Capital Equipment Track: 2024 ACE Summit

Managing a capital equipment purchase is a complicated process, bringing with it unique challenges in accessing capital, analyzing, and comparing products, and meeting financial demands while still achieving goals in patient care and positive outcomes. Capital equipment purchasing can encompass several key decision-making stages, cutting across a number of departments. In these sessions, you’ll gain new perspectives on project funding strategies, equipment maintenance and management procedures, and prioritization techniques. Learn from healthcare system executives and other facilities experts about methods of effectively evaluating capital equipment purchases, gain insights on the changes taking place in capital equipment planning, and hear creative strategies for equipment planning and acquisition. This track is designed for senior healthcare executives with capital equipment purchasing responsibilities, equipment planners, and sales and marketing executives from the healthcare capital equipment arena.

The planning, programming, and budgeting for equipment replacement is critical, whether that be clinical equipment or facility infrastructure. There is no “one size fits all” strategy; however, having an effective process in place to prioritize and balance capital equipment purchases and replacement strategies is crucial. Are you asking the right questions when determining when to replace your capital equipment? What factors contribute to your decision? This discussion will include tactics for setting priorities amid competing requests, making decisions objectively, and how to best determine long-term value. The importance of equipment planning checklists before, during, and after acquisition will also be discussed.

Learning Objectives:

Describe the factors that impact equipment replacement planning.
Explain how prioritizing capital equipment purchases can positively affect a hospital’s bottom line.
Discuss best practices and strategies for capital equipment replacement.
Outline processes for objectively evaluating competing requests for capital equipment replacements.

Capital planning is a complex process that requires a complete and thorough evaluation of an organization’s current capital assets in addition to an analysis of potential funding opportunities. Take a deep dive into project funding strategies and the importance of weighing factors such as urgency, impact on quality of care, code compliance, strategic importance, etc. Staying abreast of capital markets outlook, monitoring key metrics, and adhering to proprietary benchmarks related to quality of care can help your organization effectively utilize capital dollars to provide improved patient care, minimize risk, lower costs, and better achieve your mission.

Learning Objectives:

Discuss the information needed to effectively plan a capital project.
Review factors to consider when formulating a project funding plan.
Identify regulatory changes that are impacting capital project market conditions.
Analyze trends to help improve project planning decisions.

Capital equipment management is a vital component in the ongoing challenge of improving patient outcomes and balancing the highest level of care at the lowest cost. Acquiring and maintaining the proper equipment is key in upgrading facilities, meeting changing patient needs and maintaining the latest technology. For many hospitals, purchasing the equipment that best meets their needs, for the best price, and with the best long-term value remains difficult. Learn successful equipment planning strategies that manage expectations, support project budget compliance, and facilitate staff and patient satisfaction.

Learning Objectives:

Describe the challenges capital equipment managers face as they work to improve outcomes while keeping costs down.
Identify capital equipment processes that address the needs of today’s healthcare providers and their changing patient population.
Outline proven processes for successful medical equipment planning – from conceptual design to everyday use.
Examine current trends and forecast future trends in capital equipment planning and efficiency.

Creating a strategic facilities plan can be like navigating a minefield. Limited funding must be wisely allocated and plans often must cover the next 5 to 10 years (or longer), making it difficult to achieve an actionable annual budget. In this session, the panelists will share keys to successful capital project prioritization, sharing strategies that support project budget compliance, improve efficiency, and eliminate bias. Ensure that you are funding the projects that make the most sense for your capital plan and available budget by applying the best, most effective processes and setting realistic goals.

Learning Objectives:

Explain actionable steps to rank and prioritize projects.
Categorize methods of balancing funding among categories.
Describe methods of garnering the input of all stakeholders during the planning process.
Identify best practices for collaboration in the capital project planning process.

2019 Capital Equipment Track The 2020 Capital Equipment Track will be announced at a later date.

2019 Capital Equipment Track

The 2020 Capital Equipment Track will be announced at a later date.