TechNation December 2023

1technation.com

Vol. 14

DECEMBER 2023

ADVANCING THE BIOMEDICAL / HTM PROFESSIONAL

WISH LIST:

WHAT DO BMETS AND HTM MANAGERS WANT GOING INTO 2024 PAGE 50

Photo credit to Samaritan’s Purse

12

MD Expo Recap

18

Department of the Month

A ‘Magical Experience’ for Biomeds

Duke Health Clinical Engineering Department

Roundtable 44 Test Equipment The Future 58 HTM Hot Topics Going Into 2024

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CONTENTS

P.12 SPOTLIGHT p.12 MD Expo Recap p.14 Professional of the Month: Renato Castro p.16 Next Gen: Amanda Ferr p.18 Department of the Month: The Duke Health Clinical Engineering Department p.22 Association of the Month: Colorado Association of Biomedical Equipment Technicians (CABMET) P.25 INDUSTRY UPDATES p.25 News & Notes p.29 Welcome to TechNation p.30 Ribbon Cutting: Arch Medical p.32 AAMI Update p.36 ECRI Update P.38 THE BENCH p.38 Biomed 101 p.41 Tools of the Trade p.43 Webinar Wednesday

44

50

Photo credit to Samaritan’s Purse

P.44 FEATURE ARTICLES p.44 Roundtable: Test Equipment p.50 Cover Story: Wish List: What do BMETs and HTM Managers Want Going into 2024 P.55 EXPERT ADVICE p.55 Career Center p.56 SPONSORED: Innovatus Imaging p.58 The Future p.60 SPONSORED: Hunt Regional Healthcare P.65 CONNECTED p.65 Cybersecurity p.68 Networking Notes p.70 Health-ISAC p.72 HIMSS p.73 Get Connected Company Directory

TechNation (Vol. 14, Issue #12) December 2023 is published monthly by MD Publishing, 1015 Tyrone Rd., Ste. 120, Tyrone, GA 30290.

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. ©2023

December 2023 | TechNation 9

PUBLISHER

John M. Krieg

VICE PRESIDENT

Kristin Leavoy

VICE PRESIDENT OF SALES

Jayme McKelvey

EDITORIAL

John Wallace

CONTRIBUTORS

Roger Bowles K. Richard Douglas Jim Fedele Joie Marhefka Manny Roman Connor Walsh David Witt Steven J. Yelton

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Megan Cabot Emily Hise

ART DEPARTMENT

Karlee Gower Taylor Hayes Kameryn Johnson

DIGITAL SERVICES

Cindy Galindo Kennedy Krieg Haley Wells

EVENTS

Kristin Leavoy

WEBINARS

Linda Hasluem

HTMJOBS.COM

Kristen Register Sydney Krieg

ACCOUNTING

Diane Costea

CIRCULATION

Joanna Manjarrez

EDITORIAL BOARD Rob Bundick, Director HTM & Biomedical Engineering, ProHealth Care Carol Davis-Smith, CCE, FACCE, AAMIF, Owner/ President of Carol Davis-Smith & Associates, LLC Jim Fedele, CBET, Senior Director of Clinical Engineering, UPMC Bryant Hawkins Sr., Site Manager, Children’s Hospital of New Orleans

80 P.74 BREAKROOM p.74 Where in the World is Ben C? p.76 TechNation Poll p.77 [Contest] What’s on Your Bench? p.79 Biomed Brainbuster p.80 MD Expo Scrapbook p.90 #IamTechNation p.86 Service Index p.89 Alphabetical Index Like us on Facebook, facebook.com/TechNationMag Follow us on LinkedIn, linkedin.com/company/iamtechnation Subscribe to TechNation TV, youtube.com/@TechNation_TV

Benjamin Scoggin, MBA, MMCi, Director, Clinical Engineering | Biomedical Operations, Equipment Distribution, Clinical IT, DHTS, Duke Health Technology Solutions Allison Woollford, Biomedical Equipment Specialist at Duke University Health System

MD Publishing / TechNation Magazine 1015 Tyrone Rd., Ste. 120, Tyrone, GA 30290 800.906.3373 • Fax: 770.632.9090 Email: info@mdpublishing.com www.mdpublishing.com

10 TechNation | December 2023

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SPOTLIGHT

MD EXPO A ‘MAGICAL EXPERIENCE’ FOR BIOMEDS

O

Conference Delivers Education, Exhibit Hall, Networking STAFF REPORT

ne of the more than 800 in attendance said healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals were treated to a “magical experience” at MD Expo Orlando.

MD Publishing, the parent company of TechNation magazine, once again delivered top-flight education sessions approved for 36 CEU credits by ACI. The conference provided expert speakers on the industry’s hot topics, a packed exhibit hall featuring the latest products and solutions that HTM professionals need to do their jobs better, an amazing keynote address, fantastic networking events and a fun-filled Boos & Brews Halloween Party. The YP and MD Expo was also a huge success with more young professionals at its networking event than at previous conferences. MD Expo Orlando was proudly supported by the Florida Biomedical Society (FBS).

12 TechNation | December 2023

MD Publishing President and Founder John Krieg was blown away by the positive comments attendees shared regarding everything from supporting the HTM community to the the educational lineup in Orlando.

“The atmosphere and buzz in Orlando was beyond exciting,” he said. “We could not be happier with the turnout!

See you at MD Expo Las Vegas!”

MD Publishing Vice President Kristin Leavoy, CMP, reported 815 individuals attended the MD Expo with 119 booths in the exhibit hall.

“Since 2008, MD Expo has supported the Florida Biomedical Society by bringing the MD Expo to Florida and giving the FBS board a chance to enjoy an annual meeting without the pressures of having to plan the event,” Leavoy said. “It is a valued partnership and one we hope to continue for years to come.”

Those in attendance praised MD Expo Orlando.

“It’s always great to come to an MD Expo,” Chief Biomedical Engineer for VA CT Michael Huesser said. “I enjoy attending these conferences every year.”

VA Office of Healthcare Technology Management Director

Kurt Finke agreed. He mentioned that attendees he spoke with opportunities and it didn’t hurt to squeeze a few more days of had trouble deciding which educational sessions to attend summer temps,” she said. “Thank you for all you do!” because they were all great.

D’Juan James, MBA, director of clinical engineering at St. Biomed Tech Rana Helou attended and prasied MD Elizabeth Healthcare, enjoyed the conference.

Expo Orlando.

“I had a blast at MD Expo. Networking and making new “All I can say will never be enough about how amazing it connections and friends,” he commented on LinkedIn. was put together from beginning to end,” she said. “The team In a blog post, Bryant Hawkins Sr. had this to say about the out here did not stop one second, anywhere from setup, educational sessions at MD Expo Orlando. amazing customer service, keeping everyone directed and “The educational aspect of MD Expo 2023 were an integral informed, professionalism, and organized as well as very part of the event’s success. They offered a platform for amazingly managed.” attendees to gain in-depth knowledge on “Every person that I ran into was very helpful critical issues such as the right to repair, to the point where you can never be lost. The setmedical equipment servicing, and how to “I always leave up, and hard effort this team put into it should nevdevelop a successful career in diagnostic feeling empowered imaging. Moreover, the wisdom shared by er go unrecognized because I sat in a chair in a corner and watched as they all collaborated seasoned veterans and the career-focused and ready to take sessions provided attendees with a roadmap amazingly and made it beyond a wonderful experience and event for all,” Helou added. to becoming effective leaders and achieving on the world.”

MD Expo Orlando even garnered complisuccess in their careers,” he wrote. ments on social media.

“These sessions served as a reminder that Allison Woolford “Great event as usual,” Binseng Wang comMD Expo is not just about showcasing the mented on LinkedIn. latest healthcare technology; it’s a holistic Allison Woolford, CBET, Biomedical Equipment Specialist at experience that equips health care professionals with the Duke University Health System wrote that “it is always a pleasure knowledge and skills needed to make a meaningful impact in seeing you guys and attending these events. I always leave feeltheir field. MD Expo continues to be an invaluable resource for ing empowered and ready to take on the world.” those seeking to stay at the forefront of the ever-evolving health Sean Daley, vice president and COO of Seaward, Rigel care industry.”

Medical and Calibration House USA, summed it up best by The first MD Expo of 2024 is slated for April 7-9 in Las exclaiming, “This was a great show!”

Vegas. You don’t want to miss it.

RSTI’s Kim Rowland also praised the conference.

Find out more, and sign up for the newsletter, “You all make working so fun! Great education, networking at MDExpoShow.com.

December 2023 | TechNation 13

SPOTLIGHT

PROFESSIONAL OF THE MONTH Coming Full Circle

Renato Castro, CHTM, CBET

L

BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

ocated in the Bay Area of California, the city of Pleasanton is a suburban enclave about 25 miles east of Oakland.

One of the leading health care providers in the city is Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley, part of Stanford Medicine. It is affiliated with the nationally known university.

A member of the Tri-Valley biomed department leadership is Assistant Manager Renato Castro, CHTM, CBET. Castro’s early interactions with members of his local biomed association influenced his decision to enter the profession.

“I originally was going to go into computer engineering technology at DeVry. One of the counselors showed me a presentation on the biomed profession. I was interested and switched to that program. While in school, the dean had close ties to our local professional biomed society (the California Medical Instrumentation Association/CMIA) and encouraged students to attend. At these meetings I got to interact with leadership and technicians at different hospitals. Seeing how passionate these individuals were assured me that I was making the correct decision in pursuing this career path,” he says.

Castro attended DeVry University and earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Biomedical Engineering Technology.

“These classes included general electronics hands-on work, a lot of electrical engineering theory, a bit of biology/ chemistry and programing. When I entered the field, the general electronics courses I took helped with understanding some troubleshooting, however I was still mostly a blank slate and needed a lot of on-the-job learning,” Castro says.

14 TechNation | December 2023

Upon graduation, Castro went to work for an ISO, and through happenstance, ended up working for his current employer.

“I started my career as a BMET 1 with Renovo Solutions stationed at a 200-plus-bed community hospital (ValleyCare Health System). Here, through attrition, I was quickly promoted to BMET II and site lead,” he says.

Castro says that a few years into the ISO’s contract, the hospital was acquired by a university health care system; Stanford Health Care.

“This new system had an in-house biomed program, so the contract was terminated, and a new in-house program was created. I seemed to have made a positive impression to the department leaders as I was recommended to be brought back and join the new in-house biomed team as a biomedical equipment technician/shift lead. During this time, I acquired my CBET (Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician) certification which allowed me to be promoted to a Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician,” Castro says.

He says that after a couple years with Stanford, he was offered the opportunity to enter operations management and become the biomed site manager with the third-party company Agiliti at Alameda Health System.

“This had me manage the biomed program for three acute care hospitals, a psychiatric hospital and a dozen clinics. After a couple years I was offered the biomed manager position for the Central Valley Market for Tenet Healthcare. This market included three acute care hospitals, a psychiatric hospital and a couple of clinics,” Castro says.

More recently, Castro was notified that the original community hospital (ValleyCare Health System which had since changed its name to Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley) had an opening for an assistant biomed manager and that he was the top candidate for the position.

“My career has effectively gone full circle and allowed me

to enter a leadership position where I started,” he says.

ASSOCIATION AFFILIATION FROM THE START Projects have been a part of Castro’s career as both an assistant manager and a technician. One of those projects involved working with department leadership to create five-year capital replacement roadmaps.

“This involved me evaluating our inventory across multiple hospitals by both end-of-life/support status as well as general age of the equipment. I then created priority tiers to place each device. I also utilized ECRI for ballpark costs of replacement. This was our first draft which I took to each department manager/director to confirm clinical needs and adjust priority levels per our discussions. We then spread out the replacement costs of the top two tiers of priorities across five years to help create capital budgets,” he says.

As a technician, one of the bigger projects he was involved in was transitioning from older GE CIC patient monitoring to Philips PIIC iX. “This had me assisting with installation technicians in setting up a brand-new monitoring solution without taking down the old system. We tested each new pulled cable (we had old infrastructure and needed all new cable pulled for each bedside and central monitor). Throughout the project I was able to learn a lot about how the system works from the installation specialist which made it easier for me to support the system in the coming years,” Castro says.

Off the job, Castro enjoys being active and spending time with family.

“I have a wife, Janine, and a 6-month-old daughter Gaby (short for Gabriela). My mother-in-law lives with us and helps provide child care. I am close with my parents and little brother,” he says.

“I love to play tennis any chance I get. I am also an avid soccer fan, following both F.C. Barcelona and Manchester United. I am also a gamer,” Castro adds.

Castro has also been active in his local biomed association; the same group that influenced his career choice.

“I have been an officer with Bay Area Chapter of the CMIA for six years now. From vice president to president to now a board member. I enjoy our chapter meetings and conferences for networking and the opportunity to see old friends/acquaintances again. I also love keeping up with the field and learning how our industry is progressing,” he says.

Castro’s career and association affiliation came full-circle and, in both, he has found success.

BIOMETRICS FAVORITE BOOK: “Frankenstein”

FAVORITE MOVIE: Rush Hours 1-3

HIDDEN TALENT:

Not so hidden, but I used to play tennis at a decent level.

FAVORITE FOOD:

Platano frito con crema

FAVORITE PART OF BEING A BIOMED? Being able to solve problems and help patient care at the same time.

WHAT’S ON MY BENCH?

Besides the monitor, mouse and keyboard my desk is mainly just a phone docking station/bluetooth speaker and papers.

December 2023 | TechNation 15

SPOTLIGHT

NEXT GEN POWERED BY YP AT MD

A

Amanda Ferr

manda Ferr grew up in Wisconsin, went to college in Wisconsin and now works in Wisconsin as a biomedical technician at Children’s Hospital Wisconsin. Ferr attended Carroll University in Waukesha and the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee where she earned a Bachelor’s of Science in Applied Physics (Carroll University) and Bachelor’s of Science in Biomedical Engineering (UW-Milwaukee).

TechNation recently found out more about this Next Gen member of the healthcare technology management (HTM) community.

Q: WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? A: Franklin, Wisconsin Q: WHERE DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR HTM EDUCATION? A: My HTM education started with UW-Milwaukee’s biomedical engineering program. I apply what I learned along with my on-the-job training at Children’s Wisconsin.

Q: HOW DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER HTM? A: Carroll University has a 3+2 year program: 3 years at Carroll for a Bachelor’s of Applied Physics, then while pursuing this first degree you are given time to choose your area of engineering to be completed in 2 years at a partnering university. I decided to look through all fields of engineering that UW-Milwaukee had to offer, and I had a strong interest in the biomedical engineering program.

Q: HOW DID YOU CHOOSE TO GET INTO THIS FIELD? A: I love to help others and wanted a profession that would allow me to make a difference. During my time at Carroll University, I was exposed to electrical, civil, chemical and mechanical engineering disciplines. None of these professions seemed like a fit with my personal qualities. Carroll University is a huge nursing and physical therapy school so most of my friends were studying for these degrees. I enjoyed hearing about their clinical work and the impact they would have on the health of people’s lives. The HTM field was the best way to combine my STEM background with contributions to positive outcomes in health care.

16 TechNation | December 2023

Q: WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR POSITION? A: Every day I come into work, there is an opportunity to learn something new. This makes my job exciting and challenging. I work and learn hands on with medical devices in the clinical setting where they are used.

Q: WHAT INTERESTS YOU THE MOST ABOUT HTM? A: HTM gives me the opportunity to help medical staff provide their patients with the best care by maintaining the equipment and meeting their needs as the technology advances.

Q: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN YOUR FIELD THUS FAR? A: Developing the skills of being adaptable and agile. The HTM field continues to evolve. I need to be able to pivot and support new technology quickly. There is endless possibility for growth!

Q: WHAT GOALS DO YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS? A: In the next 5 years I will continue to grow with healthcare technology. I will be advancing my knowledge in network infrastructures. I am also developing my leadership and management skills so I will be able to move into a leadership position and manage projects.

FUN FACTS FAVORITE HOBBY:

Coaching Lacrosse and Drawing

FAVORITE SHOW OR MOVIE: “New Girl”

FAVORITE MEAL: Sushi

WHAT WOULD YOUR SUPERPOWER BE? Mind Reading

1 THING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST: Traveling to Ireland

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I signed up for gymnastics as a kid for the sole purpose to do a cartwheel.

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SPOTLIGHT

DEPARTMENT OF THE MONTH The Duke Health Clinical Engineering Department

D

BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

uke University has a reputation for academics and athletics. The university’s predecessor college opened its doors pre-Civil War, and today, the university is known for its research, national champion athletics and the beautiful architecture of the buildings on its campus. The university offers baccalaureate, masters, doctorate and professional degrees.

As part of the university, Duke Medicine includes the Duke University Health System, the Duke University School of Medicine and the Duke University School of Nursing.

Medicine, education and research are core components of the university’s mission.

Duke Hospital is the flagship of the Duke University Health System. The system has a large inventory of medical devices to manage, and the Duke Health Clinical Engineering team includes an impressive team to handle that challenge.

That team includes Senior Director Ben Scoggin, MBA, MMCi; Director of Projects, Quality, and Clinical IT Carley Parker; Director of Operations Grant Smith, James Cole, the operations manager for Duke Raleigh, Duke Regional and Clinics and Daniel Norman, the operations manager for Duke University Hospital.

Parker’s team includes six members. Cole’s team includes three team leads and 10 technicians. Norman’s team has three team leads and 18 technicians.

Imaging is led by Operations Manager Kevin Orr, with 10 technicians on his team. Jermaine Williams is the operation manager for equipment distribution and has two team leads and 10 technicians in his group.

18 TechNation | December 2023

The team’s mission is to “ensure that equipment used in patient care is safe, available, fully functional and cost-effective,” Scoggin says.

The department has responsibility for more than 75,000 covered assets and that number is growing.

The group’s leadership and technicians manage the entire life cycle of the medical equipment used within Duke Health, from planning what will be needed in a new construction all the way through to the eventual disposition of that device, according to Scoggin.

He says that this includes – but is not limited to – project scoping, choosing vendors/RFP participation, initial inspections, maintenance/repairs, cyber risk mitigation, recalls/alerts and incident investigations.

The facilities within their responsibility include three hospitals; Duke University Hospital with 1,048 beds; Duke Regional Hospital, with 369 beds; and Duke Raleigh Hospital, with 186 beds and several clinics.

