Integrated Medical Systems International (IMS) was an American surgical instrument management and clinical consulting company specializing in repair management, sterile process management, tracking, and other services related to surgical and endoscopic devices and instruments. It was acquired by the Steris Corporation of Mentor, Ohio in 2014. The company operated repair facilities in

Alabama Alabama ( ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern and Deep South, Deep Southern regions of the United States. It borders Tennessee to the north, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the east, Florida and the Gu ...

Florida Florida ( ; ) is a U.S. state, state in the Southeastern United States, Southeastern region of the United States. It borders the Gulf of Mexico to the west, Alabama to the northwest, Georgia (U.S. state), Georgia to the north, the Atlantic ...

, and

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. Prior to being acquired, IMS had more than 1,200 employees nationwide.

History

The company was originally incorporated in 1982, as Gibson-Robinson, Inc., as a distributor of operating room products. In 1987, the company name was changed to IMS. The company focused on distributing until 1990, when repair services were added. The company provided a range of services and products related to operating room efficiency. The company was acquired by Steris Corporation of Mentor, Ohio in 2014.

Services

IMS provides refurbishment, education, process improvement, inventory management, and related services for 2,500 hospitals and surgery centers. IMS operates three repair facilities and performs on-Location repairs. It sells used equipment and repairs flexible and rigid endoscopes and stainless,

laparoscopic Laparoscopy () is an operation performed in the abdomen or human pelvis, pelvis using small Surgical incision, incisions (usually 0.5–1.5 cm) with the aid of a camera. The laparoscope aids diagnosis or therapeutic interventions with a few ...

, power, ophthalmic, and specialty instruments. Additional services: * Software for healthcare facilities for tracking

allograft Allotransplant (''allo-'' meaning "other" in Ancient Greek, Greek) is the Organ transplant, transplantation of cell (biology), cells, Biological tissue, tissues, or Organ (anatomy), organs to a recipient from a genetically non-identical donor of ...

tissue, implants, and medical devices. * Central Sterile Process Management including education, certification readiness, regulatory compliance, project management, OR/SPD asset management, and

interim management Interim management is the temporary provision of management resources and skills. Interim management can be seen as the short-term assignment of a proven heavyweight interim executive manager to manage a period of transition, crisis or change wi ...

and staffing. * Surgical Endoscopy Solutions teams directly support minimally invasive procedures, providing room setup and breakdown, in-room trouble-shooting, instrument decontamination, preference card management, and maintenance or repair of instrumentation and scopes.

Subsidiaries

Wedge Manufacturing was an IMS subsidiary that used

Computer Numerical Control Computer numerical control (CNC) or CNC machining is the Automation, automated control of machine tools by a computer. It is an evolution of numerical control (NC), where machine tools are directly managed by data storage media such as punched ...

machinists to produce small parts for customers in the healthcare, aerospace, defense and other industries. In addition to production services, Wedge provides inspections, reverse engineering and prototype development. Wedge specializes in components for situations that require tight tolerances or unusual materials. In 2009, engineers at the

University of Alabama at Birmingham The University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB) is a public research university in Birmingham, Alabama, United States. Founded in 1969 and part of the University of Alabama System, UAB has grown to be the state's largest employer, with more than ...

worked with Wedge to create a bearing holder for the GLACIER cryogenic freezer, which the university was producing for use in the

International Space Station The International Space Station (ISS) is a large space station that was Assembly of the International Space Station, assembled and is maintained in low Earth orbit by a collaboration of five space agencies and their contractors: NASA (United ...

Sponsorships and partnerships

IMS sponsored Instruments of Mercy, Inc. is a non-profit organization. IOM repaired donated surgical instruments already in the hands of healthcare providers for mission trips. Instruments of Mercy has refurbished equipment for over 100 missions in over two dozen countries. Medical professionals preparing for mission trips may receive up to $6,000 in repair costs and up to 24 trips are supported annually. IOM's largest medical client was Mercy Ships. IMS maintained relationships with professional organizations including: AORN,

HSPA HSPA may refer to: * High Speed Packet Access, a mobile broadband technology * Hawaiian Sugar Planters' Association Education * High School Proficiency Assessment * Humphrey School of Public Affairs, an American public policy school * Hunter Sch ...

, The Society of Gastroenterology Nurses and Associates (SGNA),the Association of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI), and the Association for Healthcare Resource & Materials Management (AHRMM).

Recognition

* Association of periOperative Registered Nurses' Jerry G. Peers Distinguished Service Award (2013)

References

{{reflist Companies based in Birmingham, Alabama Manufacturing companies established in 1982 Manufacturing companies based in Alabama 1982 establishments in Alabama