TechNation Magazine - August 2019

1technation.com

Vol. 10

ADVANCING THE BIOMEDICAL / HTM PROFESSIONAL

AUGUST 2019

robots, 3D Printers & More

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14 Company Showcase

Medigate

24 MD Expo

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Preview

27 News and Notes

Industry Updates

48 Roundtable

Training

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CONTENTS

FEATURED

48

HE ROUNDTABLE: TRAINING T We look at training in this installment of the monthly Roundtable article. We asked a panel of industry insiders to share their thoughts on training including what to look for when seeking out additional training and how to convince employers to pay for their employees to expand their HTM knowledge.

Next month’s Roundtable article: Infusion Therapy

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NEW TECHNOLOGY: ROBOTS, 3D PRINTERS AND MORE The tech giants are already in the health care space. They are finding ways to apply their areas of expertise to modernizing health care and are launching high-tech innovations to advance the next wave of innovative products. HTM professionals have the perfect skill set to adopt and utilize many of these devices while providing service and repair as well.

Next month’s Feature article: CMMS Optimazation: Much more than PM schedules

TechNation (Vol. 10, Issue #8) August 2019 is published monthly by MD Publishing, 18 Eastbrook Bend, Peachtree City, GA 30269-1530. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to TechNation at 18 Eastbrook Bend, Peachtree City, GA 30269-1530.

TechNation magazine is dedicated to providing medical equipment service professionals with comprehensive, reliable, information concerning medical equipment, parts, service and supplies. It is published monthly by MD Publishing, Inc. Subscriptions are available free of charge to qualified individuals within the United States. Publisher reserves the right to determine qualification for a free subscriptions. Every precaution is taken to ensure accuracy of content; however, the information, opinions, and statements expressed in the articles and advertisements herein are those of the writer and/or advertiser, and not necessarily those of the publisher. ©2019

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

AUGUST 2019

TECHNATION

9

CONTENTS

INSIDE

Departments

PUBLISHER

John M. Krieg

VICE PRESIDENT

Kristin Leavoy

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Jayme McKelvey Megan Cabot

ART DEPARTMENT Jonathan Riley

Karlee Gower

Amanda Purser EDITOR

John Wallace

EDITORIAL

Roger Bowles Jenifer Brown K. Richard Douglas Jim Fedele Joe Fishel Inhel Rekik Manny Roman Cindy Stephens Steven J. Yelton

DIGITAL SERVICES

Cindy Galindo Kennedy Krieg

CIRCULATION

Lisa Lisle Melissa Brand

WEBINARS

Linda Hasluem

ACCOUNTING

Diane Costea

EDITORIAL BOARD

Manny Roman, Business Operation Manager, AMSP Salim Kai, MSPSL, CBET, Clinical Safety Engineer University of Michigan Health System Jim Fedele, Sr. Program Director, Clinical Engineering, BioTronics, UPMC Susquehanna Izabella Gieras, MS, MBA, CCE, Director of Clinical Technology, Huntington Memorial Hospital Inhel Rekik, Clinical Engineering Manager, Medstar Georgetown University Hospital

P.12 SPOTLIGHT p.12 Professional of the Month: Vincent Sumarkoff, BMET II p.14 Company Showcase: Medigate p.18 Department of the Month: The Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital Biomedical

Engineering Department p.20 Association of the Month: The North Carolina Biomedical Association P.24 INDUSTRY UPDATES p.24 MD Expo Preview p.27 News and Notes: Updates

from the HTM Industry p.32 Ribbon Cutting: Revanix Biomedical p.34 AAMI Update p.36 ECRI Institute Update p.38 Welcome to the TechNation Community!

P.41 p.41 p.42 p.44 p.46

THE BENCH Biomed 101 Shop Talk Webinar Wednesday Tools of the Trade

P.62 EXPERT ADVICE p.62 Career Center p.64 20/20 Imaging Insights p.67 Cybersecurity p.68 Medzon: How Hands-on Training is Overlooked p.70 The Future p.72 The Other Side p.75 Roman Review P.78 BREAKROOM p.78 Did You Know? p.80 The Vault p.84 AAMI Exchange 2019 Scrapbook p.86 Where in the World is Ben C.? p.89 Service Index p.93 Alphabetical Index

MD Publishing / TechNation Magazine 18 Eastbrook Bend, Peachtree City, GA 30269 800.906.3373 • Fax: 770.632.9090 Email: info@mdpublishing.com www.mdpublishing.com

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AUGUST 2019

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SPOTLIGHT

PROFESSIONAL OF THE MONTH Vincent Sumarkoff, BMET II: Motorcycles to Medical Devices

BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

T

he city of Casa Grande, Arizona is situated just south of Phoenix where Interstate Highway 8 splits off of Interstate Highway 10.

Since 1984, Banner Casa Grande Medical Center has provided health care services to the people of Casa Grande and the surrounding area. The medical center is a 145-bed campus with state-of-the-art medical equipment.

There is also an AirEvac helicopter based on the medical center’s campus.

The medical center also operates a nearby urgent care for non-emergent medical care.

The three-member HTM staff is on-call 24 hours a day as needed and includes two techs and a manager. They handle everything at the medical campus from televisions to life-saving medical equipment. One of the clinical engineering department’s techs is Vincent Sumarkoff, BMET II. Sumarkoff got his training initially as a mechanic repairing motorcycles.

Eventually, he became a factory trained, registered BMW and Honda technician.

He spent 26 years in this profession before making a career change at age 49.

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“I started in the motorcycle business in 1986 after being discharged from the USMC. I worked at a multitude of salvage yards and dealerships for decades as a line technician; BMW, Honda, Yamaha, Kawasaki, Suzuki, Polaris, Ducati. In 2008, I opened my own motorcycle repair shop called ‘ACE Motosports,’ ” Sumarkoff says.

It was at this point that Sumarkoff discovered that he was eligible for vocational rehab through the V.A. He closed his shop to pursue a college education.

“I was inspired to cultivate a new career path thanks to the Veterans Administration. I am a Marine veteran.

Because of an active duty incident, I qualified for vocational rehabilitation services administered by the V.A. Because of my technically skilled background knowledge in mechanical and electrical service engineering and repair, the V.A. referred me to HTM biomedical/clinical engineering education and training at a community college program,” Sumarkoff says.

“My education was completed at Tulsa Community College in Oklahoma,” he says.

He earned an associate of applied

sciences degree in biomedical equipment technology in December of 2013. He also received a certificate of achievement in electronics technology that year.

“My initial employment as a new biomed was with an independent service organization where I was on the road constantly as a field service technician doing PMs and field repairs on a variety of equipment. It was a genuine experience because I never knew where I was going to be from one day to the next,” Sumarkoff says.

“For instance, there were days when I was called out to service an autoclave at a tattoo shop, or service a dental hygiene machine at the city zoo. Most of my calls were at hospitals and outpatient clinics, nevertheless, I was eager to learn about a new patient care device that I had never seen or worked on, and I always welcomed and endured a new technical challenge,” he adds.

He says that he has seen quite the array of old and new medical equipment, most of which he had to do service and repairs on.

“I must say, the most unique device I have been trained on to service is the UV technology disinfection robots that XENEX has manufactured. These

WWW.1TECHNATION.COM

SPOTLIGHT

devices are not technically ‘robots,’ but because of the way they resemble a certain Star Wars character, the common name for this device is ‘R2D2,’” Sumarkoff says.

DRAG BIKES TO MEDICAL EQUIPMENT REPAIRS Working in the field proved to be a learning experience, but Sumarkoff has found that an in-house biomed position has its rewards.

“So, I must say, I really enjoy my new career as a staff biomed. I still get to use my hands and my favorite tools as necessary. It’s nice going to the same place for work every day. I appreciate the rapport that I have with my fellow staff members and am honored to be among some of the finest people in the health care industry. I appreciate the knowledge that these people share with me as I continue to grow and develop my career,” he says.

Sumarkoff says that he does find himself spending a lot more time at the computer these days due to the duty requirements that he is responsible for.

“FDA, NFPA; it’s all about data entry,” he says.

“I also attend more meetings and other redundant corporate protocol engagements. I’m at my best when I’m diagnosing and fixing something that is broken,” he says.

Off hours include adventures that involve turning a wrench and going fast.

“I drive and tune an OEM production-based road race sports car for ‘Saguaro Motorsportz’ at paved road courses where I live in Arizona,” Sumarkoff says.

Going fast on motorcycles and music has also been in Sumarkoff’s past. “I was the 2005 NHRA, division 7, Summit Series Pro Drag Bike motorcycle champion,” he says. “I dabbled in the music industry for a few years producing heavy metal shows.”He says that he has a “huge extended family that live all over the world; mostly in the United States.” Two members of that family are daughters who live in San Diego.

“I am grateful to have two grandchildren in my life. My best friend is my gearhead girlfriend, Tammy,” he adds.

Sumarkoff has also had an eye on science and space travel.

“I am inspired by the future of nano technologies; space rocket technology that is developing these days. I always saw myself as the first generation of biomeds on the moon or Mars which will happen sooner or later in the future. Unfortunately, I am unable to pass the astronaut physical exam,” he says.

Although the moon isn’t in the cards, the investigative aspects of a biomed’s work are always there.

“And then there are those wireless/ software problems that pop up at 2 a.m. when I’m ‘on-call.’ My ability to efficiently identify the problem and create an action plan resolution for most service requests is my best skill,” Sumarkoff says.

And, his “best skill” is why this Marine is no longer flying down the dragstrip on two wheels, but making sure that patients can be monitored in the middle of the night.

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

FAVORITE MOVIE “Aliens”

FAVORITE FOOD Tacos

HIDDEN TALENT

I can play a harmonica and a jaw harp.

FAVORITE PART OF BEING A BIOMED Successfully resolving an issue in the quickest time possible.

WHAT’S ON MY BENCH

• Quality personal hand tools: Snap-On, Matco, Fluke.

• A laptop that has a strong battery • Coherent/comprehensive service data information from the manufacturers • Writing pens and markers – they are always disappearing.

• Canned air, canned compressed air. This is another commodity that disappears, my shop volunteer loves canned air.

AUGUST 2019

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SPOTLIGHT

SPECIAL ADVERTISING SECTION

COMPANY SHOWCASE A

s traditional, physical, medical device systems converge with IT infrastructure, hospitals can now automate and share healthcare data, workflows and processes. This enables new capabilities such as remote surveillance, alarm notification, smart pumps, clinical decision support systems and more. It also raises new challenges, from patient safety to how these medical device systems are managed and supported.

The three co-founders of Medigate joined forces to create the first company focused solely on solving the device security and management challenges for healthcare. The market was ready, and Medigate’s focus on healthcare has been at the core of their success. “While other IoT security companies spend their time in retail stores, manufacturing plants, etc., Medigate spends every day in healthcare organizations,” stated Jonathan Langer, Medigate CEO, “We understand their environments, workflows, languages, challenges, everything. We also apply that knowledge into all facets of our solution, making us choose the hard road to ensure our technology can identify every device and behavior, not

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just network communications.”

TechNation interviewed Langer to find out more about Medigate.

When asked about Medigate’s advantages for clinical engineering over other companies, Langer responded with an impressive answer.

“Our health care focus ensures Medigate’s deep domain expertise around medical devices and engineering clinical workflows, allows us to deliver a superior product that enables clinical engineering to see every medical device in real-time with the greatest granularity available, provide new capabilities around automating lifecycle management, integrate into existing platforms and bridge the gap with IT and IS.” We asked Jonathan to go a little deeper into each category.

and comprehensive view of the device inventory. As devices are added, removed or upgraded, Medigate updates the inventory in real-time, delivering the information needed to optimize procurement, management, and maintenance processes as well as make data-driven decisions.

REAL-TIME VISIBILITY The Medigate platform discovers and fingerprints all of the medical devices on the network, even the ones behind gateways. Using deep packet inspection (DPI), Medigate has decoded significantly more proprietary communications protocols than any other vendor as well as the technical attributes associated with them, including serial number, AE title and location data to deliver an accurate

TIMELY PATCHING AND MAINTENANCE

AUTOMATE LIFECYCLE MANAGEMENT “Manual CMMS processes leaves devices lost, unpatched, and inefficiently utilized, hindering regular operation and compliance requirements,” says Langer. Using the device profiles generated from the platform, Medigate delivers key utilization and location data and actionable reports, all in one place for more efficient use of resources and cost savings.

Medigate creates a unified view of a device’s operating systems, including: - Hardware and app versions - online feed of available firmware and software updates - relevant vulnerabilities - recall announcements Clinical engineering can now ensure the functionality of all devices and meet compliance requirements.

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SPOTLIGHT

EFFICIENT PREVENTATIVE MAINTENANCE

Knowing which devices are at work at what times allows movement from overutilized to underutilized locations – whether renewing equipment, reducing the number of new devices needed and providing insight to ensure that devices can be set for daily maintenance cycles while they are unused. Moreover, Medigate provides the most efficient time slots for preventive maintenance, maximizing business continuity of devices.

DATA-DRIVEN PROCUREMENT PLANNING

Medigate maps the distribution of medical devices and their use across the hospital or healthcare system.

Over and underutilized equipment can be balanced across departments, saving budget for necessary procurement.

NO MORE HUNTING EXPEDITIONS

Medigate identifies the location of each device on the network. When the next device is scheduled for maintenance, Medigate makes sure you know where it is, saving time and money.

CVE ALERTS

Because of the granular profiles Medigate creates for each medical device, the platform alerts users of

new CVEs posted as well as identifies every device potentially affected by the CVE. Clinical engineering no longer has to manually identify the alerts or try to figure out what and how to address the alert, reducing the window of risk and increasing efficiency and reducing the risk window.

INTEGRATE WITH KEY PLATFORMS “Our platform simplifies management by automatically logging discovered inventory and device modifications into your CMMS for you. CMMS integration enhances asset inventory and service management, automates tasks, and frees staff from manual, time-consuming processes,” says Langer.

BRIDGE THE GOVERNANCE GAP WITH BETWEEN SECURITY AND IT The progress of automating healthcare workflows and processes has created new risks for hospitals and patients.

Clinical engineering, IT, and IS are all responsible for aspects of managing medical device systems and medical device software. Typically, the silo’d responsibilities do not intersect and therein lies the risk. Medigate helps bridge the gap by sharing the device inventory so the teams can collectively manage the support, upgrade, or

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

repair of the asset over time. The physical devices and network components are brought together in a single platform.

WHAT’S NEXT

Langer continued to share what he is most excited about for his company at the moment. “Currently, we are focused on devices inside healthcare organizations, but medical devices are expanding outside the walls of healthcare facilities,” stated Langer, “From wearables and home monitoring to embedded devices like glucose monitors and pacemakers, the numbers are growing rapidly. Our vision is to identify and secure them all – on prem and off-prem.”

When concluding the interview, TechNation asked Langer if there was anything else he wanted us to know about Medigate. “HDOs struggle to stay on top of the vulnerabilities disclosed about their connected devices so we’ve started a Healthcare Threat Report that highlights vulnerabilities that affect healthcare specifically in addition to insights on how to remediate the situation. People can subscribe to the report to receive a notification when a new vulnerability is posted and how to address it taking into the specific needs of medical device requirements.”

AUGUST 2019

TECHNATION

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SPOTLIGHT

Luis Marroquin and his biomed team at LBJ Hospital.

DEPARTMENT OF THE MONTH The Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital Biomedical Engineering Department

BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

L

yndon B. Johnson was the thirty-sixth president of the United States of America. He was vice president under John F. Kennedy and stepped into the senior position when Kennedy was assassinated. Johnson was a tall Texan whose prime vision was a program to build what he called “a great society.”

President Johnson’s legacy lives on in Houston, Texas where the Lyndon B. Johnson Hospital is staffed by the physician faculty and residents of the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston. The hospital is a 215-bed acute care facility that specializes in neonatal intensive care and is a part of the Harris Health System.

Biomed duties are handled by a 13-member team; a director and staff comprised of biomedical engineering and

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biomedical electronics technicians of varying skill levels and one administrative support member to assist in coordinating the many competing priorities.

Service contracts are managed through partnerships with several third-party organizations.

“Biomed works with partners; we don’t call them contractors. We have partnerships with GE, Crothall, Philips, Steris, Olympus, Siemens and Canon. We assist in the coordination of the PMs and repairs to minimize downtime and updates to users and administration,” says Luis Marroquin, supervisor of Biomedical Engineering.

Besides incoming inspections and preventative and corrective maintenance, the team participates in pre-purchase evaluations of new technology and equipment. The team also performs service contract analysis, negotiations and management.

In addition to the hospital, the biomed team supports outpatient clinics at the Outpatient Center (a stand-alone facility on the LBJ Hospital campus) and 10 off-site community health centers in north Houston and Harris County.

APPROACHING SOLUTIONS THE BIOMED WAY A guiding principle helps anchor the team and keep it fixed on a set of values that they can rally around.

“We have become a close-knit team and developed our own biomed mission goals we call, ‘Biomed Way,’ ” Marroquin says.