“One of Carley Parker’s roles is to oversee contract management. Service contracts are associated with devices in our CMMS. This way, everyone can see what is covered and we can track the value of that contract. He and one of his team members, Ethan Hertz, host a monthly meeting that includes the operational leadership of the department,” Scoggin says.

He says that in those meetings, they discuss contracts and warranties that are expiring around 90 days out.

“The real magic, however, is what happens prior to the meeting. Ethan uses our CMMS to review service history and establish a contract value. He also communicates with the team leads and technicians that have interacted with that device or vendor to understand how the experience has been and what the needs were,” Scoggin adds.

What is the level of CE/IT integration within their system?

“We report through the IT structure at Duke Health, directly to the CHIO. This means that our colleagues are in charge of everything from our electronic health records to the various clinical applications used throughout the enterprise. We even have team members that work regularly with the ISO for medical device security and vulnerability mitigation,” Scoggin says.

and assess patient monitoring alarm data in order to decrease alarms without affecting patient safety. Working with the committee, alarms that were considered nonactionable (false or clinically insignificant) had parameters adjusted. This resulted in a 74 percent decrease in nonactionable alarms at our academic hospital and over 90 percent at our two community hospitals,” Scoggin says.

LENDING EXPERTISE BEYOND THEIR FACILITIES He says that one current and one former team While the team tackles projects on a large scale with all the assets member, Carley Parker and Tracey they manage, individuals from the department Hughes, are coauthors of the study also contribute their knowledge and skills away Rising to the global and the astounding results that were from the facilities they serve. Asked about projpublished in the “Journal of Nursing ects, there is one that Scoggin is particularly reputation of their Administration.” proud to mention.

The CE team has also kept busy employer, the Duke CE “The first I will mention are medical mission with a long list of other projects that trips that many of our technicians have attendteam has demonstrated have included two “go-lives” that each ed to support surgical procedures in areas that during the COVID-19 pandemdon’t otherwise have those resources. These that it is up to the task occurred ic: Duke Central Tower – new building trips have included places like Uganda, and and the Duke Raleigh South Tower – of being an most recently, Honduras. On a recent trip we new building. were given feedback that one of our techniextraordinary HTM They have also been involved with cians, Brian Gore, made things possible that moves and expansions related to the couldn’t have happened without his presdepartment.

Duke University Hospital, upgrades to ence,” Scoggin says. sleep labs and many others.

He says that being a tech in a surgical enviIn addition to the important work team ronment in an accredited U.S.-based hospital can be tough enough, members accomplish on medical mission trips, they are also but getting anesthesia and other operative equipment functional active closer to home, but away from the workplace. and efficacious in a less-than-ideal environment with limited re“We regularly attend, and often present, at the NCBA, sources is astounding.

AAMI and HIMSS. We currently have a team member on the “I am so proud of the people from our team that have both NCBA board of directors,” Scoggin says. gone on those trips and the ones that stayed back to ensure we Rising to the global reputation of their employer, the Duke didn’t miss a beat here at Duke,” Scoggin says.

CE team has demonstrated that it is up to the task of being “Another great story is our department’s involvement with the an extraordinary HTM department. cardiac monitoring committee and work that we did to collect December 2023 | TechNation 19

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ASSOCIATION OF THE MONTH Colorado Association of Biomedical Equipment Technicians (CABMET)

C

BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS olorado became the 38th state to be granted statehood in the U.S. in 1876 and earned the nickname – the Centennial State. Colorado saw its first European visitors in 1858 with the discovery of gold in the area that is today the city of Denver.

With the importance of being the state to gain statehood on America’s centennial, it is also the state with one of the longest enduring biomed associations in the nation.

Founded in 1974, the Colorado Association of Biomedical Equipment Technicians (CABMET) has become known as one of the leading biomed associations in the country. It’s pioneering work in CBET preparation is recognized by HTM professionals nationwide.

“Our association started in 1974; we are celebrating our gold anniversary,” says President Leticia Reynolds, referring to the 50-year anniversary next year.

The group was created by biomed instructors who were pioneers in the early days of biomed associations.

“CABMET was created by a group of instructors at the USAMEOS school at Fitzsimons Army Medical Center in 1974.

Some of the founders were Jon Fink, Jim O’Brien and Gene Bacon. They were civilian instructors who thought certification would enhance the profession and give it more status within the medical community,” Reynolds says.

One of the group’s hallmark achievements was its work in CBET preparation. Its study group was the thing of biomed association lore.

“CABMET started the CBET Study group in 2004 by Dave Scott; the CABMET president at that time. In 2019, CABMET 22 TechNation | December 2023

sold the study group to AAMI. During the 15 years CABMET ran the study group, over 2,000 technicians became certified,” Reynolds says.

She says that while she hasn’t been in CABMET for 50 years, she has been in CABMET since about 2008. She has been the president for the past seven years and has heard the stories.

“I can’t tell you for sure when CABMET held their first symposium, but I was told it was a one-day training held at a room at one of the local golf courses. Since then, it has grown into our three-day annual event. CABMET won AAMI’s HTM Association of the Year in both 2019 and 2023,” Reynolds says.

The group finds ways to serve the community and its membership.

“Besides education our members have a passion to help and share their knowledge. This could even be volunteering at Project C.U.R.E. or other similar organizations, participating at career days to share information about our field or even just teaching others. I love that this organization has so many opportunities to share what we are passionate about,” Reynolds says.

ANNUAL SYMPOSIUM CABMET is also known for its successful symposiums. These events are an important way to gather members together in a more relaxed setting.

“Our symposium has grown over the years to a three-day event held the first Thursday, Friday and Saturday of August (next year’s is August 1-3). We do two days of education on a variety of topics: professional development, equipment maintenance, imaging, sterile processing and many other topics,” Reynolds says.

She says that this year’s event had the biggest turnout ever; between presenters, attendees and sponsors, there were 205 people in attendance.

“Besides the educational things, we offer networking opportulate to getting the application posted,” Reynolds says. nities with our happy hours, poker tournament and our golf tournaShe says that this year, the group will promote the ment. [For] 2023, we moved to a new location very last minute due scholarship at the careers days that they already have on to an unexpected venue change, but it turned out great and we the calendar. have found our future location. At this new location we are excited “We were so excited to be able to provide this opportunias it will allow for additional educational sessions (this year we ran ty to a student this year,” Reynolds says. out of classroom space for all of the people that wanted to presAnother important role that biomed associations play in ent). We also moved to the format where we can print badges onsite the current environment of retiring HTM professionals is to for attendees, so we are able to get a more acpromote the field and fill vacancies. curate list of actual attendees versus regis“We try to promote open positions tered,” Reynolds says. from organizations across the state. We “Besides education our Besides symposiums, meetings are an have a job posting link on our webimportant method for gathering members members have a passion site. It is really to just promote the field together, either in person or virtually. to the younger generation, to try and to help and share their “We hold quarterly meetings (January, get people in the field. Throughout the March, May, October and December). Decemknowledge ... I love that school year, we participate in several ber’s meeting is actually a Project C.U.R.E voluncareer days to promote the field with teer work day. Our meetings are usually held this organization has so our hands-on display. We let them in-person along the front range. We do try to actually see how to test the equipment many opportunities to stream some of our meetings online when possiand how it works,” Reynolds says. ble, but we haven’t perfected this. During COVID, The pandemic impacted the way share what we are while we didn’t have meetings every quarter, we many biomed associations conduct moved to an online format so techs would be business. That was the case with passionate about,” able to still have the opportunity to receive eduCABMET also. cational opportunities,” Reynolds says.

“It really made us have to be President Leticia Reynolds The group is also doing its part in helping flexible and open to change. We the next generation of biomeds get through cancelled our symposium during their training. They have a scholarship program for this purpose.

COVID and had to think out-of-the-box on how to still be “At our symposium in August, we presented a check to our able to engage members when we couldn’t meet in-pervery first recipient. It is a $500 scholarship for a student that is son. The goal is to not let obstacles like that stop us enrolled in a biomed-related subject. It is pretty broad, but we completely,” Reynolds says. know that there are several feeder programs, that while it isn’t In the Centennial State, the HTM profession is well-repbiomed, will give a person the basic knowledge to potentially resented by an equally historic biomed association, enter the biomed field. We had three people apply this year, bringing the state’s biomeds together in an effort to so we are hoping to have additional applicants as we were promote the profession.

December 2023 | TechNation 23

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

NEWS & NOTES Updates from the HTM Industry INDY WELCOMES HTM MIXER Indianapolis is the place to be May 2 and 3 when the next HTM Mixer rolls in town. What is an HTM Mixer?

Think of it as a hybrid event that combines the best of a state association annual meeting and an MD Expo. MD Publishing and the Indiana Biomed Society (IBS) have joined forces to host a two-day event with an exhibit hall, educational opportunities and networking. The HTM Mixer will be in the heart of the city at the Westin Indianapolis.

You will be near the city’s top attractions. A skywalk connects the hotel to Circle Centre Mall for upscale restaurants, shopping and nightlife, while the roar of Lucas Oil Stadium is just steps away. A Call for Presenters is ongoing. Submit your presentation today.

For more information, and to sign up for the newseltter for the latest details, visit HTMMixer.com.

REMANUFACTURING OF MEDICAL DEVICES IS ON THE FDA’S A LIST Remanufacturing of Medical Devices is on the FDA’s A List of Final Guidance topics for 2024.

These lists for fiscal year 2024 are: • The A-list: A list of prioritized device guidance documents the FDA intends to publish during FY2024.

• The B-list: A list of device guidance documents the FDA intends to publish as resources permit during FY2024.

• Retrospective review list: A list of final guidance documents issued in 1984, 1994, 2004, and 2014.

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA) Center for Devices and Radiological Health (CDRH) posted the list

of guidance documents it intends to publish this fiscal year (FY2024). In addition, CDRH commits to review previously published final guidance documents and update or withdraw guidance documents that no longer represent the FDA’s current thinking on a regulatory issue.

CDRH strives to finalize, withdraw, re-open the comment period, or re-issue a revised draft guidance for 80 percent of draft guidance documents within 3 years of the close of the comment period, and within 5 years of the close of the comment period for the remaining 20 percent, as resources permit.

AGILITI ANNOUNCES CEO TRANSITION Agiliti Inc. has announced that the Agiliti Board of Directors has appointed Tom Leonard as chief executive officer. Leonard succeeds Tom Boehning who is no longer with the company.

Leonard previously served as CEO of Agiliti from April 2015 until his retirement from the company in March 2023.

He served as a member of the company’s board of directors following his retirement and will remain a board member as he returns to the role of CEO. “Tom Leonard led the company through eight years of profitable growth and helped establish Agiliti as an essential partner to more than 10,000 health care provider organizations nationwide,” said John Workman, chairman of the board. “He is a trusted and proven leader, admired for his track record of results and his commitment to the company’s mission, culture and team. We are confident that Agiliti will benefit from his leadership.”

“I am honored to return to Agiliti and to rejoin this

incredible team as CEO,” said Leonard. “Agiliti has long served a critical role in our nation’s health care system, powered by a differentiated offering that has proved essential to improving our customers’ clinical, operational, and financial outcomes. We will build on our strong foundation and capabilities as we chart our path forward.”

“During his initial tenure as CEO, Tom Leonard and his team oversaw the strategic and cultural transformation of the business, demonstrating its extraordinary runway for growth,” said Scott Sperling, Agiliti board member and co-chief executive officer of Thomas H. Lee Partners, the company’s largest shareholder.

“Under his leadership, we believe Agiliti will be well positioned to create meaningful value for customers and shareholders. With this transition, we thank Tom Boehning for his contributions to the business throughout his four years of service to Agiliti, and notably for his leadership and dedication to customers during the demanding years of the COVID-19 pandemic.”

December 2023 | TechNation 25

INDUSTRY UPDATES

HTM LEADERS JOIN TECHNATION.TV Several companies have joined TechNation.TV including industry leaders like Tri-Imaging Solutions, Avante Health Solutions, Tenacore, Midmark RTLS, Pronk Technologies and Capital i.

Subscribers will find plenty of HTM-related content including several playlists and shorts. Playlists on TechNation.TV highlight popular content like Webinar Wednesday, Live at MD Expo, Tools of the Trade Live Product Demo and more key resources. In addition, don’t miss the exclusive

TV

content including “Girls on Fire”, “Dear Gibby”, and more planned for 2024.

In a 90-day period ending in mid-October, the TechNation TV YouTube channel received 15,707 views with almost 4,000 subscribers. The “watch time” stats from YouTube include 2,378.4 hours!

Check out the channel at www.TechNation.TV and hit the subscribe button.

CALIFORNIA GOVERNOR SIGNS RIGHT TO REPAIR ACT Gov. Gavin Newsom has signed the Right to Repair Act (SB244), which will significantly expand consumers’ and independent repair shops’ access to materials and information needed to fix electronics and appliances.

With the governor’s signature, California is now the fourth state in the last year to enact a Right to Repair law, following New York, Colorado and Minnesota. Advocates say California’s is the strongest consumer protection legislation of its kind. Once the law goes into effect in July 2024, Californians will be able to get the parts, tools and information needed to keep devices working longer and out of our landfills, saving Californians money and limiting the toxic electronic waste in our environment.

The last year has seen an increase in support for Right to Repair legislation, with 30 states introducing bills on the topic.

Passing SB 244 in California, the home of Silicon Valley, should further energize the Right to Repair movement nationwide, especially because Apple, which had been a longtime opponent, supported California’s bill this summer.

In response to the governor’s signature, U.S. PIRG’s Nathan Proctor and CALPIRG’s Jenn Engstrom, made the following statements: “Not only is this a great day for California, it’s a great day for all of us who just want to fix our stuff,” said U.S. PIRG’s Right to Repair Senior Campaign Director Nathan Proctor. “Right to Repair has come a long way — from an upstart campaign driven by repair enthusiasts to a broadly popular campaign winning landmark reforms in the fifth-largest economy in the world. I’m excited to see what comes next in our work to take on a throwaway system and make a more fixable world.”

“This is a victory for consumers and the planet, and it just makes sense,” said CALPIRG State Director Jenn Engstrom. “Right now, we mine the planet’s precious minerals, use them to make amazing phones and other electronics, ship these products across the world, and then toss them away after just a few years’ use. What a waste.

We should make stuff that lasts and be able to fix our stuff when it breaks, and now thanks to years of advocacy,

26 TechNation | December 2023

Californians will finally be able to, with the Right to Repair.”

Additionally, Sen. Susan Eggman, Elizabeth Chamberlain, Kyle Wiens, Nick Lapis and Gay Gordon-Byrne offered statements: “I’m thrilled that the Governor has signed the Right to Repair Act into law. As I’ve said all along, I’m so grateful to the advocates fueling this movement with us for the past six years, and the manufacturers that have come along to support Californians’ Right to Repair,” said Senator Eggman. “This is a commonsense bill that will help small repair shops, give choice to consumers, and protect the environment.”

“California has set the minimum standard for Right to Repair around the world,” said Gay Gordon-Byrne, executive director of Repair.org. “Right to Repair keeps moving forward. Manufacturers that aren’t yet covered by the California statute should be planning ahead for the same to apply to everything made with a chip.”

“The tech revolution started here in California, so it’s appropriate that we’re working to fix the problems of Big Tech here, too,” said Elizabeth Chamberlain, director of sustainability at iFixit. “With access to original parts, tools, and documentation, independent repair shops will be able to compete again. And Californians across the state — accounting for about 1 out of every 8 Americans — will be able to fix things however they see fit.”

“We won’t stop advocating for more fixable stuff. But today, California has made a colossal leap forward towards a repairable future,” added Kyle Wiens, iFixit CEO. “Replacing expensive electronics and appliances at an ever-quickening pace is not only a financial burden on consumers but also drives unsustainable mining and extraction that has a tremendous environmental impact up and down the supply chain,” said Nick Lapis, Director of Advocacy for Californians Against Waste. “My hope is that, with the passage of SB 244, California will foster a thriving market for repair businesses and secondhand sales that will make repair the norm, not the exception.”

NEW INTEROPERABILITY CAPABILITIES OFFERED Royal Philips has announced the interoperability of Philips Capsule Medical Device Information Platform (MDIP) with Philips Patient Information Center iX (PIC iX), providing hospitals with a first-of-its-kind, comprehensive patient overview. As a world leader monitoring more than 600 million patients each year worldwide, Philips is creating an open patient monitoring ecosystem to bring together disparate medical devices and systems on a single interface.

Interoperability between MDIP and PIC iX gives clinicians a new clinical perspective that enables the capture of streaming data flowing freely from a variety of medical device manufacturers on an open, scalable, secure platform.

By disseminating this information through the Patient Information Center, clinicians have a single source, comprehensive overview of a patient’s condition that helps empower caregivers to make treatment recommendations confidently from anywhere throughout the hospital’s digital environment.

Historically, data from medical device vendors has been siloed, leaving clinicians with the laborious task of referencing multiple sources to gain a complete clinical view of the patient. The inefficiencies caused by this disjointed process can impact a clinician’s ability to deliver timely diagnoses and treatments to patients. Philips is addressing technical obstacles associated with interoperability, such as device-specific connectivity protocols and security challenges across the organization, to help caregivers view, document, report, and analyze data before making care-related decisions.

Pulling data from a variety of different non-Philips devices, such as ventilators, infusion pumps, and third-party vital signs monitors, Philips presents and distributes the information in a single, standardized interface.

Clinicians are then presented with a comprehensive picture of a patient’s health based on available medical device data. Access to this level of detailed information may minimize the time a clinician spends prioritizing data from multiple sources. With the goal of creating efficiencies associated with determining diagnoses and treatment decisions, this new interoperability may allow caregivers to spend more time providing direct patient care.

“Every day, clinicians make countless care decisions based on information from divided medical devices and systems. It’s time we start caring for the carers by making data more accessible,” said Christoph Pedain, general manager, hospital patient monitoring at Philips. “By ever-improving availability and accessibility of patient information, clinicians and patients benefit through enhanced workflows, insights, improved care delivery and safety measures that may lead to better health outcomes and the better use of staff and infrastructure.”

