Brian Dustin, VP & GM, Radiotherapy
In this environment, healthcare providers are rethinking what they expect from equipment service partners. Technical expertise still comes first, but so do responsiveness, reliability, accountability, and the ability to maximize the life of existing assets.
They need a partner committed to keeping critical systems operating at peak performance, extending their useful life, and helping them deliver uninterrupted patient care without adding unnecessary costs.
That partner is Solutech, the largest independent radiotherapy service provider in the U.S. The company helps hospitals, health systems, and radiation oncology providers maximize equipment uptime, extend the life of critical systems, and reduce the total cost of ownership through responsive service, technical expertise, and lifecycle management. Its focus is to ensure patients receive treatment without disruption.
Three Decades of Putting Service First
That customer-first mindset has been part of the company's DNA since 1995, when field service engineer Kenneth Wolfe and salesman Carl Hill sketched a business plan on the back of a napkin in a Pittsburgh bar.
With a single trusted customer, Presbyterian Hospital in North Carolina, they set out to build a business grounded in service and reliability. More than three decades later, that same customer, now Novant Health, remains a valued partner.
A new phase of growth began in 2022 through a partnership with Chicago-based private equity firm Sheridan Capital. That same year, Solutech expanded its capabilities through the acquisition of Summit Imaging, adding advanced probe, ultrasound, diagnostic imaging, and radiotherapy repair expertise. Dignitel followed, bringing remote support for linear accelerators as well as treatment planning systems, including ARIA and Eclipse. In December, the company acquired the former Oncology Systems International (OSI) LINAC service business from Avante, its largest acquisition to date. Growth continued in 2024 with the addition of Accelotronics, formerly part of Catalyst Medical.
As these specialized organizations came together, one unified identity emerged. Solutech, a name inspired by solutionists and technology, reflects a shared commitment to solving complex challenges for customers, improving outcomes for patients, and empowering its own teams.
What started with a single machine in North Carolina has grown into a nationwide operation, supporting nearly 250 linear accelerators across 39 states.
"We've never seen ourselves as people who just fix problems. We're solution formers," says Nick Goebel, CEO. "We look at the bigger picture, understand what our customers are trying to achieve, and build solutions that keep their equipment running, support their teams, and ultimately help patients get the care they need. That's what Solutech stands for."
Keeping Critical Systems Running Longer
Today, Solutech supports healthcare providers with end-to-end radiotherapy solutions spanning field service, replacement parts, remote software support, equipment lifecycle management, and advanced repair capabilities. Rather than treating every issue as an isolated service request, the company integrates these capabilities to keep treatment systems operating reliably throughout their lifecycle.
The company's approach begins with installation and continues throughout the entire equipment lifecycle. Instead of recommending replacement, Solutech focuses on extending the clinical life of linear accelerators to 10, 15, or even 20 years. Through in-house repair expertise, parts harvesting, component refurbishment, and circuit board repair capabilities, the company helps providers continue operating critical equipment even when original manufacturers no longer supply certain components.
For many community hospitals and rural cancer centers, that makes a meaningful difference. Replacing a linear accelerator can require an investment of $4 million to $5 million, an expense that is often difficult to justify for facilities serving smaller patient populations. Extending the life of existing systems allows providers to continue delivering care without compromising reliability while making the most of limited capital budgets.
An Independent Model Focused on Service
As the largest independent radiotherapy service provider in the U.S., Solutech occupies a unique position in the market. Beyond the original equipment manufacturers, it holds the largest market share among independent radiotherapy service providers, giving healthcare providers an alternative built around service rather than equipment sales.
That distinction shapes the company's priorities. While equipment manufacturers naturally focus on selling new systems, Solutech's business is centered on servicing and supporting the equipment customers already own. The objective is to help providers maximize the performance and lifespan of their existing assets while delivering a high level of service at a reasonable cost.
For healthcare organizations navigating financial pressures, that combination creates tangible value. Independent service offers another path for providers looking to control maintenance costs without compromising quality or responsiveness.
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Across our installed base of nearly 250 linear accelerators, we maintain 98 percent uptime, exceeding our contractual commitment of 97 percent.
For healthcare organizations navigating financial pressures, that combination creates tangible value. Independent service offers another path for providers looking to control maintenance costs without compromising quality or responsiveness.
