeting in the U.S., with 58,000 expected to attend.  With that many radiologist, medical physicists and medical professionals in one place, advance planning will be your key to success—whether it’s finding the perfect equipment for your facility, or landing reservations at the hottest restaurants in town! 

So you’ve bought the latest, greatest new medical imaging equipment (or were super-smart and bought refurbished medical imaging equipment from Atlantis Worldwide.)  Now you’ve got to move the old equipment to its new space three floors down.  Or maybe you’re renovating your facility and need to move your medical imaging equipment to the storage room just down the hall.  Well, if you’ve ever tried moving a king-sized mattress down a flight of stairs or great grandma’s armoire just down the hall, you know moving is rarely easy and actually requires intelligent preparation.

We’ve all seen the Fashion Do’s and Don’ts on TV and in fashion magazines.  Like “DON’T wear a black thong under white sheer pants when shopping at Wal-Mart,” or “DO wear an outrageous chapeau when attending a Kentucky Derby party.”

Well, fashion faux pas may be embarrassing, but buying the wrong refurbished imaging equipment can be extremely costly, ineffective and downright frustrating to your clinic, hospital, surgical center, imaging group or practice. 

Most kids grow up with dreams of becoming a firefighter, a rock star or a famous sports figure.  As Atlantis Worldwide LLC CEO and founder Jeff Weiss said, “It’s not like I woke up one day and said—“Hey, I think I want to sell refurbished imaging solutions worldwide.  It’s just where my skills, talents, connections and luck led me.”

We’ve all heard the stories:  two guys build a gadget in a garage in Northern California and it ends up launching a multi billion dollar company.  Another entrepreneur turns a passion for coffee into a worldwide destination for caffeine consumption.  Or, in the silence of a lab, a new drug is developed that can cure a disease.  They all have one thing in common:  someone recognized a need, and came up with a solution.