Data is captured from almost any device or patient monitor vendor with the aim of improving competencies and processes. Harmonized data is available to caregivers across the hospital. A streamlined, standardized view of the patient can be accessed through the central station, web, or mobile application, so clinicians can act more quickly regardless of their location in the hospital. Meaningful insights and status updates allow clinicians to automate administrative tasks or close information gaps, helping them save time and get back to treating patients.

“In a health care landscape burdened by disparate data, there exists a need to usher in the next wave of clinical innovation. But one health technology company cannot do this alone,” said Lynne A. Dunbrack, group vice president at International Data Corporation, a premier global provider of market intelligence. “The only way that hospitals can achieve the next level of efficiency and quality of care is by sharing patient data across systems, vendors and devices. With this new offering, Philips is in a unique position to help drive new vendor-to-vendor interoperability standards to better support our care providers and the patients they serve.”

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INDUSTRY UPDATES EQUIPMENT SHORTAGES HARM PATIENTS A new survey issued by ECRI and the Institute for Safe Medication Practices (ISMP) reveals that ongoing national medication, medical supply and medical equipment shortages are harming patients. According to the two groups, the survey reveals that providing appropriate care is becoming increasingly challenging, leading to instances of unsafe practices, compromised care, and harmful, otherwise avoidable patient safety incidents.

The nearly 200 respondents included pharmacists and pharmacy technicians, procurement specialists, physicians, and nurses working in community, teaching, pediatric, and cancer care hospitals, among other care locations. The survey was conducted in July 2023.

Sixty percent of respondents reported shortages of more than 20 drugs, single-use supplies or other medical devices during the six months prior to the survey. Respondents say care quality has been broadly affected by the shortages, including in surgery and anesthetics (74%), emergency care (64%), pain management (52%), cardiology (45%), hematology and oncology (44%), infectious diseases (39%), and obstetrics and gynecology (37%).

“While medication and supply shortages have been widely reported across health care, we now know with certainty that these shortages are causing preventable harm and have the potential to cause even more if they are not addressed soon,” said Marcus Schabacker, MD, Ph.D., president and CEO of ECRI. “There are strategies hospitals

can use to reduce the impact of shortages, but they are a deviation from standard practice and resource-intensive – two characteristics that themselves can increase the likelihood of preventable harm.”

Most respondents reported that shortages have compromised patient care, with half saying shortages have delayed patient treatments and one-third reporting they were unable to provide patients with optimally recommended drugs or treatments. A quarter of respondents said they were aware of at least one error related to a drug, supply, or device shortage.

Specific examples of the impact of shortages reported in the survey include: • Interruption or delays in chemotherapy regimens • Administration of more opioid analgesia due to lidocaine shortages • Dissemination of incorrect medication dosage instructions to patients • Postponement or cancellation of surgeries “The extent to which medication, supply and equipment shortages are negatively impacting patient care is inexcusable,” said Rita K. Jew, PharmD, MBA, president of ISMP. “While pharmacies and hospitals can triage shortages short-term, we need long-term, nationally coordinated solutions to solve the persistent shortages we’ve witnessed repeatedly over the last several years.”

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

RIBBON CUTTING

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rch Medical Director of Marketing Preston Smith recently took some time to share information about the company with TechNation.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SERVICES AND PRODUCTS YOU OFFER? A: At Arch Medical, we are proud to offer an extensive range of services tailored to the specific needs of diagnostic imaging equipment. Our offerings ensure that health care facilities can operate seamlessly, ensuring patient care remains a top priority. Here’s a breakdown of our key services: • In-Depth Troubleshooting: Leveraging our expertise, we diagnose the root cause of equipment malfunction, ensuring that the issue is resolved completely and efficiently.

• Rapid Repair Service: Understanding the critical nature of medical imaging equipment, we offer swift repair services, minimizing downtime and ensuring that medical facilities can continue their essential work with minimal interruptions.

• Preventive Maintenance: Beyond reactive repairs, we specialize in proactive measures. Our preventive maintenance service ensures that medical imaging equipment runs at its optimal condition, reducing the likelihood of unexpected issues and extending the lifespan of the equipment.

• Coverage for a Wide Range of Equipment: Our expertise spans a broad spectrum of medical imaging equipment including, but not limited to: MRI, CT, PET, Nuclear, X-ray, Portable X-ray, Cath/Angio, and Ultrasound • Consultation and Advisory Services: We also offer consultancy for health care facilities looking to extend the life of current systems, how to manage EOL Equipment, and develop a plan to upgrade and replace when necessary. While our primary focus is on service, our commitment is to offer holistic solutions for health care institutions, ensuring that they can provide the best patient care without being hampered by equipment challenges.

While our primary focus is on service, our commitment is to offer holistic solutions for health care institutions, ensuring that they can provide the best patient care without being hampered by equipment challenges.

30 TechNation | December 2023

Q: HOW DOES YOUR COMPANY STAND OUT IN THE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT FIELD? A: At Arch Medical, our distinction in the medical equipment field revolves around our dedication to excellence and our comprehensive service offering. Here’s what sets us apart: • Commitment to our purpose and core values: Our purpose, we empower our clients through relentless performance, is a driving force for our business and displays our commitment to our customers’ performance.

• Broad spectrum of equipment coverage: We are proficient in maintaining a wide variety of medical imaging equipment, from MRIs and CT to portable X-ray machines and nuclear medicine rooms. This extensive coverage ensures that health care facilities need to partner with just one reliable provider for all their equipment maintenance needs.

• Rapid response & preventive maintenance: In medical emergencies, every minute counts. Recognizing this, our team is trained for in-depth troubleshooting and rapid repair.

Beyond just fixing issues, we are proactive. Our preventive maintenance approach ensures that equipment runs optimally, reducing the risk of unexpected downtimes.

• Reputation for excellence: Our reputation has been built on consistency, quality and trust. Health care institutions know that when they partner with Arch Medical, they are aligning with a company that will prioritize their needs and deliver top-notch service every single time.

• Continuous training & updates: The medical equipment field is ever evolving. Our technicians and staff undergo regular training to stay updated with the latest in equipment technology and maintenance techniques. This ensures that we provide the most current and effective solutions to our clients.

• Client-centric approach: Every health care facility is unique, and so are their needs. We pride ourselves on our ability to tailor our services based on individual client requirements, ensuring that their specific challenges and expectations are met.

In essence, while there are numerous players in the medical equipment maintenance field, Arch Medical stands out due to its unparalleled commitment to quality, breadth of service and unwavering focus on client satisfaction.

Q: WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY? A: As Arch Medical continues to pave its way in the medical imaging equipment maintenance sector, we see a future where health care institutions no longer worry about the uptime of their

THE SEARCH IS OVER.

critical imaging equipment. On the horizon, we are looking at: • Technology integration: Leveraging the latest technological advancements to not just repair but proactively predict and prevent potential breakdowns. This could include AI-driven diagnostics, real-time monitoring of equipment health and more.

• Expansion: Expanding our service offerings to encompass newer imaging technologies and serving more geographical locations, WE WILL REPAIR YOUR ensuring that no matter where a medical facility is, Arch Medical can SPACELABS EQUIPMENT. be their go-to maintenance partner.

PROOF SHEET • Sustainability: Looking into more sustainable and eco-friendlier repair PROOF APPROVED CHANGES NEEDED and maintenance techniques. With the rapid changes in medical CLIENT SIGN–OFF: equipment, it’s essential to have sustainable disposal and recycling PLEASE CONFIRM THAT THE FOLLOWING ARE CORRECT LOGO PHONE NUMBER WEBSITE ADDRESS SPELLING GRAMMAR processes for outdated parts.

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Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY GOALS YOU WOULD LIKE TO ACHIEVE IN THE NEAR FUTURE? A: Absolutely. Arch Medical has always been driven by goals that not only advance our capabilities but also drastically improve the experiences of health care providers. In the near future, we aim to: • Increase response time efficiency: While we pride ourselves on rapid repair, we’re looking to further reduce our response times by optimizing our logistics and technician dispatching processes.

• Client feedback loop: Implement a structured feedback system to continuously understand the evolving needs of our clients and adapt our services accordingly.

• Invest in R&D: Dedicating resources towards research and development to stay ahead of the curve in terms of equipment maintenance techniques and tools.

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December 2023 | TechNation 31

BLEED 11”

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Q: IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE OUR READERS TO KNOW? A: We’d like your readers to know a few key things about Arch Medical: • Commitment to excellence: At the heart of Arch Medical is a relentless commitment to service excellence. Every piece of equipment we maintain, every repair we conduct, is underpinned by our dedication to SPACELABS • DRAGER • SCOTTCARE • NIHON KOHDEN• DATASCOPE • GE • PHILIPS ensuring the highest standards of reliability and performance.

• Beyond just maintenance: While our core competency lies in SPACEL ABS • DRAGER • SCOTTCARE medical imaging equipment maintenance, we view ourselves as NIHON KOHDEN• DATASCOPE partners in health care. This means that we are not just here to GE • PHILIPS fix problems, but to proactively ensure that health care institu“We Put The ACE In Spacelabs!” tions can provide uninterrupted, top-notch patient care.

• A team of experts: Our team is our greatest asset. Comprising WWW.SWBIOMED.COM • 800.880.7231 seasoned professionals with in-depth knowledge and vast experience, we are poised to tackle any challenge, no matter how complex.

• Future-Forward: We recognize that the realm of medical imaging is rapidly evolving. As such, we are continuously investing in training, AD SIZE PUBLICATION research and technology to stay ahead of the curve. This ensures that FULL PAGE MEDICAL DEALER TECHNATION ORTODAY BUYERS GUIDE OTHER we can seamlessly handle both today’s equipment and the next NOTES MONTH generation of medical imaging technologies.

• Partnerships matter: We believe in the power of collaboration. Our aim J F M A “M We J J Put A S OThe N D ACE In Spacelabs!” is to build long-term, trusting relationships with health care facilities. To this end, we are always open to feedback, dialogue and mutual growth.

In closing, while there are many players in the field, Arch Medical stands out because of our unwavering dedication, comprehensive expertise, and a holistic approach to health care support. We’re not just a service provider; we’re a partner in ensuring the best for both health care providers and their patients.

INDUSTRY UPDATES

AAMI UPDATE

AAMI Adopts ISO Guidance on Sterilization, Cardiovascular Devices & More

T

he Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) is happy to announce the adoption of a new tranche of ISO guidance documents. Adopted periodically over the past fiscal year, the guidance documents listed below bring valuable international guidance on medical devices to the American market. The guidance documents address a range of issues, primarily hospital sterilization, industrial sterilization and cardiovascular devices.

According to Matthew Williams, vice president of standards, AAMI, the adoption of these ISO documents will benefit the American health care system.

“AAMI’s adoption of these ISO standards provides clarity for U.S. medical device manufacturers and healthcare delivery organizations and promotes the harmonization of best practices around the world,” he explained.

“Standards are conformance-based documents that serve to assist health care industry by outlining efficacy and safety requirements for a medical device or process. Being a primary source of consensus standards for the medical device industry, AAMI’s members and advisory groups help shape the discussions that create these international standards. Patient safety is everyone’s North Star, so collaborating on the world stage for these important documents is par for the course.”

GUIDANCE ON INDUSTRIAL AND HOSPITAL STERILIZATION ANSI/AAMI/ISO 11138-8:2023, Sterilization of health care products – Biological indicators – Part 8: Method for validation of a reduced incubation item for a biological indicator, provides guidance on test methods used to confirm reduced incubation times of less than seven days for biological indicators used in monitoring sterilization processes.

32 TechNation | December 2023

ANSI/AAMI/ISO 18472:2022, Sterilization of health care products – Biological and chemical indicators – Test equipment, relates to equipment sterilization. This revised standard provides requirements for test equipment used to assess biological indicators and test chemical indicators for various sterilization modalities.

GUIDANCE ON INDUSTRIAL STERILIZATION AAMI/ISO TIR21387:2023, Sterilization of health care products – Guidance on the requirements for the validation and routine processing of ethylene oxide sterilization processes using parametric release, is a technical information report (TIR) on industrial sterilization that provides clarity on ethylene oxide sterilization that relies on parametric release for verification.

AAMI/ISO TIR16775:2023, Packaging for terminally sterilized medical devices – Guidance on the application of ISO 11607-1 and ISO 11607-2, was recently revised to reflect new scientific understanding and industry knowledge. This TIR indicates how to comply with prior ISO guidance related to best practices for packaging devices subject to sterilization modalities like ethylene oxide or gamma radiation.

ANSI/AAMI/ISO 11137-3:2017/(R)2023, Sterilization of health care products – Radiation – Part 3: Guidance on dosimetric aspects, is a reaffirmation of the requirements for the use of dosimetry found in guidance documents like ISO 1137-1 and ISO 11137-2.

ANSI/AAMI/ISO 17664-1:2022, Processing of health care products – Information to be provided by the medical device manufacturer for the processing of medical devices – Part 1: Critical and semi-critical medical devices, is another newly adopted industrial sterilization standard that specifies what information medical device manufacturers should provide regarding devices that require sterilization or disinfection.

ANSI/AAMI/ISO 17664-2:2022, Processing of health care products – Information to be provided by the medical device manufacturer for the processing of medical devices

– Part 2: Non-critical medical devices, addresses information manufacturers should provide for non-critical medical devices that are intended to undergo sterilization.

AAMI/ISO TIR22456:2022, Sterilization of health care products – Microbiological methods – Guidance on conducting bioburden determinations and tests of sterility for biologics and tissue-based products, is a newly adopted TIR related to industrial sterilization that provides guidance on specific bioburden determinations and sterility tests.

GUIDANCE ON CARDIOVASCULAR IMPLANTS Three related revised standards on cardiovascular implants will also provide for the verification and validation of the design of surgical heart valve substitutes using risk management based on a variety of different tests.

These include: • ANSI/AAMI/ISO 5840-1:2021, Cardiovascular implants –

Cardiac valve prostheses – Part 1: General requirements.

• ANSI/AAMI/ISO 5840-2:2022, Cardiovascular implants - Cardiac valve prostheses – Part 2: Surgically implanted heart valve substitutes.

• ANSI/AAMI/ISO 5840-3:2022, Cardiovascular implants – Cardiac valve prostheses – Part 3: Heart valve substitutes implanted by transcatheter techniques.

GUIDANCE ON MEDICAL SYMBOLS ANSI/AAMI/ISO 15223-1:2022, Medical devices - Symbols to be used with information to be supplied by the manufacturer – Part 1: General requirements, is a revised standard related to the symbols used for a broad range of medical devices, whether on the device itself, its packaging, or accompanying information. The standard makes changes such as adding new symbols that were validated by guidance documents like ISO 15223-2.

House Calls for HTM? Seeking to Survey Home Healthcare Practices Is your local health system meeting a growing demand for home healthcare? Is your healthcare technology management (HTM) department suddenly doing house calls? AAMI wants to hear all about it and more for a unique survey of the HTM field.

“It really is important that we hear from all sectors of the industry,” said Mike Busdicker, an enterprise director for Intermountain Health and chair of AAMI’s Technology Management Council (TMC). “So, we’re looking at maintenance management systems, independent organizations, in-house programs and manufacturers. The more information we can collect from the field, the better clarity we’ll be able to provide” for future resources and guidance.

The TMC is seeking to survey HTM professionals regarding if and how they are approaching home healthcare and the maintenance of devices intended for a patient’s home. Relevant organizations and professionals are welcome to participate in the ongoing survey.

“One of the things we’re really looking at now, as the technology continues to advance, is home healthcare. And that’s different than telehealth,” Busdicker explained.

As an example, Busdicker shared that Intermountain Health, an early adopter of home health capabilities located in Salt Lake City, Utah, has an inventory of 35,000 pieces of medical equipment intended for the care of a patient in

their home. And while these devices don’t always facilitate remote patient monitoring or remote doctor-to-patient communication – as would be seen with telehealth devices – they do remain a constant fixture in patient’s treatment.

“We’re now installing things like dialysis machines, O2 concentrators, etcetera … So, now our frontline caregivers and HTM technicians have to go into patients’ homes” to care for those patients and maintain their devices, Busdicker said. He added that the demand for at-home healthcare is only increasing as technological advances in medical devices enable new levels of at-home care.

The main question he and his peers are seeking to answer is, “What is the involvement of HTM departments in home health?” Once Busdicker and his peers have a better understanding of how your average HTM department is approaching the subject, they’ll better be able to identify common challenges the TMC may address by creating guidance documents and curating helpful resources for the greater HTM community.

“How many organizations are involved with home health? How many have home health facilities located throughout a state or region where equipment is going out to patients and coming back? And when a patient goes home and equipment goes with them, how involved is HTM with that process?” he asked. “We want to learn as much as we can.”

December 2023 | TechNation 33

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

ECRI’s Brad Bonnette tests transport ventilators for pandemic readiness applications.

ECRI UPDATE

A

Key Considerations When Stockpiling Ventilators for Future Crises n emergency stockpile helps organizations continue operations when normal equipment inventories or supplies become depleted or when supply chains are disrupted. The importance of such stockpiles became all too evident during the COVID-19 pandemic. One particular challenge – obtaining respiratory assistance technologies, like ventilators – remains fresh in many people’s minds. To help organizations plan for future crises, ECRI has tested and rated several ventilator models that might be stockpiled for use in a pandemic or other emergency. Key observations from the nonprofit organization’s recent evaluation are presented below.

36 TechNation | December 2023

“If you’re stockpiling ventilators that won’t meet patients’ needs in a crisis, then you’re not really stockpiling ventilators.” That’s the blunt assessment of Brad Bonnette, senior project engineer in ECRI’s Device Evaluation group.

Bonnette led ECRI’s 2023 evaluation of transport ventilators, devices that are sometimes stockpiled for use in a pandemic or other emergency that may result in many patients requiring respiratory assistance. ECRI’s research revealed that many of the ventilator models that are designed specifically for pandemic/stockpiling applications would be virtually useless if they were ever called into service. The devices simply don’t have all the features needed to provide adequate ventilatory support.

“There seems to be this perception that you don’t need sophisticated ventilators in the stockpile,” notes Bonnette.

“Just buy a bunch of cheap ones,” the thinking goes. One thing that COVID showed us, though, is that “patients will need real help during a crisis, so you need a real ventilator – one that provides the required functionality.”

