Elekta Finds New Interest in Leasing Solutions as Hospitals Debate Capital...( Leases Offer Access to Leading-Edge E...),Health

Leases Offer Access to Leading-Edge Equipment without Affecting Balance Sheet

ATLANTA, March 20 /PRNewswire/ -- In a time when the economy seems down for the count, hospitals and healthcare centers are finding themselves in the same position as other businesses and even homeowners - the lack of available financing is putting a damper on major projects and capital budgets.

At Elekta, Inc., one of the world's leading manufacturers of oncology and neurosurgical devices and software, a financing program put into place a few years ago is getting new attention as hospitals battered by the economy still work to improve patient care and remain competitive.

Elekta Capital, a program of Elekta, with the support of global finance company De Lage Landen Financial Services, Inc.(1), makes it possible for hospitals and treatment centers to acquire Elekta equipment without worrying about capital expenses and credit lines.

"We offer three types of financing through Elekta Capital," says Mark Symons, Senior Vice President of Elekta's Neuroscience business unit, "a capital lease, a loan, and an operating lease. A capital lease or a loan is a pretty standard financial instrument, but we're seeing an uptick in interest in the operating lease."

"Under an operating lease agreement, the finance company owns the equipment, which is deployed and used by the hospital," explains Symons. "An operating lease removes the burden of having to budget for capital investments. And because the economic viability and return on investment of our systems are proven, the investment risk is well quantified for all parties involved."

"Increasingly we're seeing hospitals trying to take acquisitions of any value off the balance sheet," says Nick Santore, De Lage Landen's Vice President of Healthcare Middle Market Sales. "That way, they can act on an immediate need for the system without waiting for mo
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