Healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals have taken a hands-off approach to laboratory equipment maintenance. Typically, there isn't much of such equipment in the inventory, and the cost to train personnel to service can be a hurdle to making the move to in-house maintenance. Additionally, in some cases the equipment has been provided free of charge in return for a long-term contract for expendable supplies used to operate the equipment. Finally, regulatory oversight from College of American Pathologists (CAP) or other agencies can discourage in-house maintenance.However, I strongly encourage all HTM professionals to help bring laboratory maintenance back in-house. While there may be some short-term pain, the potential for long-term benefits is greater. There are three main reasons to make the move. First, we in the HTM field are losing an important technical skillset by not maintaining laboratory equipment. Second, because of this diminishing skillset, the contract cost will inevitably rise due to supply and demand and manufacturers being able to control the supply. Third, we are building walls between biomedical equipment technicians (BMETs) and laboratory technicians, and that's not healthy.In-house maintenance technicians or BMETs, have traditionally, only worked on the most basic laboratory equipment. To address this lack of experience, consider sending your in-house technicians out with the manufacturer's field service engineers (FSEs) to observe how to maintain the equipment. There may be a short-term cost in slightly decreased productivity for the BMET team, but the long-term benefit is that your in-house technicians will expand their skillsets. Additionally, they may discover that some of the equipment can be maintained in-house, reducing the contract cost for your hospital.If manufacturers continue to observe that HTM departments are reluctant to bring the laboratory maintenance in-house, the cost for contract maintenance will rise. Analysis by HTM professionals to determine the cost effectiveness of maintenance contracts will become a paperwork drill.HTM professionals need to think of options other than maintenance contracts with outside vendors. What are the total costs of the maintenance contracts for laboratory equipment? Once that is calculated, determine if it is cheaper to hire a technician to take care of the laboratory maintenance. In a medium to large hospital, I would be surprised if the savings is not there. If possible, standardize all the equipment under one manufacturer. Consider bringing in a FSE who is trained in how to service the laboratory equipment. While the FSE may not have the usual background of an associate's degree or military training, his or her experience and training by the manufacturer could lead to savings.In conclusion, I encourage you to find ways to bring laboratory maintenance in-house. Be creative, find cost-saving methods that will increase response time, and increase the knowledge base of the in-house HTM. At least consider the inclusion of laboratory maintenance as part of the overarching HTM community.