Full-featured transport ventilators can be a good choice for this application. Basic, bare-bones devices, on the other hand, may prove to be a waste of money and space. ECRI’s September 2023 Evaluation of transport ventilators identified some of the key features to look for when assessing ventilator models for pandemic readiness applications.

MINIMUM CAPABILITIES Transport ventilators are designed to provide breathing support for patients while they are being transported within different areas of the hospital or from one hospital to another. Defining characteristics of such models are that they operate on battery power, they do not require an external source of compressed air for basic operation, and they are portable – that is, they can be easily carried or moved with the patient. These models are less sophisticated (and less expensive) than intensive care ventilators.

Even so, many modern transport models offer advanced features that can make them appropriate for the ICU, typically as a backup option, or for other applications such as long-term care or home use.

The combination of sufficiently broad capabilities, low cost and portability (small size, battery-powered operation) make transport ventilators an attractive option for ventilator stockpiles. Buyers need to beware, however, that not all non-ICU ventilators are the same. Some basic ventilators have been developed specifically for stockpiling for pandemic use; and many of these models are much less sophisticated than a typical modern transport ventilator. In fact, many of them lack some features that most users would find essential.

ECRI recommends that organizations that are purchasing ventilators for stockpiling consider only devices that have the following features: • Patient-disconnect and high-pressure alarms • Volume breaths, pressure breaths and pressure support • A blender with the ability to deliver gas from 21% to 100% oxygen when a high-pressure source is available • Tidal volumes as low as 50 mL to support small pediatric patients • Adjustable volume alarms (either tidal or minute volume) • Peak flow between 10 and 80 L/min Ventilator models that lacked these features were not useful in treating COVID-19 patients, and are very unlikely to be useful in future respiratory pandemics.

ECRI’s bottom line? Even though bare-bones devices can be much less expensive than more sophisticated models, money is better spent on obtaining ventilators that can be used to treat the types of respiratory complications that are most likely in a pandemic or other surge scenario, even if that means having fewer devices in the stockpile.

ADDITIONAL CONSIDERATIONS In addition to including the features required for providing the anticipated level of ventilatory support, ventilators that are to be pressed into service during an emergency must

be ready for use when the crisis strikes. That is, models that are intended for pandemic readiness applications should be well suited to long-term storage in a stockpile. “There are practical realities that must be considered and accounted for,” explains Bonnette. “Batteries will deplete over time or may swell or otherwise become damaged in storage.

Breathing circuits or other required accessories may be separated from the unit and hard to locate when needed.

Consumable products may reach their expiration date.”

To account for such factors, ECRI includes the following criteria in its testing of ventilators for this purpose: • Batteries should be easy to replace as necessary while the unit is configured for storage.

• The container should have an external label listing environmental storage requirements.

• The container should not be excessively large and should allow multiple devices to be stored together without a lot of wasted space.

• The manufacturer should offer maintenance training and provide the service manual to trained personnel.

• Any required accessories and consumables should be stored with the ventilator, rather than in a separate container.

• The consumables packaging should have an external label listing the expiration date.

Similarly, devices that are intended to be placed into service during an emergency should be easy to use, since the clinicians who will need to use them may not have experience with that model. ECRI’s criteria specifies that ventilator operation should be self-evident to a user qualified to operate the device so that, in an emergency, it can be operated with minimal delay and risk of error.

ECRI’S TESTING In September 2023, ECRI tested and rated five transport ventilator models for pandemic readiness applications. All the models tested meet ECRI’s minimum requirements for this purpose and performed well in our performance, safety, workflow, interoperability and cybersecurity testing.

Key differentiating factors centered on maintenance and ease-of-use issues.

ECRI did not test any basic models that lack the capabilities outlined above. Based on features alone, such models would be rated unacceptable for stockpiling applications.

TO LEARN MORE . . .

This article is adapted from ECRI’s “Evaluation Background: Transport Ventilators, Evaluated for Pandemic Readiness Use” (Device Evaluation 2023 Sep 29).

Members of ECRI’s Capital Guide, Device Evaluation, and associated programs can access the complete article, along with ECRI’s evaluations of—and product ratings for—related technologies. To learn more about membership, visit https://www.ecri.org/solutions/device-evaluations, or contact ECRI by telephone at (610) 825-6000, ext. 5891, or by e-mail at clientservices@ecri.org.

December 2023 | TechNation 37

THE BENCH

BIOMED 101

How to Successfully Network in HTM

N

BY BRYANT HAWKINS

etworking is an integral part of any career, and in the dynamic and evolving world of healthcare technology management (HTM) it’s more crucial than ever.

Building and maintaining professional relationships can significantly impact your career growth and development. In this column, we’ll explore valuable strategies for successful networking in the HTM industry. Whether you’re just starting or aiming to advance in your career, these tips will help you forge the connections you need to thrive.

ATTEND INDUSTRY EVENTS: • Events like MD Expo, AAMI eXchange or local HTM association conferences are goldmines for networking opportunities.

• Carry an ample supply of business cards and approach others with a warm introduction.

• Don’t hesitate to strike up conversations with new people, and always follow up after the event to nurture your connections.

• Attending industry events establishes you as an engaged HTM professional and fosters relationships with peers.

LEVERAGE SOCIAL MEDIA: • Platforms like LinkedIn provide a convenient way to connect with industry professionals and stay informed about industry news.

• Ensure your profile is complete, highlighting your current role, education, certifications and relevant skills.

• Join industry groups and actively participate in discussions to expand your network and establish yourself as a thought leader.

• Using social media allows you to connect with professionals globally, transcending geographical boundaries.

HARNESS THE POWER OF COLLEAGUES: • Your current colleagues and those in other departments can be invaluable networking resources.

38 TechNation | December 2023

• Take the time to get to know your coworkers, attend company events and broaden your professional relationships.

• Seek out colleagues with expertise in areas of interest and learn from their experiences.

• Building strong relationships within your organization can open doors to wider networks and opportunities.

VOLUNTEER FOR REGIONAL HTM ORGANIZATIONS: • Joining your local HTM organization provides a platform to connect with like-minded professionals who share your interests.

• Volunteering within these organizations enables you to form bonds with fellow volunteers and leaders.

• Seek out opportunities to serve on committees or boards to actively contribute to the organization’s growth.

• Volunteering positions you as a leader within the HTM community and offers access to influential contacts.

MASTER THE ART OF FOLLOW-UP: • After meeting someone new, promptly follow up within a few days with a personalized message or email.

• Express gratitude for their time and reinforce the connection.

• Maintain communication by sharing industry news, offering insights and staying updated on their work.

• Consistent follow-up helps cultivate lasting relationships that can benefit your career over time.

In conclusion, networking is a cornerstone of success in the HTM industry. Whether you’re building connections at industry events, utilizing social media, engaging with colleagues, volunteering for industry organizations or mastering the art of follow-up, these strategies can help you build a robust network that propels your career forward. Networking is not just about who you know, but also about how effectively you engage with your professional community. By implementing these tips, you’ll be well on your way to building meaningful relationships and achieving your career goals in the world of HTM. I wish you all the best in your HTM career.

Bryant Hawkins Sr. is the site manager at Children’s Hospital New Orleans.

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December 2023 | TechNation 41

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IN CASE YOU MISSED IT

Watch these webinars on-demand

“Is My CT Tube Arcing?

How to Diagnose and Troubleshoot” chronosimaging.com Jerome Howard, manufacturing engineer/technical manager at Chronos Imaging, discussed CT arcing as well as how to diagnose and troubleshoot CT issues. Attendees took away a better understanding of the high voltage chain.

The webinar also provided a troubleshooting path and how to identify the source of a problem. An informative question-and-answer session added insights to the knowledge shared with attendees. The webinar is available for on-demand viewing at WebinarWednesday.live. Howard had 123 individuals register for his presentation which is close to the 141 average registrations per session so far in 2023. Attendees provided feedback regarding their webinar experience via a survey that included the question, “Was today’s presentation worth your time?”

•

“It was a very expository and insightful presentation that I actually learnt a great deal especially the diagnosing and the troubleshooting which I must say is very tricky as pointed out by the presenter.”

– Theresa Eleonye, Biomedical Engineer, PPC Ltd..

“The IPA-3100, The Most Compact, Feature Dense Single Channel Analyzer on the Market”

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Presenter Lucio Simoni, BC Group vice president of engineering, demonstrated how to use the IPA-3100 to test an infusion pump. He went through several tests. Attendees were able to learn why the IPA-3100 is the most compact, feature dense single channel analyzer on the market. It is a high accuracy and easy-to-use system incorporating full touch screen control with an intuitive interface. It has built-in Bluetooth wireless technology and is myBC mobile compatible. The IPA-3100’s Bluetooth wireless technology syncs to myBC mobile and allows for wireless testing and control. With the use of myBC mobile or BC Flow, multiple test configurations can be stored for quick testing. Records of each test can be saved for later viewing and analysis. Reports can also be generated from test records for in-depth analysis. Attendees were asked, “What was your single biggest takeaway from today’s product demo?”

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“Always like to see new test equipment in action.”

– Jason Hoeing, Biomedical Engineering Manager

“Maintaining Proficiency of a CMMS at All Levels of an Organization”

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Presenter Matthew Binko shared ways to create a CMMS training program to ensure maximum effectiveness for users of all levels.

This included training throughout the life cycle of the software and beyond. He also answered questions during the webinar providing additional knowledge to attendees. Binko has more than 15 years of experience in hospital security including roles as director of security for two major medical centers. Binko has been the training manager for AIMS 3 since 2021. His training philosophy is for customers not to obsess about using their CMMS software perfectly, but to make it work efficiently for them. Attendees were asked, “What was your single biggest takeaway from today’s webinar?”

•

“Tailor your CMMS implementation off of your HTM team’s workflow to drive appropriate behavior and good documentation practices.”

– Tom Caballero, executive director clinical technology with Kaiser Permanente

“From Discounts to Dangers: Navigating Patient Safety and Cybersecurity with Secondary Market MedTech”

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Presented by Rapid7 Principal Security Researcher Deral Heiland and Ty Greenhalgh the session discussed how Heiland acquired and examined a series of secondary market infusion pumps. Infusion pumps, which are primary care devices, transmitting fluids, medicine and vital nutrients directly into the circulatory system of the connected patient. Thinking like a hacker, Heiland identified several areas where improperly decommissioned devices create a new threat vector for the healthcare delivery organization.

Should e-Bay be responsible? What were the failures in security?

How can they be prevented? The presenters answered these questions and more. After the webinar the floor was opened up for questions from attendees. The presenters did an outstanding job delivering top-notch information, receiving the highest rating for 2023 with a 4.2 score out of a possible maximum of 5. Attendees provided feedback via a survey that included the question, “Why did you attend today’s webinar?”

•

“Our hospital is implementing RTLS tagging. I wanted to gain more knowledge on the topic.”

– Raul Garcia, BMET Lead, Cedars Sinai Medical Center.

December 2023 | TechNation 43

ROUNDTABLE

ROUNDTABLE

T

TEST EQUIPMENT

echNation reached out to several healthcare technology management professionals for input regarding test equipment for this month’s roundtable feature article. Participating in the discussion are Pronk Technologies Vice President of Sales and Marketing Greg Alkire; Radcal Co-Directors Global Sales Melodie Eberhart and Steve Jack (E&J); Netech Lead Electrical Engineer Rayas Ramidal; IMT. Analytics Inc. Business Development Director Kerwin Sanger; Bird Technologies Test and Measurement Performance Product Manager Michelle Specht; and BC Group International Vice President of Sales and Marketing Tim Welby.

simulation system that is flexible in its features and able to test any type of vital signs monitor is key. For those specializing in servicing infusion pumps, having very accurate measurements using an analyzer compatible with any type of infusion device is a must. At Pronk, our test equipment solutions are tailored to meet those wide range of needs for a biomedical engineer.

Q: WHAT IS ONE PIECE OF TEST EQUIPMENT EVERY HTM PROFESSIONAL NEEDS AND WHY? Alkire: The HTM field is very diverse, and so narrowing it down to one piece of equipment depends upon the biomedical engineer’s particular job. A compact electrical safety analyzer like the Safe-T Sim is the basis for most medical device testing requirements. Also, a complete vital signs

Ramidal: A leakage analyzer. The first step in biomedical equipment testing should be leakage verification of the unit under test. This vital step ensures the unit, and all connections, are not inadequate and fully functional prior to further testing.

44 TechNation | December 2023

E&J: A versatile X-ray test meter designed to adapt to new technology. Radcal’s Accu-Gold+ Touch Basic and Professional X-ray QA meters meet both the users need for quick checks and in-depth Excel Reporting tasks. These meters, coupled with our brand new AG3 software, offer users machinespecific preset profiles. These profiles provide the user with single exposure results without having to do manual instrument or software setting changes.

Sanger: A high-accuracy, easy-to-use, quality flow analyzer. There is a myriad of devices in a hospital

that produce gas flows and pressures. Ensuring their accuracy is crucial to patient safety.

Specht: For HTM professionals working with MRI machines, a dedicated MRI RF power measurement test kit is an essential piece of test equipment that ensures the safety and optimal performance of MRI machines and adherence to regulatory standards.

Having such specialized equipment is crucial for the detailed and sensitive nature of MRI technology, where precision and accuracy are paramount.

Ensuring RF power output is accurate and consistent, which is crucial for obtaining clear images and safeguarding patient safety.

Welby: A safety analyzer with built-in autosequencing; both fixed and custom. Along with Bluetooth capabilities to run the tests from an app and capture the readings without having to write the results manually; SA-2600.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME TEST EQUIPMENT FEATURES BIOMEDS SHOULD LOOK FOR WHEN PURCHASING? Alkire: Biomedical engineers need to complete testing and also document their work. The ability to capture test results wirelessly into a complete electronic report improves accuracy and eliminates manual documentation. Pronk’s Mobilize Wireless Solution provides biomeds this ability plus they can wirelessly control the test equipment and capture all the test results into the Mobilize App for a comprehensive, automated electronic report.

Mobilize operates as an open platform and is capable of integrating with other manufacturers’ test equipment, such as flow analyzers from TSI Incorporated and some of the most popular defibrillator analyzers on the market.

E&J: In the field of diagnostic X-ray QA “ease of use” is very important. The fewer meter settings the user has to change will save time and money. Preset profiles for quicker measurement time is essential. Being able to capture multiple regions of interest with one exposure is a game changer. Selecting a meter that is a standalone that also has computer connectivity allowing for report generation improves productivity.

Ramidal: Accuracy and reliability of the unit being purchased. Ease of use, in a fast-paced environment biomeds want equipment that is easy to use with minimal training requirements. Connectivity, with modern technology, pens and paper are slowly being replaced with Bluetooth and Wi-Fi. Biomeds require instant test results that can be printed or emailed at

the push of a button. Compatibility, the unit should be upgradeable if necessary to fit the needs of medical equipment manufacturers who are always evolving and adding features to their products, whether it’s new testing or new test parameters.

Biomedical test equipment should be able to test and provide accurate results.

Sanger: Ease of use, accuracy, reliability, automation of workflow, data capture and reporting capability.

Today’s biomeds face an almost unsurmountable number of devices that require maintenance and service. Anything that can gain efficiency in testing and reporting during that service is invaluable in saving time, and accurately reporting the results.

Specht: Biomedical engineers/technicians should prioritize accuracy, ease of use and portability when selecting test equipment for medical device maintenance and safety assurance. Accurate tools are essential for ensuring devices operate within established safety parameters. Ease of use is vital, as user-friendly interfaces, clear displays and straightforward operation enables techs to conduct tests efficiently and minimize the likelihood of user error. Portability is crucial and convenient in conducting on-the-spot assessments across various health care settings.

Welby: Equipment that is portable, Bluetooth capable with an app (myBC Mobile) to improve throughput and reduce transcription errors, confidence in its accuracy, and upgradable without the need to purchase a new piece of equipment, i.e. adding a Bluetooth adapter instead of having to purchase a new piece of equipment to have Bluetooth capabilities.

Q: WHAT ARE THE MOST IMPORTANT THINGS TO LOOK FOR IN A TEST EQUIPMENT MANUFACTURER? Alkire: It is important to select products with high reliability and with a strong warranty to back it up. Also, look for test equipment that is designed to serve the rapidly evolving needs for both detailed electronic reports, as well as expandable capabilities and features. The test equipment needs to be very durable inside and out to meet the rigors of the health care environment. These are the cornerstones of our philosophy in providing an industry-best, standard four-year warranty. Pronk is the only biomedical test equipment manufacturer that engineers all product designs to pass drop tests of 50 times from 3 feet in order to prevent unnecessary downtime.

December 2023 | TechNation 45

ROUNDTABLE

Greg Alkire Pronk Technologies

Melodie Eberhart Radcal

E&J: Since your test equipment represents a major investment that is critical to your business for many years to come, one should look for a partner who is proven, stable, reliable and established. Consider the life cycle of the relationship including service, repair and calibration that are critical to operating and maintaining test equipment over the long run. As diagnostic imaging continues to grow and evolve, the requirements of your test equipment may grow and will likely evolve as well. One should select test equipment from a line that is modular, interchangeable and extensible to meet changing needs.

Ramidal: Customer service, lead times, customer rating, warranty provided, servicing units (repairs and recalibration), cost of the products offered and location.

Sanger: The manufacturer should be one with experience and expertise in the field of biomedical devices. Many companies simply acquire or develop devices to sell without a true understanding of the end user’s needs. The manufacturer should also be very customer-focused before and after the sale. They should be responsive and supportive of their customers.

Specht: When selecting a test equipment manufacturer, focus primarily on the quality and reliability of their products to ensure they meet the highest industry standards. Ensure the products are not only reliable but also incorporate advanced features, enhancing precision and efficiency.

Additionally, compliance with regulatory standards is crucial, indicating that their technology meets the required safety and performance benchmarks.

Welby: Are you paying for unnecessary features?

Having several model choices available could reduce unnecessary spending and keep dollars in your capital budget.