Those guiding principles include taking responsibility, providing quality service, maximizing customer service opportunities, teamwork, integrity at all levels, preparation, sharing knowledge, promptness, effective communication and family.

“We use the book ‘Five Dysfunctions of a Team,’ by Patrick Lencioni for team

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SPOTLIGHT building activities. We had technicians crying and laughing, sharing stories about their past and personal life. By opening up to each other, we developed the ‘Biomed Way.’ We also made T-shirts for national biomed recognition week listing our ‘Biomed Way’ goals. Biomedical Director Jackson allowed us to be open with our problems and feelings. From it, we worked together to fix little issues and complex problems,” Marroquin says.

The team’s ability to use hand tools also took them into some unchartered territory for a biomed squad. They brought their building expertise to the task of providing healthy food for patients via a project known as the “Community Farm at LBJ Hospital.”

“Biomed and the radiology department staff built the first planting boxes for the Community Farm at LBJ Hospital. The farm is part of a population health program aimed at helping patients with chronic diseases like diabetes and who lack access to fruits and vegetables. Once fully implemented, the program will give free food to qualifying patients to improve their health,” Marroquin says.

He says that hospital administration had a vision for the farm and biomed and others are making it a reality.

“We ordered the supplies and worked with staff to create the best planting boxes with careful consideration of sun exposure and soil quality. Hundreds of staff

members and volunteers have been helping with the project. Many are also eating and enjoying produce such as carrots, spinach, Swiss chard and much more from the efforts of the biomed team,” Marroquin adds.

The hospital was also impacted by Hurricane Harvey. Members of the team sprang into action to protect valuable equipment.

“During Harvey, we had four technicians at the hospital. The storm dropped more than 52 inches of rain in a five-day span over greater Houston. The team was working round-the-clock and barely slept. We had leaks all over the hospital. We walked around with construction plastic and heavy- duty tape wrapping up vital and expensive equipment like the da Vinci robotic system and surgical tables,” Marroquin says.

He says that they covered up all the imaging equipment including C-arms, ultrasounds, X-ray rooms, imaging work stations, MRI units and CT scanner units.

“When we ran out of plastic, we improvised and used trash bags. Water leaks didn’t stop. We had what appeared to be mini water falls coming through some ceilings. Some exterior hallways looked like small ponds. We used huge vacuum cleaners and contained water leaks in the ceilings. During the storm, we created an impromptu helipad for a U.S. Coast Guard helicopter to land and pick up a critically

LBJ Hospital Incident Command during 2017 Hurricane Harvey. Biomed and engineering were a big part of the team.

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

injured head trauma patient. This was done through driving rain and wind. The patient was successfully airlifted and is doing well today,” Marroquin says.

They also set up accommodations for 200 area residents forced to evacuate flooded homes.

“LBJ Hospital was their only shelter from the floods. Our team set-up TVs and phone charging stations for the evacuees.

We did constant rounds on the floors to check on equipment and cheer colleagues up. Our biomed guys never complained.

We shared food and helped each other out during the emergency. The sleeping arrangements were not comfortable and food wasn’t the best, but we had coffee and donuts to make due. The work we did prevented extensive water damage in the imaging suites, saving the hospital an estimated $30 million in lost equipment,” Marroquin adds.

“Our belief in the ‘Biomed Way’ is what helped us during Harvey and after Harvey.

The story is that LBJ biomed is a close family. And no matter what the job is, we will get it done safely,” Marroquin says.

In addition to coming to the rescue during a hurricane, the biomed team has found a way to provide customers even better coverage, while rounding out each team member’s knowledge.

“We started a second biomed shift.

After two years, it has made a significant difference on our response time to addressing and fixing issues. We rotate assignments so technicians are constantly learning and growing. We do a lot of cross training. We are lucky to have a diverse professional staff that can handle anything.

Our night biomed technicians can handle any issues and it’s due to the cross training they received,” Marroquin says.

He says that in addition to quicker response times, the second shift staff locates lost or misplaced equipment and performs PMs in departments that are busy during the day.

“A big plus has been the savings to the organization in overtime and on-call pay.

The money saved helps the hospital and the system buy new equipment or enhance patient care,” he says.

The late president would be proud of this biomed team which has built a great society within its own ranks.

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SPOTLIGHT

ASSOCIATION OF THE MONTH The North Carolina Biomedical Association

BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

N

orth Carolina is a state that offers a diverse collection of scenery and activities. From a beach holiday at Nags Head to the coolness of the mountains along the Blue Ridge Parkway; the state has something for everyone.

The state is also home to one of the more storied biomed associations in the country. Formed in the late 1970s, the North Carolina Biomedical Association (NCBA) is one of the country’s older HTM groups and has been a model for other associations.

“Our first symposium was held in September 1978 and the NCBA was incorporated and registered with the North Carolina Secretary of State office in 1980. The original members of the NCBA board of directors was a mix of working BMETs, clinical engineering managers and educators,” says Glenn Scales, CBET-E, NCBA past president and lifetime honorary member.

Scales is one of NCBA’s founding members and served as the group’s first vice president. He has served the association in several capacities, including five stints as president. He has served on the board of directors for 28 of the association’s 40 years.

“We held our first symposium in 1978 after approximately two years of discussions and planning. Pat Lynch was our first president. Our intent was to establish an organization which would be focused on the educational

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and professional development needs of working BMETs in North Carolina,” Scales says.

“Although AAMI’s annual meetings did feature content of interest for BMETs, it was definitely not their focus.

Fortunately, that changed in more recent years and AAMI has proved to be an invaluable resource to the HTM community,” Scales says.

Scales says that the diverse crosssection of the original members who formed the organization is the basis for NCBA’s continued success.

“I believe that this diverse group and their associated experiences helped establish our vision for the future and the culture that has prevailed for 40 years. The original board was established with 10 individuals, five for a two-year term and five for a one-year term. That stagger has been maintained throughout our history as a way of maintaining continuity from year to year,” Scales explains.

He says that after the first year, an eleventh position of ex-officio was added so that the immediate past president continued on the board in a non-voting position.

“The ex-officio is a valued member of the board and significantly contributed to the continuity of our vision and culture,” Scales says.

Education is often at the very core of a biomedical association’s charter and ambitions. NCBA is no exception.

“While BMET and CE education has

been our primary focus for 40 years, we very early on recognized the importance of broadening our vision to include ‘soft’ topics, including management development, public speaking skills, various software topics from Adobe and Microsoft,” Scales says.

He says that a number of years ago, the group modified its educational schedule at its symposium into a “track” system so that they could teach a sequence of related topics over the three days of the symposium. The track system allowed them to present in-depth topics that couldn’t be presented even in a full-day session.

“We are especially grateful to our technology vendors for providing invaluable educational resources to the NCBA. We have also developed relationships with local businesses and educational institutions to provide speakers and resources that would otherwise be unavailable to an organization like ours,” Scales adds.

ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM From that first symposium in 1978, an emphasis has been on education and keeping the event affordable.

“Our first symposium was one day and was comprised of educational sessions, vendor exhibits and social gatherings. Originally, the symposiums were planned to be in Raleigh, in the fall, at the time of the North Carolina State Fair. That way our attendees had a fun, family activity that would help

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SPOTLIGHT

draw them to our event,” Scales says.

“We have changed the location of the symposium over the years to get better hotel pricing, and have returned to the Pinehurst Hotel after having been there from 2000 to 2008. The hotel has committed to giving us the space, amenities and support that helps make the symposium a ‘must attend’ event in the HTM community,” he adds.

Scales says that the 2019 annual symposium is a four-day event in August at the Pinehurst Hotel and Resort in Pinehurst, North Carolina.

“The first day is our annual golf tournament, which for years has been a sell-out with people signing up early to play one of the historic Pinehurst Golf Club courses. That same day finds the NCBA board of directors and some dedicated volunteers getting everything set up for the start of the educational programs on Wednesday morning,” he says.

The symposium’s educational program is organized into six educational tracks; each comprised of five half-day sessions.

“Attendees are free to attend any of the six concurrent programs during each of the five educational half-day time slots. The sixth half-day session is dedicated to the vendor exhibit hall, which features approximately 90 display booths. In addition to this session, vendors meet with our attendees at the vendor hall opening reception on Wednesday evening following the day’s educational programs,” Scales says.

“Attendees, vendors and speakers are all invited to the three included lunches during the symposium. On Wednesday,

we host the annual business meeting during which the NCBA presents recognition awards, scholarship award presentations and the election of board of directors for the next year,” he adds.

Scales says that last year, the 40th NCBA Symposium & Expo featured 30 educational sessions for attendees, plus 90 vendors in the exhibit hall.

The group also actively helps the next generation of biomeds by providing scholarship opportunities.

Whisnant Scholarship and the Norman Reeves Scholarship. Students in these programs also receive a discounted rate for attending the NCBA Symposium & Expo,” Scales says.

State biomed associations play an important role in helping fill the vacant positions left by departing baby boomer generation biomeds. Scales says that the NCBA actively works with the four BMET community college programs to support their students.

“ A significant number of the NCBA past presidents were students at a North Carolina Community College, and four of our honorary lifetime members came out of the North Carolina community college system.” - Glenn Scales “We have a very robust scholarship program. The Eddy Whisnant Scholarship and the Norman Reeves Scholarship have been in place for over 20 years and awards a $2,000 scholarship to a second-year student in a North Carolina community college system biomedical [program],” Scales says.

The association also maintains close ties with the local biomedical training programs.

“The North Carolina Community College System has four institutions that have an accredited BMET program. The program director from two of these programs currently serves on the NCBA Board of Directors. In addition, we have well established relationships with all four programs. Students in these four programs all qualify for the Eddy

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“Part of that support and mentoring involves getting students to participate in NCBA activities and to serve on the NCBA Board of Directors. A significant number of the NCBA past presidents were students at a North Carolina Community College, and four of our honorary lifetime members came out of the North Carolina community college system,” he says.

The NCBA plays an important role in the North Carolina HTM ecosystem.

That role will help ensure that biomed departments across the state remain staffed and that biomeds statewide can enjoy their counterparts’ camaraderie once a year in an enjoyable environment.

More than 40 years of experience illustrates that the association is a model worth imitating.

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MD EXPO SETS SAIL FOR BALTIMORE Signature Offerings Include Education, Exhibit Hall, Networking

M

D Expo, the conference for Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) professionals, is headed to Baltimore with high expectations! The first MD Expo of 2019 was the largest one ever with more than 1,000 attendees and over 130 exhibitors.

Now, MD Expo brings its signature mixture of continuing education, exhibit hall, networking and fun to Baltimore. Hilton Baltimore Inner Harbor is the site for the October 17-19 HTM event! The conference is proudly supported by the Baltimore Medical Engineers and Technicians Society. Free registration is available for all hospital employees, military and students.

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A new one-day workshop kicks off the first day of MD Expo Baltimore.

Attendees can sign up for the CompTIA A+ Prep Course being held from 8 a.m. to 5 p.m. on Thursday, October 17. This class is designed to prepare attendees for CompTIA A+ Exams 220-901 and 220-902. It is intended that students from this class will also take the Networking Basics lectures offered on the next day of the conference. When combined, these classes will cover the knowledge needed to earn a CompTIA A+ IT technician certification. There is a $200 fee for the CompTIA A+ Prep Course.

Attendees may also opt to attend the CBET Review on Thursday, October 17 from 9 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. David Scott will once again review all aspects of the

CBET exam. This year marks the 15th anniversary of the CABMET CBET Review. CABMET has helped hundreds of techs with CBET. Handouts (USB sticks) will be provided and are included in the $125 fee.

Thursday afternoon will also feature three workshops. Topics being discussed in the two-hour workshops include conflict management, communicating with the C suite and strategic planning for HTM departments.

The first MD Expo signature networking event will also be held on Thursday. The MD Expo Welcome Reception, sponsored by Medigate, gives attendees and exhibitors a chance to network while enjoying free drinks and appetizers.

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The second day starts with an informative slate of classes covering a range of topics including cybersecurity, quality assurance, strategic planning and more beginning at 8 a.m. The education continues with several sessions starting at 9:45 a.m. after a short break where snacks will be provided. The second session of education includes the class “Collaborative Communities: Medical Device Servicing Involving Healthcare Delivery Organizations (HDOs) and the Regulatory Environment” and more with additional classes starting at 11:30 a.m. A complete list of all the education offered at MD Expo Baltimore may be seen online at mdexposhow.com/ education.

The action continues when the exhibit hall opens from noon to 4 p.m.

Lunch will be provided. When the exhibit hall concludes the famous MD Expo Happy Hour sponsored by

DirectMed will immediately follow.

The final day of MD Expo Baltimore begins with a much-anticipated keynote address followed by more valuable educational sessions. The keynote address “Crossing the Health Technology Chasm: Building a Bridge to the Future” will be presented by ECRI Institute Chief Operating Officer and Executive Vice President Anthony J. Montagnolo. The final educational sessions of the conference will be held from 9:45 a.m. to 12:30 p.m.

The exhibit hall will be open for more networking from 12:30 to 4 p.m and lunch will once again be provided.

The conference concludes with the MD Expo Block Party sponsored by AIV. Attendees and exhibitors are all invited to enjoy free food and drink along with live music in a rocking atmosphere right outside the gates of the historic Oriole Park at Camden Yards.

“As MD Expo prepares to celebrate

its 18th anniversary, we are excited to bring the conference to the Baltimore area and support the active BMETS members and organization,” explains Kristin Leavoy, Vice President at MD Publishing. “This is sure to be an event you won’t want to miss!”

To recap, MD Expo strives to provide healthcare technology management professionals with a unique, intimate and rewarding conference second to none. For three eventful days, clinical engineers, biomedical technicians, directors and managers, procurement/asset managers and others responsible for medical technology will gather in a one-of-akind warm and welcoming environment to network with peers, learn the latest technologies and advances in HTM. Find out what everyone has been talking about; this is one event you can’t afford to miss!

MD Expo Baltimore features: • Over 45 hours of education; • Industry-leading speakers covering the hottest topics in HTM, compliance, IT, cybersecurity, management and equipment service; • The industry’s most unique networking events to connect and share best practices with other leading HTM professionals; • CompTIA A+ Prep Course; • CBET Review; • Keynote Address; and • World-class exhibit hall with the latest technology, products and services.

FOR MORE INFORMATION, visit MDExpoShow.com.

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NEWS & NOTES

Updates from the HTM Industry STAFF REPORTS

CMS ADDS ECRI INSTITUTE TO NETWORK OF QUALITY IMPROVEMENT AND INNOVATION CONTRACTORS The Centers for Medicare & Medicaid Services (CMS) selected ECRI Institute as a Prime awardee of the Network of Quality Improvement and Innovation Contractors (NQIIC). This designation will allow NQIICs to bid on task orders over the next five years. As a Prime NQIIC awardee partnering with other Quality Improvement contractors under the new CMS Indefinite Delivery/Indefinite Quantity (IDIQ) contract mechanism to support quality improvement efforts, each NQIIC may serve as: • Quality improvement experts • Facilitators/change agents for health care transformation by achieving bold aims at a high value • Innovators of quality improvement As a NQIIC awardee, ECRI Institute has demonstrated health care quality improvement expertise. Services supported by some of the NQIIC awardees may include: • Provide direct technical assistance in specific areas of health care quality improvement (e.g., patient safety, opioid misuse,

nursing home quality, etc.)

• Seek and gain commitments from patients, providers, and stakeholders to achieve aims • Use a human centered design that involves teaming with patient and family members to improve health care processes and outcomes • Focus on helping providers and health care organizations achieve quantitative results for improved outcomes, lower costs, better care, less provider burden, greater transparency, and more • Support a diverse array of organizations and populations, including: rural providers, vulnerable beneficiaries, clinical practices, hospitals, nursing homes, dialysis facilities, and more • Support providers in efficient use of Health Information Technology and interoperability • Serve as backbone organizations to form and engage Community Coalitions • Convene and support Learning and Action Networks (LANs). •

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

PRINTERPREZZ ANNOUNCES ISO 13485:2016 CERTIFICATION FOR 3D PRINTING OF MEDICAL DEVICES PrinterPrezz Inc., a trailblazer in combining metal 3D printing, nanotechnologies and surgical expertise to design and manufacture next generation medical devices, has announced that the company has achieved ISO 13485:2016 certification for Quality Management Systems for medical devices.

ISO 13485:2016 certification is a requirement for regulatory purposes and is an international standard that outlines the requirements for a quality management system specific to the medical devices industry. To be certified, organizations must demonstrate an ability to provide medical devices and related services that consistently meet customer and regulatory requirements. PrinterPrezz has met these standards for fabrication and 3D printing of titanium, non-titanium metals and advanced resin and plastic non-active implantable and non-implantable medical devices, associated components and surgical tools for the medical device industry.

