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May 06
Intermed: Q&A with Rick Staab
Meeting your complete technology management needs is
a responsibility that should be placed in the hands
of a dedicated and experienced organization. At InterMed,
we unite sophisticated technology with knowledgeable
professionals, ready to meet your challenges. Our team
makes it their business to know technology management,
anticipate your long-term needs, and build an enduring
relationship. Our experience has taught us that your
staff and patients deserve the same thoughtful, personalized
attention that you do. We provide that attention through
our full range of asset management services and dedication
to providing the highest-quality, most cost effective
service available.
InterMed has evolved since your inception, has the
market influenced that of the company culture?
No, the core of InterMed’s company culture is based
on Integrity, and therefore is unaffected by the market
or any other outside factor. We feel it is our duty
to provide our clients with the best service available,
while remaining a positive member of the Medical Service
community.
How has the emergence of e-commerce affected your
business?
E-commerce has had a positive effect on our business,
mostly in the area of equipment sales. The internet
provides us with the opportunity to reach a multitude
of prospects, with the same amount of time and energy
it previously required to reach only a few. Also, with
the inception of online communities such as DotMed,
locating hard-to-find equipment and parts can be done
in a fraction of the time it took previously. E commerce
has also spawned a healthier competition, driving down
prices of most items.
What are some obstacles you have had to overcome?
Just as in most industries, there is strong brand recognition
with some of the major manufacturers. Being a third-party
sales and service organization, we run into that from
time to time. In such cases, we rely strongly on our
reputation and references from satisfied customers we
have partnered with to build a more efficient and cost-effective
program for their facility. InterMed gains several customers
each year from unsolicited referrals by our current
customer base.
Hard to find parts is an obstacle that we have had to
overcome in order to drive our business. Some newer
equipment and proprietary things have made it difficult
in some instances to service certain manufacturer’s
newest equipment. We have been forced to purchase higher
end, higher used equipment to have spares and parts
for troubleshooting. We have an eighteen thousand sq.
ft. building to warehouse equipment and parts just for
service.
The greatest obstacle we have faced in our growth has
been finding the right person for a job. Finding qualified
imaging or biomedical engineers have been difficult
at times. We are now at a stage where we have a fulltime
HR manager and that allows us to prepare in advance
for growth and choose the best candidates with the most
knowledge and experience.
Who are your customers?
We currently provide service for Hospitals, Medical
Centers, and Doctor’s offices of all sizes, specialties,
and modalities. Before selecting our clients, we make
sure they are a good fit for our organization, and that
we will be able to provide them service at the level
we require of ourselves. Our focus has been in the Southeastern
United States. Most of the customers we partner with
are looking to reduce costs through multivendor service.
We are able to partner with the facility or business
in a less abrasive way. Most larger vendors like to
tell the customer how they will run the program where
we listen and try to tailor a program that allows the
customer to feel in control while they become more efficient.
How do you compete with the Major Service Providers?
Several ways, but primarily by going above and beyond
what they are usually willing to do, in order to exceed
our client’s expectations. The fact that our service
engineers are multi-vendor trained on most major manufacturers,
gives us a distinct advantage as well. InterMed’s
flexibility adds another dimension we are able to offer
our clients. We design each client’s program to
fit their specific needs, enabling their facility to
run at maximum efficiency, while forming a partnership
between InterMed and the customer. We have found a comfortable
area with most major manufacturers where InterMed provides
certain services for those manufacturers. In many areas
we work symbiotically with those manufacturers. We are
able to supply them with multivendor service without
being a threat.
Where do you see future growth for you and the industry?
Our Nuclear Medicine division is growing quickly. We
have been able to capture trade-in equipment for parts,
service, and resale. We have developed all of the right
areas to support a very good service base and have experienced
and talented engineers that continue to allow InterMed
Nuc Med to grow. PetCT is an area I want to get into.
It is fascinating and is being used much more. The reimbursements
are getting better which drives the usage.
We are finding new partnerships to be invaluable as
well. We have some excellent affiliations and partnerships
with companies like Ditec, Getinge, Physicians Sales
and Services, Aramark, Siemens, Philips, Metropolitan
Medical, and others. We are a company that shares well.
We are not threatening to anyone. I fully expect our
sales to double or triple with the addition of some
sales personell and concentrations we have added to
InterMed in the last few months. We are interested in
growing and never had a sales approach. We see the value
in it and are excited about the tremendous amount of
growth we think we can achieve with the added sales
to InterMed.
How does the "InterMed Environment" at the
office lead to your success?
The environment at InterMed perpetuates several of the
components required to experience the type of success
we have since the company’s inception. The employees
know the owners of our company are always looking out
for our best interest. All three have an Open Door policy,
and are willing to put forth the time and effort to
help their employees not only to succeed in our professional
lives, but in our personal lives as well. Whether it’s
the extremely generous 401k policy, the cookouts we
have at the office just because, or the birthday parties
they throw for each of us; there is an overwhelming
sense of loyalty to the owners and the company that
make everyone work diligently toward a common goal.
And the best part is, we have fun while we do it!
InterMed Technology Management
13351 Progress Blvd., Alachua, FL 32615;
www.intermed1.com;
sales@intermed1.com;
Tel: 386.462.5220
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