Don't Underestimate Your Value Adds! A Live Interview with Atlantic Biomedical

YouTube: youtube.com/watch?v=iKu9mFpz_VE

In this special interview episode, Dan Toomey sits down with Chris Andres, CEO of Atlantic Biomedical, to explore the challenges facing regional service providers trying to break into GPO and IDN contracting. What emerges is a masterclass in recognizing and articulating the value-add services that can differentiate your company in a price-driven market.

Atlantic Biomedical provides healthcare technology management services for ambulatory surgery centers, veterinary clinics, nursing homes, and physician offices. They handle everything from equipment sales and installation to preventive maintenance, repairs, and compliance inspections. Chris describes their scope simply: "We can turn dirt into a surgery center, and then when you're done with it, we can put it back to dirt if that's what you need."

Patients as the Ultimate Customer

One of the most striking aspects of Atlantic Biomedical's approach is their definition of who the customer actually is. While most service companies focus on the administrators, nurses, or physicians who sign the contracts, Chris has instilled a different mindset in his team.

"Our customers are not doctors. Our customers are not nurses. Our customers are not CEOs or directors. Our customers are the patients. You're never going to meet them, you're never going to know them, but you just got to know that when you touch that equipment last, the next person that's going to be touching that equipment is a patient, and that patient's going to be in their most vulnerable state." - Chris Andres, CEO, Atlantic Biomedical

This patient-first philosophy shapes everything they do. When their technicians service an anesthesia machine or sterilizer, they understand that clinical staff need to trust that device completely. The doctors and nurses "need to be confident that they can rely on that device to bring [patients] back to their loved ones."

For companies competing on value rather than price alone, this kind of purpose-driven culture becomes a powerful differentiator. It is not just marketing language; it informs how the team approaches every service call.

The Post-COVID Contracting Landscape

The conversation quickly turns to how the market has changed. Before COVID, Atlantic Biomedical operated largely on handshakes and long-term relationships. Customers called because they wanted to, not because they were contractually obligated. The loyalty that Chris built with administrators over 20 years meant something.

Then the corporate rollups began.

"Post-COVID there's been a bit of a corporate rollup in our industry. The New York money is just buying up all the surgery centers and turning them from medical practice into revenue-generating practices. If we're not the lowest price on a piece of paper, we're losing that bid even though we've been maintaining this account for 20 plus years. It's been pretty frustrating watching it happen." - Chris Andres, CEO, Atlantic Biomedical

This shift from relationship-based to price-based decision making is happening across healthcare. Surgery centers and hospitals are often operating with thin margins or in the red. Cost is at the forefront of every purchasing decision. But as Dan points out, this is exactly where building partnership and demonstrating value becomes essential. The challenge is getting the opportunity to have those conversations when the corporate layer sits between you and the facilities you have served for decades.

Breaking Through Without a National Footprint

Atlantic Biomedical covers the Philadelphia to Richmond corridor, with some nationwide projects for trusted customers. But when approaching GPOs, they have hit roadblocks. National contracts often require national coverage. Even regional purchasing coalitions may look for broader geographic reach than a mid-Atlantic company can provide on its own.

Dan offers a strategic reframe. First, not every GPO contract needs to be national. Regional and local GPOs exist, and some may be a better fit for a company with concentrated geographic strength.

"Look at what accounts are in your area and which GPOs are stronger there. If you have more members from one GPO than another, maybe focus there first. You could say, 'I can cover 30 to 40 percent of your members here' versus maybe only 10 percent of a different one. That's a strategy for regional focus versus national focus." - Dan Toomey

Second, Chris already has a network. Over 16 years of building surgery centers nationwide, Atlantic Biomedical has identified and vetted local service providers in markets from Phoenix to Miami. Chris describes his approach: talking with owners and presidents from a top-down perspective, ensuring these partners truly deliver the same quality of service, rather than letting an administrator find someone through a phone book who will "sell you the world."