“Designing and implementing a quality management system and achieving ISO 13485:2016 certification are important milestones for our company that reflect our emphasis on safety and providing high-quality devices. I am proud of the collaborative efforts of our team which underscore our commitment to supporting our customers, as together we revolutionize the way advanced medical devices are developed and brought to market,” PrinterPrezz CEO Shri Shetty said. •

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CROTHALL’S HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS RECEIVES ISO 13485:2016 CERTIFICATION

CYNERIO HONORED WITH 2019 MEDTECH BREAKTHROUGH AWARD

Crothall Healthcare has announced that its Crothall Facilities Management Inc.’s Healthcare Technology Solutions (HTS) operating division has received ISO 13485:2016 certification from NSF International Registrar based out of Ann Arbor, Michigan. Crothall’s registration scope is as a full life cycle medical device service provider, offering equipment management, technical support and OEM equivalent repair services of clinical and diagnostic equipment nationwide, making Crothall one of the only independent service providers in its class that manages and services medical devices to receive this certification.

The International Organization for Standardization (ISO) is the world’s largest developer and publisher of standards for quality management systems. The ISO 13485 standard sets requirements for a quality management system designed to ensure medical device safety, risk management and process improvement. It recognizes that Crothall’s policies, practices and procedures ensures consistent quality in the repair and support services provided to its clients.

Crothall’s HTS division manages and provides oversight of a hospital’s entire life cycle of medical devices and clinical technologies. It is one of the largest U.S. companies managing and servicing medical devices, serving more than 175 hospitals nationwide.

“The ISO 13485 certification ensures our clients that we meet the highest level of quality management systems recognized in the health care industry,” said Jim Cheek, president of Crothall Healthcare Technology Solutions. “It is the platinum standard for quality management and, building upon ISO 9001, the ISO 13485 standard recognizes our risk reduction processes aimed at making the safety of our clients, their patients and medical devices our top priority.”

“I am extremely proud of the work our team put into the development and implementation of our comprehensive plan to achieve ISO 13485 certification” Cheek said. “We believe the certification demonstrates our commitment to quality and patient safety, and will help differentiate us from our competitors.” •

Cynerio, a provider of medical device and Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) security solutions announced that its IoMT cybersecurity solution has been selected as the winner of the Healthcare Analytics Innovation Award from MedTech Breakthrough, an independent organization that recognizes the top companies, technologies and products in the global health and medical technology market.

“Cynerio won this award due to their ability to prevent cyberattacks by utilizing technology that thoroughly analyzes the medical workflows in the IoMT ecosystem,” said James Johnson, managing director of MedTech Breakthrough. “Cynerio is a pioneer in their industry, utilizing machine learning to limit the risk of hackers interrupting patient treatments, and stealing sensitive data from thousands of vulnerable connected medical devices.”

Cynerio provides a tailor-made solution for health care providers that goes beyond traditional IT and IoT security systems by deeply understanding the medical context of the devices, prioritizing the assets based on their criticality and role in the clinical workflow, enabling tailor made remediation to stop threats while maintaining operational continuity.

The MedTech Breakthrough Awards honor excellence and recognize the innovation, hard work and success in a range of health and medical technology categories, including medical devices, mHealth, patient engagement, electronic health records (EHR) and more. This year’s program attracted more than 3,000 nominations from over 12 different countries across the world. •

KAMI ANNOUNCES INAUGURAL SYMPOSIUM The Kentucky Association of Medical Instrumentation (KAMI) will be hosting a Symposium at Historic Boone Tavern Inn in Berea, Kentucky, according to an email sent out by KAMI Membership Secretary, Wes Pool. The symposium will be held November 8-9. This will be the first ever KAMI Symposium.

“We have hand picked a unique location to make this a memorable event. Please join us and get your information out to the community.

Booth space will be limited so act

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fast,” the email reads.

The symposium will offer education, food, door prizes and networking opportunities. It is geared toward KAMI members, HTM engineers, students, educators, decision makers and vendors, according to the information provided with the email. It will also feature a reverse expo, presentations, vendor appreciation dinner, booths, break-out sessions, CBET prep and more.

For more information, visit http:// kami.camp9.org/. •

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INDUSTRY UPDATES CLEARWATER ADDS CYBERSECURITY EXPERT Clearwater, a provider of health care cyber risk software and consulting services, has announced the appointment of Cathie Brown as vice president, professional services.

Brown brings more than 30 years of experience in health care, health information technology, health information security and consulting.

“Cathie is an outstanding addition to our already stellar professional services team. We are experiencing an exponential increase in demand as cybersecurity takes top priority for health systems and business associates intent on protecting themselves and their patients,” said Jon Moore, Clearwater’s chief risk officer and senior vice president for professional services. “As another former chief information security officer in our ranks, Cathie will serve as a key strategic advisor to our customers who look to Clearwater to help build and mature their information security programs.”

Reporting to Moore, Brown will help lead Clearwater’s growing roster of health care security and compliance experts. She joins a team with a track record of 100 percent acceptance by the Office for Civil Rights of risk analysis conducted on behalf of customers facing enforcement action related to an information security breach. •

CLEARDATA WINS MEDTECH BREAKTHROUGH AWARD ClearDATA, a healthcare cloud, security and compliance company, was named the “Best Compliance Solution” in 2019 by MedTech Breakthrough, an independent organization that recognizes the top companies and solutions in the global health and medical technology market.

“We’re honored to receive this award. On the heels of GDPR’s one-year anniversary, the Best Compliance Solution award is a true testament of ClearDATA’s value and commitment to protecting patient data which requires trust, integrity and control to avoid potential security breach or loss. ClearDATA’s mission-driven team works tirelessly to enable health care organizations to create a proactive defense in securing and tracking patient data with the right safeguards in place to compliment and enable health tech innovation,” said Chris Bowen, founder and chief privacy & security officer.

With today’s rapidly changing security, privacy and compliance requirements, it’s difficult for medical technology and health care companies to protect patient data while running on outdated IT or even on cloud platforms not expressly designed for health care organizations. ClearDATA addresses these fundamental challenges with its secure and compliant multi-cloud solution, protecting patients, providers and payers from data privacy risks, improving health care data management and scaling health care IT security infrastructure.

The mission of the MedTech Breakthrough Awards is to honor excellence and recognize the innovation, hard work and success in a range of health and medical technology categories, including robotics, clinical administration, telehealth, patient engagement, electronic health records (EHR), mHealth, medical devices, medical data and many more. This year’s program attracted more than 3,500 nominations from over 15 different countries throughout the world. •

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

GE HEALTHCARE INCREASES MULTI-VENDOR PARTS INVENTORY ONLINE GE Healthcare has increased its inventory of multi-vendor parts available on GE Healthcare Service Shop, which was on display at AAMI Exchange 2019.

“Our customers want an OEM who can supply multivendor support,” remarked Tim Erickson, GM, Global Asset Returns, GE Healthcare. “They are looking for a long-term relationship with a company whose processes they already trust and rely on. The increased inventory of multi-vendor parts available through Service Shop is another step in helping meet that need.”

GE Healthcare recently sold its 730,000th item on Service Shop.

With an extensive GE Healthcare service parts, accessories and supplies catalog, expanding the online shop to offer additional multi-vendor imaging parts provides more selection for customers. This increase in

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multi-vendor inventory will add to the site’s existing $1.5 billion in parts and accessories inventory, and the 6,000 parts it distributes daily from more than 50 distribution centers across the U.S. and Canada.

Parts available on GE Healthcare Service Shop that are purchased directly from GE Healthcare come with a warranty and are tested for quality and reliability to help ensure a low failure on arrival (FOA) rate. (Parts sold by vendors on Service Shop are subject to vendor warranties.)

“Equipment maintenance, service, and uptime are important to a provider’s ability to provide high-quality patient care,” said Rob Reilly, VP & GM, U.S. & Canada Service. “The increased inventory of multi-vendor parts available on Service Shop helps providers focus on patient care by delivering GE Healthcare OEM and multi-vendor parts where and when they are needed.”

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

RIBBON CUTTING Revanix Biomedical

BY ERIN REGISTER

R

evanix Biomedical was founded on the principle of providing high-quality repairs, excellent service and pricing while improving the customer service experience. The company was founded with the intention to provide hospitals and surgery centers a unique opportunity to only deal with one company for their biomedical and surgical repairs. “We are the only company with experience in both realms in this industry,” stated Pierre Garcia, vice president of sales.

TechNation found out more about Revanix Biomedical through a questionand-answer session.

Q: WHAT IS THE MAIN FOCUS OF REVANIX? A: The main focus of Revanix Biomedical is to provide superior quality repairs at very competitive pricing while providing the best customer service.

Essentially, we want to be the best in the industry. Our customers know that we are always trying hard to get them the best prices for anything they need and helping them solve any unfamiliar issues. We are now working in major cities all over the nation, and we are focused on expanding more into the West Coast, as well.

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Q: CAN YOU TELL US A LITTLE ABOUT THE SERVICES REVANIX OFFERS? A: We are a minority woman-owned small business (WOSB) that repairs biomedical and surgical equipment. Our main focus includes flexible scopes, dental handpieces, endoscopy cameras, infusion pumps, oxygen blenders and patient monitoring.

Our technicians have been working in their fields for over 10 years. We provide free shipping to and from hospitals and surgery centers as well as free evaluations on equipment repairs. Additionally, Revanix has a large pool of loaners for different types of equipment. We will always work as quickly as possible to get your equipment back into your hands with as little downtime as possible. Finally, we are also very unique in the sense that we can provide on-site technicians nationwide to help with small projects such as annual PMs, inventory and installation of new equipment.

Q: HOW DOES REVANIX STAND OUT IN THE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT FIELD? A: I believe our sales team is what really helps us stand out. We are able to teach our sales team to have a vast knowledge of all of the medical equipment we can repair and sell. We have a great, friendly staff that is extremely easy to work with as we make our customers’ needs always a priority! We are also one of the leading providers of

Pierre Garcia Revanix Biomedical service to Veteran Affairs medical centers around the nation. At Revanix Biomedical, we also have some of the longest warranties in the industry.

Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY SPECIFIC GOALS THAT YOU WANT REVANIX TO ACHIEVE IN THE NEAR FUTURE? A: In the next five years, I see us as one of the best biomedical and surgical repair companies in the industry. I am sure there will be companies that will try to replicate our model as biomedical and surgical experts, but there will only be one Revanix Biomedical. I know we will get there as we have been growing very rapidly and we are on the path to double in sales again. We are growing more and more every day. We plan to have a sales rep in most major cities within a few years.

For more information, visit revanix.com.

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

AAMI UPDATE

BY AAMI

AAMI LAUNCHES FELLOW PROGRAM WITH 14 HONOREES AAMI has launched a fellow program to celebrate leaders in the health technology and sterilization fields who have also distinguished themselves through their contributions to the association.

The inaugural class, announced June 8 at the AAMI Exchange in Cleveland, consists of 14 AAMI members who come from various backgrounds.

“We are extremely proud of this inaugural class of fellows.

These individuals inspire us to contribute more to our professional communities,” said AAMI President and CEO Robert Jensen.

AAMI recognizes fellows for the depth and breadth of their accomplishments in seven core areas: professional experience, education, technical contributions, presentations and publications, professional participation, certification, and awards and honors.

The 14 fellows are: Matthew Baretich, PE, PhD, president of Baretich Engineering in Fort Collins, CO. Baretich has been a champion in the health technology community for decades.

In addition to his clinical and forensic engineering practice, he has been a faculty member for Certified Clinical Engineer (CCE) and Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET) exam review and for international workshops. He is a popular presenter and a prolific author on a range of healthcare technology management (HTM) topics.

David Braeutigam, MBA, CHTM, CBET, ITIL, president of Braeutigam Enterprises LLC in Arlington, TX. Braeutigam, formerly system director of HTM at Baylor Scott & White Health, specializes in HTM operations, benchmarking, leadership training, and public speaking. He is a member of AAMI’s Technology Management Council and HTM benchmarking initiative, and co-authored AAMI’s HTM Benchmarking Guide.

Tobey Clark, BSBME, MSEE, CCE, CHTM, FACCE, SASHE, engineering supervisor, Instrumentation and Technical Services, University of Vermont in Burlington, VT. Clark has had a remarkable career that includes directing HTM assistance and services to more than 30 hospitals in Vermont, New York, and New Hampshire; health technology education; and instrumentation design and engineering management. He directs the World Health Organization (WHO) Collaborating Center for Health Technology Management.

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Carol Davis-Smith, CCE, president of Carol Davis-Smith & Associates, LLC, in Phoenix, AZ. Formerly vice president of clinical technology at Kaiser Permanente, Davis-Smith is an HTM executive with extensive experience in health care delivery, group purchasing, and consulting organizations. She has played leadership roles on the AAMI Board of Directors and its Strategic Planning Task Force, Technology Management Council, Nominating Committee, and BI&T Editorial Board.

David Dickey, FACHE, CHC, CCE, CHTM, vice president of clinical engineering at McLaren Health Care headquartered in Grand Blanc, MI. Dickey has a long history of writing and speaking on quality and safety issues, management practices, benchmarking, productivity, and cost effectiveness. He is a member of the AAMI Healthcare Technology Leadership Committee and the Medical Equipment Management Committee.

Stephen Grimes, FACCE, FHIMSS, FAIMBE, principal consultant at Strategic Healthcare Technology Associates in Swampscott, MA. Grimes is deeply involved in advancing the safe and effective use of complex health technology. As a consultant, he has worked with WHO and the Pan American Healthcare Organization on HTM, and has advised and taught in many countries. He sits on the Board of the AAMI Credentials Institute and is a member of the AAMI Standards Committee for Medical Equipment Management and the BI&T Editorial Board.

Heidi Horn, vice president of global enablement-healthcare at Nuvolo. Horn stands out for her various leadership roles, such as facilitating the formation of the HTM Leadership Forum for executives in mid-sized to large health systems to discuss best practices and solutions to shared HTM issues. A member of the AAMI Board of Directors, she is also the vice chair and chair-elect of the AAMI Technology Management Council and has served on many other AAMI committees and task forces.

Paul Kelley, CBET, director of biomedical engineering, the Green Initiative, and asset redeployment at Washington Hospital in Fremont, CA. Kelly is a voice for biomedical equipment technicians (BMETs) at local, state, national, and international levels. AAMI recognized his department this year as one of only two in the nation with the inaugural “100% Certified” designation – every technician in the department has passed the rigorous CBET exam. Kelley is a member of the AAMI Board of Directors.

George Mills, FASHE, CHFM, CEM, CHOP-DNV,

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director of healthcare technical operations at JLL. Mills is a legend in the HTM community. At The Joint Commission, where he formerly served as director of engineering, he forged a long relationship with AAMI that resulted in the development of standards that benefit the HTM community.

He rallied the HTM community to provide data to support alternate equipment management (AEM) programs. He sits on the AAMI Board of Directors.

Gerry O’Dell, CISS, president of Gerry O’Dell Consulting in Wesley Chapel, FL. O’Dell is a registered microbiologist who has generously shared her knowledge of all sterilization modalities, microbiology, and compliance in the medical device industry as an AAMI standards developer and instructor. She serves on more than a dozen AAMI Sterilization Standards Committee working groups, and co-chairs the Industrial Moist Heat Sterilization Working Group (AAMI/ST/WG 03).

Michael H. Scholla, PhD, global director of regulatory and standards and Medical Packaging Fellow at Dupont Safety & Construction in Wilmington, DE. A former chair of the AAMI Board of Directors, Scholla is a microbiologist with substantial expertise in medical packaging and sterilization.

He has been a key contributor to AAMI’s Sterilization Standards Committee since 1992, when it was formed to mirror a committee with the International Organization for Standardization (ISO).

Charles Sidebottom, P. Eng., managing partner at PPO Standards in Minneapolis. Sidebottom, a former chair of the AAMI Board of Directors, knows the ins and outs of international standards from decades of experience. He has been a global leader in developing and promoting landmark standards for electrical equipment, medical devices, risk management, and labeling, among others.

James Wear, CCE, CPC, CHSP, FASHE, FAIMBE, FACCE, FAIC, consultant, educator and healthcare technology management leader (retired) based in North Little Rock, AR. He has been a professor of biomedical instrumentation, chemistry, and biophysics. He was the director of the Veterans Administration Education and Training Center, where he developed the courses and curriculum for clinical engineers and BMETs. Axel Wirth, CPHIMS, CISSP, HCISPP, distinguished technical architect at Symantec Corporation in Cambridge, MA, and adjunct professor in the biomedical engineering program at the University of Connecticut. Wirth is best known for his thought leadership and subject matter expertise in applying cybersecurity in the complex medical device ecosystem. Wirth edited a must-have resource, Medical Device Cybersecurity: A Guide for HTM Professionals, with AAMI Fellow Stephen Grimes.

For more information, visit www.aami.org/fellow.

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AUGUST 2019

TECHNATION

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

ECRI UPDATE

Testing Syringe Infusion Pumps

A

sked what he would have done if the syringe pump behaved that way while he was treating a patient, Jim Davis paused to collect his thoughts. “If it was a critical infusion setup?” he asked, “I would have slammed the pump on the counter, muttered an expletive to myself, grabbed a new one, and hoped my patient didn’t deteriorate in the meantime.”

