Reprocessing and remanufacturing as mainstream activities in the medical device industry are rapidly expanding, driven by the ever-increasing need to control escalating healthcare supply costs and to improve environmental stewardship. Ascent provides a quickly expanding range of device reprocessing, remanufacturing and consultation services, each designed to help healthcare providers reduce environmental harm and enhance patient care by controlling and reducing supply costs and maintaining safety and quality control. Ascent employs over 150 full-time and specially trained individuals to provide direct field-based service to our partners through a total account management process.
Device Reprocessing and Remanufacturing Services
Ascent collects specific medical devices at partner hospital and surgery center locations and reprocesses or remanufactures them for subsequent re-use following stringent FDA standards and oversight. This includes advanced cleaning techniques that are custom-designed for each specific device, sterilization, state-of-the-art sterilization testing to rigid FDA guidelines, sharpening, function testing, sterile packaging, and labeling as required by device type. Hospitals are not equipped with Ascent’s leading technology capabilities, which enable us to meet FDA's rigorous reprocessing and remanufacturing requirements. As a result, hospitals contract with Ascent to provide these services that are vital for maximizing resources.
Ascent offers device reprocessing and remanufacturing services for a wide range of clinical areas and devices including:
Consultation Services
As acknowledged experts in the field of healthcare efficiency, Ascent clinicians and account executives have specific training on our A.I.M. program, which includes initial site Assessments, program Implementation recommendations, as well as ongoing collections and reporting Management. Furthermore, Ascent's resources include a number of systems experts with proficiency in supply-chain management software by Lawson, PeopleSoft and others. These professionals work with Ascent customers to fully utilize the capabilities of their software to drive efficiency and assure proper "virtual" logistics.
Environmental and Recycling Services
In order to drive savings, Ascent has developed unique collection programs. One such program, Advantage™, works in conjunction with a hospital's "green" or environmental initiative. Advantage™ reduces the amount of medical products entering local landfills. Devices not approved for reprocessing are collected, disassembled into components and recycled according to material type. This program allows Ascent customers to eliminate over 1,000 tons annually from our nation's landfills.