CME Insider's Blog Posts

Do you know where your medical equipment assets are located?

In a fast-paced healthcare environment, medical equipment is constantly moving—whether it’s infusion pumps being transferred between departments, patient monitors being relocated for urgent care, or surgical instruments being prepped for procedures. Having the ability to track and manage this equipment becomes more critical for healthcare providers as time goes on, specially during peak seasons when ER visits surge and patient influx is high. Yet, many healthcare facilities struggle with outdated asset lists, missing equipment, and inefficient tracking systems. And without accurate equipment data, these facilities risk delays in patient care, unnecessary equipment purchases, and even compliance issues.

Launching, expanding, or renovating a healthcare facility is a complex endeavor, with very little room for error. A single day of delay can cost a medical facility anywhere from $400,000 to $500,000 in lost revenue. The potential for delay was even greater for PeaceHealth’s Ketchikan Medical Center when they embarked on a $62 million, 70,000-square-foot expansion project. Located on a remote island in southern Alaska with no direct highway access, the facility’s location posed unique logistical challenges that could adversely impact the timeline for opening and by extension cost millions in lost revenue. But through careful planning, close collaboration with all parties involved, and our specialized delivery and installation services, CME teams helped ensure the medical center’s expansion was completed on time, within budget, and without any lost revenue.

Missing an accessible medical diagnostic equipment compliance date can feel like a big problem, especially when equipment purchases, facility planning, staff training, and regulatory requirements are all involved.

The good news is that missing the date does not mean the facility is out of options.

It’s a rule of the universe: laboratory equipment rarely fails on a convenient schedule.

An analyzer may begin producing intermittent error messages during the morning rush. A centrifuge may require another service visit only weeks after its last repair. A refrigerator that has performed reliably for years may suddenly struggle to maintain its required temperature range.

Each event can appear manageable on its own. Staff troubleshoot the problem, call a technician, move specimens, adjust schedules, and keep the laboratory running.

Over time, however, those workarounds carry a cost.

Blood drawing chairs may look like basic clinical furniture, but in reality, they can affect patient comfort, staff efficiency, room layout, cleaning routines, and daily phlebotomy workflow.

Healthcare organizations should evaluate them as clinical workstations rather than simply as seats.

This buying guide explains what to look for, how major chair types compare, and which questions buyers should ask before placing an order.

Medical diagnostic equipment accessibility is an important compliance requirement that is increasingly influencing equipment acquisition decisions. While many facilities focus on accessible entrances, parking, and restrooms, patients also need to be able to safely use exam tables, scales, imaging equipment, dental chairs, and other diagnostic equipment during routine care.

Cardiovascular disease remains one of the most significant clinical and financial challenges facing healthcare organizations today. As health systems work to improve outcomes for patients with heart disease and stroke, they must also navigate staffing shortages, rising operational costs, fragmented technology environments, and increasing demands for clinical efficiency. These challenges can limit access to critical patient information and create barriers to timely, informed clinical decision-making.

Medical procedure chairs have become a common upgrade for clinics, physician practices, specialty departments, ambulatory surgery centers, and other care environments where patient positioning matters. Traditional exam tables still have a clear role in routine examinations, but many facilities are finding that procedure chairs offer more flexibility for exams, minor procedures, specialty care, and patient transfer needs, especially in light of recent changes to ADA requirements for MDE.

Procedure chair selection is a purchasing decision with operational consequences. Facilities should look beyond the product photo and compare how each chair fits the patient population, procedure mix, available room space, workflows, cleaning protocols, and maintenance expectations.

Before diving in and exploring the finer points of overbed tables used in healthcare, let’s take a minute to answer the basic question:

What Is an Overbed Table?

Short answer: An overbed table is a mobile, height-adjustable table that fits over or beside a bed, stretcher, recliner, or chair so patients and care teams have a convenient flat surface within reach.