BIRMINGHAM, Ala.- Integrated Medical Systems International, Inc. (IMS), a nationwide leader in surgical device and instrument management, has moved one of its two major repair facilities into a newly renovated, 55,000-square-foot Operations Center.

The new state-of-the-art Birmingham facility houses repair for flexible endoscopes as well as stainless, laparoscopic and specialty instruments. Rigid endoscopes and surgical power, video, ophthalmic and robotic devices will continue to be refurbished at Surgical Optics, the IMS research, development and repair facility near Ft. Lauderdale, Fla.

Founded in 1990 as a surgical device repair company, IMS now provides Sterile Processing assessments, management and outsourcing; instrument management in the O.R.; software to ensure compliance and efficiency in tracking tissue and implants; online repair and budget management; and education, certification and process improvement programs.

‘‘Our mission is to ensure that instruments are ready when the surgical or endoscopic team is ready. This commitment to readiness has taken us into the realms of precision engineering, Sterile Processing, and education. It has required us to address every stage of instrument management, from the moment after it’s used until the moment it’s ready to be used again,” said IMS Founder and CEO Gene Robinson. Early on, IMS committed to restore surgical devices to manufacturers' original performance standards. This commitment required costly investments in engineering, manufacturing and materials, but it has led to such recognition as 2013’s Jerry G. Peers Distinguished Service Award, an annual award presented by the Association for periOperative Registered Nurses.

“Any number of companies can provide sharpening and basic repair," said Lee Robinson, President of Operations for IMS. “But to restore the original performance standards of cameras, drills, scopes and other complex devices, you need engineering and precision machining capability. You need master technicians who are familiar with multiple brands and models, and you need components that you can’t just go online and buy."

IMS has more than 1,000 employees nationwide in clinical, technical, engineering, sales, educational and support functions. The Birmingham expansion will enable the company’s continued growth to meet increasing customer demand.

“In the last decade, our facilities in Birmingham and Ft. Lauderdale have nearly tripled from 75,000 to 218,000 square feet," Lee Robinson said. “This facility was developed according to Lean manufacturing principles, which will help ensure that as we grow, IMS will continue to offer the fast turn-times and uncompromising standards for which we have become known.“

About Integrated Medical Systems International, Inc. (IMS)

IMS is a surgical device management and clinical consulting company with facilities in Alabama, Florida, Maryland and Arizona, as well as sales and clinical teams serving more than 2,500 healthcare facilities nationwide. IMS provides instrument and device inventory management; real-time online data and tools to track instruments, tissue and implants; restoration of instruments to manufacturers' performance standards; and on-location clinical personnel to manage sterile processing and interface with the OR.

To learn more, visit www.imsready.com.