Jim Davis, a patient safety analyst at ECRI Institute and a critical care nurse by training, was testing the usability of syringe pump models for ECRI’s evaluation of the technology. When putting one model through its paces, he encountered a circumstance that caused the pump to freeze up – or to appear to do so – while he was programming it. A second tester encountered the same scenario.

At issue was the position of the pump’s barrel clamp while the user was loading a syringe onto the pump and programming the infusion. If the clamp is positioned a certain way too early in the sequence, the pump activates an alarm and prevents the user from proceeding until the alarm condition is cleared. The reason for the alarm and the method for clearing it, however, are not obvious to the user. Instead, the pump appears unresponsive. In a busy ICU, with a sick patient in need of medication, and faced with no clear cue for resolving the condition and starting the infusion, a user may conclude the pump is faulty and look for alternatives.

Hands-on testing, as this example illustrates, helps identify product characteristics and behaviors that can’t be gleaned from a specifications sheet.

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Such findings can help an organization identify the most appropriate model for purchase, and they can bring to light measures that will be needed to facilitate safe and effective use once a product has been selected.

ECRI Institute completed its testing of two models of syringe pumps in March, publishing its findings and ratings in Health Devices. Some of the key selection factors described in the nonprofit organization’s study are outlined below.

FORM AND FUNCTION Syringe pumps differ from generalpurpose infusion pumps in that a syringe serves as the medication reservoir for the pump. The user installs the syringe on the pump and programs the infusion. The pump then controls the rate at which the syringe plunger advances, thereby controlling the fluid flow rate to the patient. An administration set is used to connect the syringe to a patient catheter.

Syringe pumps ensure highly accurate volume delivery and consistent flow for small volumes (≤60 mL) of fluid, often containing potent pharmacologic agents. The syringe’s contents are typically delivered at flow settings between 0.5 and 10 mL/hr.

The pump itself includes functionality for programming the infusion; it displays information about the status of the infusion, and it incorporates an alarm system to notify clinicians about conditions that warrant attention. The pump can be clamped to an IV pole for positioning at the bedside.

Pumps today commonly include a dose error reduction system (DERS),

fault-condition alarms and wireless connectivity. ECRI Institute recommends all these features. As for new capabilities, manufacturers continue to develop solutions for minimizing use-related programming errors and for facilitating pump integration with electronic medical records (EMRs).

KEY FINDINGS AND DIFFERENTIATING FACTORS Because of the applications for which they are used, syringe infusion pumps must provide highly accurate volume delivery and consistent flow. Thus, ECRI Institute examines key performance factors during its testing.

Just as important to selection decisions, however, are the safety features, interoperability capabilities and maintenance issues associated with the models being considered.

Performance. To evaluate how well a pump performs its basic functions, ECRI Institute tests performance factors such as the following: • The flow rate performance across the operational range of the pump, focusing on low-flow continuity at low rate settings.

• The lag time – that is, the time between when the pump is started and when the patient actually begins receiving medication.

• The functioning of the pump’s downstream occlusion sensors.

The evaluated models generally met ECRI Institute’s key performance criteria.

Safety. ECRI Institute identified safety shortcomings with both models it tested. While the issues were not significant enough to recommend

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

against the purchase of these models, they nevertheless are matters that should be brought to the attention of users.

On one model, dose entry can be confusing, increasing the risk of the pump being misprogrammed. On the other, the pump lacks a continuous persistent indication of imminent battery depletion. Without such an indicator, the clinician may be unaware of the battery status and fail to plug in the unit before it shuts down, causing the infusion to cease. This is particularly problematic with lifesustaining medications. Additionally, both models can be operated in a basic mode – that is, without the safety limits of the DERS – with no clear indication that the pump is functioning without drug library limits.

Interoperability. “This is the new frontier,” remarks Juuso Leinonen, a senior project engineer in ECRI Institute’s Health Devices Group.

“Syringe pump technology hasn’t

changed much over the years. The one area where we’re seeing advancements, though, is in the level of integration being achieved.”

Infusion pump interoperability, or integration, refers to technologies that enable the creation of an electronic connection between an infusion pump channel and an EMR system. This connection allows the pump channel, the patient and a medication order to be associated with each other. Benefits include: • Autoprogramming through the EMR – This capability is used to populate infusion parameters (e.g., flow rate or dose, volume to be infused) from a provider medication order to the selected infusion pump channel. It is intended to reduce the number of manual programming steps required on the pump, presenting fewer opportunities for a programming error.

• Autodocumentation – Integration enables accurate and timely documentation of infusion

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

administration information in the patient’s EMR. This feature can reduce the burden of manual documentation and ensure the capture and availability of accurate infusion data, including a record of administered medications and start and stop times.

When done well, integration can prevent infusion-related medication errors, simplify workflow and improve documentation. But the process of integrating pumps is complex and difficult. ECRI Institute prefers models with proven integration capabilities, as evidenced by facilities that have completed the process. The evaluated models differed in this regard.

Maintenance. With the number of pumps that a facility might include in its inventory and the frequency with which they are used, maintenance issues – such as cumbersome cleaning requirements or problems associated with component breakage – are not a trivial concern.

This is another area where ECRI Institute identified differences between evaluated models.

– This article is adapted from ECRI Institute’s “Evaluation Background: Syringe Infusion Pumps” (Health Devices 2019 Mar 20). The complete article – including model-specific test results and product ratings, along with additional guidance for purchasing and using syringe pumps – is available to members of ECRI Institute’s SELECTplus, Health Devices System and associated programs. To learn more about membership, visit www.ecri.org/ solutions/evaluation-and-comparison, or contact ECRI Institute by telephone at 610-825-6000, ext. 5891, or by email at clientservices@ecri.org.

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TECHNATION

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

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BIOMED 101

Tips for Interns and Employers

BY JOIE N. MARHEFKA, PH.D

B

iomedical engineering technology students at Penn State New Kensington are required to complete a 400-hour internship before graduating. As an educator, I work with students to set up internships in clinical engineering departments and communicate with the interns and their supervisors throughout the internship.

Based on my experience, the following tips will help students get the most out of an internship experience and make a good impression, leading to a positive experience for the intern as well as their supervisor.

TIPS FOR THE INTERN First and foremost, an internship is a learning process. Therefore, ask questions. If there is something in particular that you want to see or do, ask. If you are confused or don’t know how to do something, ask for clarification or assistance. If you finish one thing, ask what else you can do or see instead of looking at your phone and waiting for someone to tell you something else to do. Go along on any service call that you can and don’t say “no” if you are offered an opportunity to see, do or learn something new. Don’t be afraid to make mistakes. We all learn from our mistakes and, remember, an internship is meant to be a learning experience. Also, I’d recommend keeping a notebook to record things that you do and learn. This will help you remember what you have done and can come in handy later. It can help you prepare for an interview, and can be used the next time you need to fix a similar device or problem.

Another important thing to remember during an internship is that,

in many cases, your internship can lead to a job. If it does not lead directly to a job in that department, your supervisor and coworkers will be valuable references when job searching.

Therefore, it is important to make a good impression. Be on time. Stay awake and attentive during meetings. Be aware of your role and surroundings.

Communication is very important.

Learn how to write a professional email and make sure to respond to emails in a timely manner. Talk with everyone in the department, as well as those in other departments. Building relationships will be helpful in getting a job and will make doing the job easier.

TIPS FOR THE SUPERVISOR (AND COWORKERS) I realize that supervising an intern requires time and effort from the supervisor and staff as they are educating the intern. However, there are a number of things that the supervisor or hospital can do to help make an internship successful. Provide thoughtful answers to an intern’s questions. When possible, ask the intern you are supervising (or the intern working in your shop) to accompany you on service calls and explain what you are doing. Giving the intern a chance to see and do as many different things as possible (as opposed to spending their entire internship working on pumps) will best prepare them for working in the field (and possibly in your department). It will also keep them engaged. Remember that the intern is there to learn, not provide free or cheap labor.

While this may be the decision of hospital administration and based on budget, a paid internship provides

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

Joie N. Mahefka Penn State New Kensington

benefits to the supervisor as well as to the intern. Offering a paid internship will reduce the likelihood that the intern will have to work another job in the hours when he or she is not at the internship. This is not always in the budget, but when possible it will allow the intern to be more flexible with hours, providing the opportunity to see or do things that do not occur during the intern’s typical shift. This also makes scheduling easier on the part of the supervisor. The intern will likely be more engaged and often more energetic as he or she does not have to fit in a job along with the internship, and it will help to attract the best candidates for the internship. Finally, paying an intern allows for the supervisor to give the intern assignments that are beneficial to the department – rather than strictly focusing on learning activities – making it easier to integrate the intern into the department’s normal daily activities.

Whether you are an intern, a supervisor or a biomed in a department that has an intern, keeping these things in mind will help make the internship a great and productive experience for everyone.

JOIE N. MARHEFKA, PH.D., is the Biomedical Engineering Technology Program Coordinator at Penn State New Kensington.

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THE BENCH

SHOP TALK GE HEALTHCARE DASH 4000 I have encountered a problem; NBP hardware malfunction. Can anyone help me? What parts should I replace and what are the part numbers for the parts? As for my own diagnostic, I think that the problem may be the NBP pump assembly?

Q: A:

Nine times out of ten, the NIBP pump assembly #2013114-020 is the part that fails. That is what I would suggest replacing. If the pump assembly does not correct the problem, then the only other part that may cause this error is the DAS module, but it is much less typical. The part number for the DAS is located on a white label adhered to the front panel of the module.

A:

Yes, the pump assembly is your first option. Every issue I’ve had with that error message has been the pump. I’ve had the DAS module be the culprit a couple of times.

A:

A NBP hardware malfunction can be the pump, but most likely it is the main PCB inside the MMS. Depending on the MMS HW version, you might have to replace the complete MMS, if it is the main PCB. If it is HW A

& B, you need to replace MMS. If it is HW C, you can replace the main PCB. See if you can swap the pump with that of a working module to verify.

A:

I’ve never had the “most likely” problem be the main board when the NBP malfunction message appears.

In almost every instance it has been the pump assembly. I’ve had the DAS module be the problem once or twice, but never the main board. It may be problem a low percentage of the time, but the most likely problem, in my experience, is the pump assembly. I would first swap the pump assembly on the module to see if that fixes the problem. If not, then swap the module itself. If (and it’s a big if) that still doesn’t help, I would first order the software to upgrade on the main board.

Not only could that help, but it will also help when you have a monitor that has a reboot problem.

There are two reboot sequences that I’ve seen and with the help from GE’s tech support, I was able to determine which sequence matches to which problem.

If the reboot happens at the GE logo, that is the main board and a software upgrade will fix that problem

most of the time. I’ve had one instance that the board wouldn’t complete the upgrade.

If the reboot happens when you see the main screen, that is the DAS module and a software upgrade won’t help there; you’d have to replace the module.

The only way to get the software is to buy it directly from GE. You would have to get it through the hospital’s sales rep.

SKYTRON AURORA FOUR I have a unit that is dropping intensity from 5 to 1 within seconds after selecting. Any suggestions?

Q: A:

Check the touch pad if the bubble for intesity 1 is flat it is like someone pushing on it. If you have a small suction cup you can try pulling it back and see if the intensity stays where you selected it. If you have to, swap the connection and see if the problem follows to the other light head

A:

Check for a stuck key and/or failing power supply. Has thee been any liquid, humidty issues before this happened? Any hardware changes?

SHOP TALK

is compiled from MedWrench.com. Go to MedWrench.com community threads to find out how you can join and be part of the discussion.

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WEBINARS

Presenters Cover Hot Topics STAFF REPORT

T

he recent Webinar Wednesday presentation “Automate, Optimize, And Secure Your Clinical Network” was eligible for 1 credit from the ACI.

The webinar featured CyberMDX Vice President of Business Development Safi Oranski. He explained how biomedical professionals can break down silos within healthcare delivery organizations (HDO) using data and analytics from medical devices and other connected IoT assets.

Oranski also explored how medical device insights provide a wealth of operational and security intelligence – benefiting HTM, IT and IS departments. He shared best-in-class use cases from hospitals to illustrate system-wide benefits. Attendees gained knowledge on how multiple departments within an HDO can benefit from automatic, comprehensive and actionable security and operational insights.

CyberMDX sponsored the webinar that drew 153 attendees to the live presentation and more HTM professionals have watched a recording of the session to gain a valuable education credit.

Attendees were quick to share how much new information they received from the webinar.

“I learned there needs to be more planning on our part to keep up with industry trends,” said Clinical Engineer M. Mappes.

“It was a great topic considering what is happening now with cyber attacks,” shared G. Dickerson, healthcare technician lead.

“It contained a lot of good information on HTM and IT,”

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according to J. Damasco, biomedical technician.

“I want to watch this webinar again to see what I missed,” said R. Womack, CBET. “I really wish my department manager could have watched. A lot of good information regarding utilization, etc,” said J. Arford, BMET. “A lot of new info regarding some of the major challenges faced by HTM professionals in a way I haven’t seen presented yet. The info was clearly presented and very informative,” Biomedical Engineer D. Nitinthorn said.

200+ ATTEND ULTRASOUND ACCREDITATION WEBINAR The webinar “Clinical Engineers’ Critical Role in Ultrasound Accreditation – Why It Matters To Departments and YOU!” was sponsored

by Innovatus Imaging.

The 60-minute webinar was presented by Matt Tomory, Vice President of Ultrasound Center of Excellence, and Ted Lucidi, Clinical Insights and Customer Experience of Innovatus Imaging. Accreditation is one of the most critical aspects of imaging facility operations, yet many clinical engineers are unaware of where their facilities stand and what they personally are responsible for on a day-to-day compliance basis. What you don’t know could be impacting your operational and diagnostic efficiencies. This educational session created awareness of the imortant role clinical engineers play and how they can fulfill that role efficiently and effectively.

Beyond understanding the purposes and objective of accreditation, attendees learned the following: • Testing criteria that each board

requires relative to ultrasound image quality.

• Performing common tests using several transducer models.

• Assessing transducer performance in the field per the various boards’ requirements.

• Acquiring and assembling the Quality Control data required for accreditation.

• Affordable tips to reduce operational costs while maintaining accreditation standards.

The presentation received positive feedback with a rating o 4 on a scale of 1 to 5 with 5 being the best possible rating.

Attendees provided feedback to the question “How well did the content that was delivered match what you were promised when you registered?”

“Excellent presentation of what was promised. Very educational and helpful,” said P. Collett, biomed team leader.

“Excellent and covered more than I expected,” Biomed K. Baber said.

“Excellent, very well delivered, exceeded my expectations,” said J. Dipad, biomed equipment specialist.

“Yes, I learned a lot about optional and recommended quality control practices for ultrasound and will be implementing some in my institution,” said P. Baxter, leader radiation safety and quality control.

“Excellent, A lot of information in little time but was directed to the important items,” said A. Negron.

PARTS MANAGEMENT EXPLORED The Nuvolo-sponsored webinar “The Future of HTM Parts Management” continued the success of the Webinar Wednesday series. The 168 attendees for

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THE BENCH

“ I really wish my department manager could have watched. A lot of good information regarding utilization, etc.” J. ARFORD, BMET the live presentation, who were eligible for 1 credit from the ACI, gave the session a thumbs up.

The webinar featured Nuvolo Vice President of Product Marketing Ben Person. He discussed and demonstrated how Nuvolo can help with parts management in a CMMS system. As part of driving cost and process efficiencies for an organization – by being able to locate, order, track, receive and install parts for your medical devices – Nuvolo demonstrated its PartsSource and GE Parts ordering capabilities in a CMMS along with parts and stockroom management.

After the webinar, attendees were asked “How would you describe Webinar Wednesday to your colleagues?”

“Webinar Wednesday is a valuable tool that assists any tech with gaining valuable knowledge without going into the classroom,” said G. Lee, BMET III. “Great, very informative insight about the future of parts management” Biomed M. Barry said.

“A chance to keep up with what’s trending and solving biomedical issues from PMs, parts, etc.,” Biomedical Coordinator N. Westrick said.

“Really informative and very interesting. Great webinar,” said D. Warner, CE Tech III. “Interesting, good tips for making order in our job, which is such a difficult task to achieve,” Biomedical Engineer M. Nacu said.

“It is a great source for technical information and the best way to be up to date in the HTM field,” Y. Elbashir, BMET III, said.

“A nice variety of topics, good way to learn about something you might not otherwise discover,” said K. Runkel, CBET.

“A great way to earn CE credits, while learning something new,” said J. Poe, national manager parts procurement.

WEBINAR DISCUSSES RTLS TECHNOLOGY The most recent Webinar Wednesday presentation was co-sponsored by Sonitor and Eide Bailly. “Advanced Ambulatory Workflow – New Technology Supporting the Culture of Innovation” was also eligible for 1 credit from the ACI. The webinar featured a team of experts from Altru Health Systems who presented how they utilize Real Time Location Services (RTLS) technology in the ambulatory setting. Altru’s team shared how they use RTLS hardware, software and analytics to improve patient workflows in primary and specialty care clinics. Important elements covered included how they leverage the platform to supply notifications and alerts to positively impact patient flow and the data to understand improvement opportunities and spark innovative ideas from the care team.

