As the US economy continues down the slippery slope of recession, healthcare facilities continue to navigate the uphill trek that is today’s rising cost of doing business. The pinch is not a new phenomenon for hospitals and secondary providers across the country that have, for years, struggled to maintain an adequate level of technology and patient care in the face of insurance companies becoming more stingy with reimbursement rates. Most providers have been forced to develop new creative practices in order to make the dollars stretch. One such method employed in recent years is the purchasing of refurbished capital medical equipment as opposed to buying equipment brand new direct from the manufacturer.