TechNation June 2024

1technation.com

Vol. 15

JUNE 2024

ADVANCING THE BIOMEDICAL / HTM PROFESSIONAL

GRAY AREA EQUIPMENT RESPONSIBILITY

Personal Experiences and Opinions PAGE 56

P.12 | PRO OF THE MONTH HM2 Phillip Villegas, CBET

P.14 | MD EXPO RECAP HTM Professionals Win Big

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CONTENTS P.12 SPOTLIGHT p.12 Professional of the Month: HM2 Phillip Villegas, CBET p.14 MD Expo Re-Cap p.18 Department of the Month: Washington Regional Medical System Biomed Department p.20 Next Gen: Joshua Mook p.22 Association of the Month: The Healthcare Technology Management Association of North Texas (HTMA-NTX) P.24 INDUSTRY UPDATES p.24 News & Notes p.33 GBIS Co-Founder Horace Hunter Passes Away p.35 Ribbon Cutting: Avobus Equipment LLC p.36 AAMI Update p.38 ECRI Update

33

52 P.40 THE BENCH p.40 Biomed 101 p.43 Tools of the Trade p.44 Webinar Wednesday P.46 FEATURE ARTICLES p.46 Roundtable: Employment p.52 Corporate Profile: Elite Biomedical Solutions p.56 Cover Story: Gray Area Equipment Responsibility P.62 EXPERT ADVICE p.62 Career Center p.64 Networking Notes p.66 SPONSORED: Avante Health Solutions p.68 Cybersecurity p.70 SPONSORED: Innovatus Imaging p.73 Right to Repair p.74 The Future

TechNation (Vol. 15, Issue #6) June 2024 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. ©2024

June 2024 | 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 Steven J. Yelton

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Megan Cabot Emily Hise

ART DEPARTMENT

Karlee Gower Taylor Hayes Kameryn King

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 Benjamin Scoggin, MBA, MMCi, Director, Clinical Engineering | Biomedical Operations, Equipment Distribution, Clinical IT, DHTS, Duke Health Technology Solutions

80 P.76 BREAKROOM p.76 [Contest] What’s on Your Bench? p.77 TechNation Poll p.78 Bulletin Board Sponsored by MedWrench p.79 HTM on the Line Scrapbook p.80 MD Expo Vegas Scrapbook p.83 Biomed Brainbuster p.90 #ShowUsYourShop p.86 Service Index p.89 Alphabetical Index Like us on Facebook, facebook.com/TechNationMag

Allison Woollford, Biomedical Equipment Specialist at Duke University Health System

Follow us on LinkedIn, linkedin.com/company/iamtechnation

DIGITAL ADVISORY BOARD

Subscribe to TechNation TV, youtube.com/@TechNation_TV

Bryant Hawkins Sr., HTM on the Line, Trimedx Site Manager at Children’s of New Orleans Dr. Brian Bell, HTM Workshop, Faculty Biomedical Engineering at St. Petersburg College in St. Petersburg, Florida Carlos Villafane, BMET Latino, Certified Biomedical Engineering Technician III, Baycare Health Systems Chace Torres, Bearded Biomed, Lead Technician SPBS, Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex

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 | June 2024

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SPOTLIGHT

PROFESSIONAL OF THE MONTH Sailor Biomed Helps HTM Community

HM2 Phillip Villegas, CBET

C

BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

amp Pendleton, in Southern California, may be one of the most famous military bases in the country. Established just after World War I, it trained Marines for the Korean and Viet Nam wars. It is one of the Department of Defense’s busiest bases and offers training to Army and Navy units.

While the Navy has had the distinction of transporting Marines around the world, it is also the Navy that contains hospital Corpsmen, who provide medical treatment to Marines and others. The Corpsman’s duties can include aiding in emergency surgery, dental operations, analyzing lab samples or dispensing vaccines or prescribe medications. Their work is important to the military because it can free up physicians to work with sicker patients.

Working as a Corpsman can provide a good understanding of physiology and anatomy and introduce those in this occupation to medical instruments.

It would stand to reason that a Corpsman would be exposed to the biomed field with some useful insights.

“Honestly, I was going to get out of my military rate, when my fellow sailor told me to stay and that my rate (Hospital Corpsman) in the Navy had the specialty Biomed.

Everything about the job description seemed perfect.

Then I found out my uncle, Alfred McKenzie, had been in the HTM field since 1982 and he was so excited to hear of my interest in the community. Since 2014, I worked endlessly to get to this point,” says HM2 Phillip Villegas, CBET, biomed equipment technician at the Navy Medicine Readiness and Training Command (NMRTC) at Camp Pendleton Hospital in Oceanside, California.

12 TechNation | June 2024

Villegas completed the necessary training to pursue a biomed career.

“In 2018, I started the Department of Defense Biomedical Equipment Technician program at Fort Sam Houston in San Antonio, Texas, after finishing my second duty station.

It was a two-year degree wrapped in 14 months covering different areas of engineering, anatomy and physiology, etcetera,” he says.

Villegas said that his class did 17 courses with each course being five days of classroom training and 10 days of hands-on troubleshooting with every type of equipment medicine has to offer.

“We also learned to do this in simulated places like what we would see in Iraq and Afghanistan due to what was going on in the world at that time. This helped us not only become accustomed to working on medical device in the hospital but in war fronts and in the oceans anywhere in the world 24/7. That’s why DoD produces some of the best technicians,” Villegas says.

BIOMED AND HONOR GUARD Villegas has been active in helping out his fellow military biomeds connect with civilian hiring managers and others in the civilian HTM community. He has done this in past years, as well as this year. He has HTM events for veteran and active-duty service members to meet with different companies in healthcare technology.

“Our challenge is that we are so mission-oriented, whether it is servicing all the medical equipment on ships in the middle of the ocean or in medical treatment facilities around the world, that we fail to market ourselves to the civilian world when we close that chapter,” Villegas says.

He says that his events help close that gap and give active-duty service members face-to-face time with a manager, director or CEO to show them those skills they do down range in harm’s way, with limited materials.

“This year’s event is backed by CMIA San Diego chapter and will have service members from around the area and few from other states, from all three medical service branches,” Villegas says.

During his first four out of five years in the Navy, he was on Presidential/White House duty.

