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History

It all started in 1949 when Mr. Ian Smith had an opportunity to provide the Government of Cuba with 36 multi-phasic health clinics, thereby paving the way for what would become one of the largest specialized mobile medical unit manufacturers in the world.

From that beginning, Medical Coaches went on to build more than 20,000 custom-designed special-purpose mobile service units for over 110 countries and all 50 United States. After Mr. Smith's death in 1976, his son, Geoffrey Smith, took the helm as Company President.

This privately held company continues to operate under the basic pledges Ian Smith made to his employees and customers many years ago, "to build products that we would be proud to own ourselves" and "to treat our customers and coworkers as family." He insisted that Medical Coaches' word was always its bond. Medical Coaches' traditions and core beliefs continue to be their cornerstones today.

As each of the following medical advances were in the research and development stage, Medical Coaches was closely aligned with developers and manufacturers to introduce them to the world in mobile form. Many of the initial concepts of using mobile only as a platform for prototype development expanded to become significant percentages of equipment sold (e.g., CT, MRI, mammography).

Medical Coaches Time Line

1940's - 50's

1949: The photograph above shows the first order with the Government of Cuba for 36 multi-phasic health clinics.This was the first large multiple-mobile-medical-unit order of its kind.

Summary of 1949-1959 (Click Here for Photo Gallery)
  • Medical Coaches Inc. founded in 1949 by Ian Smith. There is an increasing demand for "mobile health care" in domestic and overseas markets.

 

1960-1969

1961: Founder, Ian M. Smith inspects CARE Mobile Medical Clinic for India.

Summary of 1960-1969 (Click here for Photo Gallery)

  • Emergence of mobile mammography as a breast-examination tool to find and treat cancerous tumors at early, curable stages.

  • Introduction of mobile chest X-rays to view patients lungs and to determine a host of respiratory diseases, including tuberculosis and cancer.

 

1970-1979

1977: The mobile unit pictured above was built in 1977 and was the world's first mobile CT scanner used for head scans.

Summary of 1970-1979 (Click here for Photo Gallery)

Summary of 1970-1979

  • Introduction of mobile computed tomography (CT) as an advance in X-ray technology that produces cross-sectional, multiangled images of the body's soft tissue, especially the brain and heart.

  • Introduction of mobile ultrasound to perform risk-free diagnostic tests on pregnant women and to examine the heart, breasts, liver, and gallbladder.

 

1980-1989

1985: Medical Coaches partners up with Siemens Medical Systems to build one of the first Mobile MRI units. Since that date we have built over 300 mobile MRI semi-trailers.

Summary of 1980-1989 (Click Here for Photo Gallery)

  • Introduction of mobile magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) as a revolutionary advance in imaging technology that produces multi-dimensional visual images of internal body parts in any plane to diagnose abnormalities of bone, joint, and soft tissue - as well as injuries or tumors located in the chest, abdomen, pelvis, brain and spinal cord; without the risk of harmful exposure to radiation.

  • Introduction of mobile lithotripsy as a non-invasive technique to remove kidney stones.


1990 - 1999

1991: Medical Coaches was the first company in the world to introduce the Mobile P.E.T Imaging System in conjunction with Miller Medical Systems and Siemens Medical.

Summary of 1990-1999

  • Introduction of mobile positron emission tomography (PET) to view organs and their functions, to study focal seizure disorders, to evaluate brain tumors, dementia, and myocardial viability, and to detect coronary artery disease.

  • Introduction of mobile single positron emission computed tomography (SPECT) to trace blood flow and to diagnose a patient's metabolism, especially heart function.

  • Introduction of mobile "infectious waste disposal units" for on-site processing.

  • Introduction of truck-mounted x-ray inspection equipment to scan cars, vans, trucks and trailers for illegal drugs, explosives and immigrants.

2000-2010

April 15, 2003 - CTI Molecular Imaging, Inc.(Nasdaq: CTMI) and Medical Coaches, Inc., a privately held firm based in Oneonta, NY, announced today they have completed the manufacture and sale of the industry's first ever mobile PET/CT unit, which utilizes CTI's REVEAL ® RT PET/CT scanner.

Summary of 2000-2010

  • Introduction of the first-of-it's-kind, mobile ready, PET/CT, semi-trailer. This mobile scanner is a major health care advance that allows medical specialists to see both the structure and molecular activity of various diseases and health disorders.

  • June 2007 Medical Coaches introduces the first ever mobile ready High Definition mobile PET/CT trailer with Siemens TruePoint technology thus allowing a much sharper P.E.T image and allowing clinicians to get a more accurate diagnosis.

  • Introduction of the mobile High-Definition Television Trailer for various sporting events such as the 2008 Olympics in Beijng.

  • Introduction of the world's only Mobile Linear Accelerator trailer at the Society of Nuclear Medicine in Philadelphia, PA in June of 2004, The Linear Accelerator system is a reliable, low-cost solution to the growing need for positron emitting isotopes and tracers, particularly for the fluorine-18 used to produce FDG.

  • Due to the increase of homeland security in the United States, Medical Coaches partnered up with Smiths Heimann to build mobile Baggage Screening Vans to be used at various ports of entry and airports.

  • September 2008, in partnership with Xoft Inc., introduced the world's first mobile brachytherapy mobile van, called the Axxent Xpress, which delivers non-radioactive, X-ray-based radiation treatment directly to cancer sites with minimal exposure to surrounding healthy tissue