We all have our preferences for pretty much everything in life. It's rare that we like two things the exact same amount. However, there are differing degrees of preference which are frequently related to the price tag. If I'm planning on grabbing a burger with my wife, it's not really a big deal where we go. I would prefer one restaurant's burgers over another's, but I'm not going to be particularly concerned about it. Now if I'm taking her to an up-scale restaurant for a delicious steak, I'm planning on dropping a few bucks on the meal so I'm going to be more selective.
Take cars for example. If I need a good, reliable 4-door sedan, there's no shortage of those on the market. How much difference is there between a Camry, Fusion, 200, etc.? Sure, there's certain things that I like about each. If I think I'd prefer a new Fusion because I love the audio system with mySync, then I run across a Camry that looks brand new, low miles, great color, leather, etc. and it saves me thousands of dollars, I'd be happy with it. But if I hit the jackpot on the lotto and I'm heading out to buy my new Ferrari, I know exactly what I want and the Jaguar isn't going to cut it no matter how much it saves me.
And so it is with ultrasound systems. If I'm looking for a good, reliable ultrasound system that gets great images and has everything I need for my new mobile ultrasound business, I'm going to shop around and look for where I'll get the most bang for my buck. (Shameless plug: I'd go with a Terason uSmart 3300, great value, great warranty, great images) And typically the name brand is important, but my value-per-dollar is the key point. I know the systems I'd avoid because of reliability or "build quality" issues, but otherwise, there's a good selection available.
If I'm looking for a full-size cart based system for my echo lab or cardiologist's office that won't be going mobile, I'm likely to choose a system with which I'm very familiar. I have a long history with the Philips iE-33, as well as some Toshiba systems and the GE Vivid e9.
My mom used to tell me that it's difficult to have champagne taste when you're living on a beer budget. So I set out to figure out a way to do just that: get people what they want without breaking the bank.
Before I go on, let me first explain that any dollar amounts I throw out are based on my experiences as an applications specialist for Toshiba, as a clinical education specialist for Philips, and as a sales manager for United Medical Instruments, Inc. I try to be as accurate as possible, but everyone knows - prices are always subject to change.
My main question is this: if we are so willing to purchase a used car to avoid the huge drop in value as soon as it leaves the lot, why don't we accept that for ultrasound systems? I'll tell you why: a new Philips iE33 is very pricey, but it comes with some very important features. Warrant, service contracts, installation training, and advanced courses depending on the configuration.
Look at refurbished and used systems. Just give it a shot. Window shopping doesn't cost a penny. Be aware that you will likely run across some "fly-by-night" dealers out there, but they're the exception, not the norm. You could call me and say "Hey, Eric, I really really really want an iE33 with 3D, but they're so expensive new, and if I get a used one, I won't get the training I need!" Well do I have a solution for you! Get your champagne taste buds ready, because a bottle of Dom is coming your way.
Not only does UMI offer extended service contracts, but we offer installation training as well. It doesn't stop there, though. After my years with Philips, I learned what my customers wanted in their off-site (go to a training center) courses and I have developed courses to follow suit with the OEM courses. This allows you to purchase the system with the confidence that you'll end up being able to use it at least as well as you would by being taught by the OEM instructors. This training is offered by my company National CME and can be combined with your ultrasound purchase.
So the high-level CME courses related to 3D echocardiography get the cardiac sonographer all excited and the taste buds begin to tingle. Then they remember their budget. The 3D course taught by National CME (www.nationalcme.org) goes over everything the Philips team teaches about 3D echo on the iE33 and more. We left out the 3 hours of connectivity lectures that your IT people need rather than you and replaced it with other information including revenue information and case studies.
Their list price to just attend the course, no travel or accommodations included, is over $10,000. That is not a typo. Our course tuition list price is $1,495. We also offer on-site training at a MAJOR discount over OEM pricing. Our last on-site training special was 94% less than the equivalent training by Philips. And here's the great part: since I was recently a Philips employee, I have the exact same training as them all the way up to the latest iE33 V2012 software including 3D and speckle tracking technologies!
So the whole point of my story is that if you're looking for a full-size cart based ultrasound system, don't feel like you're stuck buying brand new because you might not get the training or service you need. You can get all of that right here. Just send me a message and I'll get you more information.
And one last thing: if you have a system that you need training on, National CME can train you even if you didn't purchase from me!
Have a great week, everyone. And have a great time shopping for your new or used systems!
No comments:
Post a Comment