Responsiveness That Improves Uptime
In radiation oncology, speed matters. Every hour of downtime can delay treatment schedules and place additional pressure on care teams.
"Across our installed base of nearly 250 linear accelerators, we maintain 98 percent uptime, exceeding our contractual commitment of 97 percent," says Brian Dustin, Vice President and General Manager of Radiotherapy.
The company attributes that performance to a service model designed around proximity and proactive support.
Each field engineer is responsible for approximately five machines, allowing them to respond quickly when equipment issues arise while also dedicating time to preventive maintenance. Engineers are strategically located close to customer facilities, often within 20 to 30 minutes, reducing travel time and enabling faster on-site response. That combination of smaller service territories, rapid response, and proactive maintenance helps minimize unexpected downtime and keeps treatment schedules moving.
Expanding the Possibilities
The company's next phase of growth builds on the same philosophy that has guided it since the beginning. Recent investments in software support, ultrasound capabilities, remote services, and advanced board repair are expanding Solutech's ability to support healthcare providers across a broader range of medical equipment.
Rather than replacing proven systems unnecessarily, the focus remains on repairing, restoring, and extending their useful life wherever possible. It is an approach that supports both operational efficiency and sustainability by reducing waste and maximizing the value of existing equipment.
From a business sketched on the back of a napkin in 1995 to the nation's largest independent radiotherapy service provider, Solutech has remained guided by the same principle: deliver responsive service, solve complex technical challenges, and help healthcare providers keep life-saving treatment available for every patient who depends on it.
Protecting Treatment Capacity through Independent Equipment Support
A canceled radiotherapy session is not a routine maintenance event. It interrupts a prescribed treatment schedule and forces clinical staff to rebuild appointments around equipment availability. Ultrasound failures create a related pressure by slowing diagnostic work and increasing backlogs across already constrained departments. A support agreement should be judged by what happens before a breakdown and by how quickly the provider restores service once one occurs.
Response time depends less on a hotline promise than on the structure behind it. Engineer workload and travel distance shape whether a technician can reach a site promptly. Coverage models that assign too many systems to each engineer may look economical on paper, but they leave little room for preventive work or simultaneous failures. Buyers should examine machine-to-engineer ratios, local field presence, after-hours coverage and escalation paths. Contract language matters, though staffing capacity reveals whether the promised response can actually be delivered.
Repair quality deserves the same scrutiny. A fast visit has limited value when a technician must return because the underlying fault was missed or the replacement component fails. Service providers need access to working equipment for training and part validation. They also need a disciplined method for testing repaired boards and unfamiliar components before shipment. These practices reduce repeat visits while giving engineers a better chance of resolving faults during the initial intervention. Service records should also show whether recurring faults are being identified early.
Older linear accelerators create a different procurement problem. An original equipment manufacturer may stop supporting a platform while the treatment center still depends on it. Replacing the system can require several million dollars, construction planning, site preparation and a lengthy capital approval cycle. Rural centers and smaller oncology practices may have sound clinical reasons to extend equipment life instead. Their service partner must be able to source discontinued parts, repair components, coordinate storage and manage installation or removal work without pushing replacement as the default answer.
Software support also affects equipment availability. Treatment planning and oncology information systems can interrupt care even when the physical machine remains functional. Remote troubleshooting can shorten diagnosis, but buyers should confirm which applications are covered and when onsite help becomes available. A provider that coordinates machine service with software assistance reduces the handoffs that often prolong an outage.
Cost comparisons should extend beyond annual contract price. A lower fee loses meaning when it comes with weak coverage, untested parts, slow escalation or repeated downtime. Procurement teams should compare uptime commitments and exclusions in the service-level agreement. They should also review parts availability and the provider’s ability to support systems beyond the manufacturer’s preferred replacement cycle. The stronger contract protects treatment capacity while giving the organization more control over capital timing.
Solutech is a premier choice for health systems that want independent support across radiotherapy and ultrasound equipment. Its model combines local field coverage with a lower machine load per engineer, creating more room for preventive service and faster response. Its service scope covers LINAC repair, replacement parts, ARIA and Eclipse software support, equipment projects, ultrasound probe repair and component-level service. Training systems and part testing at its North Carolina center strengthen repair consistency, while board repair and harvested components help extend useful equipment life. For buyers balancing patient schedules against rising service costs, that combination merits close consideration.
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