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When performing surgery, power outages highlight the need to ensure patients remain safe at all times.
Both ambulatory and office-based centers offer critical health procedures for their patients. Yet, each has very different power requirements that affect the cost each can expect to pay for backup power.
Office-based surgery centers can expect to need a system between $5,000-$9,000.
Ambulatory surgery centers can expect to budget ~$5,000-$15,000 per operating room, plus the recovery area.
Cost of Backup Power Office-Based Surgery
Office-based surgery centers (OBS) must meet mandates for 2-4 hours of emergency backup power. These requirements come from two main sources. The government or an accrediting body whose requirements the government considers "sufficient".
Backup power requirements ensure there is enough energy for patients currently in surgery to reach safety. Once safe, providers do not have to continue providing medical services for the rest of the day. However, patients may return—with the procedure completed at a later date, once power is restored.
OBS suites are generally smaller and perform simpler procedures. Because of this, ~80 percent of orders to office-based surgery centers cost between $5,000 and $9,000. Systems in this price range supply the 2-4 hours of necessary backup power—meeting accreditation standards.
Orders for larger systems are also commonplace. Often, by facilities who want to continue full and normal operation and those who experience frequent, extended outages.
Cost of Backup Power for Ambulatory Surgery Centers
Ambulatory surgery centers (ASCs) account for our largest and most powerful systems. Almost every system that has cost more than $35,000 has gone to an ASC. This is due to their larger scale and when compared to office-based facilities. Though, these are exceptional. A more modest battery backup generator will meet most client’s needs.
Unlike hospitals, ASCs do not need to start new cases when an outage occurs. And, like their office-based counterparts they do not need to continue running their facility when the power fails. They only need to complete whatever procedures are already underway.
As a result, most ASCs can look to budget ~$5,000-$15,000 per operating room when seeking a backup power solution.
1. Review your equipment usage
As mentioned above, in exceptional cases, ASCs account for the largest, most costly emergency backup systems. However, both ASCs and OBS can benefit from a thorough review of how staff and surgeons use their equipment. The result is often a system that is more affordable than initial estimates.
For Example, Equipment that runs 100% of time —such as lights and monitors— have become very efficient. This can be almost wholly attributed to modern LED technology. As such, they'll need little power to turn on and operate.
Cost is often lowered further because how long equipment is actually used. When calculating power needs, engineers often estimate equipment to be running constantly. This almost always results in a system that is too large. In fact, the most power intensive equipment in an operating room often runs for only a short amount of time during a procedure.
Costs can be lowered further with correct estimates of how long equipment is used during a procedure. When calculating power needs, engineers often estimate surgical equipment to be running constantly.
This almost always results in a system that is too large. In fact, the most power intensive equipment in an operating room often runs for only a short amount of time during a procedure.
As another example, operating tables are not very power efficient. They also have high startup wattage requirements when used. But, the number of times it’s drawing power during a procedure is minimal. So, a correct calculation only needs to factor in a few minutes of use not a full 2-4 hours. The difference in system size —and therefore price— when calculating one piece of equipment for 10 minutes vs the full 2 hours is massive.
2. Use Battery Powered Generators as “Bridge” Power
On the other side, most ASCs and OBS already have a legacy backup power system. Often these are in the form of fuel-powered generators.
But, due to their dated technology they’ll often not engage quick enough. This results in large delays between when the power goes out and backup power comes on. For very old systems this can be as long as 15 minutes.
For these scenarios, backup units with large inverters, but only a few batteries would be perfect. They're able to supply an instant surge of short-term “bridge” power. This ensures a operating room can continue to function until main backup power source is ready to take over. Due to the overall smaller size, scope and responsibility of the battery powered system it is also much more affordable than a complete replacement.
