Service contracts are a key factor in ensuring equipment uptime and cost predictability in hospitals. In this interview, Duane Hawkins, Service Expert at Getinge, shares his perspective on what defines a high-quality service partnership and how proactive maintenance supports reliable hospital operations.
What makes a service contract effective, and why it matters to improve reliability and financial efficiency?
Duane Hawkins: In healthcare environments, particularly operating rooms, ICU and CSSD, minimizing unplanned equipment downtime is critical. Reliable medical devices are essential for maintaining patient safety, supporting clinical workflows, and ensuring efficient delivery of patient care.
Equipment failures can have significant operational and financial consequences. Unexpected disruptions may delay procedures, reduce productivity, and require potential unplanned expenditures for repairs. In some cases, additional budget allocations may be necessary, creating financial challenges for healthcare providers.
Service contracts can help mitigate these risks.
Healthcare providers can choose from a range of service contract options depending on their operational requirements and budgets, these may include planned preventative maintenance (PPM), or more comprehensive contracts that incorporate corrective maintenance and replacement parts.
PPM service contracts help to mitigate risks by ensuring medical devices are inspected, serviced and maintained at scheduled intervals, whereas comprehensive agreements may offer additional benefits which contribute to higher equipment availability, budget security and more consistent clinical operations.
Selecting the appropriate level of coverage, following an evaluation of requirements and risks associated with equipment failure, allows alignment of maintenance strategies with their clinical and financial objectives.
What is the role of the OEM (Getinge) expertise in medical device service and maintenance?
Duane Hawkins: The quality and effectiveness of medical equipment servicing can be influenced by several factors, including technical expertise, access to manufacturer information, and the availability of approved replacement parts. Healthcare organizations may obtain maintenance services directly from the original equipment manufacturer (OEM, Getinge) or from independent service providers, depending on their operational requirements and service strategies.
Getinge employs engineers and technicians who receive product-specific training and have access to detailed technical documentation developed throughout the product lifecycle. This knowledge extends from product design and development through installation, maintenance, and end-of-life support. Such familiarity ensures that maintenance procedures are performed according to manufacturer specifications.
Another consideration is access to proprietary resources. Getinge has exclusive access to original spare parts, software updates, technical bulletins, and safety notifications. These resources support consistent maintenance practices and help ensure that equipment remains aligned with the manufacturer's recommended performance and safety standards.
Service arrangements may also influence the speed and efficiency of technical support. For example, some service contracts include priority response provisions and predefined support procedures. These measures can help reduce administrative delays and contribute to faster issue resolution when equipment failures occur.
Getinge continually measures service effectiveness through proactive monitoring of key performance indicators, including but not limited to response times, resolutions rates and equipment uptime. Ongoing evaluation of these metrics provides valuable insights into service quality and support informed decisions when evaluating maintenance requirements and service provider selection.
What role do Getinge service technicians play, and why are they so important?
Duane Hawkins: Getinge service technicians play a critical role in maintaining the performance, reliability and safety of Getinge medical devices. As the face of service, they are responsible for diagnosing issues, carrying out repairs and performing preventative maintenance.
The effectiveness of a service organization depends largely on the technical competence, product knowledge, and experience of its engineering workforce. Getinge places a high focus on the quality of training, and dedication in continuous assessment of our trained engineers to ensure equipment is maintained according to manufacturer specifications, reducing risk of failures and support consistent clinical operations.
Additionally, Getinge has dedicated Service Contracts Sales Managers, who collaborate with healthcare providers to identify equipment inventories, discuss requirements and risk profiles to determine the most effective maintenance strategies.
Collaborative approaches are widely adopted within public healthcare systems, where balancing equipment reliability, compliance, and efficiency are particularly important.
Some hospitals have their own biomedical engineering teams – do you collaborate with them?
Duane Hawkins: While many healthcare organizations rely on external service partners for equipment maintenance, some larger hospitals maintain their own in-house engineering teams. Getinge supports this model by providing hospital-based technicians with access to technical training, certification programs, documentation, and access to replacement parts.
Ongoing training and recertification help ensure that in-house personnel remain familiar with current maintenance procedures, regulatory requirements and product updates.
What conclusion can be drawn when it comes to service contracts?
Duane Hawkins: Healthcare providers frequently face budget challenges that influence decisions regarding equipment maintenance and service coverage. As a result, some facilities may choose maintenance agreements which focus primarily on preventative maintenance, excluding broader repair and support services.
Although lower-cost maintenance only agreements may reduce short-term expenditure; it is important to consider the potential long-term implications. Equipment failures that require service parts can result in unplanned costs, service interruptions, and operational delays. In critical environments, these disruptions may affect workflow efficiency and place additional demands on staff and resources.
More comprehensive maintenance coverage, such as Getinge Care – Premium, often combines scheduled maintenance and reactive services, helping to improve equipment reliability, reduce unplanned downtime and support more predictable budgeting.
When evaluating service contract requirements, it is important to balance immediate cost considerations against potential operational and financial impacts of unexpected equipment failures.
Getinge offers a collaborative approach, engaging stakeholders to assess requirements and propose suitable solutions to maximize the effectiveness of the device's performance, enhance availability, and support the delivery of safe, effective patient care.