“I served in the ‘United States Navy Ceremonial Guard Presidential Honor Guard,’ which was cool. I did ceremonies across Washington, D.C. and flew to different parts of the country performing in arenas, concert halls and stadiums. My second time, I was selected to be on the ‘Presidential Dental Team’ as a dental assistant. [It] was a huge honor to be selected for both out of many others in the Navy,” Villegas says.

When not on the job, Villegas enjoys video games and mastering the art of the chef.

“I love playing Madden especially with my little brother who plays college football. Cooking; I study a lot of cooking techniques of different chefs. Date night with the wife; it can be visiting our winery we have a membership at, or literally playing video games together; it all varies. Been trying to find a volleyball league to play in, but no luck, or it’s too far,” he says.

With both HTM and clinical knowledge, this military biomed has kept a family profession going into a new generation and is also helping other biomeds with their post-military careers.

He is an asset to the Navy and to the HTM community.

BIOMETRICS FAVORITE BOOK:

Percy Jackson series hands down. Couldn’t put those books down growing up.

FAVORITE MOVIE:

“Anchorman” Anything with Will Ferrell in it, I am watching.

HIDDEN TALENT:

I used to do tricks with rifles with bayonets on them at my first duty station performing and traveling across the country. Even did some at celebrity events. I could still do it but not as good as I used to.

FAVORITE FOOD:

Any island food in the Caribbean! My stepdad and his family are from Jamaica and growing up with it at home or in the stores because of growing up in Florida really it has a soft spot in my heart. Literally can go for a beef patty or oxtail right now. For dessert; flan or arroz con leche. Breakfast is easy, Cuban sandwich, guava pastry and a Cuban coffee.

FAVORITE PART OF BEING A BIOMED?

The people; hands down. Very few professions where you find a lot of people who love what they do as much as you do. Also, the community is small and tightly knit. Each shop has its characters and there is no random group of people you’d want to work with more. Special shout out to my first Biomed Shop in Guam who really helped me and guide me to become a great BMET, husband and man.

Philip Laroya, Kirk Young, Paul Nelson, Rhyan Capili, Rainwyn Molleno, Robert Dumpit, Troy Ty and Travis Smith. Love you all man! You all deserve your roses.

WHAT’S ON MY BENCH?

My planner, my water bottle, scheduled work orders list, gum, Starbucks coffee and flashcards because I am studying for another certification.

June 2024 | TechNation 13

SPOTLIGHT

MD EXPO RECAP

T

HTM Professionals Win Big

BY JOHN WALLACE

he 2024 MD Expo Las Vegas eclipsed expectations with 800+ healthcare technology management professionals in attendance for top-flight educational sessions, a packed exhibit hall, entertaining networking events, invitation-only leadership summit, motivational keynote address and the inaugural Tech Choice Awards presentation.

MD Publishing is the parent company of TechNation magazine and MD Expo.

MD Publishing Founder and President John Krieg was blown away by the continued support of the conference for HTM professionals.

“We are beyond humbled and want to express our sincere gratitude to the TechNation community for making the 2024 MD Expo Las Vegas a huge success!” Krieg shared.

“When we launched our first MD Expo over 20 years ago, we had no idea it would grow and turn into the industry-leading event for biomeds and HTM professionals it is today. With over 800+ total attendance, and nearly 500 attendees alone, the MD Expo continues to be THE go-to event for networking, education and fun! There’s no celebration of our incredible HTM community like an MD Expo!”

“Our mission has always been and will always continue to be simple: To provide stellar education, with world class 14 TechNation | June 2024

speakers, and the latest tools and resources, free of charge, so that everyone, from student to seasoned veteran, can grow and prosper personally and professionally,” Krieg added.

Registration tipped off the first full day of MD Expo at 7 a.m. as attendees and exhibitors checked in to receive their name badge, show bag and show guide. Exhibitors set up their booths as attendees prepared for the first round of educational sessions that began at 10 a.m.

The special Eclipse Eats networking event came next as everyone grabbed a pair of special eclipse viewing glasses sponsored by CURE Biomedical. The weather was perfect for the outdoor event as everyone took in the eclipse before returning to the classrooms for the second round of sessions.

The Tech Choice Awards presentation was next followed by the keynote address sponsored by Zopec Medical. The exhibit hall grand opening sponsored by HTM Jobs kept the busy day rolling. Young professionals were treated to a special YP at MD event sponsored by Adepto Medical, Pio Bio and Prescott’s Inc. The second full day also kicked off at the registration desk followed by packed 8 a.m. classes. It was the first of three consecutive sessions on Day 2. The exhibit hall lunch was next as Elvis made his way around the exhibit hall pausing often to meet fans and pose for photos with exhibitors and attendees.

The exhibit hall closed to attendees at 2:30 p.m. with two afternoon educational sessions available. MD Expo Las Vegas concluded with the Live at AMP’d

Finale Party sponsored by AIV. praised MD Expo.

Attendees and exhibitors praised MD Expo Las Vegas.

“It’s just a blast to be here,” Woolford said about MD Lexicon MedParts CEO/President Scott Kinkade has Expo Las Vegas. attended several MD Expos. He said that the traffic in the “The benefit of being here over the other conferences exhibit hall exceeded his expectations. that I have been to is that you have a broader sense of He was just one of several exhibitors to comment on people who come,” she said. “You have people from all the volume and quality of attendover the United States who come ees at MD Expo Las Vegas. here and you are able to gain Attendees also praised the con“When we launched our first MD knowledge from them besides ference. those within just the littler Expo over 20 years ago, we had conferences that I have been to “It is a great experience with a lot of great lessons, great speakwhere you are speaking to no idea it would grow and turn ers,” first-time attendee Jack Fang people from just within that same from Stanford Healthcare said. state. You get different ideas and into the industry-leading event “There are some great ideas I can different viewpoints by attending for biomeds and HTM implement in my department. We the MD Expos compared to will go back and let our leadership attending the smaller ones.” professionals it is today. With know. I am just excited about the “Personally, I am able to take lessons here.” over 800+ total attendance, and away things from the actual Intermountain Health Healthcare classes that just help me to nearly 500 attendees alone, the become a better biomed. It gives Technology Management’s Mike Busdicker, MBA, CHTM, AAMIF, me a sense of what I can do to MD Expo continues to be THE FACHE, said three words he would provide support to my hospital,” use to describe MD Expo are “releshe added. go-to event for networking, vant, educational and experience.”