The session was from a provider’s point of view, as well as a clinic manager and IT implementation perspective. Real time location services are positively impacting workflow, phase of care innovation and offering patients and staff the opportunity to understand locations, and if needed; assistance. The webinar progressed through a panel discussion and panel members shared their experiences, challenges and opportunities. Paul Schulz, Healthcare Consulting Manager at Eide Bailly, served as moderator.

The webinar drew 150 HTM professionals from across the nation and

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

even more have viewed a recording of the webinar online at WebinarWedneday.Live.

Attendees described the usefulness of the information presented in the webinar via a post-webinar survey. They were asked, “How useful was the information presented in today’s webinar?”

“Very, especially at the end with all the data supporting the benefits of such system,” said B. Moustapha, BMET, Trinity Health “This information is valuable when presenting/reinforcing a ‘needs-case’ to clients,” said J. Shaffer, project manager/programmer, KST Healthcare Solutions.

“It was interesting to see how the patient workflow can be control by this system,” said F. Tatienou, BMET II, Carroll Hospital.

“Very useful for improving the workflow in patient care setting,” said G. Panyarachun, professor, Los Angeles Valley College.

THE 2019 WEBINAR WEDNESDAY SERIES boasts 3,426 attendees thus far with more quality educational session planned. For more information about the series, including upcoming webinars and recordings of previous sessions, visit WebinarWednesday.Live.

THANK YOU!

AUGUST 2019

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THE BENCH

TOOLS OF THE TRADE Leatherman

FREE P SERIES The Leatherman FREE P series leads the new collection that launched in April of 2019. The new series is made of 420 steel to create a lightweight, durable, pliers-based multipurpose tool. The FREE P2 and P4 tools feature many of the same implements found within classic Leatherman tools, but with new features and technology. The outside features the FREE signature design, and the inside of the tool features a revolutionary magnetic architecture that allows the tool and its implements to open and close seamlessly.

Leatherman engineers designed the tool so that all implements are easily accessible from the outside of the tool and don’t require a fingernail to deploy each implement, making them easier to access. The new architecture also provides epic haptics as well as a distinct clicking noise to provide auditory confirmation that the tool is open and ready for use.

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47

ROUNDTABLE

ROUNDTABLE Training

I

n this installment of the monthly TechNation Roundtable article we look at training. We asked a panel of industry insiders to share their thoughts on training including what to look for when seeking out additional training and how to convince employers to pay for their employees to expand their HTM knowledge.

Those participating in the roundtable discussion on training are College of Biomedical Equipment Technology President Bill Bassuk, Injector Support and Service Vice President of Training Bruce Clarke, Summit Imaging Manager of Training and Education Kyle Grozelle, Tri-Imaging Solutions’ Lead Engineer/Instructor Ken Hable, Tri-Imaging Solutions Imaging Instructor/Trainer Ben Duffield Magee, Maull Biomedical Training LLC President Steve Maull, Trisonics Senior

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Territory Manager Hobie Sears, GE Healthcare Educational Program Lead, Networking Mary Swigart and Fluke Biomedical Global Training Manager Jerry Zion.

Q: WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO LOOK FOR WHEN SEEKING TRAINING? BASSUK: At College of Biomedical Equipment Technology, we work with students across the country and overseas. When we meet with new students, their two biggest concerns are accessibility and professional standards.

We no longer live in a brick and mortar age; students want to be guaranteed access to education and training when and where it fits their busy schedules.

Professional standards and accreditation are also important, students want a quality education aligned with industry standards, which is exactly what we seek to provide.

CLARKE: I like to use the acronym of WIIFM, “What’s In It For Me.” Probably the most important aspect of any training asks the question, “Does the training fit the needs of the attendee/ audience?” Training that is not beneficial to the attendee or the organization is pretty much a waste of time, money and resources … WIIFM! MAGEE: The most important thing to look for when seeking training is course content. You’ll want to qualify the course by asking yourself these questions. What will I be learning when attending the perspective school? Do they provide hands-on training or is it solely classroom based? Will I be able to use this newly acquired knowledge as a good return on my or my company’s investment?

MAULL: Primarily, you want to ask yourself, “Will this training fill our

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needs?” Is this operation training, PM training, troubleshooting training? Is it all three? There is a lot of great training out there, but if you’re looking to get your medical device off of a service contract, you may want to make sure the training covers PM procedures, and that it’s not just an intro or operational course.

Hobie Sears Trisonics

SEARS: The first thing anyone needs to look for or at when planning training is the goal of that training. That may sound strange, but I am often amazed at how often the goal and eventual class selection don’t match up. An example is when an engineer who is going to be a facility’s ultrasound guru but has no experience will take a system specific course without first taking a basic ultrasound course. The inverse is also true, when those who might be planning on overseeing ultrasound repairs take several system courses, providing them with ample information that they never planned on using. The second item is making sure that you ask your potential provider about the course. Does it cover everything that you want it to and does it line up with your goals? Have you been able to personally talk to the instructor? You want an instructor who you can connect with and learn from.

SWIGART: Understanding skill levels and employing self-assessments are useful when determining the appropriate level

and depth of training needed. It’s also important to understand the type of training most effective for the individual (classroom, online or virtual), and the technology available (hands-on with equipment, augmented or virtual reality) to identify the best fit. For example, with product hardwarefocused training, hands-on time with the equipment in a safe environment when the guidance of an experienced instructor is invaluable. Some abstract ideas may be difficult to envision, even with the equipment at your finger-tips.

For instance, gas flowing through an anesthesia breathing system. With the use of 3D simulation, VR and AR, students can visualize these concepts regardless of whether they are in front of the machine or miles away from the actual device.

ZION: Training should help you do your job better, be more efficient and stay up to date.

• Medical device categories – broad training including technology advances – do they have the training that I need?

• What, why and then how of the topic – is it comprehensive? Useful?

• On-demand training 24/7 – is it available on your schedule?

• Credibility of the trainer – can I trust the content and the trainer?

• When is face-to-face, hands-on, instructor-led training required?

Q: HOW OFTEN SHOULD BIOMEDS UPDATE THEIR TRAINING ON SPECIFIC TYPES OF MEDICAL EQUIPMENT? BASSUK: Biomeds must remain vigilant regarding their continuing education and professional development. Hardware and software updates, changes to safety or maintenance protocols and a host of other constantly evolving factors demand their attention. Avoiding a myopic view is important, biomed and HTM professionals need to look outward and see the changes before they are affected by them. This is not just a training issue, it is also about safety, liability and doing what is best for the clients they serve.

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

CLARKE: In my opinion, there is not a cut and dry answer to this question. Several points need to be considered when biomeds decide to update their training on specific types of equipment. How proficient/familiar is the biomed with the equipment? How often does the biomed service the equipment? Has the manufacturer made any upgrades or modifications to the equipment which the biomed is unaware of or needs training on? With that said, a refresher course on a piece of equipment that is seldom serviced is always a good idea.

Ben Duffield Magee Tri-Imaging Solutions

MAGEE: Clinical technology is continually and rapidly changing. I recommend that both biomeds and imaging service engineers attend as many schools as are available to them until up to speed with their current inventory. After obtaining the available knowledge for their specific inventory of equipment, I recommend perusing training on each new modality obtained by the health system to remain current in your knowledge base.

MAULL: It really depends on the type equipment we’re talking about, but to be honest, most of the time, it’s really not needed (or at least it shouldn’t be).

Has the equipment you were trained on a year or two or three ago changed? Is the documentation of your PM/Cal procedures you got sent home with so bad you need to go back to the company

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you got the training from to explain it to you again? So, unless the medical device in question has changed or been significantly updated, I would be leery of a training company that “requires” this.

It’s more of a money grab in my opinion.

SEARS: I don’t believe there is a set time frame in the ultrasound modality for training updates. The biggest influence on new training would be a significant change in a product. This would be a change that influences how you troubleshoot, not simply a product having some different parts or a simple update to software. However, if you are going to work on multiple manufacturers of ultrasound equipment then you should obtain training for each brand you expect to work on. While some general knowledge in ultrasound is applicable over the whole modality, each brand is a bit different and specific knowledge is necessary to be successful.

SWIGART: As medical devices become more applications-driven, the pace at which they change is accelerating. In past years, individuals were trained as needed, often based upon purchasing decisions. Today, learning is a continuum. Traditional classroom training with hands-on labs and equipment is still important, but it is only a starting point. Technologysupported training such as virtual and augmented reality and simulation platforms, combined with task-based videos, micro learning and remote learning forums will aid in maintaining and developing an engineer’s skills.

ZION: HTM professionals should update their training and knowledge whenever any of the following occur: • Innovations in medical devices • Changes in the standards • Monthly webinars to stay current • Online video how-to: whenever specific testing or actions haven’t been performed in a while Q: HOW DOES HTM TRAINING PROVIDE COST SAVINGS TO HEALTH CARE FACILITIES? BASSUK: A well-trained staff reduces the

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need to outsource, mitigates risk, ensures compliance and understands the need to work within a budget. HTM professionals are the lynchpin to this entire system, a bridge between multiple departments and people. Properly trained HTM professionals are the surest way to guarantee hospitals stay within their budgets.

CLARKE: By bringing equipment maintenance in-house, staff can quickly evaluate symptoms and crate an appropriate repair action. Elimination of lab downtime is paramount; for staff to quickly evaluate a unit’s failure and effect a repair plan will limit downtime and increase patient throughput and care.

Kyle Grozelle Summit Imaging

GROZELLE: Training is critical to lowering the total cost of ownership. By bringing service skills in house, engineers can quickly and effectively maintain and repair equipment without costly OEM service calls. Additionally, the lower impact to patient care and access to equipment will result in less rescheduling and missed diagnosis due to difficulties acquiring an image.

MAGEE: Health care facilities benefit not only from cost savings on the repair side but also an increase in patient throughput due to the decrease in downtime of the equipment on the clinical side. In-house service team

members with proper training and knowledge can provide immediate on-site service within minutes of the call versus outside vendor service which is offsite and requires time to arrive. Even with first call ability, the savings can be huge as the in-house engineer/technician is already on site when the equipment failure happens. Many problems are easily fixable and do not require parts; additionally, this eliminates the need to pay a costly service bill for simple fixes which are the majority of the service calls.

MAULL: Very simply it gives the hospital the ability to take the medical device off contract, and the savings can be significant; or it gives them the ability to go with a less-expensive contract (first look, repair only, etc.). It can also greatly reduce response and repair time.

SEARS: It might seem obvious that training will allow a facility to reduce cost when it comes to maintenance.

However, if your goals did not line up with your training, this could create a cost instead of a savings. An individual might be over or under trained and therefore not able to bring the expected savings back to the facility or have simply spent too much for extra unnecessary training. That being said, in most scenarios, proper training will lower (probably not eliminate) external labor costs for ultrasound service. One area specifically is that with system training the PMs will generally be done in house. For most facilities, this will pay for training by itself. Obviously, parts are still parts and training does not guarantee your parts costs will be less, but with proper training and experience, parts cost will come down over time.

SWIGART: When equipment is down it has an immediate impact on the hospital’s ability to care for patients. If that equipment happens to be a clinical network or life support device, it can have an immediate and direct impact on a patient. If engineers can troubleshoot the issue, due in part to training, over

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time they will likely end up ordering less parts and spending less time researching and issues may be resolved faster helping to decrease down time.

Education sessions can provide a mechanism for engineers to ask questions and share experiences with others outside of their immediate shop, which can help support service efficiencies.

maintain and operate the equipment.

Lectures have their place providing theory and updates, but with hands-on experience engineers can be confident when taking service in house.

ZION: Training makes HTM professionals more efficient in preventative and corrective maintenance on medical devices. Training helps reduce cost-of-ownership of medical devices and may improve availability of mission-critical medical devices.

Q: CAN YOU EXPLAIN THE BENEFIT OF HANDSON TRAINING COMPARED TO ATTENDING A LECTURE? BASSUK: The two concepts go together, without the theory and lecture it is difficult to fully comprehend the hands-on; especially with the rate of change in the health care industry.

Thanks to our many partners, we can deliver academic content consistent with the latest standards. Our use of 3D modeling and virtual reality training will revolutionize the way students are trained. Research indicates that retention is significantly higher when students experience hands-on training; therefore, students must also develop skills through practice in a real-world environment to be fully qualified. It is the combination of theory and practice that produces a BMET ready for the challenges they will likely face in the health care industry.

CLARKE: The best answer comes from Benjamin Franklin and a Chinese proverb – “Tell me and I’ll forget. Show me and I may remember. Involve me and I’ll understand.”

GROZELLE: Hands-on training is vital in today’s evolving medical imaging field.

Not only hands-on to understand the physical build of a system, but hands-on experience with the software used to

SEARS: A lecture is generally additive information. I do several lectures at facilities and conferences each year, and provide good, valuable information.

They generally cover one topic, such as transducer care. However, this is not hands-on training and often without the proper background or previous training a lecture will yield poor retention. Most engineers that I have trained over the last 17 years tell me they learn most by getting their hands on the equipment and turning screws. Multiple-day, hands-on immersion on a product is the kind of training that an HTM professionals need to be successful!

Ken Hable Tri-Imaging Solutions

HABLE: Hands-on training is always important as we work in a hands-on role. Lecture is important at the fundamental level, early in the professionals’ education. As their knowledgebase grows and their fundamental understanding of the concepts is established, hands-on training becomes far more valuable.

Laboratory time allows for actual repair/replacement opportunities and processes. This is the “real world” aspect of training where the program can introduce actual issues to provide troubleshooting opportunities followed by problem resolution procedures such as part replacement and calibration. The more advanced the training, the more hands-on time there should be committed to that training.

MAULL: When I was a kid and I wanted to learn how to throw a ball, I didn’t attend a lecture on how to throw a ball. I went out in the yard with my friends and I threw a ball. Learning how to work on medical equipment is not theoretical, it’s not like learning math. It’s a physical, hands-on endeavor. So, when you learn how to do it, you should do it “hands on.”

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

Mary Swigart GE Healthcare

SWIGART: Good training is always a balance between presenting and applying concepts. Coursework that is focused solely on hands-on time may miss important foundational concepts, while a lecture-only format might lose the attention of students. Scenario-based learning is a way to keep students engaged while demonstrating real-world concepts.

Once a class is familiar with a system, instructors can challenge them with troubleshooting scenarios, requiring them to consider the symptoms, apply the right tests using their service documentation and narrow down the problem until they find the root cause. Scenario-based learning does not necessarily require access to the actual equipment.

Augmented and virtual reality simulations can produce the same experience.

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ZION: Studies have shown that humans learn in three ways: visually, hearing, and hands-on. Combining hands-on with either or both of the other two ways and repeating/rehearsing the actions helps drive learning into long-term memory. When hands-on learning is provided in the form of specifically injected problems most often experienced in real life, the trainee develops problem solving skills while they have the help from instructors.

Bill Bassuk College of Biomedical Equipment Technology Q: HOW CAN HTM PROFESSIONALS PERSUADE EMPLOYERS TO PAY FOR TRAINING SESSIONS? BASSUK: Investing in the future includes investing in people. The greatest technology and software in the world are of little use to a hospital with an untrained or unqualified staff.

It is widely acknowledged that a massive exodus of BMET and HTM professionals is on the horizon. To address the shortfalls our industry will face in the next few years, we really have no choice but to invest in our employees. As a service company owner, I ask each of my employees to develop cost-savings proposals justifying product-specific training courses. Inevitably, I have found that training in-house is always less expensive than outsourcing.

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CLARKE: If an organization wants to keep the best and brightest of their employees, and provide the best services to their clients, then the organization needs to take it upon themselves to provide the continuing education for their employees.

Training that is mandated by law or court order will always be accomplished. Of that there is no doubt. But professional development for biomeds should be viewed as a win-win situation for the organization, the biomed and the client. A method that can be used for the benefit of the organization and the biomeds is a follow-up seminar. At the follow-up seminar, the biomeds would present to others what the “takeaways” from the training are.

GROZELLE: When considering training on a certain type of equipment, the cost of training is generally saved after 1-2 services compared with using an OEM, and with less down time. This means within 1 year you will notice a savings by bringing service in house.

You can also catch training classes during local biomedical conferences or MD Expo, being able to fit 2-3 different classes in a week reducing the time out of office.

HABLE: Demonstrate to the employer what you will be able to manage, repair and/or provide coverage of with the desired training. The facility is making an investment with training and there needs to be additional expansion of internal coverage and/or a reduction in external coverage of the related equipment. Another very important role training can fulfill is gaining the knowledge necessary to properly PM the equipment which is a primary focus of all governing and accrediting agencies.

MAULL: Tout the cost savings … and if you can work in the phrase “patient safety” that’s always a winner. Another item you can bring up is career progression; it looks good for a department when it has a hand in the

Steve Maull Maull Biomedical Training LLC

betterment and career advancement of its BMETs. It makes it a more desired place of employment.

