Medequip Biomedical
Michael Balakonis
Focused on providing an alternative for purchasing or renting aftermarket products,
MedEquip Biomedical (Miami) is a national independent service and repair center for
physiological monitors and monitoring service components. Michael Balakonis, president and
co-founder of MedEquip Biomedical, recently spoke with 24x7 about what makes the company
unique and how it overcomes the challenge of keeping up with the evolution of
patient-monitoring technology.
24x7: What needs does MedEquip Biomedical satisfy in the biomedical industry?
Balakonis: In response to the needs of the growing customer community, MedEquip
Biomedical sells and rents a variety of preowned, refurbished, and reconditioned patient
monitors, offering clients an alternative to buying new physiological monitors. We
specialize in the product lines of four major manufacturers, including HP/Philips, GE
Marquette, Spacelabs, and Siemens. Additionally, we soon will begin offering support of
Datascope monitors. This product offering satisfies more than 90% of the installed base of
physiological monitors in the United States.
24x7: What factors make MedEquip Biomedical unique?
Balakonis: MedEquip Biomedical is owned and managed by biomedical professionals.
This gives the company a unique expertise and level of experience to provide unparalleled
service solutions. The technical support center is staffed by former in-house biomedical
technicians who have been through the manufacturers service schools and offer free
technical support for their major product lines. There also are staff members who are
former employees of monitor manufacturers. Our level of phone support offered to customers
is equal to, or better than, what manufacturers provide.
24x7: With regard to the industry, what challenges have the company faced? What
has the company done to overcome these challenges?
Balakonis: As patient-monitoring technology has evolved, so have we. We have
stayed current in the industry by continuously reinvesting in research and development to
offer innovative products. As a result, we are beginning to shift our focus toward
current-generation patient-monitoring equipment.
The first two product lines we plan to introduce will be our LCD/electroluminescent
panel repair/exchange program and our WMTS telemetry. We are moving forward, and we are
consistently overcoming technology hurdles. Special sourcing, reverse engineering
projects, and expansion of our electronics laboratory advance our ability to accomplish
more multilayered, surface-mount, and microprocessor-based printed circuit board repair.
The newer-style multiparameter module repair program will be one result of this effort.
This will allow MedEquip Biomedical to continue to provide a quality second-source and
cost-effective service solution for OEMs current and older-generation products.
24x7: What would you like 24x7 readers to learn about MedEquip Biomedical?
Balakonis: MedEquip Biomedical is in the process of moving from our four-building
campus to a new, state-of-the-art, 20,000-sq-ft facility. We sponsor biomedical societies
nationwide, and we are the main sponsor of the online discussion forum BiomedTalk. We also
are proud to have Bruce Maden on the team; he serves on the educational committee of the
Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation for 2005. 24x7