Woolford is also an educator at education and fun! There’s no “MD Expo stands out to me bea local college and said she is able cause the classroom size for the connect with exhibitors at MD celebration of our incredible HTM to educational sessions are smaller.

Expo. She invites them to demo They are very relevant to today’s their products to students. She community like an MD Expo!” issues going on and building a said the demos are great because - John Krieg great HTM program in a more intithey expose her students to a mate setting. You have an opporvariety of equipment and devices tunity to network a little bit more in the expo as well as in and not just the brands used at the school or at a facility the classes,” he added. where they may intern.

“MD Expo has helped me with connections that I have The next MD Expo is set for October when the leaves made whether it be professional development or with my own change colors in New England. Check out MDExpoShow.com HTM department back at my organization,” Busdicker said. for more information about the upcoming conference set for Duke University Hospital’s Allison Woolford also the luxurious Mohegan Sun in Connecticut.

June 2024 | TechNation 15

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SPOTLIGHT

The Washington Regional biomed team poses for a picture in honor of HTM Week 2023.

DEPARTMENT OF THE MONTH

Washington Regional Medical System Biomed Department

I

BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS t was a judge’s decision in 1947 to appoint a commission to study the feasibility of building a second county hospital in Fayetteville, Arkansas. The following year, a design was completed and the new 50-bed hospital opened its doors in 1950. In 1973, after expansion and two name changes, the hospital became the Washington Regional Medical Center. In the decades ahead, the hospital expanded, modernized and other facilities were added.

The medical system’s biomed department manages medical equipment at the 425-bed acute care medical center in Fayetteville and more than 45 primary, specialty and urgent care clinic locations across the region.

The nine-member biomed team includes Biomed Manager Samuel Deaton, one imaging equipment technician III, one BMET III, five BMET IIs and one BMET I. The team lends its insights, in concert with its clinical counterparts, to decisions about service contracts.

“Service contracts are heavily dependent on the capabilities of the biomed department; if we have the ability to take on the maintenance responsibilities for a piece of medical equipment, then we will seek to do so.

This is done in collaboration with department leaders of 18 TechNation | June 2024

the areas where the equipment is used to ensure their service needs are met,” Deaton says.

He says that letting a service contract lapse can often be seen as a loss of service overall, so it is the biomed department’s responsibility to make sure that service is maintained or improved over what the vendor can provide.

In addition to service contracts, the department works with its colleagues in IT/IS to coordinate services.

“We have a very high level of biomed/IT integration. Our CIO has been the executive leader over our department since 2016, and that has led to a much closer tie to our colleagues in information services. We are at the point now that we are looking into creating a new healthcare technology information analyst role within the biomed department to bridge equipment service and information service,” Deaton says.

RETURNING IN-HOUSE The biomed team returned to in-house status after being outsourced for a time. The team self-evaluated every aspect of its service offering as it re-established itself as an in-house operation.

“One of our larger special projects involved the biomed department directly. A few years ago, our team was managed by an ISO. The decision was made in 2020 to transition back to being a fully in-house team. The transition happened in October of that year, bringing all of the managerial, policy, software and

Samuel Deaton and a team member inspect a Baxter Prismax CRRT.

A member of Washington Regional’s biomed team configures a Nihon Kohden LifesScope G7 patient monitor.

service changes that entails along with it,” Deaton says. whole team to get through the month successfully. We He says that while the biomed team was excited by the purposefully leave January empty of other scheduled PMs prospect of being in-house once again, it had a long road ahead to so that we can apply as many team members as possible to make it back to stability. the effort,” Deaton says.

“We were essentially starting over from scratch, building the He says that January 2024 opened with an atypical department from the ground up. The transition was a chance to problem: due to a myriad of serviceability issues, they were in scrutinize every aspect of our operations and try to make improvea position where nearly 10 percent of the infusion pump ments that were rooted in the shared experience of the team. That inventory was out for repair. started with a review of our service workflows, which we could then “This stacked up quite suddenly, and unfortunately integrate into our CMMS during its implementation,” Deaton says. coincided with the month that we would need to keep a He says that from there, it expanded to policy updating and regroup of them out of service to be rotated during testing. view, which often involved other clinical departments, redesigning We quickly ran into pump shortages, and it became clear the technician job descriptions and how career that something would have to change paths advanced and becoming a part of the dramatically if we wanted to both capital equipment process so that the team “There is always more provide for our clinical teams and meet could leverage its knowledge to help guide the our PM completion goals,” Deaton says. work to do, and we are organization into the future.

He says that working with hospital “All of those changes have contributed to the leadership, the biomed team coordinatmaking plans for what ed the delivery of nearly 40 loaner department’s rapid growth. We recently brought on a new team member dedicated to clinic serthe next few years will devices to provide relief from the vice operations, a must since our clinic locations shortage. Keeping in touch with bring, but if it is span almost 100 miles. We have been building individual departments and their clinical up an imaging technician team, investing in managers, they then set about performanything like the last some of our current staff who have been intering PM trade-outs. ested in training on imaging modalities under the “It was a daily struggle to ensure few it will be more than supervision of our imaging technician III. We that we could maintain enough worth the effort.” have even been so involved with our peers in momentum to still hit our Joint Commisinformation technology that we are on the cusp sion-mandated PM goals while also - Samuel Deaton of creating a new blended biomed/IT position,” keeping enough assets in service that Deaton says. we would not be putting a burden on He says that making sure the transition was successful was a patient care. The team walked that line brilliantly, keeping challenge, but in many ways a welcome one. open lines of communication, pushing a staggering PM “I feel like that success can be easily seen, as well. You only pace and eventually completing one of the most successful have to look as far as our December 2023 Joint Commission infusion pump maintenance years that we have had to survey, which we passed spectacularly. There is always more work date,” Deaton adds. to do, and we are making plans for what the next few years will He says that the level of teamwork that the biomed bring, but if it is anything like the last few it will be more than worth team displayed, not only within the department but the effort,” Deaton says. interdepartmentally, remains inspiring.