SEARS: I’m probably starting to sound very redundant here, however I will return to my statement about setting the goal of training. HTM professionals need to create a plan as to what their responsibilities are with their manager or employer. One way to be sure an employer will restrict future training is to waste training dollars by not having specific goals for how that training will be utilized. With that being said, this is a two-way street, once an HTM professional has done their job and worked out the goals, it is up to their manger or employer to be sure that training is provided for or that type of work is not included in the HTM professional’s goals, until such training can be completed.

SWIGART: It’s important to first consider whether the training you want is applicable to your immediate role or part of your career progression. Next, have a candid conversation with your manager about why you feel this training is necessary and how it fits into your career plans. Do your homework and bring your results to this discussion.

This includes investing time in building a return on investment model to justify the training. Highlight the potential benefits of expanded equipment

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ROUNDTABLE to the instructor and get the details of how the class will run. Maybe you would like training taught by instructors in which training is all they do or maybe you prefer training taught by current field personnel who bring current real issues back into the training room. This is just one of many questions that you can ask the course instructor.

Much of that conversation will help you to pick the course or vendor that fits you best. In some cases, this might be a once in a career type of training, so make sure you are getting what you need!

coverage, reduced purchase service, the impact of increased equipment performance, and any additional variable cost productivity gains and potential overtime reductions. Finally, while you might prefer to travel to attend a one-week course, if it’s not in the budget there may be other options available, including virtual or online courses. It’s also worth asking if your manager can budget for training next quarter or next year to plan for it.

ZION: Funding training helps reduce cost of ownership of the medical devices for which the training is applicable.

• Return on investment – make the worker more efficient.

• Reduce worker error – replacing the right components/sub-assemblies without injecting additional problems; repair it right the first time.

• Increase employee retention (increases employee satisfaction).

Bruce Clarke Injector Support and Service

level that is understood by the attendees. Training at levels above or below the audience level will not be beneficial to any attendee and creates an environment in which the audience is lost to boredom or to their inability to comprehend the subject matter.

• The attendee and their willingness to learn. Attendees coming to a training session to “get out of the office” or because it is “mandated training” are lost before they walk in the door.

• The topic/subject of the training should have a direct application to the attendee or why they are attending the training in the first place.

Q: WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK TECHNATION READERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TRAINING OPPORTUNITIES? BASSUK: The renown educational theorist John Dewey predicted that the future of education would have greater respect for all sources of experience and suggested that the things that divide us should not be as important as the bigger issues that should unite us.

We are at a crossroads in education and training. The new educational model is a hybrid of sorts, emphasizing online training and resources, partnerships with industry, in-house training programs supported by educational institutions, as well as traditional brick and mortar schools. We need to think in terms of revolution, not evolution, and look for opportunities to make learning available when needed, to make it affordable and to ensure the highest possible standards.

CLARKE: Three main factors should be considered when it comes to training: • The presenter and their ability to know the subject and discuss it at a

MAULL: This is a career that has a never-ending need to get schooled on the new equipment because there is always new stuff coming out. Training is a win/ win; it elevates the BMETs knowledge and abilities and saves the hospital/ company money. As a BMET, you should want to get trained on as many different medical devices as you can handle. It only helps in your career trajectory.

SEARS: There are a numerous opportunities for training regardless of the modality. Your choice of a training vendor should be based on your expectations and the ability to meet your goals of training with that vendor.

Find a course that fits your goals, talk

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SWIGART: Health care technical training is rapidly changing. Hands-on classroom training can be beneficial, but it is also important that learning continues outside of the classroom, such as in a continuing education format through online courses, videos and remote learning forums.

Jerry Zion Fluke Biomedical

ZION: From the perspective of the trainee: training is a path to advancement because skills specific to the needs of the employer are obtained, therefore the employee becomes more valuable to the employer – the worker becomes more worthy of their hire. It is not just about preventative maintenance, it is about reducing cost of ownership of medical devices, improving patient safety and risk management.

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IMAGING ENGINEERS At Tri-Imaging Solutions, we strive to live up to our name and be a Solution for our Customers and ultimately, helping to Empower the EngineerTM

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BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

M

any clinical engineering and biomedical engineering departments have already changed their name to “healthcare technology management” because it describes the mission; to manage health care technology.

It is the “technology” component that has most evolved for biomeds, with networks, firewalls, anti-malware and high-definition monitors commonplace.

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The connotation that most people associate with technology today is anything high-tech; smartphones, smart home devices, netbook computers, smartwatches and home networks, to name a few.

It boils down to processing power, storage, the cloud, screen resolution,

biometrics and encryption technology.

Modern technology has changed the home, the workplace and social interaction. It impacts purchasing, reviewing, communicating and creating.

In the health care environment, whether hospital, clinic or physician’s

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

office, technology now stores patient medical records, facilitates wireless admittance and helps monitor patients.

It also extends to the home, where telemedicine, apps and vitalsmonitoring devices allow for remote medicine between patient and physician. Robotic prosthetic and

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exoskeleton limbs and computercontrolled wheelchairs can offer patients new mobility.

The advent of new 5G technology can turn 2D MRI images into 3D holographic renderings and allow surgeons an immersive experience that wasn’t available to the same degree before. Although virtual reality technology has been in use for years, it is now being more refined for health care with near real-time connectivity and no “lag.”

This technology also has application in telemedicine, where the ability for an immersive collaboration between the physician and the patient can be achieved through augmented reality tools in near real-time exchanges.

Technology in health care is following the trends. Sure, there are delivery robots, surgical robots and sterilization robots in hospitals across the country, but there are also innovations that recognize the move toward more home health care. What used to be simple telemedicine will continue to be a source for new products that let physicians monitor patients while they are at home instead of in the hospital. Devices and apps are being developed all of the time to this end.

One area of home health care that is still in the early research stages is the application of assistive technology robots that can help individuals with profound motor impairments. These humanoid robots could assist with feeding and other routine personal tasks. Through the use of standard assistive computer access technologies, the individual with the impairment could control the robot in the same way they might control a computer.

“I believe a lot of the new technology will take us away from traditional in-house (in-hospital) support of medical equipment and into the homes of patients. You can already take your EKG, pulse-ox, glucose level, etcetera, from your smartphone. We may have to support these devices in the near future,” says David W. Braeutigam, president of Braeutigam Enterprises LLC in Arlington, Texas.

Braeutigam is speaking of biomed’s role in the servicing of remote home-based

medical equipment, that is a trend that parallels the aging of baby boomers.

The tech giants are getting into the health care space. They are finding ways to apply their areas of expertise to modernizing health care and launching high-tech innovations to advance the next wave of innovative products.

Virtual reality (VR) and mixed reality (MR) applications allow medical students to learn to treat patients and surgeons to learn complex procedures. It is also used to train engineers to repair diagnostic imaging equipment.

Artificial intelligence (AI) can assist medical diagnosis and help doctors identify pathology on diagnostic scans. Using AI, big data can be parsed and information can be interpreted much faster.

ROBOTS IN HEALTH CARE Robots are becoming a more common presence in hospitals. From routine, monotonous deliveries to delicate surgery, robots have staked out a role in the modern health care setting.

Delivery robots can allow nurses to focus on more important tasks. Some of the early iterations of these helper robots can carry heavy weight, deliver medicines, documents and other things necessary for hospital staff. They can eliminate a substantial amount of walking for nurses and other staff also. With built-in GPS, they can navigate the hallways and wings of hospitals without running over anyone’s feet.

These delivery robots offer mobility and have to think about their route, while sterilization robots are less sophisticated and the surgical robots aren’t actually robots but robotic systems, controlled by the surgeon, offering greater acuity.

Robots, of all kinds and purposes, need a brain; right? Depending on the application, a robot needs to think things through and make smart decisions. Just like a computer or a smartphone, the robot depends on an operating system. While robots can employ AI, the argument is that they lack common sense. The basis for AI is a principle called “deep learning” which is based on the original theory of

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backpropagation. This is now a 30-yearold approach. What engineers would like to do now is give the robot common sense.

With common sense, a robot’s usefulness in a hospital or other setting is improved.

Not only are scientists and engineers concerned about imbuing robots with common sense, they are also working on creating robots that can build a strong relationship with patients going through rehabilitation. The scientists want patients to be able to trust the robot and to feel that the robot shares the same goals.

To this end, those developing socially assistive robots (SARs), are considering philosophical and developmental

SURGICAL AND STERILIZATION ROBOTS Robotic surgery is not new, but it has become more commonplace and accepted among surgeons. The best known surgical robotic system is the da Vinci Surgical System, which has gained wide acceptance as greater numbers of surgeons have been trained to use it. It is used for minimally invasive surgical procedures.

The newer da Vinci system, introduced in 2018, allows for more precise surgeries in the abdomen area and chest because the arms are smaller in diameter. The new system also includes a high-definition camera and the arms can work with instruments that are easily changed. With a price tag of about $2 million, the

“ I believe a lot of the new technology will take us away from traditional in-house (in-hospital) support of medical equipment and into the homes of patients. You can already take your EKG, pulseox, glucose level, etcetera, from your smartphone.

We may have to support these devices in the near future,” – David W. Braeutigam psychology in the process of improving these devices. The robot must be able to recognize the frustration felt by a patient with compromised language abilities, for instance, from a stroke.

In some sectors, robots that help humans are termed “cobots.” Cobots are segmented into four types of job assignments that include: repetitive, dirty, dangerous and difficult. These tasks could be in construction or demolition, farming, surgery or in military defense. Many of these cobots handle jobs where human employees are scarce or where there are aging populations.

The price of robots has decreased over time as the cost of human labor has increased. Many robots and cobots will replace humans in tasks that the robot is well-suited for.

dissemination of these robots is still limited to a degree.

Because many of the leased robots come with their own service contracts, HTM does not yet play much of a role in the servicing of this equipment. As the masters of all things electronic and mechanical, that could gradually change in the future.

The sterilization robots have become an accepted method for killing harmful pathogens that may escape traditional cleaning techniques in patient rooms.

Healthcare-associated infections (HAIs) impact thousands of patients each year.

Deadly, drug-resistant yeast strains like C. auris can cause serious illness or death.

Germ-killing robots, such as the XENEX units, use a pulsed Xenon lamp to generate ultraviolet light that can destroy pathogens.

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

Most biomeds do not work on these robots, but some have.

“I attended the XENEX training on the disinfection robots back in 2015. These devices were always needing the same PM parts like bulbs and the occasional parts like power supplies and lift motor sensors.

These were easy devices to work on.

XENEX was my only experience with this type of UV disinfection technology,” says Vincent Sumarkoff, BMET II, technology management department at Banner Casa Grande Medical Center.

Disinfection robots can help reduce infection rates, which helps with Medicare reimbursements.

“Let’s not forget that a BMET or CE services equipment for the OEM also. So, an in-house department may not be supporting it but it is being performed by an HTM professional,” Braeutigam says.

One benefit for biomeds is that most robots do not have to store or memorize patient protected health information, so this is one less cybersecurity consideration if, and when, they are serviced in-house.

CREATING WITH 3D Even in this day of high technology, when nothing is unexpected, the concept of 3D printing still seems futuristic. The technology has come a long way since its first use in 1983, from the rare demonstration to consumer grade units.

The technology is catching on in every sector with the 3D printing industry growing by 35.2 percent in 2014 alone.

Will the units ever find widespread use and acceptance in the HTM department?

“So as for 3D printing, or additive manufacturing, yes, HTM plays a larger part in that industry for health care. Not just for the repair and maintenance of the units at larger research hospitals, but we – biomeds – are a perfect type of human to have one of the units in the shop for creative problem solving. By nature, biomeds are looking for ways to innovate and save either time, money or both to support patient care. We have an experimental unit in our department that we have done quite a lot with. From designing and prototyping X-ray sensor

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Robots, 3D Printers, & More Article Contributors

David W. Braeutigam, president of Braeutigam Enterprises LLC in Arlington, Texas

Vincent Sumarkoff, BMET II, technology management department at Banner Casa Grande Medical Center

Chris Bryant, CBET, imaging service specialist at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in Illinois 60

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positioning tools to repairing our shop fridge shelf bracket,” says Chris Bryant, CBET, an imaging service specialist at the Captain James A. Lovell Federal Health Care Center in Illinois.

Bryant says that it is really impressive to see what happens when you couple creative ideas and the means to make them a reality.

“Some departments are looking to build replacement parts for smaller pieces of equipment. I heard a story about how one company is charging a silly amount to repair an MRI coil because of plastic wire guide. Think of what could happen if we could print out an FDA-approved piece in house and put the item back into service the same day,” Bryant says.

“Not only is it good for the hospital in financial savings; think of the energy and resources spent to ship the coil, build and warehouse the repair parts, heat and cool the repair facility, what long-range environmental impact would we gain by having build-on-demand capabilities,” he adds.

As Bryant mentions, the printed replacement part would have to be FDA-approved or else the approach would present liability issues.

Not only could the technology help with the construction of an approved part, but there are other applications. Using 3D printing technology, customized health products can be created that are tailor-

made to a particular patient. These can include prosthetics and implants.

Using stem cells, instead of plastic or metal powders, a new science is emerging for 3D bioprinting that could build tiny organs, or “organoids,” which could grow into a liver or kidney inside of a sick patient.

A related technology is also being developed that uses human plasma and materials taken from skin biopsies, that can print human skin for burn victims.

This 3D-printed skin can be created at the rate of about 100 square centimeters in a half hour.

Airway splints, made with 3D printing, can be created for babies at very low cost and can treat a condition called tracheobronchomalacia. This causes the airways around the lungs to collapse.

The splints can be designed to grow with the patient.

While technology will continue to be more pervasive throughout our culture, its many applications in the medical field will help improve patient outcomes. The opportunities, for those skilled in mechanics and electronics, to be hands-on with this new technology is something that will grow incrementally.

The HTM department has the perfect skill set to adopt and utilize many of these devices while providing service and repair as well.

It’s only a matter of time.

“Biomeds are a perfect type of human to have one of the [3D printing] units in the shop for creative problem solving. By nature, biomeds are looking for ways to innovate and save either time, money or both to support patient care. We have an experimental unit in our department that we have done quite a lot with. From designing and prototyping X-ray sensor positioning tools to repairing our shop fridge shelf bracket,” – Chris Bryant WWW.1TECHNATION.COM

EXPERT ADVICE

CAREER CENTER How to Handle When your Boss Takes Credit for your Work

BY KATHLEEN FURORE

I

recently read about a survey from BambooHR that asked employees what they consider unacceptable boss behaviors. I was surprised that it wasn’t something like “my boss overloads me with work” or “my boss constantly criticizes what I do.”

Instead, 63 percent of respondents said “taking credit for their work” is the worst behavior a boss can have. In fact, many respondents said they would consider quitting if that happened to them. So that made me wonder: What is the best way for an employee to handle a situation in which your boss is taking credit for your work?

First things first, says Denise Riebman, a career development specialist at CareerHappinessCoaching. com, “When a boss takes credit, the first thing an employee needs to do is to take a step back, breathe and reflect. In most cases, an initial ‘in the moment’ reaction will likely not be the best response, as these situations can trigger feelings of competency, control and contribution threats,” Riebman says.

“This relates to our biological wiring for survival – but as we no longer live in fear of being eat by a saber tooth tiger, we need to not equate our boss as that tiger ready to destroy us! When we feel threatened at work, by pausing, we will be able to respond in a way that is more measured, objective and appropriate.”

That doesn’t mean the best approach is to just sit back and do nothing. To figure out how far to take it, Riebman says to determine if it is a one-time

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situation or a habit.

“If it’s a singular occurrence, is there a surrounding circumstance that could have caused the boss to take credit?”

Riebman says. Maybe the boss didn’t fully know what the employee had done or was rushed and misspoke.

“Depending on the circumstances, is this one-time situation worth the cost to speak up?”

If it’s an ongoing behavior, try to figure out if there is a pattern for when this happens, then pick an optimal time to speak with your boss. “What are your boss’s triggers/insecurity points so you can address the problem without escalating it to a point of contention?”

Riebman says. “In either situation, does your boss need to rectify this error publicly? If so, what would be the optimal way to have this happen that allows them to maintain their leadership and you to get credit?”

Laura Handrick, careers and workplace analyst at FitSmallBusiness. com, believes there are a few ways to tackle the problem. One of the most important things is to make sure you document your accomplishments so there is no doubt about who should get credit.

“The best way to keep track of your own work accomplishments is to document what you did and date everything. You can use this information during your performance review to remind your manager of your major project achievements so you receive credit from them when it matters – during your annual review or when asking for a raise or promotion,”

Kathleen Furore Handrick stresses. “Your manager may not give you public credit at the time – for selfish reasons, political brownie points, or because they are absentminded – but nonetheless, you need to keep track of every initiative you’ve accomplished.”

That’s not only a good way to avoid someone else taking credit for your work, but also a way to make sure your accomplishments are known if your boss leaves the organization.

“You’ll have documentation to share with their boss or your new manager on the great work you did,” Handrick notes.

Of course there are also lighter ways to deal with the issue.

One is to “just smile and let it go,” Handrick says.

“Your number one job in any organization is to contribute to the organization’s bottom line and to support its goals. For that, you are paid a wage and often receive benefits. There’s nothing in your job description that states that you’ll receive accolades for the good work you do,” Handrick says.