46 TechNation | December 2023

Steve Jack Radcal

Rayas Ramidal Netech

Q: CAN YOU BRIEFLY TELL READERS ABOUT ONE PRODUCT OR UPDATE YOUR COMPANY OFFERS HTM PROFESSIONALS? Alkire: We are excited to introduce our new product, Pressure MAX Digital Pressure Meter. It features positive, negative and differential pressure measurements for gas and fluids with extreme accuracy and performance specs plus wireless documentation of test results. It is so compact (1.25” x 2.6” x 3.3”) that it fits into a shirt pocket and is battery-operated. It comes with two independent pressure channels: Narrow Port (-300 to 400 mmHg) and Wide Port (-14 to 100 PSI). Combining this extraordinary range and extreme accuracy makes Pressure MAX the most versatile and advanced meter in our industry, eliminating the need to purchase multiple pressure meters.

E&J: Radcal is excited to announce our new AG3 software platform for Accu-Gold Digitizers and all Touch Pro Meters. The enhanced user interface allows users to quickly begin measurement sessions and added useful methods for collecting more data in less time. The AG3 software adds profiles for many diagnostic and mammography machines. Profiles enable a user to choose a pre-set, optimized set of parameter settings eliminating time spent by users selecting settings such as anode/filter combinations, trigger threshold, end delay and more.

Ramidal: One of the most advanced, versatile and accurate units we currently supply in the HTM market is the EXPMT 2000A. A compact pacemaker analyzer that is portable and rechargeable with a large display and high accuracy. This unit can be used to test dual chamber pacemakers (atrial and ventricular) as well as transthoracic pacemakers. A definite must-have for all HTM Professionals.

Sanger: Our biggest update is our upcoming grand opening of our new U.S. facility that will provide sales,

Kerwin Sanger IMT.Analytics Inc.

Michelle Specht Bird Technologies

service and calibrations for all our devices. We, and many of our customers, have been looking forward to its opening for some time and it’s finally here!

Specht: Bird’s MRI3T Power Measurement Kit is an invaluable tool for HTM professionals, ensuring optimal performance and safety of MRI machines through measurement accuracy and calibration. Not only does it facilitate accurate and reliable testing of RF power output, crucial for clear imaging and patient safety, but it also plays a pivotal role in the routine maintenance of MRI systems. Our kit aids in identifying potential issues before they escalate, confirming that the MRI machines are operating within the specified regulatory and manufacturer guidelines. Bird’s MRI3T Kit not only assures accurate measurements but contributes to the longevity and reliable operation of MRI technology by streamlining maintenance processes.

Welby: BC Group continues to innovate and produce new pieces of equipment to meet the needs of the HTM community i.e., new portable single channel infusion pump analyzer with Bluetooth built in; IPA-3100.

Q: WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK TECHNATION READERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT TEST EQUIPMENT GOING INTO 2024?

Alkire: Test equipment evolution will continue in the coming year. Pronk will continue to expand its product offerings including the Mobilize Wireless Solution which is rapidly becoming the industry standard by improving the speed and accuracy of testing any type of medical device.

This complete solution provides the ability to execute the test procedures with built-in smart checklists that automate the testing. It generates electronic reports automatically as the PM is being completed with the ability to print out a PM sticker and transmit the reports to a CMMS/database all wirelessly.

E&J: It is important for today’s professionals to

Tim Welby BC Group

consider the broader aspects of how their instruments are used. The days of hand copying numbers into a lab book are fast disappearing. Look for a partner willing to tailor your instrument, software and service to your individual needs. The time savings and improved user experience are well worth the effort.

Ramidal: There will be more advanced test units going into 2024 that will offer more features, focus on EEG testing is an up-and-coming market. I am certain we will see more of this type of testing equipment as well as more connectivity and advanced features on other biomedical test equipment.

Sanger: IMT.Analytics has a complete line of gas flow and pressure analyzers and meters, and test lungs to support the needs of biomeds throughout the hospital.

We continue to innovate and develop new features and capabilities that allow our devices to grow and adapt to the changing needs of our customers. The purchase of one of our devices is an investment in your test equipment now and into the future.

Specht: The integration of advanced technology into test equipment, like our Bird MRI3T Kit, is a prevailing trend. HTM professionals should anticipate more sophisticated, user friendly and data-centric tools.

These innovations are geared towards ensuring not only the accuracy of measurements but also the ease of analyzing and interpreting data to make informed decisions on equipment maintenance and safety.

Welby: With the eminent retirement of many baby boomers, the biomed industry is preparing to do more with less people. This gives way to the topic of how to retain high accuracy and increase throughput.

Bluetooth capabilities in testing equipment should play a major part in supplying a tool to accomplish increased throughput while retaining high accuracy.

December 2023 | TechNation 47

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COVER STORY

WISH LIST:

WHAT DO BMETS AND HTM MANAGERS WANT GOING INTO 2024 PAGE 50

I

Photo credit to Samaritan’s Purse

n the 1940 Walt Disney movie “Pinocchio,” character Jiminy Cricket (voice actor Cliff Edwards) sang the movie’s signature song; “When You Wish Upon a Star.” The song later became the official anthem of The Walt Disney Company.

In the movie, the wooden puppet Pinocchio wishes to be a real boy. The song has been recognized as one of the greatest songs in film history. The concept of wishing or hoping is as old as humankind, but it endures in the evolution of new discoveries, medical breakthroughs and New Year’s resolutions.

For this story, when asked about wishes for the coming 50 TechNation | December 2023

year, those HTM professionals who responded, had very few wishes for a thing or possession and more wishes for the profession or their ability to provide exceptional service.

Most wishes for the new year did not involve a multitool or addition to a tool belt, but instead a wish for change or action, technology and even legislation.

This is in contrast to some previous wish lists that included tools or calibration devices as common wishes for the coming year. A previous wish list story, which received input influenced by the experience of the pandemic, included wishes of those in the HTM community for a healthier world and a better new year.

The earlier wish list story pointed out that there was a much-needed hope for “optimism” in the coming years. Many

COVER STORY of those “wishes” were really the wishes of all people who were focused on herd immunity, an improving economy and a reduction in consumer prices.

In the earlier gathering of “wishes,” there were themes that covered “the need for change in the field, standardizations and unshackling biomeds from restrictions.”

Yet every year brings something new with expectations of things known and surprises that were not anticipated.

This coming year, 2024, will see a total solar eclipse in April, many new model cars and trucks will be released with more EVs, political party conventions will take place in July and August with an election in November, the summer Olympics in Paris in July, and of course, the Apple iPhone in September.

It will be a year that will satisfy some wish lists, although inflation-adjusted amounts in the tax code will increase in the U.S., and taxes increase for 2026, so not all wishes can be granted.

“I would say a large topic has to be full-time employee (FTE) availability and also the ability to hire FTEs with the current state of health care economics. I don’t have much in this fight because I’m more on the IT side, but I know every health system keeps opening more surgical centers and medical office buildings,” says David Soffer, manager of the Medical Device I.S. Specialist Team at WellSpan Health.

He says that biomed/HTM FTEs are never part of that expansion discussion.

“Equipment count increases and site numbers grow; but FTEs remain the same,” Soffer says.

Along with staffing, there are wishes for training opportunities and funding.

“Training budgets: we need to stop relying on service contracts and show our worth to the C-suite,” says Matthew Kenney, CHTM, director of HTM and EVS at Aiken Regional Medical Centers in Aiken, South Carolina.

Kenney says that his other wishes would be better pay to INTANGIBLES gain new techs to the field and to retain the The wishes of HTM technicians and manones they train, along with IT cross-training. agement align in many ways with the Most wishes for the “More equipment is becoming networked. greatest number of wishes fitting into the Easier access to conferences. All techs should new year did not intangibles category. It appears that most have that opportunity,” he says.

HTM professionals share a mutual focus Some wishes go to legislative and involve a multitool or on a wish for those things that can imexecutive branch decisions as they impact the prove the profession, working conditions, addition to a tool belt, nation’s health care system. staffing and legislation.

“I wish the Biden administration but instead a wish for A common request that bridged a Derepeals the 3.3 percent cut to Medicare cember 2021 wish list story and this one are for 2024. Hospitals are at a razor-thin change or action, wishes for more right to repair laws that famargin (if it’s even positive) and this vor the technician and the DIYer. technology and even affects biomed departments in staffing, Not every wish has to be discerned by training and the acquisition of new legislation. the five senses. Some are elusive and (replacement) equipment,” says Samantha some only quantifiable.

Jacques, Ph.D., FACHE, AAMIF, vice “My wish is for more time! I know it’s impresident of McLaren Clinical Engineering Services possible, but maybe be able to manage my time better. I know it’s (MCES) at McLaren Health Care in Michigan. something that is accomplishable,” says David Scott, CBET, seAnother of Jacques’ wishes relates to legislation, but nior biomedical equipment technician at University of Colorado more specifically, that other legislation should have Hospital in Aurora, Colorado. broader application.

Scott, who is well-known in the HTM community for his work “On December 29, 2022, the Consolidated Appropriawith CBET preparation, also has some more elusive, but tions Act, 2023 (Omnibus) was signed into law. Section achievable wishes on his list.

3305 of the Omnibus – “Ensuring Cybersecurity of Medical “I wish for the right to repair to be resolved. I wish for more Devices” – amended the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic virtual ways to network/interact with other BMETs. This includes Act (FD&C Act) by adding section 524B, Ensuring Cybersetraining, and maybe biomed association meetings, conferences curity of Devices (Section 3305). Manufacturers are or other opportunities that I haven’t thought of. Virtual ways to required by the FDA, for newly submitted devices, to have a make training and events more affordable or easier,” he adds. robust cybersecurity plan. I wish manufacturers applied While 2024 brings many intangibles for HTM professionals those plans to existing supported and end of support devicto aim for, a trip to MD Expo in Las Vegas in April should es so that hospitals had patches, plans and alternate certainly be one of them. Add that one to your wish list if you remediations to limit cyber risk to the hospitals,” she says. haven’t already. Find out more at MDExpoShow.com.

Reflecting on Jacques’ wishes for legislation, another THE DIRECTOR AND LEADERSHIP LIST recurring them for wishes is right to repair.

HTM leadership shares some wishes with supervisors and “There are several items I know that HTM managers technicians, as well as having some wishes that relate more would love to have going into 2024, but I believe a right to directly to their responsibilities. repair legislation is right at the top for me (and for most),” December 2023 | TechNation 51

COVER STORY

BMET/HTM PROFESSIONALS

says Tony Cody, CHTM, Tech Management/ENTECH Director at Banner Health in Colorado.

He says that he would like to see the following: “A CMMS that delivers on what is advertised seamlessly, a mature system that links PM procedures with test equipment (one with a significant number of prebuilt procedures that is updated to OEM standards), a pipeline of qualified BMETs, a return of the quality certification by AAMI and an adoption of unified codes, failures, etcetera by the HTM community that makes benchmarking feasible,” Cody says.

“Technicians with on-the-job experience coming into the role, HTM tech school and certification, involvement when equipment is being ordered/delivered and service reports from manufacturer/third-party within three working days,” are wishes suggested

by Stephanie Drake, clinical engineering manager with Intermountain Health.

Staffing challenges are a common concern and wish by leadership as we enter a new year.

“I would wish for an increase in the amount of viable candidates in my local area. It has always been hard to find candidates where my hospital is located, but after COVID, it seemed to be even more difficult and took a long time to fill our vacant positions,” says Ryan Harris, CBET, director of healthcare technology management at Texoma Medical Center in Denison, Texas.

With the focus on budgetary concerns that come along with leadership responsibilities, it is no surprise that these concerns make the wish list. “[I] wish to see a reduction in the number of device alerts/recalls that the OEMs are currently generating. The time and overhead that these cost the typical in-house CE department for follow-up is cumbersome,” says Paul Gudenau, CBET, CHTM, regional manager of the southern region, clinical engineering services at McLaren Healthcare Inc. Gudenau also says that he wishes there were more capital dollars available to replace legacy/end of support capital assets.

“It is a huge challenge, these days, trying to keep end of support, mission critical systems functioning,” he adds.

Working capital also made the wish list of Martin Poulin, M.Eng., P.Eng., FCMBES, director of biomedical engineering for Island Health/Royal Jubilee Hospital Site in Victoria, British Columbia, Canada.

“I want an affordable CMMS that is efficient for my staff to enter data both from laptop and mobile phone. I want to be able to get reports out of the CMMS that I have confidence in the data to help guide the efficient management of healthcare technology,” he says.

“I’d also like our health system in Canada to adequately provide capital dollars to replace healthcare technology in a timely fashion. Emergency capital replacement is how we plan for capital replacement these days,” Poulin adds.

THE TECHNICIAN LIST Technicians, leads and supervisors, reflected some of the wishes of directors and senior leadership along with wishes that are more specific to their duties and routines. There were mentions of intangibles that dominate these lists.

“For every HTM professional to know how special and valued they are for all of the hard work and long hours they put in each and every day. We may not get enough thank yous or kudos from the medical staff we help, but we have to

WISH LIST: “I wish for an affordable CMMS that is efficient for my staff to enter data both from laptop and mobile phone.”

- Martin Poulin

“I wish for the right to repair to be resolved. I wish for more virtual ways to network/interact with other BMETs.” - David Scott

“I wish to have full-time employee (FTE) availability and also the ability to hire FTEs with the current state of health care economics.”

- David Soffer

““I wish the Biden administration repeals the 3.3 percent cut to Medicare for 2024.”

- Samantha Jacques

“I wish for better pay to gain new techs to the field and to retain the ones they train, along with IT cross-training.”

- Matthew Kenney

“I wish to see a reduction in the number of device alerts/recalls that the OEMs are currently generating.”

- Paul Gudenau

“I would wish for an increase in the amount of viable candidates in my local area.”

- Ryan Harris

“I wish for technicians with on-the-job experience coming into the role, HTM tech school and certification...”

- Stephanie Drake

“I believe a right to repair legislation is right at the top for me.”

- Tony Cody

COVER STORY always remember to lift each other up and to be each other’s cheerleaders,” says Allison Woolford, CBET, biomedical equipment specialist/clinical engineering–periop team lead at Duke University Health System.

Woolford also wishes for increased exposure to the HTM world to help get more people interested and aware of the field.

“I always wish for more techs to become certified and elevate their career. Look at their ‘job’ as a ‘career’ and themselves as a medical professional. I The wishes of most in wish for more new techs coming into the the HTM community career field to replace all of us ‘old guys,’ ” are really unselfish Scott says.

Eric Baltazar, CHTM, and are hopes for CBET, supervisor of things that will clinical engineering at the Cleveland Clinic benefit all biomeds Martin Health in Stuart, Florida, says that his and the profession. wish list could change from time-to-time depending on his surrounding demands, although some items that remain constant include the following.

“Standardize clinical engineering and IT department relations to better service and support networked medical equipment,” Baltazar says.

He also wishes for some level of automation and expectations for vendors to get back field service reports to CE departments for documenting PMs and corrective work.

“An industry perk program that caters to HTM professionals only (i.e. auto insurance discounts, cell provider discount, uniforms discounts) and offer college grants for individuals pursuing careers under the HTM umbrella,” Baltazar adds.

Woolford has other wishes that fall into the intangible group.

“The ability to go to vendor training, standardization of job titles, descriptions and requirements across the HTM field.

Salaries that match the cost of living and to be able to call the vendor for help and not need a purchase order,” she says.

“HTM and IT finally working together in harmony. Hospital staff finally realizing what clinical engineering does and doesn’t work on. It is hard to go back to sleep after a 1 a.m. page because the room is too cold,” Woolford adds.

She also has a couple of tangible items on her wish list.

“Test equipment that syncs together and puts the results directly into the CMMS database. CMMS mobile interface that is actually user friendly,” Woolford adds.

The wishes of most in the HTM community are really unselfish and are hopes for things that will benefit all biomeds and the profession. The change from the wish list at the end of 2021 reflects a post-pandemic refocus on what is necessary to move into the future for all biomeds.

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EXPERT ADVICE

CAREER CENTER

If a position is listed on a job board but not the company website, should you apply?

I

BY KATHLEEN FURORE

’ve found several instances where a job that’s listed on an online job board doesn’t appear on the list of open positions on the hiring company’s website. Is it a waste of time to apply to an ad if the company to which you’re supposedly applying doesn’t include the opening in its list of open positions?

Adam Garcia, CEO and owner of The Stock Dork, says that while coming across that kind of a job posting could be a warning sign, “it doesn’t mean you should dismiss it outright.”

Executive coach Loren Margolis, founder of global leadership development firm TLS Leaders, agrees. “If you’re interested in applying for the ad on the online board, do it,” Margolis says.

That’s because there are several reasons the situation occurs, Garcia and Margolis explain.

The company’s website may not be updated as frequently as the job board’s listings. This often results in a delay in posting new openings, Garcia says.

The company may have outsourced its hiring process.

As Garcia notes, the company might have outsourced to a third-party recruiter or may be using multiple platforms, leading to differences in job postings.

Companies don’t always advertise job openings on their website. That is the case for a number of reasons, Margolis says. “People come to a company website for a variety of reasons, not necessarily to look at the jobs that are posted,” she explains. “Moreover, the ideal candidate may not even know about the company yet, so recruiters

wisely post openings on a job board so they’re guaranteed that people who are seeking that kind of role are going to see it.”

The company wants to do more targeted recruiting.

“Hiring managers frequently post open roles on niche job sites, not their company website, so they appeal to and recruit an audience with specific skills and [job seekers] who check those boards more frequently,” Margolis says.

Garcia says it’s a good idea to use a two-pronged approach to avoid wasting time.

1. Apply through the online job board, as the posting could be legitimate.

2. Contact the company directly. This is the step Garcia recommends if you’re particularly interested in the position. “You can do this either through their HR department or by reaching out to someone within the organization to inquire about the job opening’s status,” Garcia says. “This proactive approach not only ensures that your application is considered but also shows your genuine interest in the position.”

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.

December 2023 | TechNation 55

EXPERT ADVICE

20/20 IMAGING INSIGHTS Field Testing of Ultrasound Probes

W

BY MATT TOMORY

e often get questions asking, “What’s the best way to test ultrasound probes in the field?” It’s interesting that OEM user and service manuals don’t go into much, if any, detail into how to assess probe performance. It’s often left up to individual HTM teams to determine what, how, and when to test a probe. The process actually varies, or should vary, based upon the scope of the environment.

PROBE MANUFACTURING In our FDA-registered probe manufacturing facility, our teams utilize a host of instruments to assess probe performance. Devices such as an automated pulse echo instrument, acoustic intensity measurement system, hydrophone, system consoles, and others are used to fully qualify components and finished-goods ultrasound probes for sale. This level of testing is extremely costly, very time-consuming, and requires a high-level of focused expertise. These types of tests would not be practical in the field.