Dan sees this as an untapped asset. That network could be formalized into a commitment among like-minded companies, enabling Atlantic Biomedical to pursue regional or even national contracts with confidence that they can deliver everywhere the contract requires.

Reframing What "Coverage" Means

Another roadblock Chris has encountered: some bid processes expect dedicated sales representatives. Atlantic Biomedical does not have a traditional salesforce, and Chris questions why that should matter. "We treat sales as a service. We don't have sales reps. They're looking for someone to go in, and I'm thinking, why do you want to get sold? We just want to come here and work."

Dan pushes back on the assumption that coverage requires bodies in suits. Field service technicians, installers, and repair specialists are all forms of coverage. Virtual support through Zoom or video calls can extend reach into markets without permanent local staff. Inside sales can manage relationships effectively when paired with strong field service.

The key is presenting these capabilities confidently. When a prospective customer asks how you will support Dallas or the Carolinas, the answer is not "we can't." The answer is: "We have manufacturer partnerships that cover the first year. We have a vetted network of local providers. We have four existing locations in Dallas that justify placing a dedicated technician there. And we are already flying in for projects, so the support infrastructure exists."

Atlantic Biomedical recently won a contract to build 15 locations, most in the Baltimore-Washington area but with sites in Dallas, New Jersey, and South Carolina. Chris had to address those geographic concerns directly, and he did, using exactly the kind of creative resourcing Dan recommends.

Your Value Adds Are Your Competitive Edge

Perhaps the most important insight from the conversation is how many value-added services Atlantic Biomedical provides without fully recognizing them as competitive advantages. Chris describes how customers would call asking, "Can you do this?" and the answer was always, "We don't today, but we can." Fire door inspections. Boiler inspections. Room air exchange testing. Water quality programs meeting ST108 standards. Each service began when two or three customers expressed the same need.

Dan calls these out explicitly: "Things you just mentioned are value adds. These are things that you bring forth as a company that stand out from someone else. All your certifications and all your training and the in-depth training, those are your brag list. You should have them readily available."

"These are all things tied to accreditation societies that you're part of, following those guidelines, instilling that type of training in your business. When you go into a surgery center, hospital, or any other facility, your team is already well trained and well versed. Ultimately all that's being done to protect the patient." - Dan Toomey

The conversation also reveals that Atlantic Biomedical's services extend far beyond traditional medical facilities. Veterinary practices, nursing homes, schools, even breweries and country clubs (for water quality and steam systems). Dan points out that many of these facility types could be part of a GPO contract, opening entirely new avenues for conversation with corporate procurement teams.

"You're broadening your horizon in conversations too," Dan explains. "If you're looking at whether to pursue a GPO, ask what their population is in these areas. How many long-term care facilities are they managing? What about veterinary hospitals? You're breaking into a whole other layer of conversation that a lot of other providers can't have."

What GPO Contracts Can Offer in Return

For companies hesitant about pursuing GPO relationships, Dan outlines what they gain beyond access to members. A GPO contract can bring field support, contracting support, and pricing parity support. It creates a framework for growth that extends beyond the handshake deals that worked in the pre-COVID world.

More importantly, the process of pursuing a GPO contract forces companies to articulate their value proposition clearly. What services do you offer? What geographies can you cover, and how? What certifications and training differentiate your team? What facility types do you serve? These questions, answered well, strengthen every sales conversation, whether the customer is a GPO member or not.

Wondering how to articulate your value adds for GPO and IDN conversations? Contact MedBridge Advisors to discuss your positioning strategy.

You might also find these episodes valuable:

• Episode 6: Stuck in the Middle: How to Win GPO and IDN Contracts Without Market Share - Strategies for breaking the market share catch-22, including the regional GPO approach Dan recommends to Chris.
• Episode 12: Can Private Labeling Help Me Gain a GPO Contract Position? - Another alternative path into GPO contracting for companies building their market presence.
• Episode 1: Patient-Centered Partnerships - Chris's patient-first philosophy maps directly to the industry partner framework Dan describes here.