“Of course, a good manager will give you credit and make a point of acknowledging major contributions. But even good managers may take credit for

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work done by their team saying: ‘I did this or that,’ when they meant to say or should have said, ‘My team accomplished this or that.’ ” The other option: “Joke about it,” Handrick says. “If you dare bring up the fact publicly that your manager took credit for your work, you risk being seen as a whiner, while your manager will be embarrassed, and likely angry too. What good is that to you? Therefore, the only real way to make a public statement – and I advise you tread lightly here – is to joke about it.

That obviously depends a great deal on your relationship with your boss and his or her overall personality; but it’s an option if it is in your comfort zone.

“For example, let’s say you made a major sale that your manager claimed as his own in a team meeting,” Handrick says. “You might chime in and say, ‘Surely you meant to say ‘we,’ not I?’ with a big grin.”

Ultimately, it’s important to step back to get the bigger picture before acting.

“By remembering that your boss is not a saber tooth tiger, but rather a person living the same ‘work tribe,’ “ Riebman says, “employees can determine when and how to speak up in a way that contributes to long-term career happiness.”

DOCTORS Equipment Repair

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CHANGES NEEDED KATHLEEN FURORE is a Chicago-based writer and editor who has covered personal finance and other business-related topics for a variety of trade and consumer publications. You can email her your career questions at kfurore@yahoo.com.

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20/20 IMAGING INSIGHTS End of Life Is Not All Bad in Radiography

BY BILL KOLLITZ

A

t some point in our careers, we all get one of “those” letters.

The ones that strike deep, like a “Dear John” telling us that our trusted supplier for radiography equipment will no longer be supporting our existing systems. Telling us that our equipment is at the end of its life and we will need to find another supplier to support and maintain our systems.

While these letters might not produce tears like a true “Dear John,” they can wreak almost as much emotional havoc, as well as financial. With some original equipment manufacturers (OEMs) discontinuing the support for their computerized radiography (CR) systems and related hardware, we now have to find the money to upgrade to new and more expensive technology. And, for many of us, the money and resources are just not there.

The leading question for all of us when this happens should be “Are there options and ways to maintain the status quo?” Instead of the more stressful question, “Where are we going to find the money to upgrade before time runs out?”

At Innovatus Imaging, we focus on answering the first question, “What are the options and how can imaging facilities maintain quality care for patients without immediately upgrading?”

When facing end of life issues with your radiography equipment, here are

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some things to consider: 1. What options are there for supporting your existing equipment?

2. How long will these options last?

3. What is the cost of waiting vs. upgrading to full DR now?

OPTIONS There are fantastic options for end of life support and many of these options are not going away anytime soon. Even though the OEMs are not supporting past generations of their CR systems, there are third-parties that do. Weigh the cost of their support services against the cost of upgrading. Chances are you will find it is much more cost effective to stay the course with what you have until you know precisely what you will need 12 or 24 months down the road.

SUSTAINABILITY Before you choose an end of life (EOL) supplier, ask how long they intend to provide EOL support. Is there a longterm commitment from leadership? Are they phasing out too? A key question to ask is how many current clients they have for these legacy systems. If you will be one of a few for a given provider, they might be a risky choice. If they have a lot of customers, the risk of them phasing out support and leaving you alone yet again is much more slim.

COSTS Holding out on an upgrade may pay off.

Bill Kollitz Innovatus Imaging

We have seen DR upgrade and retrofit prices drop considerably in just the last 12 to 18 months. So, if you can sustain your equipment with EOL maintenance and service for 12 months, or even 24 months, your chances of upgrading to DR at costs far less than those paid by the early adopters will continue to grow.

No matter where you are with your CR systems and hardware, and how you secure EOL support, keep in mind you do have choices. You have time, you have options, and you can save money by slowing down the pressure to change and developing a plan that works for your clinicians, your facility, and you!

BILL KOLLITZ has been in the imaging device industry for more than 20 years, serving in product management for Glaxo Smith Kline, General Manager for Bayer MultiVendor Service and most recently as President/COO of Innovatus Imaging. He currently oversees all radiography and MRI maintenance and repair services for the Innovatus Imaging Center of Excellence in Pittsburgh, PA. More information about Innovatus Imaging can be found at innovatusimaging.com or by calling 844-687-5100.

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CYBERSECURITY New Era for HTM Professionals

BY JOSEPH E. FISHEL, CBET, MBA

P

reparing for the future will take planning and decisions on the direction you want to take. There are things you can do to monitor your medical devices as well. How do you know when things change on the network? Do you get notified when a new device is introduced to the network?

Can you monitor what is going on and what and where your vulnerabilities are? If a device is DHCP and the IP address changes are you able to be notified of the new IP address? Will this be an automated process? These are all important questions that need to be considered.

In talking with several HTM managers recently at the MD Expo and AAMI Exchange I found out that networked devices, on the average, make up about 10% of the HTM inventory. Yet, they are using 50% of the labor to address cyber Issues. We are being pushed to do more with less and cybersecurity tasks aren’t covered by normal original equipment manufacturer (OEM) and third-party contracts. We need new tools that work for us. We are moving into a new era that is changing what we do and how we do it.

If you had the opportunity to attend recent HTM tradeshows you would have seen some new vendors in the exhibit halls. They have a new approach to monitoring a network. They use 80 to 115 different points that they monitor or look at. Artificial intelligence (AI) is able to look at a device and from its

MAC address, VLAN and the devices it is talking to it is able to determine what it is and what vulnerabilities it brings to the network.

Asimily, HMatix, Medigate, ORDR, Symantec, ZingBox, are some of the new companies coming to the HTM community to assist in identifing what is happening on our networks. They have products that can analyze data as well as identify and classify all connected devices and systems and provide detailed device and system answers regarding risks and vulnerabilities. In addition, when linked with a CMMS system, they can update fields such as IP addresses for devices with DHCP. Some programs can also help locate devices in a hospital – if linked to an RTLS system.

Being able to identify what is on the network, identify when a new device comes on, identifying vulnerabilities and, with some products, apply controls to the device and manage what it can or can’t talk to is helpful. Being able to look at when devices are transmitting, what they are transmitting with transmission times can also assist in other areas of the HTM world to help identify usage.

The acronym IoT (for Internet of Things) is being used more in the HTM world. IoT can best be described as a system of interrelated computing devices, mechanical or digital machines and the ability to transfer data over a network. When we look at medical devices that are connected to a network it is for information gathering or the redistribution of data. An example

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

Joseph E. Fishel, CBET, MBA HTM Manager for Sutter Health eQuip Services would be imaging devices and PACS. The images go from the imaging device to PACs and then to a workstation where they are read. In the process, prior exams may be sent to the workstation for comparison. We need to be able to see what is talking to what and what should or shouldn’t be talking and have the ability to control the communication.

I would suggest that you talk to the various vendors to see how they work and how they could integrate into your program. Not every tool is the right one for every issue. Find the one that fits your application. Talking to your peers on what they are choosing and why they chose it can also be of assistance when making a decision. I would also include the IS/IT department as they may have questions that you haven’t thought to ask. Also, examine how easily products can be expanded in case your facility decides to expand.

JOSEPH E. FISHEL, CBET, MBA, is the Healthcare Technology Systems Manager with Sutter Health eQuip Services.

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EXPERT ADVICE

SPONSORED BY:

HOW HANDS-ON TRAINING IS OVERLOOKED

BY ABDUL ALSAADI

T

he medical equipment industry is growing rapidly in regard to the enhancement of devices and/or in the design of imaging and biomedical equipment. The engineer responsible for servicing equipment should be trained to perform preventative and corrective maintenance, however, training by itself is not sufficient.

Knowledge and hands-on experience plays a vital role in maintaining and sustaining equipment. Hospitals have to be aware of this when purchasing equipment. A manufacturer that requires factory-trained staff to work or maintain medical equipment can cause delays in repairs, increase costs via rentals and risk patient safety due to down time and a lack of equipment.

Hospitals have a variety of equipment, ranging from old to new machines, which facilitate their operations. Older equipment is becoming a challenge to maintain, knowing that parts are difficult to source, and finding an engineer with hands-on experience is even tougher. The hospitals are overlooking the “years of experience’’ of an engineer working on equipment versus training from companies. Health care facilities need to understand the importance of experience, which will entice them into developing training programs to ensure talent. I always stress that no one can buy experience, it is acquired over many years of troubleshooting and taking equipment

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apart which makes him/her a pioneer.

Training is great, it enlightens the engineer with an understanding of how the device works and the steps to perform the preventative maintenance.

However, these skills can easily be obtained through years of hands-on experience from similar modalities and understanding the functionality of the equipment.

Education is another part that is somehow overlooked. Usually, biomeds and engineers go to school to get degrees in electronics and electrical engineering which educates them with a fundamental understanding. This practice ensures that technicians have the requisite and basic knowledge on all concepts related to electronics and medical equipment, which is essential to preventing the risk of failure. This insight is taught with both theory and practical labs which introduce the student to several modalities of equipment used in a hospital.

The number of modalities in medical equipment is an uncountable considering all the makes, models and different versions that come out. To have a tech or an engineer be certified on all of them in nearly impossible. The subject that has been rising is whether a tech should work on equipment if he/she is not certified by an OEM. There is a very simple answer. There is not a tech on this planet that is certified on all equipment, it’s just not possible.

Hospitals should understand that if a

Abdul Alsaadi, PH.D CEO of Medzon

tech does not have factory training on a certain piece of equipment, this doesn’t mean he didn’t work on it before or can’t work on it. In addition, there are some manufacturers that won’t train third-party companies or individuals on their equipment if they’re not employed by them. However, some experienced companies will provide the training and tools to repair and maintain that piece of equipment without specified OEM training through a train-the-trainer approach.

In conclusion, training without having the fundamentals in electronics or hands-on experience is like having a car with no engine. Training by itself is not enough to work as a tech or an engineer in the medical equipment space, education is also an important tool in this process. In addition to training, basic knowledge of medical equipment as well as experience is important for one to be an engineer who works on medical equipment.

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THE FUTURE

Getting More OEMs Onboard

BY ROGER A. BOWLES, MS, EDD, CBET

S

ummer enrollment is up with 110 students and fall 2019 is looking very promising. Like most programs, we still struggle with budget.

We rely heavily on donation of equipment from hospitals and independent service organizations. Our alumni help out tremendously in this regard. Like most programs, we wish we had more support from medical equipment manufacturers.

Over the past 22 years, I can only remember a couple of occasions where manufacturers donated equipment to our program despite reaching out and asking on multiple occasions. Plus, we do regularly place students with OEMs as field service representatives and this is increasing. We are extremely grateful for the couple that have supported us in the past.

I am not a tax attorney, but I was under the impression that equipment donations to public colleges that do not operate for profit are tax deductible.

Perhaps we are approaching them in the wrong way. We have approached a couple of the major OEMs with partnership ideas, but usually we run into a problem with “policy” … theirs, not ours.

About three years ago, the state infused some money into our program with which we judiciously spent on newer equipment in several categories.

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We mainly looked to replace equipment that was so obsolete or unusable that it was no longer of value to our program.

We tried to pick newer equipment that was valuable for teaching several methodologies or technologies.

Without getting too specific, one of the purchases was three pieces of the same equipment from one manufacturer. The equipment has served us well, but we has a slight problem with one of the units after about a year of use. We have an account with this OEM. We looked the part up on their website and ordered it. About a month later, after receiving and installing the part, the manufacturer called us and informed us that the price was wrong on their website and we needed to send them a check for $2,000 or send the part back. After explaining the best I could about our situation, and that I was sorry that they had originally mispriced their own product on their own webpage, they refused to budge. We were disappointed that a major manufacturer would display this type of poor customer service. I asked them what would happen if I called students that graduated two months ago and explained to them that the price for tuition they paid for their degree was incorrect and that they would have to send a $2,000 check to make up the difference or send back their degree. They did not see the relevance of my example. Obviously, I

Roger A. Bowles MS, EdD, CBET

will not call them out by name in this article, but the students certainly know about it.

It is my hope, and probably that of many others, that OEMs will join forces with colleges that offer HTM programs to increase the number of quality graduates in the future by occasionally donating demo or trade-in equipment.

At the very least, they could cut us a break on pricing of parts (especially when they have the wrong part listed on their website).

Ending on a positive note, the biomedical equipment technology program at Texas State Technical College was recently recognized by Texas Governor Greg Abbott for excellence in 2019. We are proud to be have one of the finest teams in Texas!

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THE OTHER SIDE Donating your Unwanted Medical Equipment

BY JIM FEDELE

I

find it astonishing that even with my best efforts to sell and trade used medical equipment, I always seem to have a storage problem. No matter how hard I try to get rid of our old equipment, there always seem to be more.

I swear sometimes our storage areas hold secret powers that multiply old equipment every time I am not looking.

I can’t imagine what my colleagues must be faced with that don’t put the same effort in to this that I do. So, what does one do after all options to sell or trade used medical equipment have been exhausted? What do you do with what is left? Donation is a viable option.

I know what it feels like to take the time to put together a list of equipment to send out for bid. Painstakingly looking and listing every model, manufacturer, serial number and software revision into a nice spreadsheet and sending it off to equipment resellers is a huge task. The reality is that I will only get offers on a very small portion of the list. It is a very deflating experience to spend so much time for so little return.

Most of the regular resellers I use take all my equipment, they know that I just need to get rid of it, but sometimes it is hard for me to let good equipment go that is just going to be scrapped. It is especially hard knowing that there are countries and people that would take anything that was in good working order.

Donating your unwanted “invaluable” equipment can be a very rewarding experience. I find it to be a win-win for all parties involved.

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However, there are many things that must be considered before donating equipment. I always try to ensure the equipment is in good working order before sending it away. But my good friend Dana Smith at KMA helped me realize that there are many more items to consider before donating equipment.

As he puts it, “The road to hell is paved with good intentions.” His discussion with me helped me realize that as Americans we do not automatically consider that basic services like electricity, water and shelter may not be reliable or even exist in other countries. Also, technical expertise my not be readily available for the installation of devices. Here is a list of bullet points one should consider before donating equipment.

• Electric plugs need to be the correct configuration for the country and area they will be used in.

• Higher end technology requires clinical users who are educated on it, biomedical engineering techs who can repair it, a parts source when repairs are needed, and ancillary staff and disposables, if needed, to use in conjunction with it.

• Many overseas entities use a language other than English.

Therefore, repair and user manuals need to be, not only available, but available in the correct language.

• There are often regulations when shipping to other countries. For instance, only certain wood can come into certain countries, if you plan on using a wooden crate to ship the device, you need to be aware of what wood to use because the wrong

Jim Fedele, CBET Senior Program Director, UPMC and BioTronics

material could cause your oceangoing container to be rejected.

• Equipment may only be allowed to be a certain number of years old.

• Certain manufacturers may be banned in that country. If you are shipping disposables/consumables, they must be within a certain expiration date to be allowed into the country.

• Paperwork to get through customs can be daunting and even if done with 100% accuracy there may need to be “incentives” to complete your task.

• If you are sending a technical piece and it needs to be installed … who will install? Who will prep the site with power and have the correct room size, etc.?

• Some equipment does not work well in all environments (hot, humid) that it could be sent to. Knowing what makes and models can handle the environment is important.

• Routine maintenance and upkeep are not at the same standards as in the U.S. therefore knowing which equipment can stand up to poor

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maintenance and still function is important.

• Many times, the equipment is too large for the needs of the entity…perhaps their people are smaller therefore the rooms/areas where the equipment is to be used is too small for U.S. equipment or maybe the equipment needs to be portable because it will serve several areas and must be moved from one to the other.

• Some equipment, like lab equipment, requires reagents, etc. Are they available?

As you can see there are many factors to consider before donating equipment.

However, please do not let these considerations keep you from donating equipment. You just need to be aware of these issues and plan accordingly. If you are not willing to go through the hassle, there are organizations out there that specialize in collecting equipment for donation. A quick Google search will reveal many options for the time-constrained biomed.

I have purposely not suggested any benefit from tax breaks for donating equipment. To be done correctly so you do not end up in jail, one needs to ensure equipment has been accurately appraised by a licensed appraiser.

In the end, donating equipment is another option for biomeds to clean out their storage area. As long as one evaluates the equipment before donation and considers the environment, shipping, service, usage and complexity you can feel good that you are helping others.

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



EXPERT ADVICE

ROMAN REVIEW Niksen

BY MANNY ROMAN, CRES

I

sometimes wander around the web not looking for anything in particular.

I do this just to do nothing important.

I also will just sit and stare at the hummingbirds as they seek to dominate the air space around the feeder. These are exercises in mindless divergence from my normally exhaustive daily activities.

OK, I admit that the Internet, poker and birds take up a great deal of my daily wanderings.

As I meandered around the Internet, I came upon the Dutch concept of “Niksen.” Niksen is the art of doing nothing. As I read the articles I became very aware that I myself practice Niksen often and that I am exceptional at it.

Niksen is a conscious application of time and energy toward doing nothing important. This does not mean being lazy. It means taking time to let the mind go wherever it wants away from the normal hustle and bustle.