PROBE REPAIR Depending upon your choice of probe repair provider or source for replacement probes, the type and level of testing might greatly differ. Some providers might utilize commercially available probe testing devices, while others may only perform basic image testing on a system console. As a premium repair provider, and based upon our probe manufacturing expertise, Innovatus utilizes both test methods above and others.

56 TechNation | December 2023

We’ve even developed proprietary testing devices due to some limitations with commercially available products. Our goal is to acquire results that can be compared to model-specific benchmarks.

CLINICAL ENVIRONMENT As mentioned above, there are companies that design commercially available probe testing devices that have the potential to quantify probe performance. Some even offer a simple pass/fail result. A whole host of parameters can be measured, most of which are a result of the probe’s technical design, and most of which cannot be altered by corrective action performed in the field. After 37 years of ultrasound experience, I can confidently say that anywhere from 20% to 45% of all probes in clinical use TODAY may require some level of repair if perfection is the standard. Think about how a quantifiable or pass/ fail test, performed on every probe in clinical use, and not recommended by the OEM, could affect HTM budgets and overall health care costs.

Very frankly, commercially available probe testing devices are not needed for the clinical environment.

What’s truly needed is a tissue mimicking phantom, a known-good and properly configured system console, familiarization with ultrasound technology, and training on how to perform QC/QA (quality control/quality assurance) testing. We recommend that probes in clinical use be assessed utilizing criteria established by the ultrasound accreditation organization AIUM (American Institute for Ultrasound in Medicine).

The first, best step for field testing a probe is a thorough visual and mechanical inspection. Begin with the lens and inspect for nicks, cuts, holes, excessive wear, or a missing or open seal surrounding the lens. If found, there’s a good possibility that chemical disinfectants or contaminants have entered the probe and have

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begun to degrade the probe’s acoustics or electrical components. Thoroughly examine the probe housing, looking for cracks, open seams, or any breach in physical integrity.

Examine the strain relief and verify that it is well-seated in the probe housing. It should be flexible and not overly stiff. Strain reliefs will become overly stiff, and less effective, with exposure to unapproved chemicals or long-term exposure to even approved chemicals.

The cable sheathing should not have any nicks, cuts, or breaks along its entire length. The presence of tape on the cable is a good indication that the cable has sustained some damage. Finally, inspect the connector for any broken or bent pins. Immediately remove from service, any probes that have connector damage. A bent or broken pin can damage the connector board on a system console which will, in turn, damage the next probe that is plugged-in to that port.

You may also consider performing an electrical leakage test on the probe as part of a comprehensive inspection or to verify any concerns with physical integrity. On standard probes, leakage testing can be performed using your phantom and an electrical safety meter (expensive/complex electrical safety tools not needed). I prefer to use the top of a tissue-mimicking phantom, filled with saline, so I can combine this with the image test. Start by setting up your leakage meter for chassis leakage and initializing the probe on the ultrasound system. Insert the nosepiece in the water, complete the circuit by inserting your leakage meter’s probe into the water, and then open the ground on the leakage meter to measure electrical leakage.

SO, WHAT ABOUT PERFORMANCE TESTING? As mentioned above, for field testing, we recommend using criteria published by the AIUM in the AIUM Quality Assurance Manual for Gray Scale Ultrasound Scanners 2014 and a few other tests. Key performance tests are 1) Overall Image Uniformity (AIUM: Element or Channel Failure), 2) Maximum Depth of Penetration, and 3) Cable Performance Testing. The ideal results would have each probe model perform consistently with those of like models, over time.

Regarding image testing, AIUM has a ranking for transducer image quality flaws: 1. No flaws (all elements & cable perfect).

2. One or two minor flaws detectable (singular dropouts): Probe is operational and can be used clinically, inspect occasionally.

3. Three or more minor flaws, and/or 1 or more major flaws present (significant shadow): Repair/replace when convenient.

4. Major flaws present: Remove from service immediately, and repair/replace.

1 minor flaw

Multiple minor flaws

1 major flaw HOW INNOVATUS CAN HELP It’s easy to see that this column doesn’t provide enough space to detail all the information to perform field testing of ultrasound probes. No problem, we’ve authored a guide to help HTM teams perform their own QC testing, using only a tissue mimicking phantom and system. We welcome the opportunity to share the guide, or hold a webinar to present how to perform QC testing in the field. To request a copy of our Transducer Assessment Guide or to discuss how we can help your team enhance their ultrasound knowledge or implement QC testing, please reach out to training@innovatusimaging.com.

Matt Tomory, Vice President of Sales and Marketing.

December 2023 | TechNation 57

EXPERT ADVICE

THE FUTURE HTM Hot Topics Going Into 2024

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BY JOIE N. MARHEFKA can’t believe that 2023 is coming to an end.

This fall semester, and really the whole year, has flown by. As the year ends, I want to take a minute to reflect on some of the trends and “hot topics” in healthcare technology management (HTM), and more specially in HTM education from the past year.

ARTIFICIAL INTELLIGENCE One topic that no one in education can stop talking about is artificial intelligence (AI), especially the use of ChatGPT. One big concern in education is how students might use ChatGPT to cheat on papers and other homework assignments. While the ethical use of ChatGPT, and more broadly AI, are certainly worthy of discussion, the use of AI as a beneficial tool is also important to consider. AI is being used in various ways in the medical field, including for home healthcare and in interpreting radiographic images. Of particular interest to the HTM field is the use of AI in predictive device maintenance as well as in cybersecurity. If it is used ethically, AI can be a valuable and transformational tool – much like the calculator and computer were to previous generations – that can make all of our jobs easier.

CYBERSECURITY Speaking of cybersecurity, it remains a hot topic in the HTM field this year as a number of major health systems were disrupted by cyber-attacks. The vulnerabilities associated with medical devices and the potential to access vast amounts of patient data make health care a prime target of cyber criminals.

As long as this is the case, cybersecurity will remain a priority in HTM. I will continue to focus on it in my classes.

AR/VR The application of augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR) in training is becoming more common. While I was not able to attend the 2023 AAMI eXchange, I know that there were demonstrations of AR/VR training at the conference. I have been using VR headsets and 360-degree videos with my classes to allow students to see various equipment and workplaces. In addition, I am looking at other ways to use 58 TechNation | December 2023

AR/VR to enhance their education.

RIGHT TO REPAIR Another topic that has been in the news throughout 2023 is the right to repair movement. Supporters argue that a person or organization should be able to repair a device that they own or have it repaired by someone of their choosing.

On the other hand, opponents cite patient safety concerns associated with the right to repair. This year brought renewed energy to this movement. Many states considered right to repair legislation in 2023, although these bills largely excluded medical equipment. A few states have passed right to repair laws but, again, these largely excluded medical equipment. The debate on this issue will certainly continue into 2024, as will consideration of legislation.

STAFFING STRUGGLE Finally, the challenge to fill open positions in HTM has been a trend that has continued throughout 2023. As health care systems expand and retirements continue. While we are trying to fill these gaps with our graduates, enrollment in our program has been a struggle in recent years. We have been focusing on outreach to high school students and others, with hopes of increasing our class sizes and graduating more professionals to fill these openings. I know that other educational programs have as well. Other efforts, such as AAMI’s BMET apprenticeship program and the proposed AAMI education standard, have also been aimed at addressing this challenge. Hopefully 2024 will bring many new students to our program and many new professionals to the HTM field.

It will be interesting to see how these trends continue into the new year. I look forward to seeing what 2024 will bring in HTM and beyond. I wish all of the readers of “The Future” a Happy New Year and all the best in 2024!

Joie N. Marhefka, Ph.D., is the biomedical engineering technology program coordinator at Penn State New Kensington.

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Making the Most of Your Medical Equipment Fleet in Current Economic Conditions

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BY JOHN SCHAFER, MBA, CHTM fter a career in health technology management (HTM) spanning 40 years, I find myself running an HTM program in a “little country hospital” in North Texas for Renovo Solutions. I have excellent corporate support and I can get the resources I need to make our HTM program a success. It is nice that I can take a step back and enjoy life for a while.

Hunt Regional Healthcare, in Greenville Texas, is a public hospital licensed for 182 beds. Hunt Regional is respected within the community for quality. “We are expanding rapidly with two satellite emergency medical centers and five urgent care clinics as well as an increasing footprint of physician clinics,” states Hunt Regional CEO Lee Boles. This organization definitely qualifies as, “The little hospital that could.”

Before you start to think that operations in small facilities

lack challenges for the HTM department, you need to take into account that Hunt Regional has the same operational tempo as larger facilities. Maybe even higher since we are the only game in town, and we treat everything from boo-boos to major trauma. To make our days even more interesting, we have almost zero redundancy in our medical equipment inventory. We can’t just grab another one off the shelf if something breaks. There isn’t another one, so we have to figure out how to get this equipment back online right now.

I interact with the C-suite and department directors on an almost daily basis. I work with them on cost avoidance in equipment service, making sure we are getting the best deal from vendors and suppliers, and occasionally I get a request to, “Call some of those friends of yours and get us a deal on one of these.” Whatever we can do to cut costs and promote patient care, nothing is off the table.

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year than was originally planned.

This is where things can get really challenging for HTM. Medical equipment does not improve with age. Parts cost more, service contracts cost more, you must have a purchase order number before OEMs will help you with tech support to make a machine function again. Technical expertise is leaving the field through retirements. Parts and accessories are becoming scarce for anything more than 8 years old.

I want to share some of my budget stretching methods of making your equipment as good as it can be, especially since you may be owning it longer than you thought.

IMAGING SYSTEMS Imaging Technician Rachel Chennault is currently working through our imaging inventory. Some of the major considerations for how much effort and money to put into these units include: • How many years does this platform have until the end of OEM support? Can we get third-party support?

• Can this platform handle current patient throughput?

• Does it have the image resolution needed for the studies being ordered?

• Are there any software updates that would improve the system’s performance?

Do not be afraid to look into upgrades for your imaging systems. A new detector plate for a rad only X-ray room can do wonders for image resolution. For example, a golden opportunity for this is a detector gets dropped and with a couple of phone calls to local sales reps we got a complete replacement system of the detector plate and everything else needed for the upgrade. All for over $10,000 less than the cost of the direct replacement of the original plate. It was a huge upgrade in technology as well as image quality. We have done this twice in the last six months, saving money on both upgrades. The upgrades also greatly improved

workflow and patient throughput for these rooms.

One of the biggest “bangs for the buck” for improving imaging system performance, regardless of modality, can be system applications training. Are the technicians currently using the latest apps for the studies they are performing? Are new staff using the same techniques as everyone else that has been in the department for a while? Operator error can induce image quality problems especially when trying to use techniques originally developed for a different platform.

Software updates and corresponding applications training can give you marked improvements in your imaging quality because of the improved imaging processing capabilities and improved procedures working together.

ULTRASOUND One of the first things to remember about ultrasounds that you have under contract is that many current OEM specifications for ultrasound do not require PMs! Ultrasound image resolution naturally degrades over time.

There are a few things you can do to make the most of your systems. One is to do a general PM on your units. Vacuum out dust bunnies to reduce problems caused by heat, make sure circuit boards are securely seated, check connections, and check cables and probes for insulation and shielding damage. Large ultrasounds are a lot more portable than when I first came into the HTM field somewhere between the dinosaurs and the bubonic plague. I see ultrasounds going to the patient’s rooms on a daily basis. Being bumped and bounced in elevators, bumping into walls, etc., can induce problems over time.

The next place to look is your ultrasound probes. Has the soft scanning surface of the probe been damaged? Any break in the physical continuity of the probe surface will induce an image artifact. Ultrasound crystals will degrade over time.

You can QC your probes with a physical inspection and check your image with an ultrasound phantom. Check for

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EXPERT ADVICE image continuity. Look for drop out in your image field, especially while you are moving your probe over the phantom. Watch for what moves and what does not in the image field.

Getting ultrasound probes repaired is relatively inexpensive compared to the improvements you will get. There are numerous independent companies servicing imaging, and specifically ultrasound probes.

Last, but not least, make sure you have current backups on your ultrasound operating system! Nothing will ruin your day as quickly as having to rebuild your ultrasound’s operating system.

NON-IMAGING EQUIPMENT There can be many opportunities for extending the life of your non-imaging equipment. Talk to the department heads and equipment users. I have HTM Techs Bradley Wong and Thomas Aguirre constantly looking for opportunities to improve our medical equipment fleet. An example I can provide from a previous facility of mine is a department physio monitoring system was not replaced as scheduled. I talked with the staff about the capabilities of the current system and the new one being purchased. The current system worked fine and did everything they needed, but the replacement system had large video screens for better visibility of the patient data.

No problem! We can add those to your current system! This upgrade extended the useful life of our current system until that model reached end of OEM support in four years.

FLAT RATES FREE EVALUATIONS 14-MONTH WARRANTY EXTEND THE LIFE OF YOUR IV PUMPS! J2SMEDICAL.COM 844.DIAL.J2S 62 TechNation | December 2023

You also have the option of replacing one or two pieces of a system from the used/third-party companies in our industry.

Hospitals that would not consider utilizing used or refurbished equipment in the past may soften on their stance in the current economic reality.

Refurbish your own machines. In past years, I was at a facility that was under contract with a major OEM. The contract covered labor, and they purchased their own parts.

Their fleet of 10 operating tables were in very poor condition. There was no funding for replacement. I contacted my leadership with my idea of having these tables refurbished by the local dealer one at a time, and we would be provided with a loaner table at no cost since I was sending him 10 units for service. They agreed. I brought the idea to the surgery department, and they were in full support of the idea, since these tables were still the current model being offered to the health care market. They made complete lists to replace the tabletops, many accessories, etc. When they received the cost estimates for this (about $15,000 per table) their plans were revised to replace what needed to be replaced. Over the next three months all tables were serviced and returned one at a time for an average cost of approximately $2,800 each. And, they were off the capital equipment list for another 8 years. Refurb in place is a viable option for a lot of your physically heavier items, such as OR tables, sterilizers and washers, OR lights, hospital beds and stretchers, and possibly anything that is “constantly

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breaking down bane to our shop’s existence” piece of equipment that you are unable to get rid of.

A task that almost every shop can utilize is refurbing your own IV pumps. If you have a few hundred IV pumps there will be some that break constantly. Compare the cost of refurbing the worst of your own existing IV pumps vs. the cost of purchasing used pumps or new from the OEM. Don’t forget that your tech’s labor is not free, and constantly patching troublesome IV pumps together over and over is costing you a lot more than the cost of parts.

Keeping the museum pieces running.

You will have to service equipment that is past end of support from the OEM, no question about it. This is the area of servicing equipment where three strikes is not out, and age and treachery will overcome youth and exuberance every time. All of us here know that you can still support these units for years by working with third-party parts suppliers. However, not everyone may be aware that many of these units are not actually manufactured by the OEM that sold them to you. I have had numerous examples over my HTM career where we could go to the original manufacturer, usually outside of the United States, and buy parts so

we can keep the equipment going for another year. You can find original manufacturers with a little time on Google, using the model number or other designators. Also, try to Google the part numbers out of the service manual. If you find numerous parts for that unit all manufactured by the same company that is not the OEM you bought the unit from, you are on the right trail. You can also look inside the unit with the covers off for manufacturer’s trademarks, or in the service manual, which will sometimes be the original service manual, with the new OEM logo printed on it.

CONCLUSION Get out and talk to your stakeholders. Find out what their needs are, and their future desires. Budgets are tight, but you can make your conditions as good as they can be. Offer to work with the capital request committee and the COO for what units are coming up on their end of support dates, which units can be supported past the end of support date, and which models have a hard stop in their service life and will need replacement. This sort of information is gold for the decision makers that we support.

Do not make illegal modifications. Stay within standard practices and procedures. There will be opportunities to pull a rabbit out of the hat one more time to magically help your facility or organization maximize equipment usage and manage expenses.

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December 2023 | TechNation 63

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CYBERSECURITY

The Nexus of Cybersecurity and AI in Healthcare: Balancing Innovation and Safety

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BY JANE LACSON

he landscape of modern health care is constantly shifting; however, it all points to more and more telehealth options. You receive a notification on your watch that detects a noticeable trend of irregular heart rhythms – analyzed against hundreds of thousands of data points by Artificial Intelligence (AI). Tapping a button on your watch sends the report to your doctor and looks through your calendar to schedule a telehealth appointment.

Within hours (or minutes), you receive care and a diagnosis from your doctor with steps to avoid a more severe health issue. These wearables seamlessly integrate into our lives.

A smartwatch with a heart rate monitor is basic compared to other point-of-care (PoC) medical devices, ranging from smart insulin pumps to remote patient monitoring systems. These PoCs are pivotal in revolutionizing patient care by enhancing efficiency and accuracy in health care delivery. However, with such convenience, there are always two sides to every coin.

The intersection of cybersecurity, privacy and AI within the realm of PoC medical devices presents a complex landscape of opportunities and challenges.

The opportunities provided are enhanced patient care, predictive analytics, personalized treatment plans, telemedicine integration and rapid data analysis.

1. Enhanced Patient Care: PoC medical devices utilizing AI can analyze immense patient datasets in real-time, providing health care professionals with valuable insights.

The more data provided, the more the data model can learn.

These models eventually facilitate quicker and more accurate diagnoses, improving patient outcomes.

2. Predictive Analytics: AI algorithms can predict disease

outbreaks and identify potential health care trends. Health care professionals can proactively address health issues by analyzing vast datasets and enhancing public health response mechanisms.

3. Personalized Treatment Plans: AI-driven POC devices can tailor treatment plans to individual patients, considering their medical history, genetics and lifestyle. This customized approach results in more effective treatments, minimizing adverse effects and enhancing the overall patient experience.

4. Telemedicine Integration: PoC devices integrated with AI enable remote patient monitoring, allowing health care professionals to track patients’ vital signs and adjust treatment plans accordingly. This is particularly valuable for patients in remote areas or those with chronic illnesses.

5. Rapid Data Analysis: AI enables quick analysis of patient data, which is crucial during emergencies. PoC devices can swiftly provide insights to health care providers, potentially saving lives in critical situations.