The refreshed department faced down an equipment shortage The biomed team at Washington Regional has met the situation, maintaining compliance and supporting patient care, challenge of rebuilding its department and excelling in the while coordinating with its clinical counterparts. process. As the nominator of this department stated, the “Every January, we perform PMs on all of our infusion pumps. team members have “created a high-level roadmap for their That is nearly 700 assets that we have to touch, and it takes our journey to world-class performance.”

June 2024 | TechNation 19

SPOTLIGHT

NEXT GEN POWERED BY YP AT MD

J

Joshua Mook

oshua Mook earned an associate in applied science degree from Durham Technical Community College before starting his HTM career. He is currently a biomedical equipment technician at Duke University Hospital in North Carolina.

TechNation found out more about this rising star in the HTM field via a question-and-answer session.

Q: WHERE DID YOU GROW UP? A: I was adopted from Kirov, Russia and grew up in Apex, North Carolina.

Q: WHERE DID YOU RECEIVE YOUR HTM TRAINING/ EDUCATION? A: From Durham Technical Community College.

Q: HOW DID YOU FIRST DISCOVER HTM? A: My father, who is a CRNA at Duke University Hospital, one day bumped into a biomedical technician while on the job.

Out of curiosity, he asked the tech what it is he does. Seeing this newly discovered career aligned with my interest, my father told me about it and I researched from there.

Q: HOW DID YOU CHOOSE TO GET INTO THIS FIELD? A: When I was in high school I found I had a strong interest in medical technology and also a passion for repairing broken equipment. I would construct basic prosthetic prototypes in my garage and research into the advancements of technology in medicine as well. I chose this field because it allows the best of both worlds in that I am able to support others through my work and use technological skills while being a part of a generation that sees technology as something to build upon Q: WHAT DO YOU LIKE MOST ABOUT YOUR POSITION? A: The one thing I value the most about my current position is the impact I make every day, both to the patients and the clinicians. I find that true reward is in the joy the customer gets when they walk into work the next day to find their equipment is back in operational condition and they can consequently move forward in saving lives. Often our presence and work go unnoticed, but there is value in that regardless.

Q: WHAT INTERESTS YOU THE MOST ABOUT HTM? A: HTM interests me the most mainly in regards to its role in advancing medical technology and implementing it into the world around us. Technology in medicine is growing at a rapid rate and being able to be a part of that growth is seriously so special.

Q: WHAT HAS BEEN YOUR GREATEST ACCOMPLISHMENT IN YOUR FIELD THUS FAR? A: The greatest accomplishment I have achieved in my field thus far is that I have overcome my fear of the unknown. The world of HTM is always changing and that is in large part due to the changing technology we work with. When I began, I was worried about the “what ifs,” but over the course of these first 6 months I have learned to look at a problem as an opportunity to learn and grow rather than to break down. As my team lead told me when I began, “the best way to find your way is to get lost.”

Q: WHAT GOALS DO YOU HAVE FOR YOURSELF IN THE NEXT 5 YEARS? A: My goals are to grow and advance in my career. I want to experience all that HTM has to offer and, as many have told me, an HTM professional is never done learning. While we move at different speeds, my goal for the next 5 years is to advance as far as I can while also building my personal skills in the maintaining and servicing of medical technology to better meet the needs of the industry.

FUN FACTS FAVORITE HOBBY:

I love the outdoors so I would have to say camping and traveling.

FAVORITE SHOW OR MOVIE: The Iron Man series.

FAVORITE MEAL:

This one has to be my Mom’s meatloaf.

WHAT WOULD YOUR SUPERPOWER BE?

To look at something broken and be able to fix it telepathically.

1 THING ON YOUR BUCKET LIST:

Be a trip to Crete, Greece but I may have to wait on that one.

SOMETHING YOUR CO-WORKERS DON’T KNOW ABOUT YOU: I took part in robotics competitions for two years.

20 TechNation | June 2024

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SPOTLIGHT

ASSOCIATION OF THE MONTH The Healthcare Technology Management Association of North Texas (HTMA-NTX)

T

BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

exas was its own country from 1836 to 1845. It is the second largest state in the U.S. (behind Alaska) and has 30 million plus in population. The state has been the topic of several famous songs, and ZZ Top, Christopher Cross, Mac Davis, Norah Jones and Usher have all called the state home.

Biomeds are not exempt from the great distinctions that the state offers, and those in the northern portion of the Texas have a biomed association as acclaimed as the state itself.

“The original association was incorporated on October 20, 1975, as the ‘North Texas Biomedical Association.’ Our chapter re-branded in 2017 as the Healthcare Technology Management Association of North Texas (HTMA-NTX),” says group President Webb Clark.

The association’s predecessor organization laid the foundation for a biomed organization in northern Texas.

“NTBA was established in October of 1975. The association ran for several years but eventually quit meeting in the mid- to late-1980s. Around 1990 is when several biomeds in the Dallas/Ft. Worth [area] decided to start having meetings again,” Clark says.

He says that they contacted all the local hospitals and got enough interest to start meeting again.

“Meetings were held at Arlington Memorial until moving to Children’s in Dallas. The meetings in Arlington typically numbered around 50 people, and when held in Dallas, increased to about 75 people attending,” Clark adds.

Mike Long, Walt Christianson, Terry Greenfield, Frank Ford, Bob Baisden and David Braeutigam helped revive the 22 TechNation | June 2024

NTBA around 1990 by holding meetings at Arlington Memorial in Arlington, Texas every two months.

“Mike worked for Parkland, Walt worked for Presbyterian, Terry worked for HCA Lewisville, Frank worked at Methodist, Bob worked at Arlington Memorial and David worked for Baylor Health Care System,” Clark explains.

He says that his chapter continued as the NTBA until in 2017, when they rebranded themselves as HTMA-NTX (Healthcare Technology Management Association of North Texas). The naming convention was recommended by Pat Lynch just after HTM became the new term for biomed.

“The new acronym is better suited for our chapter as we serve to connect folks from across the HTM spectrum – not only biomedical equipment technicians, but also imaging technicians and other HTM professionals whether they be administrative, educational, ISO, OEM, or social media ‘influencers’ who live and work in North Texas,” Clark says.

