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Turning a De-Install Cost into Revenue: How Allina Health and DirectMed Made a Win-Win

Oct 21, 2025 | Articles, Case Studies, News

When a hospital upgrades a CT scanner, the first hurdle isn’t installation—it’s removal. De-installing and hauling away the old system is a line-item on nearly all projects, and it rarely feels like a value-add for anyone. In fact, it’s almost always a cost to the hospital or imaging center.

At DirectMed Imaging, we look for ways to turn that “necessary expense” into a better outcome for our partners.

In this case, Allina Health was preparing to install a new CT at Abbott Northwestern Hospital. While the OEM focused on bringing the new system online, the old one was headed for recycling.

As is typical, the outgoing scanner came with a de-installation bill. Meaning that Allina Health had to budget the time, schedule the crew, and pay the fee. 

DirectMed Imaging proposed a different path: treat the outgoing scanner as an asset, not a liability.

DirectMed offered to purchase the system at market value and manage the de-install, turning Allina Health’s expected cost into revenue. 

“From our perspective, the entire project was seamless. DirectMed coordinated the de-installation around our install schedule so that there was no additional downtime or disruption to patient care,” stated Don McCarty, Allina Health Clinical Engineering Director of Imaging Services. “What impressed me most was how smoothly everything went—from planning through removal—and that speaks volumes about their professionalism. It made a potentially stressful part of the project virtually invisible to our staff, and we benefited financially.”

The win-win

Our team coordinated timing so the removal aligned cleanly with the new install window—no extra friction, no added downtime. For DirectMed, the newly acquired system would be responsibly harvested for high-quality parts and thoroughly tested, extending its value across the wider healthcare community; a true benefit to all.

“Every time a hospital replaces a scanner, there’s an opportunity to strengthen the parts supply chain,” stated Dan Lucas, DirectMed Imaging’s SVP of Strategic Accounts. “By working with Allina Health on this de-install, we not only helped them capture value from their retired system but also put those parts back into circulation where they can extend equipment life and lower costs for others. That ripple effect is what makes asset disposition so powerful for healthcare as a whole.”

Hospitals replace scanners and the industry needs parts

By valuing outgoing systems for their component life, we turn a predictable cost into some valuable revenue. At the same time strengthening the parts supply chain that keeps scanners running and patients moving.

When you’re planning a replacement, don’t write off the old system as “scrap.” Lay out your timeline and goals, we’ll show you how asset disposition can pay you back. Planning a system replacement? Let’s talk about turning your de-install into a win-win.

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