How We Do It: The IMEC Process
IMEC serves those who serve the poor. We work in partnership with humanitarian organizations like World Vision, Project Hope, IRD, ADRA, Doctors Without Borders and Rotary International to revitalize impoverished hospitals in developing countries. With our five step process —Assessment, Acquisition, Preparation, Packaging, and Shipment — we can deliver Complete Medical Suites to hospitals all over the world, efficiently and effectively.
This process, including shipment, takes place at no cost to the target hospital. All funding is provided by the sponsoring humanitarian organization, and by donations from foundations, corporations, and individual donors. All of the medical equipment we deliver is in good working order and appropriate to the needs and capabilities of the target hospital. In addition, our shipments include the complete array of medical supplies required to support that equipment.
Assessment
The process begins when a humanitarian organization identifies a hospital in need and contacts IMEC to request our service. IMEC’s assessment volunteers have many years of experience in working with hospitals in the developing world. IMEC and the sponsoring humanitarian organization work with hospital personnel to assess the hospital’s needs and to create a plan for its rejuvenation. The plan lists the needed types of medical support—maternity, surgical, dental, eye care, etc.—and IMEC uses that plan to begin the process of equipment acquisition and preparation.
Acquisition
The medical equipment and supplies that IMEC delivers come from a variety of sources. The majority of items donated to IMEC come from hospitals and medical equipment companies across the United States.
Hospitals that are reorganizing often find themselves discarding fully functional medical devices that have been replaced with newer models.
Medical equipment companies introducing new lines are left with unsold warehouse stock of discontinued devices. IMEC’s Acquisition Department offers its services to these companies and hospitals by taking their surplus equipment and bringing it to IMEC, where we put it in the hands of those who need it most.
From time to time, a required piece of equipment is not available from donations, so we purchase it from the manufacturers. Often, these manufacturers generously choose to sell this equipment to us at a discount, in order to aid our mission.
Preparation
We collect the equipment and bring it to our 150,000 foot warehouse and distribution center in North Andover, MA, where our volunteers clean it, make sure it’s fully functional, and organize it for suite assembly. Used equipment is repaired as needed by our highly skilled technical volunteers, many of whom are retired electrical engineers or medical technicians. Linens and medical supplies are sorted and organized into packages designed by nurses and physicians for the requirements of each suite.
Packaging & Shipping
Our warehouse volunteers organize the equipment and supplies into complete medical suites, packed onto pallets for shipment. For example, a labor and maternity suite would include all of the equipment and supplies necessary for a basic delivery room. Each suite is packed to fit onto pallets, taking one or two pallets per suite. Twenty pallets fit into a standard 40’ container, which allows us to ship between ten and eighteen suites in one container—enough to completely equip a clinic.
Two containers will carry enough equipment, furnishings and supplies to equip an entire hospital.
We ship Complete Medical Suites everywhere in the world,
and in 14 years of service,
we have never lost a single container.