He says that most of the original biomeds who revived the NTBA have passed away or moved out of the Dallas/Ft. Worth area.

“David Braeutigam stayed committed to the organization and is considered the ‘Father Abraham’ for our group as it stands today. David was responsible for creating HTMA-NTX, has worked as the newsletter writer, president numerous times, secretary several times and is still active with our organization today,” Clark says.

CREATING HTM COMMUNITY The planning for an annual symposium has been in the works and Clark has probed the brains of those who have gone before. Experience is the best teacher.

“I spent the better part of last year meeting with officers from various HTM societies around the country. One thing that all these chapters have in common is their annual symposium. To date, Texas has not had one. Rather, we’ve

HTMA-NTX creates community with fun and educational events.

waited for AAMI or MD Expo to roll through the Lone Star state every 2-5 years. We know that based on our population, as well as our health care footprint, that an annual conference in Texas would provide a great vehicle to connect and celebrate our Texas’ HTM community,” he says.

Clark points out that it would also provide a huge draw for our corporate sponsors to come interface with members.

“Obviously, building a multi-day conference from the ground up is no easy task, but we are committed to it and the wheels are in motion. HTMA-NTX is partnering with our sister chapter in Houston (HTMA-TX) to lay the framework for the inaugural event, which will likely be in 2025-2026,” he says.

Beyond the planned symposium, the group does host more frequent meetings, with the goals of hosting one event per quarter in Dallas and Fort Worth; respectively.

“Our new goal is going to be to setup two educational events and two social events in Dallas and in Fort Worth. Ultimately, we are looking at eight meetings throughout the Metroplex in a calendar year as well as one chapter-wide social event. We are always looking for new sponsors to come address our group and sponsor these events,” Clark says.

The pandemic forced the association to a series of virtual events via Microsoft Teams and Zoom.

“Now that we are on the other side, our chapter will likely look to stream our educational sessions online and repost them to our social media channels,” Clark says.

The group has some ties to local organizations, and this has put them in touch with students and a meeting location.

“David Braeutigam is a professor at Collin College and

HTMA-NTX has allowed several meetings to be held there. We also have had students from biomed schools at Collin College, MediSend, and TSTC attend past meetings,” Clark says.

Biomeds in North Texas have a local symposium to look forward to.

“The best times are yet to come. One interesting aspect about the symposium we are building is that our board is made up of some really heavy hitters from DFW HTM leadership. Houston’s board is the same way. In other words, when it comes time to put on our symposium our sponsors can expect big buy-in from the biomedical departments across the state,” Clark says.

He says that the group has a great mixed bag of young and experienced HTM professionals serving as officers and representatives from almost every major health care network in DFW. “It’s an exciting time for our org and you can feel the electricity when we meet. Big things are in the works,” Clark says.

While the pandemic threw a wrench in the plans and operations of many biomed organizations, Clark says that the downtime and the impact of the pandemic really highlighted the importance of HTMA-NTX. “As a result, we recentered our mission and messaging and have been able to build a much more robust team to take HTMA-NTX into its next chapter. I fully believe that within the next two years our organization will be the most dynamic HTM society in the United States,” he says.

June 2024 | TechNation 23

INDUSTRY UPDATES

NEWS & NOTES Updates from the HTM Industry

ST. LUKE’S HEALTH SYSTEM SHARES PARTNERSHIP St. Luke’s Health System, a prominent not-for-profit health care provider based in Idaho, turns to a strategic partnership with Equipment Depot Inc., America’s largest independently operated material handling and equipment rental source, and Hai Robotics, a leading global provider of Automated Storage and Retrieval Systems (ASRS), to streamline order picking and fulfillment of medical-surgical products in its future Meridian, Idaho, warehouse.

The turnkey goods-to-person solution produced in collaboration between Hai Robotics and EQSOLUTIONS, Equipment Depot’s systems integration division, will maximize space utilization and operational efficiency as St. Luke’s optimizes various distribution networks under one roof.

The HaiPick System will cover 14,000 square feet within St. Luke’s facility and operate 28 HaiPick Autonomous Case-handling Mobile Robots (ACRs) that transport inbound and outbound containers within a system of storage racking and conveyor workstations.

The robots transport up to 8 containers at any given time for maximum order batching efficiency and deliver them to ergonomic human-operated workstations equipped with 24 TechNation | June 2024

pick-to-light technology. With an intuitive interface and comprehensive check systems integrated into the workstations, the HaiPick System is expected to help St. Luke’s achieve an impressive 99.99% order-picking accuracy.

“Our forward-looking supply chain has successfully identified a strategic partner that aligns perfectly with our vision of advanced distribution and consolidated services,” said Jason Merrill, Senior Director at St. Luke’s Health System. “Hai excels in delivering top-tier automation products and value-added solutions. Their cutting-edge, adaptable technology met our scalability requirements to meet the ever-growing demands of providing health care products efficiently and safely to patients and caregivers, all while optimizing the cost to deliver care.”

Supported by Equipment Depot’s 85 years of material handling knowledge, Hai’s solution was chosen for its unparalleled ability to optimize storage space — with a vertical reach extending up to 32+ feet — easily adapt to demand fluctuations and rapid growth, and elevate the workplace environment by minimizing touch points and eliminating human travel to fulfill orders.

HTMA MIDWEST SYMPOSIUM OPENS REGISTRATION Free registration for the 2024 HTMA Mid-West Symposium is open!

The 2024 Symposium will take place on Saturday, October 19 from 7 a.m. to 5:30 p.m. at the University of Kansas Health Education Building.

The HTMA Mid-West association will also have a Friday Night Mixer the night before (Oct. 18). The mixer will take place at Top Golf from 6-8 p.m. with food and drink tickets for each guest. Register on the HTMA Midwest website. There is a $20 registration fee for the Top Golf event, refunded in cash at the event.

Register soon, there are limited spots available for the Top Golf mixer!

“We are planning to provide 9 educational opportunities throughout three 1-hour educational sessions, starting at 8 a.m. and lasting until 11:30 a.m.,” the association website states.

A Keynote Speaker & Luncheon will feature food from Kansas City Joe’s BBQ. A Vendor Expo Hall will be open from 1-5:30 p.m.