Niksen is good. Allowing the mind to be uncontrolled and unfocused may actually improve problem-solving. In my many years of being alive, I have found that sometimes you have to remove the focus from a problem in order for the mind to solve it.

I am talking about a problem. Many business people prefer to change the focus by calling a problem an opportunity. I propose that the actions required for solving a problem are

different from those required to take advantage of an opportunity. A problem requires a search for the inherent cause so that it can be eliminated and thus prevent future occurrences: A backward-looking approach. The opportunity requires a forward-looking approach to best benefit from it.

In Niksen, the mind searches for its own means of stimulation. It will jump around as if in a dream, a daydream, of physical inactivity. This is when creativity happens. Interestingly, to me anyway, often the issues that get solved while in Niksen are not those that are at the forefront of the mind. Sometimes, we are not really aware that there was an issue that needed solving. Niksen will take care of that.

We are always told to manage time wisely in order to be productive. If we are not working toward a goal we are just wasting time. We must generate a to-do-list, preferably before we quit work for the day, so that in the morning we are ready for action. Either you are growing or you are dying. A vision without a task is daydreaming. A task without a vision is drudgery. Blah, blah, blah.

We all know that guy who is always “On.” Always looking for that edge.

Pursuing that additional dollar. The will never have enough guy. Most of us admire his commitment, energy and drive. I wonder if in private he practices Niksen. If not, I would expect that he

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

Manny Roman, CRES AMSP Business Operation Manager

would someday explode all over that clean inbox on his uncluttered desk.

So my advice to you is to Niksen often. It doesn’t need to be for an extended period of time. However, allow enough time and inactivity for the true benefits to be generated. Doing nothing important for a while will relax the mind and body. It will allow you to form an appreciation for being alive and help discover a quiet happiness. Niksen for a while and reap the rewards.

I am now going to grab a glass of scotch and a cigar and go into Niksen for a couple of hours. “A couple of hours!” you say. Often while in a peaceful Niksen daydream, I slide into a real dream. I don’t wake up until my lovely wife, Ruth, shakes me to see if I am still alive.

AUGUST 2019

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Simple ‘ruler’ detects a newborn in trouble Up to 80% of newborns have jaundice, which can be life-threatening if it becomes severe, but infants in lowand middle-income countries are often not diagnosed early enough. A new color “ruler” can help.

1 Ruler is

pressed gently against skin of nose or heel

Neonatal hyperbilirubinemia (Newborn jaundice) Red blood cells break down, ... releasing yellow bilirubin into bloodstream Newborn’s liver cannot remove it fast enough ... and skin and whites of eyes turn yellowish Treated by exposing infant to blue fluorescent light, breaks down bilirubin

2 Skin becomes pale as blood is pressed away

3 Person giving test estimates which of ruler’s colors matches skin best

If the test shows the infant’s skin color matches children with jaundice, the child is given further optical or blood tests and may be sent for treatment Testing skIn on infant’s heel or palm Source: Brigham and Women's Hospital (Boston); Katherine C. Cohen, Boston Children's Hospital Graphic: Helen Lee McComas, Tribune News Service

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BREAKROOM

SCRAPBOOK AAMI Exchange 2019

A

AMI unveiled its revamped annual conference and expo, now called the AAMI Exchange, earlier this June in Cleveland. The event drew more than a thousand professionals working in health technology and sterilization. The conference came at a time when healthcare delivery organizations are under increasing pressure to rein in costs, master increasingly complex and interconnected systems and medical devices, and bolster patient safety and privacy. Medical device manufacturers, meanwhile, find themselves competing on a rapidly changing global landscape with new rules and regulations.

“This event is all about the exchange of solutions and ideas among colleagues in health technology,” said Robert Jensen, president and CEO of AAMI. “We’ve created a dynamic and

innovative space in which professionals can come together to learn from – and challenge – one another, helping their own careers and helping to shape the future of the field.”

Highlights of the Exchange included: • More than 80 education sessions over four days • The Internet of Things (IoT) Xperience.

• A new Virtual Reality/Augmented Reality theater.

• A workshop on how HTM professionals can use alternative equipment maintenance (AEM) programs.

• An Expo Hall featuring more than 160 leading medical device companies and service providers.

• Networking opportunities over meals, celebrations, and receptions.

3. AAMI President and CEO Rob Jensen, left, listens as Toby Cosgrove, MD, addresses the audience during a Main Stage presentation at the AAMI Exchange. Cosgrove said that HTM professionals have a crucial role to play in helping their organizations make the best use of the increasing amounts of data being collected in healthcare.

1. The Expo drew close to 200 exhibitors who displayed the latest products and services in health technology.

2. The TechNation Reader VIP Party, sponsored by RSTI, was a hit with attendees.

4. Heather Fields won a drone in the MedWrench Scavenger Hunt. The drove was donated by TechNation magazine and was one of many great prizes given away.

5. The 626 Holdings LLC team is seen at their booth in the exhibit hall.

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BREAKROOM

6. The Internet of Things (IoT) Xperience was a hit at the AAMI Exchange.

7. MD Publishing Vice President Kristin Leavoy, Kathy Speth and MD Publishing President and Founder John Krieg catch up at the TechNation Reader VIP Party.

8. An AAMI Exchange attendee enjoys some new technology on the Expo floor. Virtual reality and artificial intelligence demonstrations were popular with the crowd.

11. The MedWrench Scavenger Hunt drew a huge crowd in the exhibit hall.

12. The AAMI Exchange drew a large crowd of young professionals and students who learned about new opportunities in the health technology field.

7

13. Capital Medical Resources showcased surgical equipment solutions at the annual conference.

14. The AAMI Exchange brought together HTM professionals, educators, students and companies.

9

9. Jenifer Brown and Steve Cannon network.

10. The MMS booth was ready to meet attendees.

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BREAKROOM

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RepairMED

www.repairmed.net • 855-813-8100

Southwestern Biomedical Electronics, Inc. www.swbiomed.com/ • 800-880-7231

USOC Bio-Medical Services

www.usocmedical.com • 855-888-8762

Pronk Technologies, Inc.

22

Radcal Corporation

P 31 P 81 P 30 P 61 P 47 P 65 P P 23 P P 7 P P

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

P P P P P

73

P P P P

47

Rigel Medical, Seaward Group

www.seaward-groupusa.com • 813-886-2775

Southeastern Biomedical, Inc

3 17

sebiomedical.com/ • 828-396-6010

Training Adel Lawrence Associates

www.adel-lawrence.com • 866-252-5621

College of Biomedical Equipment Technology admissions@cit-texas.com • (512) 807-8300

ECRI Institute

P P

83 26 76

RSTI

66

www.rsti-training.com • 800-229-7784

Tri-Imaging Solutions

54

www.triimaging.com • 855-401-4888

Tubes/Bulbs Tri-Imaging Solutions

www.triimaging.com • 855-401-4888

54

P P

4

P P

Ultrasound Ampronix, Inc.

P P P P

ATS Laboratories

www.atslaboratories-phantoms.com/ • atslaboratories@yahoo-com

81 2

avantehs.com •

Avante Ultrasound Innovatus Imaging

www.innovatusimaging.com • 844-687-5100

Summit Imaging 29

96

5

www.pronktech.com • 800-609-9802

avantehs.com/ultrasound • 800-958-9986

Telemetry AIV

www.prnwebsite.com • 508-679-6185

Avante Health Solutions

Surgical Healthmark Industries

www.BCGroupStore.com • 314-638-3800

www.ampronix.com • 800-400-7972

Sterilizers Mountain States Biomedical Services

BC Group International, Inc

www.ecri.org • 1-610-825-6000.

Software Nuvolo

P

79

Respiratory A.M. Bickford

83

www.radcal.com • 800-423-7169

Replacement Parts Elite Biomedical Solutions

A.M. Bickford

PRN/ Physician’s Resource Network

Repair ALCO Sales & Service Co.

Test Equipment www.ambickford.com • 800-795-3062

29

TRAINING

AIV

SERVICE

Refurbish

PARTS

69

Company Info

AD PAGE

TRAINING

SERVICE

www.bmets-usa.com/ • 870-431-5485

PARTS

Stephens International Recruiting Inc.

AD PAGE

Company Info

www.mysummitimaging.com • 866-586-3744

Trisonics

www.trisonics.com • 877-876-6427

Ventilators Cardiotronix

74

Mountain States Biomedical Services

mountainstatesbiomed.com • 949-887-0301

P P P 33, 71 P P 39

40

P P P P

16

P

X-Ray Engineering Services, KCS Inc

www.eng-services.com • 888-364-7782x11

Innovatus Imaging

www.innovatusimaging.com • 844-687-5100

RSTI

www.rsti-training.com • 800-229-7784

Tri-Imaging Solutions

www.triimaging.com • 855-401-4888

P P P P

8

93

cardiotronixhealth.com • (855)-4DEFIBS

P

8 66 54

AUGUST 2019

P P P P P P TECHNATION

91

nuvolo

YOUR CMMS ALTERNATIVE Is your CMMS solution from Accruent, AIMS or Medimizer in Code Blue?

Call Nuvolo and move to a modern, streamlined Healthcare Platform.

A HEALTHY HTM PLATFORM SHOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING PLATFORM 3 Cloud Based platform to be Available, Scalable and Secure

COMPLIANCE 3 Joint Commission & DNV Reporting

OPERATIONS 3 Easy to use Mobile App

3 Environment of Care Reporting

3 Intelligent Work Order Routing

3 Click-to-Configure Architecture to keep pace with changing business needs

3 Safety and Recall Integration

3 Parts, Inventory & Transfer Management

3 FDA & UDI

3 Visual Floor Mapping of Assets & Work Orders

3 Open API’s for seamless integrations to key business systems 3 Relational database to show Clinical connections to IT and Facilities Systems

LIVE DEMO

FINANCIAL 3 Capital Planning & Forecasting 3 Repair vs. Replace Cost Tracking 3 Supplier Management

SCHEDULE A DEMO TODAY 844-468-8656 | WWW.NUVOLO.COM | SALES@NUVOLO.COM

3 Robust and Analytics Reporting Engine 3 Tactical Dashboards to Help Get Work Done

ALPHABETICAL INDEX A.M. Bickford…………………………

83

Interpower……………………………

95

Adel Lawrence Associates……………

83

Jet Medical Electronics Inc…………

63

AIV……………………………………

29

Master Medical Equipment…………

88

ALCO Sales & Service Co.……………

79

Maull Biomedical Training……………

83

Ampronix, Inc.…………………………… 4

Medical Imaging Technologies………

40

ATS Laboratories………………………

MedWrench…………………………

82

81

Avante Health Solutions………………… 2

Mountain States Biomedical Services… 40

Avante Patient Monitoring……………

31

Multimedical Systems………………

47

Avante Ultrasound……………………

74

NCBA…………………………………

77

BC Group International, Inc…………

96

Nuvolo…………………………………

92

Biomedical Repair & Consulting Services, Inc.…………………………………… 81

oneSOURCE…………………………

11

Ozark Biomedical……………………

88

BMES…………………………………

30

PRN/ Physician’s Resource Network… 73

Cardiotronix…………………………

93

Pronk Technologies, Inc. ……………… 5

College of Biomedical Equipment Technology……………………………

26

Coro Medical…………………………

33

Crothall Healthcare Technology Solutions…35 D.A. Surgical…………………………

69

Diversified……………………………… 6

Radcal Corporation……………………

47

RepairMED……………………………

65

Rigel Medical, Seaward Group………… 3 RSTI……………………………………

66

Select BioMedical……………………

55

Sodexo CTM…………………………

43

Southeastern Biomedical, Inc………

17

Doctors Equipment Repair……………

63

ECRI Institute…………………………

76

Elite Biomedical Solutions……………

61

Southwestern Biomedical Electronics, Inc.…………………………………… 23

Engineering Services, KCS Inc………

16

Stephens International Recruiting Inc.… 69

FOBI…………………………………

65

Summit Imaging………………………

39

Healthmark Industries………………

22

Tri-Imaging Solutions…………………

54

Injector Support and Service…………

55

Trisonics…………………………… 33, 71

Innovatus Imaging……………………… 8

USOC Bio-Medical Services…………… 7

inRayParts.com………………………

81

Webinar Wednesday…………………

InterMed Group ………………………

79

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

82

WE KNOW TRANSPORT VENTILATORS

IF YOU ARE RESPONSIBLE FOR TRANSPORT VENTILATORS, WE HAVE YOUR SERVICE AND SUPPORT SOLUTION. WE OFFER HIGHLY TRAINED AND CERTIFIED TECHNICIANS, OEM NEW AND RECERTIFIED PARTS, QUICK TURNAROUND TIMES, AND A COMPREHENSIVE PARTS AND LABOR WARRANTY.

MAKE CARDIOTRONIX YOUR NEXT SERVICE CALL

(855)-4DEFIBS

IF IT’S MEDICAL EQUIPMENT RELATED, WE HAVE YOUR SOLUTION! CARDIOTRONIXHEALTH.COM

AUGUST 2019

TECHNATION

93

BREAKROOM

FLASHBACK MD Expo 2004

Je nife r B ro w sessio n pres n on r e nt s a esume w ritin g.

MD orte r of m e supp ow n sh A long ti (right), is reg Goll tor at G c , ru o p st x in E ’ Re ar O e ik M ll o e ge . w ith D r. hnic al C chee Tec o o h a tt C ha

d ample rovid e M ed p r te n I nt! of ale e ve Moore the fi n r fo Jimmy t n inm e e nte r t a

Mark Conrad (cente r) and Matt Tomory (left) . speak with an attend ee during exhibit hall hours

94

TECHNATION

AUGUST 2019

Trac y S p eth of R S T I m an booth fo ages the r the 2 0 0 RSTI 4 MD E x po .

WWW.1TECHNATION.COM

If You Need Just One, Order Just One The Interpower® solution for hospital-grade replacement cords: if you need just one, order just one.

Made-to-order to your specifications, we offer both replacement cords and special orders. We have no minimum order or dollar requirements, so this empowers you to order just what you need—whether it’s 1, 5, 100, or more.

We provide value-added options, such as special labeling and packaging.

For example, you can mark your cords with labels that contain identifying information (e.g. Operating Room 1, ER 2, etc.). With your cords specially labeled, hopefully they will stay in the correct location. If you need to replace one, you only have to order one.

Made in Iowa, we manufacture a wide selection of clear, black, and gray North American hospital-grade plugs on power cords, cord sets, and replacement cords. All Interpower manufactured cords are electrically tested for safety and carry the appropriate approvals.

Contact Customer Service for More Information •

Made in Iowa, U.S.A.

•

No minimum order or dollar requirements

•

1-week U.S. manufacturing lead-time on non-stock Interpower products

•

Same day shipments on in-stock products

•

Blanket or scheduled orders available

•

Value-added options available

•

Free technical support

Secure Connections Are Essential To help prevent accidental power interruptions, secure your cord set to a power inlet or outlet with the new Interpower Connector Lock. This design is available in two different versions and does not require tools for use.

Before selecting your connector components, consult the appropriate medical equipment standards for connection security requirements.

®

®

Order Online! www.interpower.com

Business Hours: 7 a.m.–6 p.m. Central Time

INTERPOWER | P.O. Box 115 | 100 Interpower Ave | Oskaloosa, IA 52577 | Toll-Free Phone: (800) 662-2290 | Toll-Free Fax: (800) 645-5360 | sales@interpower.com

NEW AA-8100 Anesthetic A g e n t A n a ly z e r

A Standalone Unit with Bluetooth Compatibility - Control Directly From Your Smartphone!

Upgrade your Anesthetic Agent Testing with the NEW AA-8100!

The AA-8100 adds Auto Agent ID, Bluetooth, iOS and Android Apps, CO2 Gas Analysis and 100 DUT Tags - downloadable from a PC, tablet or smartphone. It was designed to meet the demand for a more advanced, small, easy to use unit with high reliability and accuracy. Utilizing proprietary state-of-the-art digital NDIR (Non-Dispersive Infrared) Technology it provides a cost effective, high function, microprocessor-based analyzer that is simple to operate while maintaining high performance and accuracy.

AA-8100

AA-8100 Features: • Auto Agent ID • Bluetooth • iOS and Android Apps myBC_Mobile • 100 Downloadable DUT Tag Fields • State-of-the-art NDIR (Non-Dispersive Infrared) Technology • Measures 4 Anesthetic Agent Gases: • Sevoflurane, Isoflurane, Desflurane, Halothane • Measures CO2 • Small, Portable unit with adjustable Handle/Stand • Large Graphical Display with Backlight • User Friendly Interface: • One Button or Auto Agent Select • One Button Sample (Pump) Control

SCREEN VIEWS

Manual Data Reading of Isoflurane

Automatic Agent Selection: Sevoflurane

Download myBC_Mobile for your iOS or Android Device

Automatic Data Logging of Halothane Phone: 1-888-223-6763 Email: sales@bcgroupintl.com Website: www.bcgroupintl.com ISO 9001 & 13485 Certified ISO 17025 Accredited