AI and machine learning have an advantage in analyzing vast amounts of data within seconds, yet that algorithm is only as good as the data used to model it. The challenges of using AI within health care are security vulnerabilities, ethical concerns, data privacy issues, reliance and regulatory standards.

1. Security Vulnerabilities: Hackers can exploit vulnerabilities in the device’s software, leading to unauthorized access, data breaches and manipulation of patient information. This poses a significant threat to patient privacy and safety.

2. Ethical Concerns: Using AI algorithms, if biased or poorly designed, can lead to discriminatory practices in health care. Additionally, using AI in decision-making processes raises ethical questions, especially when human lives are at stake. Striking a balance between human judgment and AI-driven insights is a challenge.

3. Data Privacy Issues: These devices can collect and process sensitive patient data. Ensuring the privacy of this

December 2023 | TechNation 65

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data is crucial. Not protecting the data against unauthorized access can lead to reputational damage for patients and health care providers.

4. Reliance: There is a risk that over-reliance on AI can lead to complacency among health care professionals. AI can only be effective when properly implemented, monitored and regularly updated. Human oversight remains essential in all aspects of data processing and model development.

5. Regulatory Standards: The rapid evolution of AI technology has outpaced regulatory frameworks and standards. This gap in regulation leaves room for inconsistencies in cybersecurity protocols, making it challenging to ensure the security of AI-powered devices.

Innovative technologies are constantly being developed, and these challenges and opportunities present a way to balance such innovation with safety through collaborative efforts, regulations, continuous monitoring, ethical development and education.

1. Collaborative Efforts: There should not be silos, and cybersecurity experts, health care providers, and AI developers must work in tandem to develop solutions that address security concerns without compromising the benefits of AI technology.

2. Regulations: Striking a balance between innovative technology and adherence to strict health care regulations is a challenge. Regulatory bodies must continuously adapt and create guidelines for the secure integration of AI in medical devices to protect patients and healthcare providers.

3. Continuous Monitoring: Large datasets and proprietary algorithms must be protected through constant

66 TechNation | December 2023

monitoring. Security can be further enhanced through encryption, network segmentation, intrusion detection and all measures available in best cybersecurity practices for proactive threat detection.

4. Ethical Development: Ensuring transparency, fairness and accountability in AI algorithms can mitigate biases and ethical concerns, promoting trust among users. Companies must establish transparency and guidelines for data ownership and communication with patients and health care providers.

5. Education: Health care providers and patients must be educated about the risks associated with AI-powered medical devices. Awareness programs can help users make informed decisions and take necessary precautions to safeguard their data.

AI-powered devices offer immense potential to revolutionize health care, but one must cautiously approach such integration. Addressing cybersecurity concerns is paramount to ensuring patients and health care providers’ safety, privacy and trust. By implementing robust regulations, fostering collaboration and promoting ethical AI development, the industry can balance innovation and safety, leading to a future where AI enhances health care without compromising security.

Jane Lacson, CCE, CHTM, is a biomedical engineer in the Healthcare Technology Management VA Central Office (19HTM).

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NETWORKING NOTES ACLs, Port Security and You

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BY GARRETT SEELEY, MS, CBET

he health care landscape has seen an advancement in technology where medical devices now play a pivotal role in providing efficient and effective patient care. Patient monitors, imaging modalities, infusion pumps, and more have become interconnected systems to help streamline health care processes and enable better outcomes. Despite this, an increased reliance on these networked medical devices has, in turn, increased cybersecurity threats that could compromise patient data, privacy and safety. However, the use of access control lists (ACLs) and port security has provided hospitals and health care systems with the ability to protect their medical devices by bolstering their cybersecurity measures.

ACLs are a set of specific rules that allow or deny identified users access to certain areas of the network. ACLs act as filters within routers or switches to manage the traffic accessing the network. By controlling access and permissions to different segments of the entire network, hospitals can define who is able to communicate with various devices preventing malicious personnel from performing unauthorized activities. This may sound like a firewall in its function.

However, an ACL and firewall have distinct differences that allow for ACLs to be easier to implement.

The main differences between ACLs and firewalls are a difference in hardware. Recall that there are two types of firewalls, one running as software on a host or end user computer, and another as a security device on a network.

Focusing on the network security, a network firewall is a stateful connecting device. It looks at packets, inspects, and monitors packet flow, logging and implementing controls in a

68 TechNation | December 2023

device-to-device communication. A network firewall is a device the network communicates to, such as a router, to leave a segment. It has great security options but creates a network bottleneck. For this reason, an ACL is a better choice for hospital networks. It is a stateless software running on a router. An ACL does not try to inspect packets or log communication other than to look at the ports used and the IPs using them. This allows for a similar level of security ran at the switch and router level that does not require much processing or storage to implement. In short, the stateless configuration of an ACL saves on resources and decentralizes network communications, allowing for a faster, but still secure network.

Recall that ports act as entry points for data to be transferred and exchanged between the abundant number of medical devices across a hospital network. Port security, therefore, is a cybersecurity measure that also limits data activity and flow between networks using ACLs. Similarly, an IP is a location on a network and can be used to identify a device and infer its purpose on a network. Additionally, ALCs employ techniques like media access control (MAC) filtering. In this way, they utilize static MAC addresses as well as IPs to set up penalties for the port. To best utilize port security, trained users need to be savvy in network segregation, updates management and password hardening. These types of security measure are all a part of ACLs, acting as another method for safeguarding hospitals against unauthorized access through the medical equipment attached to the network.

Cybersecurity breaches have created severe consequences for health care organizations that have had vulnerabilities compromised within their medical equipment such as functionality issues and private sensitive data being exposed.

For example, in October 2022, CommonSpirit hospitals lost accesses to medical records, had procedures delayed and appointments canceled. This caused heavy delays to patient care and throughput for many of these systems. Not only do these issues affect patient care and data privacy but also the

reputations of these hospitals are under fire and are increasingly legally liable for these types of incidents.

Therefore, the use of robust ACL and port security measures are significant and proactive steps to securing medical devices and protecting health care institutions.

Regulations and standards related to medical device cybersecurity have increased significantly over the last decade as the industry recognizes the importance of secure and safe networks to protect overall patient data, privacy and health. Late March 2023, the FDA guidance issued that all new medical device applicants must not submit a plan on how to “monitor, identify and address” cybersecurity issues.

In July 2022, NIST released its Special Publication 800-66, Revision 2 to act as a resource guide for actionable steps for health care organizations to take to improve cybersecurity measures. IEC 62304, ISO 27001, and NIST 800-53 all serve as industry best practices for a good foundation on cybersecurity. With collaborative efforts between HTM and IT teams, industry standards now suggest implementation of ACLs and port security enables health care systems to be fully aligned with the industry’s regulatory and compliance standards for cybersecurity.

It has become more increasingly clear each year the

importance of protecting medical devices from cyber attacks as healthcare delivery organizations become more reliant on networked medical equipment to best serve their patient populations. ACLs and port security are just some of the vital tools and methods for the HTM community to implement to best support their hospitals in this ongoing effort. By managing access to devices, preventing unapproved port connections and implementing cybersecurity best practices, hospitals can ensure patient data privacy and patient safety. They can also allow both patients and providers to feel confident in their health care institutions. It is imperative that we utilize these and other security measures to prevent patient harm and ensure that the advancements in medical technology continue to drive patient outcomes in a positive manner.

Garrett Seeley, MS, CBET, is a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist with VISN 17: VA North Texas Health Care System.

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HEALTH-ISAC

Third-Party Medical Device Cybersecurity Contracting

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BY PHIL ENGLERT

our organization’s third-party biomedical services agreement is coming up for renewal. You’ve been asked to develop a strategy to include cybersecurity of medical technology in the agreement.

Outsourcing maintenance and cybersecurity functions for medical technology to a third party is a significant decision that requires careful planning and contract negotiation. What will the objectives be? How will the agreement be structured to meet your organization’s objectives? This column looks at the challenges of contracting with a third party for cybersecurity of medical devices (also applies to other IoT and OT technologies) and the clauses that can help formulate a successful partnership.

The diverse medical device technologies present in a health care environment enables amazing patient care diagnostic and therapeutic capabilities. At the same time, this diversity in purpose and underlying technologies creates an enormous maintenance operations challenge. Some medical devices such as ECG carts are standalone devices. Others, like anesthesia carts are multiple devices (anesthetic agent delivery and monitoring) in a single device. While others, like patient monitors, are part of an extensive system of endpoints that can include monitors, workstations, access points and servers. Developing contract clauses that adequately represent the specific requirements across the spectrum of technologies can be overwhelming.

The key is to successfully engage a third party to help manage and reduce the cybersecurity risks of your medical device population is to understand that they cannot be all things to all devices. They, like you, are dependent upon, and

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limited by, the cybersecurity support provided by the equipment manufacturers. Older technologies, often called legacy devices, may not be supported at all. Service level agreements of traditional IT technologies are not practical for regulated medical devices because of the testing that must be done to ensure the patch or update does not alter the essential clinical performance or create a safety risk.

I recommend a risk impact approach that considers how cyber incidents in medical devices may impact clinical operations. The components of this clinical impact assessment may include the traditional biomedical engineering life safety score, the acuity setting where the device is located, the presence of protected health information (PHI) and large PHI (500+) records, care delivery impact, lateral network access, financial impact and reputational impact. These eight data points can, for the most part, be assessed and assigned on a modality level and inform organizational prioritization at all levels including capital replacement, risk mitigation, monitoring and response activities.

To ensure risk reduction over time, you should include various clauses in the outsourcing contract that address key concerns, obligations and responsibilities.

Here are some important clauses to consider: • Scope of Services: Detail the specific medical devices and equipment covered by the agreement. This should include a comprehensive list of equipment and their unique identification numbers or serial numbers.

Include a commitment to share this information with IT and to have the asset management systems (CMMS and CCMDB) correlated so the same asset is easily recognizable in either system. Set timelines for achieving asset correlation and work towards automation.

• Service Responsibilities: Outline the maintenance and service tasks to be performed, including preventive maintenance, calibration, repairs, inspections, any required software updates and patches. It may be

necessary to add an appendix outlining these schedules at the modality or make/model level. A large health care organization may have more than 1,000 different models of equipment and specifying the periodicity of the many maintenance activities, especially patching and updating, is essential to managing risks and improving uptime availability.

• Service Levels and Response Times: Define the expected service levels, including response times for different types of equipment issues. Specify whether there are different response times for critical and non-critical devices.

• Risk Management: Detail how risks will be identified, assessed and mitigated, including specific steps for managing cybersecurity threats and vulnerabilities.

Specify whether the third party will have access to and utilize your network monitoring tools including passive monitoring technologies to track asset presence, communications activity, associated vulnerabilities and provide an asset level risk score. Identify what strategies the third party is expected to engage to manage the cyber risks associated with medical technologies.

• Responsibilities of Both Parties: Clearly articulate the roles, responsibilities and obligations of both your organization and the third party, making sure it aligns

with your risk management strategy. Managing cyber risks is a shared responsibility requiring expertise from a variety of skills including networking, identity and access management, the clinical users, back up teams, vendors and healthcare technology management teams. Use a responsibility assignment matrix to map out and identify which parties are responsible for which tasks so there is not confusion during normal operations or events.

It is crucial to involve legal counsel and relevant department heads within the hospital when drafting or reviewing such an agreement to ensure that it aligns with the hospital’s specific needs and compliance requirements. The clauses listed above are by no means complete but provide key points to consider and include as you map out your third-party medical device cybersecurity relationship. Regularly reviewing and updating the agreement is also essential to adapt to changes in medical device technology, regulations and hospital needs.

Phil Englert is the director of medical device security for Health-ISAC.

­

The manufacturers listed are holders of their respective names and/or trademarks, and are not to be taken as an endorsement or affilation with AIV, Inc.

795A

December 2023 | TechNation 71

CONNECTED

HIMSS

Innovation, Education, Collaboration at 2024 Conference

T

he 2024 HIMSS Global Health Conference and Exhibition will bring together health care professionals from across the health ecosystem for expert education, innovation and collaboration.

Registration is open for HIMSS24, taking place March 11-15 in Orlando, Florida, at the Orange County Convention Center.

HIMSS23 featured more than 1000 exhibitors, more than 300 general education sessions and 250-plus market supplier thought leadership sessions in April 2023, uniting about 34,000 health care professionals, members and exhibitors from 90 countries. The #HIMSS23 hashtag was used more than 21,000 times across social media, and press produced thousands of articles of coverage, features and analysis from the event.

The highly anticipated 2024 Global Health Conference and Exhibition is the inaugural edition under a new, landmark partnership between HIMSS, a global health advocate committed to reforming the global health ecosystem through the power of information and technology, and Informa Markets, the world’s leading exhibition organizer.

HIMSS24 will be a groundbreaking event that will shape the future of healthcare technology.

Attendees build relationships, learn from experts and discover innovative health tech solutions to meet their greatest challenges. Health care and technology professionals, CEOs, CIOs, CTOs, government officials, providers, payers, IT consultants, innovators, entrepreneurs, health IT influencers and more will share and exchange knowledge at the annual event.

Education topics will explore the business of health care; care, data and information; health equity; workforce; organizational governance and others. Throughout these categories,

72 TechNation | December 2023

critical themes will be covered, such as digital health transformation, applied artificial intelligence, cybersecurity, emerging technologies, access to care, HIE and standards, patient safety and quality and others.

Sessions are led by innovative and creative world-renowned health care leaders and are selected through a highly competitive peer-review process. With a focus on building professional growth, HIMSS24 sessions are also available for continuing education credits.

Exhibiting companies will feature groundbreaking technology and innovation. The exhibit floor serves as the prime destination for hands-on interactions. Attendees can also engage with thought leaders at specialty pavilions featuring topics such as cybersecurity, interoperability, start-ups, patient engagement and a pavilion for the new theme.

The conference offers an all-new hosted buyers’ program, networking opportunities including evening events, curated executive forums, press briefings and private meetings, all created to help build relationships, advance professional goals and fuel personal growth.

HIMSS (Healthcare Information and Management Systems Society) is a global advisor, thought leader and member-based society committed to reforming the global health ecosystem through the power of information and technology. As a mission-driven nonprofit, HIMSS offers a unique depth and breadth of expertise in health innovation, public policy, workforce development, research and digital health transformation to advise leaders, stakeholders and influencers across the global health ecosystem on best practices. With a community-centric approach, its innovation engine delivers key insights, education and engaging events to health care providers, payers, governments, startups, life sciences and other health services organizations, ensuring they have the right information at the point of decision.

For more information, visit himss.org/global-conference.

LET’S

GET

CONNECTED COMPANY

DIRECTORY

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December 2023 | TechNation 73

BREAKROOM

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diagnostic-solutions.com December 2023 | TechNation 75

BREAKROOM

TECHNATI N P LL What’s one thing you wish you had more of?

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WHAT’S ON Y UR BENCH? • • •

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Biomed Manager Submit your bench to be featured in TechNation at 1technation.com/my-bench/. You could win a $25 Amazon gift card via its new “What’s On Your Bench” Contest!

December 2023 | TechNation 77

Sponsored by:

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We will announce a winner every (business) day from Dec 11th through 22nd. Daily prizes are decided by a spin of the Prize Wheel.

You could win an Amazon gift card with a value of $25 up to $200! Visit MedWrench.com to enter.

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DOWN

1 Automatic transmission and measurement of data from remote sources

1 Screening

6 Handheld device 8 Urban throughway, abbr.

9 Vital equipment for EMS personnel 12 Unit of sound measurement 13 Treatment for sprains

2 Humongous 3 Period just before an event 4 System of measuring results 5 Regret 6 Leader in the supply and repair of medical equipment

14 Record of available equipment

7 Metal made by mixing metals together to provide greater strength and reduce corrosion

16 Naval rank, abbr.

10 Own

17 Unit of magnetic induction

11 Manages

20 Laser output

15 Complete

23 Small notebook

18 Whichever

24 Hot topic relating to the protection of medical equipment and its applications

19 Understand

26 Deserve 28 Contaminating download 31 Computer local network, abbr.

32 Scientific tests or techniques in the investigation of crimes 33 You and me

20 Metal rod 21 Is able to 22 Inner skin layer 23 Out in the open- no longer private 24 Software tool for establishing effective medical equipment cybersecurity, abbr.

25 Link up again 27 Brazilian city 29 Unprocessed, as data 30 Compass point, abbr.

December 2023 | TechNation 79

BREAKROOM

SCRAPBOOK For more information, visit MDExpoShow.com.

1

3

5

80 TechNation | December 2023

2

4

6

More than 800 people attended MD Expo Orlando. The signature HTM conference offered top-notch continuing education opportunities, networking events and an elite exhibit hall featuring products and solutions.

The next MD Expo is set for Las Vegas in April 2024.

1.

MD Expo young professional attendees enjoying the YP at MD networking event sponsored

by Adepto Medical, PioBio and Prescotts

2.

Fred Moore, Keynote Speaker, entertained the audience with The M.A.G.I.C. Formula for Sanity, Success & Satisfaction.

3.

4.

5.

MD Expo is a gathering place for industry groups and associations.

The Orlando event served as the meeting place for a new Women In Leadership Society.

Kristin Leavoy greets conference attendees as they check in at the MD Expo registration desk.

6.

7.

8.

9.

Members of the Leadership Summit gather for morning discussions.

7

8

10

11

12

Boos & Brews sponsor AIV, Inc. teamed up with the Girls on Fire for the Halloween contest. Pictured from left to right are Jake Smuck (Lord Farquaad), Megan Cabot (Ogre Princess Fiona), Jeff Taltavull (Shrek) and Kristen Register (Princess Fiona).

The annual Reverse Expo, offered at the fall MD Expo only, brings together participants of the Leadership Summit with vendors in a speed-dating style event.

Honored with a honorable mention in the costume contest, the USOC BioMedical team dressed as the MD Expo staff.

10.

An attendee is excited about winning a new Stanley cup compliments of HTMJobs during MD Expo Exhibit Hall Door Prize Raffle.

11.

MD Expo attendees stop for a quick photo during the Keynote Kick off on the first day of the show.

12.

Jeff Bostick of Tri-Imaging Solutions presents on a Foundation for a Successful Career in Diagnostic Imaging.

13.