Approximately 1 hour before the end of the event, a raffle will include more than $2,000 in gift cards and prizes!

TENACORE ANNOUNCES NEW CEO Tenacore LLC, a leader in healthcare technology management and service, recently announced the promotion of Riley Van Hofwegen to the position of chief executive officer (CEO), effective immediately.

Van Hofwegen joined Tenacore as chief commercial officer in June 2022 and was subsequently promoted to president in February 2023. He has demonstrated exceptional leadership, strategic vision and a relentless commitment to excellence, according to a blog post on the Tenacore website.

“In his role as president, Van Hofwegen played a pivotal role in driving Tenacore’s growth and expanding Riley Van Hofwegen its footprint in the market. His profound understanding CEO of the industry landscape, coupled with his dedication to innovation and customer satisfaction, has been instrumental in positioning Tenacore as a trusted partner for health care providers worldwide,” the blog states.

As CEO, he will continue to lead Tenacore with the same unwavering dedication and passion, driving the company towards new heights of success, the blog adds.

“His appointment reflects the company’s confidence in his ability to steer Tenacore through its next phase of growth and expansion,” the blog reads. “Under his leadership, Tenacore is poised to further strengthen its position as a leader in healthcare technology management and service, delivering high-quality solutions that improve patient care and enhance operational efficiency for health care providers globally.”

June 2024 | TechNation 25

INDUSTRY UPDATES

TRIMEDX INTRODUCES A REAL-TIME LOCATION SYSTEM TRIMEDX recently announced the launch of GeoSense, a real-time location system (RTLS) for health care. TRIMEDX GeoSense provides health systems with accurate and timely medical device tracking data by using next-generation, multi-modal technology that is lightweight, room-level precise and easy to implement.

“Health systems continue to address growing operational and financial challenges, and health care leaders must closely manage clinical assets to maximize their organizations’ capital investments and ensure the right clinical assets are in the right place, at the right time to meet patient care needs,” says TRIMEDX CEO Henry Hummel. “By focusing on solving problems most important to our clients, we continue to enhance our technology and delivery platform with sustainable, scalable solutions that deliver persistent value.”

By directly integrating with TRIMEDX’s proprietary data and technology platforms, device location data strengthens the comprehensive visibility to clinical asset inventories as well as service delivery excellence.

TRIMEDX GeoSense offers clients efficient and effective clinical asset management solutions by delivering: • Reduced device search times and improved clinician satisfaction • Improved clinical engineering service – Technicians can

26 TechNation | June 2024

quickly locate devices for preventative maintenance and repairs and better prioritize workflows to improve service delivery • Enhanced inventory management with loss prevention monitoring • Mobile medical equipment PAR level management and improved device availability • Rental equipment process controls and reduced rental expenses • Cybersecurity and ePHI exposure risk mitigation With the introduction of GeoSense, TRIMEDX is launching a client-facing mobile application that leverages the innovative GeoSense technology designed to help clinicians quickly find the devices they need at the point of patient care, saving valuable clinician time and improving the overall patient care experience.

“By continuously investing in technology enhancements, TRIMEDX is committed to innovation in the healthcare technology space,” says Chief Technology Officer and President of Cybersecurity Doug Folsom. “This innovative GeoSense technology will reduce the time spent searching for critical medical equipment and can be a transformative tool for health systems to drive financial savings, reduce risk, and improve operational efficiencies.”

VIZZIA TECHNOLOGIES ACHIEVES 112% HEALTH CARE RTLS GROWTH Vizzia Technologies, a leading software and managed service provider of real-time location systems (RTLS) for health care organizations, delivered a record 112% revenue growth, major new customers and industry accolades throughout 2023.

The increasing market interest in advanced RTLS solutions that deliver meaningful results for clinicians and executives has fueled the robust demand for Vizzia’s proven asset management and analytics services.

“We are proud to support several of the largest hospitals and health systems in America. Our team has done an excellent job collaborating with health professionals to provide visibility to key processes that reduce costs, streamline operations and improve patient care,” said Chief Executive Officer Andrew L. Halasz.

Vizzia Technologies 2023 Highlights: • Major New Hospital Contract. A nationally recognized health network selected Vizzia to deliver its asset management and hand-hygiene solutions across all its acute care hospitals serving 5 million patients annually.

• Industry Recognition. Frost & Sullivan awarded Vizzia RTLS “Company of the Year,” while The Healthcare Technology Report named Vizzia a “Top 100” (third year in a row), and a “Power 500” health-tech company.

• Successful Go-Live. Grady Hospital, one of the largest safety net health systems in the U.S., implemented Vizzia’s Asset Management solution in its new $237 million outpatient facility.

• Machine Learning Success. ML pilot achieved a 52% improvement in asset management optimization at a state-of-the-art, 500-bed acute care hospital in California.

• Data Security Milestone. Vizzia is the first RTLS solution provider to achieve the trusted audit standard for the System and Organization Controls (SOC) 2 Type II security certification.

As highlighted in a recent HIMSS article, more than 85% of health systems are increasing their 2024 spending on digital health and information technology projects. Top investment priorities include advanced analytics, AI and machine learning.

June 2024 | TechNation 27

INDUSTRY UPDATES

RIGEL MEDICAL APP SPEEDS UP TESTS, RECORDS STORAGE The new downloader iOS 288+ mobile phone app from Rigel Medical enables biomedical device engineers to improve electrical safety test data capture and management.

The app, which avoids the need to print off records, is part of a digital toolkit used to support the 288+, an electrical safety analyzer designed to perform routine field tests on medical electrical equipment. These tests play a critical role in revealing faults with medical equipment in hospitals and health care facilities, highlighting any compliance issues and improving patient safety.

Data downloaded directly from the Rigel 288+ via Bluetooth connection to mobile devices improves traceability, and reduces the time-consuming process of transferring and storing completed test records to available asset maintenance software, as part of a planned preventive maintenance schedule.

Available in English, French, German, Italian, Polish, Portuguese, Spanish and Turkish, the app allows company logos and other details together with personal signatures, to appear on individual engineer reports for secure identification. Single test results, multiple results or all results can also be added to these reports by selecting the relevant checkbox, which can then be viewed and forwarded to databases in PDF and/or CSV formats.

