Can anyone recommend a vendor for RFID technology to track medical equipment?

I used to work in the RFid department at Texas Instruments. There are different kinds of RFid and what kind you use depends on what you want to track. Passive RFid has very cheap tags however there are many limitations. Then there is Active RFid tags which are much more expensive but can get around many of the limitations to the Passive systems. There are many RFid vendors in the DFW area. It has been 4 years since I worked there but I still may be able to get in touch with some of my old contacts.

Your question is a bit vague because depending on your long term goals, different solutions are available. Also, the hardware is one piece, integration and the software is another. Are you looking to integrate with an existing system or implement from the ground up? Do you want zone coverage or room level? Do you want last known location or near real time?

ECRI did a review of the technology a couple of years ago and since the technology has changed so quickly, they are working on a separate review of Real Time Location Systems (RTLS). For RTLS I know of two primary players; Ekahau and Awarepoint.

Personal opinion - On the hardware side, Awarepoint appears to be the best and cheapest way to get room level coverage. Ekahau has a good product, but there are hidden costs with achieving room level coverage.

I've heard god things about Aeroscout and Ekahau's recent products.

Since you are talking about tracking medical equipment I would be assuming you're looking into an RTLS system with active/semiactive tags. This product is costly; however, there is a return on investment if purchased: less equipment is needed due to the ability to maximize the inventory's use, nurses can focus on patient care versus equipment hunting, the system can be used to reduce nosocomial infection through the use of a hand wash program.

If the wireless system hasn't been installed yet, make sure you get a Full Faraday analysis performed so that the facility has full coverage.