Clint Creal having a great conversation with an attendee who stopped at their booth to learn more about Adepto and PioBio.

Attendees gather before entering the exhibit hall to connect with over 100 companies.

9

13

December 2023 | TechNation 81

ANNOUNCING THE LAUNCH OF

TV

Check out our Youtube channel for more information and exclusive content!

82 TechNation | December 2023

CALL FOR ENTRIES 2024 Health Technology Excellence Award Gain recognition for improving patient safety, reducing costs, or spurring innovation in health technology management.

Submissions due: January 31, 2024

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Introducing the 2024 Introducing the 2024

Tech Choice Awards ( Th e W r e n chi e s ) Tech Choice Awards ( Th e W r e The 13 Tech Choice Awards are:

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Director/Manager the Year 1. Professional of theofYear 5. the Yearof the Year 2. YP ISOofEmployee 6.

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84 TechNation | December 2023

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SERVICE INDEX

Consultancy 4

Medical Equipment Doctor, INC.

59

USOC Bio-Medical Services

3

www.medicalequipdoc.com • 800-285-9918 www.usocmedical.com • 855-888-8762

Asset Management Cynch

P P P P P

NVRT Labs Inc. nvrtlabs.com •

Contrast Media Injectors

21

Contrast Injector Tools

54

weare626.com • 800-516-0991 contrastinjectors.com • 724-782-0227

Maull Biomedical Training

EQ2

28

Defibrillator

Technical Life Care Medical Co.

7

www.eq2llc.com • 888-312-4367 www.technicallifecare.com • 800-989-8949

Auction/Liquidation J2S Medical

www.j2smedical.com • 844-342-5527

Medical Equipment Dynamics med.equipment • 508-996-9005

Beds/Stretchers

Medical Equipment Doctor, INC.

www.medicalequipdoc.com • 800-285-9918

Biomedical

Medical Equipment Dynamics med.equipment • 508-996-9005

Cables

iServe Biomedical

iservebiomedical.com • 281-741-0849

29

iServe Biomedical

82

62

SakoMED

42

60

Diagnostic Imaging

cardiotronixhealth.com • (855)-4DEFIBS iservebiomedical.com • 281-741-0849 sakomed.com • (844) 433-7256

21

Avante Health Solutions

20

60

Diagnostic Solutions

75

International X-Ray Brokers

75

Probo Medical

17

Tri-Imaging Solutions

24

avantehs.com • 800-979-6142 diagnostic-solutions.com • 330-296-9729 internationalxraybrokers.com/ • 508-559-9441

82

P

www.probomedical.com • 3174947872 www.triimaging.com • 855-401-4889

Bird RF

69

Education/Training

Rigel Medical, Seaward Group

6

weare626.com • 800-516-0990

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

Technical Life Care Medical Co.

www.technicallifecare.com • 800-989-8949

Cardiac Monitoring

7 29

Soaring Hearts Group

84

soaringheartsinc.com • 855.438.7744

Cardiology

Soaring Hearts Group

84

Southeastern Biomedical, Inc

35

soaringheartsinc.com • 855.438.7744 sebiomedical.com/ • 828-396-6010

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

31

CMMS

P P P P P P P P P P

P P P P P P P

21

College of Biomedical Equipment Technology 11 www.cbet.edu • 866-866-9027

P

ECRI Institute

83

Elite Biomedical Solutions

76

NVRT Labs Inc.

34

Probo Medical

17

RSTI

5

Webinar Wednesday

85

www.ecri.org • 1-610-825-6000.

Cardiotronix

cardiotronixhealth.com • (855)-4DEFIBS

P

626 Holdings

elitebiomedicalsolutions.com • 855-291-6703 nvrtlabs.com •

www.probomedical.com • 3174947872 www.rsti-training.com • 800-229-7784 www.triimaging.com • 855-401-4888

Employment/Recruiting HTM Jobs

48

67

www.htmjobs.com •

EQ2

28

Healthmark Industries

39

J2S Medical

62

www.eq2llc.com • 888-312-4367

TruAsset, LLC

www.truasset.com • 214-276-1280

Computed Tomography

53, 73 20

Diagnostic Solutions

75

International X-Ray Brokers

75

RSTI

5

diagnostic-solutions.com • 330-296-9729 internationalxraybrokers.com/ • 508-559-9441 www.rsti-training.com • 800-229-7784

P P P P P P P

RTI Electronics

54

Tri-Imaging Solutions

24

www.rtigroup.com • 800-222-7537 www.triimaging.com • 855-401-4888 86 TechNation | December 2023

hmark.com • 800-521-6224 www.j2smedical.com • 844-342-5527

Multimedical Systems

Avante Health Solutions

avantehs.com • 800-979-6142

Endoscopy

P P P

www.multimedicalsystems.com • 888-532-8056

ESUs

SakoMED

P P 40 P 42

P P

iServe Biomedical

82

Multimedical Systems

40

P P P

sakomed.com • (844) 433-7257

Fetal Monitoring

iservebiomedical.com • 281-741-0849 www.multimedicalsystems.com • 888-532-8056

General Bird RF

birdrf.com • 866-695-4571

69

P P

P

Cynch

cynch.me •

P

P P P P P P

626 Holdings

weare626.com • 800-516-0990

59

P P

63 www.maullbiomedicaltraining.com • 440-724-7511 Cardiotronix

Calibration

birdrf.com • 866-695-4570

34

626 Holdings

67

cynch.me •

TRAINING

www.ambickford.com • 800-795-3062

SERVICE

A.M. Bickford

PARTS

Anesthesia

Company Info

AD PAGE

TRAINING

SERVICE

PARTS

AD PAGE

Company Info

P P

P P

PACS RSTI

5

www.rsti-training.com • 800-229-7784

Patient Monitors

AIV

71

Avante Health Solutions

20

Elite Biomedical Solutions

76

iServe Biomedical

82

J2S Medical

62

Medical Equipment Doctor, INC.

59

Multimedical Systems

AIV

71

Avante Health Solutions

20

Elite Biomedical Solutions

76

iServe Biomedical

82

J2S Medical

62

Medical Equipment Doctor, INC.

59

40

PM Biomedical

79

PM Biomedical

79

SakoMED

42

SakoMED

42

Southeastern Biomedical, Inc

35

USOC Bio-Medical Services

3

Southwestern Biomedical Electronics, Inc.

31

Tenacore Holdings, Inc

91

USOC Bio-Medical Services

3

aiv-inc.com • 888-656-0755 avantehs.com • 800-979-6142 elitebiomedicalsolutions.com • 855-291-6701 iservebiomedical.com • 281-741-0849 www.j2smedical.com • 844-342-5527 www.medicalequipdoc.com • 800-285-9924 www.multimedicalsystems.com • 888-532-8056 pmbiomedical.com • 800-777-6474 sakomed.com • (844) 433-7258 www.usocmedical.com • 855-888-8762

Installs/Deinstalls Tri-Imaging Solutions

www.triimaging.com • 855-401-4889

Labratory

Ozark Biomedical

www.ozarkbiomedical.com • 800-457-7576

P P P P P

P P P P P

89

75

RSTI

5

Monitors/CRTs

59

Tenacore Holdings, Inc

91

www.tenacore.com • 800-297-2241

USOC Bio-Medical Services

www.usocmedical.com • 855-888-8762

iservebiomedical.com • 281-741-0849 www.j2smedical.com • 844-342-5527 www.medicalequipdoc.com • 800-285-9927 pmbiomedical.com • 800-777-6467 sakomed.com • (844) 433-7259 sebiomedical.com/ • 828-396-6010 www.swbiomed.com/ • 800-880-7231 www.tenacore.com • 800-297-2241

3

MRI

www.usocmedical.com • 855-888-8762

Refurbish

P P P P P P

P P P P P P

Medical Equipment Doctor, INC.

59

SakoMED

42

sakomed.com • (844) 433-7261

Rental/Leasing

P P

Medical Equipment Doctor, INC.

59

PM Biomedical

79

www.medicalequipdoc.com • 800-285-9929 pmbiomedical.com • 800-777-6476

Technical Life Care Medical Co.

www.technicallifecare.com • 800-989-8949

Repair

P P 7 P

Avante Health Solutions

20

Cardiotronix

29

Elite Biomedical Solutions

76

Medical Equipment Doctor, INC.

59

PM Biomedical

79

SakoMED

42

48

Soaring Hearts Group

84

J2S Medical

62

Replacement Parts

MedWrench

78

avantehs.com • 800-979-6142

Avante Health Solutions

avantehs.com • 800-979-6142

20

P P P P P P

CM Parts Plus

27

Diagnostic Solutions

75

Innovatus Imaging

8

KEI Medical Imaging

29

www.cmpartsplus.com • 877-267-2784 diagnostic-solutions.com • 330-296-9729 www.innovatusimaging.com • 844-687-5100 www.keimedicalimaging.com • 512-477-1500

Online Resource HTM Jobs

www.htmjobs.com • www.j2smedical.com • 844-342-5527 www.MedWrench.com •

Webinar Wednesday

www.webinarwednesday.live • 800-906-3373

Oxygen Blender iServe Biomedical

iservebiomedical.com • 281-741-0849

avantehs.com • 800-979-6142 cardiotronixhealth.com • (855)-4DEFIBS elitebiomedicalsolutions.com • 855-291-6702 www.medicalequipdoc.com • 800-285-9930 pmbiomedical.com • 800-777-6467 sakomed.com • (844) 433-7262

85

soaringheartsinc.com • 855.438.7744

P

P P

P P P P P P

20

Elite Biomedical Solutions

76

iServe Biomedical

82

KEI Medical Imaging

29

iservebiomedical.com • 281-741-0849

82

P P P P

Avante Health Solutions

elitebiomedicalsolutions.com • 855-291-6701

www.keimedicalimaging.com • 512-477-1500

P

P P P P P

71

www.medicalequipdoc.com • 800-285-9928

P P P P

P P P P P

AIV

aiv-inc.com • 888-656-0755

P P P

Medical Equipment Doctor, INC.

www.medicalequipdoc.com • 800-285-9925

elitebiomedicalsolutions.com • 855-291-6701

P P

International X-Ray Brokers

www.rsti-training.com • 800-229-7784

avantehs.com • 800-979-6142

24

Mammography

internationalxraybrokers.com/ • 508-559-9441

aiv-inc.com • 888-656-0755

P P P P P P P

TRAINING

59

www.medicalequipdoc.com • 800-285-9926

39

SERVICE

Infusion Pumps

Medical Equipment Doctor, INC.

75

PARTS

hmark.com • 800-521-6224

Company Info

AD PAGE

Healthmark Industries

TRAINING

Infection Control

SERVICE

salesmakercarts.com • 800-821-4140

PARTS

SalesMaker Carts

AD PAGE

Company Info

P P P P P

December 2023 | TechNation 87

SERVICE INDEX CONT.

A.M. Bickford

4

J2S Medical

62

Medical Equipment Doctor, INC.

59

www.ambickford.com • 800-795-3062 www.j2smedical.com • 844-342-5527 www.medicalequipdoc.com • 800-285-9931

Software

P

67

EQ2

28

cynch.me • www.eq2llc.com • 888-312-4367

NVRT Labs Inc. nvrtlabs.com •

TruAsset, LLC

www.truasset.com • 214-276-1280

Sterilizers

Medical Equipment Doctor, INC.

www.medicalequipdoc.com • 800-285-9932

Surgical

Healthmark Industries

hmark.com • 800-521-6224

Medical Equipment Doctor, INC.

www.medicalequipdoc.com • 800-285-9933

Telemetry

34 53, 73 59 39 59 71

Elite Biomedical Solutions

76

iServe Biomedical

82

J2S Medical

62

Multimedical Systems

40

PM Biomedical

79

Southwestern Biomedical Electronics, Inc.

31

Tenacore Holdings, Inc

91

USOC Bio-Medical Services

3

elitebiomedicalsolutions.com • 855-291-6701 iservebiomedical.com • 281-741-0849 www.j2smedical.com • 844-342-5527 www.multimedicalsystems.com • 888-532-8056 pmbiomedical.com • 800-777-6467 www.swbiomed.com/ • 800-880-7231 www.tenacore.com • 800-297-2241 www.usocmedical.com • 855-888-8762

Test Equipment

P P P P P

P P P P

P P P P P

A.M. Bickford

4

BC Group International, Inc

BC

Bird RF

69

IMT Analytics

64

iServe Biomedical

82

www.ambickford.com • 800-795-3062 www.BCGroupStore.com • 314-638-3800 birdrf.com • 866-695-4569 imtanalytics.com • iservebiomedical.com • 281-741-0849

Pronk Technologies, Inc.

www.pronktech.com • 800-609-9802

P P P P P

2, 73, 77

Radcal Corporation

34

Rigel Medical, Seaward Group

6

RTI Electronics

54

Southeastern Biomedical, Inc

35

www.radcal.com • 800-423-7169 www.seaward-groupusa.com • 813-886-2775 www.rtigroup.com • 800-222-7537 sebiomedical.com/ • 828-396-6010

88 TechNation | December 2023

Tri-Imaging Solutions

www.triimaging.com • 855-401-4888

P P

24

Ultrasound

P P

Innovatus Imaging

8

J2S Medical

62

MW Imaging

88

Probo Medical

17

www.innovatusimaging.com • 844-687-5100 www.j2smedical.com • 844-342-5527 www.mwimaging.com • 877-889-8223

Ventilators

Avante Health Solutions

20

iServe Biomedical

82

PM Biomedical

79

avantehs.com • 800-979-6142 iservebiomedical.com • 281-741-0849 pmbiomedical.com • 800-777-6477

X-Ray

P P P P P P P P P P P

Innovatus Imaging

8

International X-Ray Brokers

75

RSTI

5

RTI Electronics

54

Tri-Imaging Solutions

24

www.innovatusimaging.com • 844-687-5100 internationalxraybrokers.com/ • 508-559-9441

AIV

aiv-inc.com • 888-656-0755

Tubes/Bulbs

www.probomedical.com • 3174947872

Cynch

TRAINING

Respiratory

SERVICE

sakomed.com • (844) 433-7263

PARTS

42

P P P P

Company Info

AD PAGE

SakoMED

TRAINING

79

pmbiomedical.com • 800-777-6467

SERVICE

PM Biomedical

PARTS

AD PAGE

Company Info

www.rsti-training.com • 800-229-7784 www.rtigroup.com • 800-222-7537 www.triimaging.com • 855-401-4888

P P P P P P

ALPHABETICAL INDEX 626 Holdings…………………………

21

HTM Jobs……………………………

48

Pronk Technologies, Inc. ……… 2, 73, 77

A.M. Bickford…………………………… 4

IMT Analytics…………………………

64

Radcal Corporation……………………

AIV……………………………………

71

Innovatus Imaging……………………… 8

Rigel Medical, Seaward Group………… 6

Avante Health Solutions………………

20

International X-Ray Brokers…………

75

RSTI……………………………………… 5

BC Group International, Inc………… BC

iServe Biomedical……………………

82

RTI Electronics………………………

54

Bird RF………………………………

69

J2S Medical…………………………

62

SakoMED……………………………

42

Cardiotronix…………………………

29

KEI Medical Imaging…………………

29

SalesMaker Carts……………………

75

CM Parts Plus …………………………

27

Maull Biomedical Training……………

63

Soaring Hearts Group…………………

84

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

11

Medical Equipment Doctor, INC.……

59

Southeastern Biomedical, Inc………

35

Contrast Injector Tools………………

54

Medical Equipment Dynamics………

60

67

78

Southwestern Biomedical Electronics, Inc.…………………………………… 31

Cynch…………………………………

MedWrench…………………………

Diagnostic Solutions…………………

75

Multimedical Systems………………

40

ECRI Institute…………………………

83

MW Imaging…………………………

88

Elite Biomedical Solutions……………

76

NVRT Labs Inc.………………………

34

EQ2……………………………………

28

Ozark Biomedical……………………

89

Healthmark Industries………………

39

PM Biomedical………………………

79

Probo Medical…………………………

17

34

Technical Life Care Medical Co.………… 7 Tenacore Holdings, Inc………………

91

Tri-Imaging Solutions…………………

24

TruAsset, LLC……………………… 53, 73 USOC Bio-Medical Services…………… 3 Webinar Wednesday…………………

85

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800-457-7576 December 2023 | TechNation 89

BREAKROOM

Photos by Bryant K. Hawkins Sr.

“I had the privilege to attend career day at New Orleans Career Center with my LCMC Health colleagues. I was exposing high school juniors and seniors to the Healthcare Technology Management Industry.”

Photo b

y Allison

Woolford ,

CBET

#IamTechNation Join us as we celebrate the TechNation community.

You - each and every reader, Webinar Wednesday attendee, HTM Jobs user and MD Expo attendee - are the most important part of the TechNation community. Share a photo of yourself, a colleague or the entire biomed team on social media and tag it with #IamTechNation. Then, check each issue of the magazine to see yourself and all of the men and women that are TechNation.

On Septe mber 25 , opportu nity to p 2023, I had the resent to BMET an some of d electro the nic Technica l Commu s students at Du nity Coll rham honor to ege. It w talk to th as an em biomedic al equipm about the life o fa ent tech nician.

Photo by Edward Reyes, MHAc, BSHCA, LSSGB, FAC-COR

Photo by Francis can Missionaries of Our Lady Healt h System

e sionari an Mis c is c n

by Fra alth System Photo e La d y H of Our

s

Had the honor to meet and spend the day with World War II U.S. Navy veteran Dorothy “Pat” Rudd.

TRIMEDX CEO He nry Hummel and regional lea dership recently visited its clinical engineering team at Francisca n Missionaries of Our Lady Healt h System in Baton Rouge, Lo uisiana.

90 TechNation | December 2023

ummel, enry H ter Evola, CEO H Pe re , a ia h d Picture ll, Ruben Garc orthern, Jos , N n ns ue e o B rr rs le a a J a P D tt, as, Dan Benne Angela e, Marc Thom eff Moncri rgeois. vin Bou and Ke

Mrs. Pat was one of the 1st women to ever deploy overseas - in her case, to the then Territory of Hawaii.

She’s 102 years young with a sharp mind and her eyes lit up when she shared her incredible story of service and sacrifice and how she also met her husband at Pearl Harbor who was active-duty Navy himself and were married for 71 years.

Neri Inventory Lead

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