Michael Walton, category manager at Rigel Medical, said, “The paperless nature of the app means engineers can easily transfer their records online on the move and store them on databases, as opposed to printing them off. This is a great time saving advantage for busy biomed equipment test teams, enabling them to complete maintenance schedules even quicker and ever more efficiently.”

The Downloader app is available at from the Apple store and is compatible with Rigel 288+ devices containing the new Bluetooth Module (288+ models “P” (2022) serial number and later.)

In a separate move, Rigel has also updated its Android version of the downloader with additional languages and improved storage.

28 TechNation | June 2024

INAUGURAL WRENCHIES AWARDED IN LAS VEGAS An exciting first day of the 2024 MD Expo in Las Vegas included top-notch educational sessions, a special solar eclipse experience, an amazing keynote address and the inaugural presentation of the Tech Choice Awards!

TechNation magazine’s Jayme McKelvey took to the stage prior to the keynote presentation to applaud the men and women of healthcare technology management (HTM) with the presentation of the inaugural Tech Choice Awards.

“On behalf of TechNation I want to extend a sincere thank you for allowing us the opportunity to be a part of these awards. It is our mission to serve and support the men and women of the biomedical and HTM industry, and these awards provided one more way we can shine a spotlight on the heroes of HTM,” McKelvey said after the presentation of awards.

And the winners are …

PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR - sponsored by Renovo Solutions Taylor Dunbar, Clinical Engineering Specialist, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR Allison Woolford, CBET, Biomedical Equipment Specialist, Duke University Hospital DEPARTMENT OF THE YEAR - sponsored by USOC Medical The Houston Methodist Biomedical Engineering Department LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD - sponsored by Tri-Imaging Solutions Patrick Lynch, CHTM, CBET, CCE, MBA, CPHIMS MILITARY BMET OF THE YEAR - sponsored by College of Biomedical Equipment Technology Josh Garvin, VISN 10 Information Systems Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs DIRECTOR/MANAGER OF THE YEAR - sponsored by MW Imaging Chris Nowak, Director, Clinical Engineering at Arkansas Children’s Hospital

ISO EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR - sponsored by Elite Biomedical Solutions Keven Sun, Biomedical Service Technician, CME Corp HUMANITARIAN AWARD - sponsored by Healthmark Industries Emmanuel Essah, Biomedical Program Manager at Mercy Ships INGENUITY AWARD Carl Cross, Biomedical Engineer at VHA WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AWARD - sponsored by Avante Health Solutions Dana Hamed, Clinical Engineering Supervisor at Middlesex Health INDUSTRY INFLUENCER OF THE YEAR - sponsored by Soma Tech Intl Bryant Hawkins, Sr., HTM on the Line podcast OUTSTANDING VENDOR OF THE YEAR Sage Services Group, sageservicesgroup.com ASSOCIATION OF THE YEAR - sponsored by MultiMedical Systems Florida Biomedical Society TechNation sends a special thank you to the sponsors who helped make the awards possible. The sponsors did not have any input when it came to selecting the honorees. The winners are based 100 percent on votes from the HTM community.

Finalists in each category were selected during a monthlong nomination process. Next, the TechNation community of HTM professionals was invited and encouraged to vote online. The Wrenchies are the “people’s choice awards of HTM” thanks to an outpouring of support from TechNation readers, biomeds and the entire HTM community. The online voting period saw more than 5,000 votes recorded.

Nominations for the 2025 Tech Choice Awards are open at 1technation.com/tech-choice-awards.

June 2024 | TechNation 29

INDUSTRY UPDATES

ASHE EARNS ENERGY STAR SUSTAINED EXCELLENCE AWARD The American Society for Health Care Engineering (ASHE) recently received the 2024 ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year – Sustained Excellence Award from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the U.S. Department of Energy for the sixth year in a row. The award recognizes ASHE’s continued leadership and superior contributions to ENERGY STAR and its ongoing commitment to promoting sustainability in health facilities management.

“It’s an honor to accept this award on behalf of ASHE’s members, who are continuing to carry out the hard work of decarbonizing health care facilities,” said Kara Brooks, ASHE senior associate director of sustainability. “ASHE is excited to build upon its past successes to help hospitals across the country reach their sustainability goals.”

The award marks the eighth consecutive year that ASHE has won an ENERGY STAR Partner of the Year Award. ASHE provides sustainability resources and programs tailored to hospitals, which have unique energy needs due to their around-the-clock operation and energy-intensive medical equipment. ASHE’s Energy to Care Program helps hospitals track sustainability metrics, become more efficient and redirect energy and water savings toward patient care.

Energy to Care is one of ASHE’s key offerings under the banner of its Sustainability Roadmap for Health Care, which also encompasses challenges, hosted programs, tools and publications to raise awareness about the importance of decarbonization and advance sustainable practices across the health care field. ASHE’s efforts have contributed to increased efficiency in hospitals across the country in the following ways: 30 TechNation | June 2024

• Hospitals in the Energy to Care program have saved more than $550 million (and counting) in collective energy savings.

• More hospitals are making the commitment to energy efficiency. In 2014, 239 facilities participated in Energy to Care. Today, more than 4,400 facilities are participating.

• More hospitals are reducing energy use quickly. In 2023, 78 hospitals earned an Energy to Care Award by reducing energy consumption by 10% in a single year or 15% over two years. Additionally, 10 facilities won a Sustainability Champion Award and 32 facilities maintained top-tier energy performance to earn Sustained Performance awards.

• More hospitals are reaching major efficiency accomplishments. The number of health care facilities in ASHE’s Energy to Care Program with ENERGY STAR scores of 75 or more has increased from 110 in 2010 to 823 in 2023, with 53 hospitals and 271 medical offices earning ENERGY STAR certification last year.

The Sustained Excellence Award is the highest honor bestowed by the ENERGY STAR program. Winners are part of a distinguished group that has made a long-term commitment to fighting climate change and protecting public health through energy efficiency. They are among the nation’s leaders in driving value for the environment, the economy and the American people.

Winners are selected from a network of thousands of ENERGY STAR partners. For a complete list of 2024 winners and more information about ENERGY STAR’s awards program, visit energystar.gov/awardwinners.

