The META Scholar Volume 6 | Page 31

Our recommendation is to phase-out outside vendor maintenance costs and increase our staffing by two biomedical repair technicians in order to augment the department while at the same time ensuring all equipment is properly maintained to provide more “hands-on” maintainers. SWOT—Strength, Weakness, Opportunity, Threat DEFINITION Business Plan—A business plan describes in detail how new and existing clinical engineering services The vendor maintenance contract elimination will are going to perform now and in the future. slash costs and group parts into one centralized Gap Analysis—is the comparison of actual budget that decreases equipment down time waiting performance with potential performance. for vendors to arrive on-site and supply us parts. It Needs analysis—is an assessment of the current also provides for an increased utilization of departments situation or what their needs are. equipment. As your organizations expert and consultants on medical equipment; an additional technician definitely allow us to offer an even more wellrounded experienced department which is capable of supporting this organization virtually free from almost all outside vendor maintenance services. Every clinical engineering business plan will lay out your departments full story or written strategy of priorities to include manpower, financial and For more on clinical engineering policies, check continued operations. It defines “the big picture” of out Duke University departmental policies and procedures. potential costs, services, and cutbacks due to business decisions and helps clinical engineering directors modify decisions accordingly before final implementation of these ideas. For example, as a biomedical equipment technician or clinical engineer you should always be thinking of ways to help your hospital organization save money to reduce overall costs. For example, it is not easy to be that guy to step up to the plate as ask how can I help “the boss” save money. The short answer is cut my full time contracts so I can bring more in-house maintenance and services but it requires initiative and hard work on both parties in order to be successful. Lastly, once a year the clinical engineering business plan should be reviewed and adjusted for accuracy to keep up REFERENCE HTMA of Ohio. “Clinical Engineering Business with changing requirements. Plan”. 2011. http://ohiocea.files.wordpress.com/2011/08/busplan. TERMS pdf AAAHC—Accreditation Ambulatory Health Care Association FTE—Full Time Equivalent GFCI—Ground Fault Circuit Interrupter for Investopedia. “Business plan definition.” Accessdate 2/20/14. http://www.investopedia.com/terms/b/businessplan.asp