Advantages Of Mobile Medical Units
Many hospitals and health care facilities are exploring the use and benefits of contracting with mobile medical units. These units can provide a variety of services and programs that many providers either can’t afford to invest fully in, or do not have their own expertise to be able to provide.
Mobile medical units are generally independently owned, however there are other examples of incorporated or partnership models as well. They provide a service through the use of highly skilled and qualified personnel using very expensive and technical equipment. This equipment is housed in a truck or vehicle and can be moved from place to place depending on the need and the location it is needed in.
Take for example an MRI machine. This equipment is very costly and hiring or recruiting personnel to operate and read the findings or images can be very expensive. As a result, many small hospitals and surgical centers contract with mobile MRI units. These units drive into the area at the hospital or facility and provide imaging services. Typically the procedures are scheduled in advance so both the patient and the MRI staff are aware of the date and time of the visit.
Once the unit arrives and is set up, the patients can begin showing up for their appointments. They simply enter the unit as they would a typical doctors office or clinic. These units are staffed with professional and courteous personnel. They are familiar with the equipment and the controls. Depending on the volume or need of the community, the unit may come once per week, per month, quarterly or more or less times based on the contracting hospitals desires.
By contracting for this service, the hospital or health care facility can save a lot of money. If the mobile medical unit provides a service such as a sleep lab, it may be a type of service that is not a heavy volume service line to the hospital, but one that is very necessary.
So they contract with the company to come in four times per month. Rather than constructing specific rooms in the hospital to resemble and simulate an actual bedroom, purchase the sleep lab equipment and hire the highly trained personnel to manage and perform the testing, the hospital can partner with a mobile unit company.
The contract could be based on a monthly fee, or it could be based on the billing and reimbursement of the services provided. The monthly fee concept is generally easier to budget and plan for in terms of value, expense and revenue. Whereas contracting based on billing and reimbursement, or contingency, can fluctuate greatly.
All three parties benefit in this kind of partnership. The patient benefits because they can go to their local hospital provider and not have to travel out of town. The hospital benefits because they don’t lose that patient, revenue and helps to provide needed and necessary care to them. The mobile medical company benefits because they contract with the hospital for services and they also participate in providing quality care to the community.
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