VAR begins manufacturing medical computing carts

It isn’t every day you hear of VARs jumping into the manufacturing business, but officials at Ferndale, Mich.-based EnovateIT are saying their decision to do so was based on their overall dissatisfaction with existing healthcare IT solutions on the market. The national provider of mobile and wall-mounted workstation technologies to the point of care has launched its first internally designed, developed and assembled Medical Computing Cart.

Following a positive response in the marketplace to the company’s wall station systems, EnovateIT has turned its focus to mobile computing, believing if the company could take the best features from its favorite carts and add what was lacking, they could create something unique and of better quality than other offerings currently available.

To develop the Medical Computing Cart, the company focused on four key areas: ergonomics, infection control, weight and power. Cart handles are designed to be comfortable, soft to the touch and ergonomically correct, whether users are pushing, pulling, sitting, or standing. In addition, all contact surfaces, including handles, are finished or made with antimicrobial materials that deliver smooth and comfortable surfaces while complying with infection control polices.

While standard powered carts on the market tend to be large and bulky, with a starting weight around 120 lbs. or more, Enovate's powered carts boast a smaller base with a contour of 12" and a wheel base of 17" x 16.5", which allows for easy maneuvering within tight areas. By contrast, it’s starting weight is 110 lbs.

And contrary to standard carts on the market, which typically deliver one type of power option, Enovate’s carts offer multiple power options, such as hot-swappable Lithium-Ion, Nickel Metal Hydride (NiMH), or the standard Seal Lead Acid (SLA).

Company officials say the medical cart series will be manufactured and assembled in the U.S., and that they will strive to keep any outsourcing local, in order to help sustain the tradition of Michigan manufacturing.