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GBIS CO-FOUNDER HORACE HUNTER PASSES AWAY

G

eorgia Biomedical Instrumentation Society (GBIS) Executive Director Horace Hunter, a co-founder of the organization, passed away in April.

An online obituary reads: “Mr. Horace Bernard ‘Butch’ Hunter, 71, of Coolidge, Georgia. Mr. Hunter peacefully departed from this walk of life on Saturday, April 6, 2024.”

Horace Hunter was the Assistant Director of Engineering at Archbold Medical Center (now retired). He was in the biomedical/clinical engineering field for more than 35 years. He was one of the pioneers in forming the South Georgia Biomedical Association and Georgia Biomedical Instrumentation Society which is now the lone association for biomeds in Georgia. He was also instrumental in developing the state curriculum for technical institutes for the state of Georgia. He was also an instructor for the Southwest Georgia Technical College biomed program in Thomasville, Georgia.

Several members of the HTM community have signed the obituary’s guestbook.

Glen Stone wrote, “Horace Hunter was a true friend and mentor to me and many others. From my earliest days of teaching biomedical instrumentation, Horace provided professional guidance and welcomed me into the Georgia Biomedical Instrumentation Society (GBIS), where I met so many wonderful new friends and colleagues. Even my students benefitted from the professional networking opportunities that Horace provided.

We all lost a friend in his passing, but Heaven gained a dear soul.

You will be missed, my friend, but we are better for having shared time with you here.”

Dr. Jeff Smoot from California, wrote, “I am lost for words. I met Horace from the HTM community. He has been a good friend that I always enjoyed calling. He has been a great supporter of me as I was to him. RIH my friend you will be greatly missed by me and everyone.”

“Horace was passionate about supporting the biomed community and driving involvement from hospitals, vendors, manufacturers, and biomed professionals across the state. He

was the face of the GBIS and will be sorely missed,” GBIS Board member and Vizzia Chief Commercial Officer Dave Wiedman said in an email to TechNation.

Chris Nowak, CHTM, CBET, CHP, CSCS, with Arkansas Children’s commented on LinkedIn. “His contribution to the HTM community is an amazing legacy,” Nowak wrote.

The news of Hunter’s death comes after the passing of another GBIS co-founder. Clarence Michael “Mike” O’Rear Sr., a United States Army Veteran, passed away on Thursday, December 15, 2022.

Current GBIS Executive Director Emmanuel King said it has been a difficult time for Georgia biomeds.

“Well, Georgia has lost some giants in the past two years in the biomedical (HTM) industry. We lost Dr. Michael O’Rear, Pat Lynch, and now Horace Hunter. These guys once worked together to advance the field of biomedical engineering (HTM) forward in Georgia,” King said. “These were some big blows to our profession. My heart is heavy! Where do I begin?

Horace started out with a vision for GBIS back 1998 for the state of Georgia, 26 years ago. The mission remained the same, ‘Dedicated to advancing the knowledge of personnel involved in the development, selection, operation, repair and support of biomedical instrumentation in health care institutions throughout the state of Georgia.’ Horace loved GBIS, this organization was his passion. He was dedicated to the cause until the end. The board of trustees, led by Horace, has spent many long nights planning for our conferences to educate the biomeds of Georgia. When he missed our last board meeting, we knew something was wrong.”

“Horace was dedicated to educating biomeds in Georgia at little to no cost,” King added. “If a hospital did not have it in their budget in Georgia to send a biomed to a training class. The GBIS worked hard to bring the class to Georgia. Clearly, he loved the HTM field, since he has been volunteering his time with GBIS over the last 26 years.”

“I will truly miss my big brother, and friend! The new board members and I will work hard to keep his memory alive and follow his directions to ‘continue moving forward.’ This is our objective for 2024. Therefore, we need the next generation of biomeds to step forward, and volunteer to make this organization thrive!” King said.

June 2024 | TechNation 33

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

RIBBON CUTTING

A

Avobus Equipment LLC

vobus Equipment is a provider of new and refurbished medical equipment in two offices, one in Charlotte, NC and one in Statesville, NC. The company prides itself on the quality of the equipment and the understanding of customers’ needs.

Founded by medical equipment experts with over 20 years’ experience, Avobus Equipment offers solutions for biomeds. Avobus Equipment LLC President John E. Ragus recently shared more information about the company.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SERVICES AND PRODUCTS YOU OFFER? RAGUS: We offer a full suite of products catered to fire and EMS agencies, as well as urgent cares, private practice, ASCs, dental anesthesia, and all sized health systems.

Patient monitors, professional defibrillators, infusion pumps, AEs, EKG Mamchines, ventilators, all of their accessories and certified biomedical service contracts.

We have also recently partnered with multiple remote patient monitoring companies to offer remote patient monitoring solutions and mobile health services for our

customers. By partnering with multiple RPM solutions, we can offer tailored programs for any situation.

Q: HOW DOES YOUR COMPANY STAND OUT IN THE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT FIELD? RAGUS: Our goal is to make life as easy as possible for the customer. If we can solve the problems of our customers in the time frame that they need, we have done our job. We pride ourselves on top-tier customer service and technical support. The products our customers purchase speak for themselves.

Q: WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY? RAGUS: Avobus Equipment is adapting to assist the growing needs of home health, critical access facilities and rural health services while maintaining our core competencies. This includes finding and developing new products as well as the information technology side of health care as well.

Q: IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE OUR READERS TO KNOW? RAGUS: Avobus Equipment is rapidly growing and continually looking for new partners within the biomed services space. If you would like to join our team as a biomed or become a service provider in a local area, we’d love to start the conversation.

For more information, visit avobus.com.

June 2024 | TechNation 35

INDUSTRY UPDATES

AAMI UPDATE

R

A ‘Colonial Pipeline’ Moment ecently, the House of Representatives Energy and Commerce Committee, chaired by Representative Cathy McMorris Rogers (R-WA), held a hearing on the fallout of the Change Healthcare cyber breach. According to KFF Health News, the attack was first made public on February 21, 2024, and resulted in Change Healthcare’s payment services becoming temporarily unavailable as well as impacting many hospitals’ and pharmacies’ ability to process prescriptions. At that time, doctors, pharmacists, and other health care professionals could not discern whether patients had health insurance and payments to health care organizations like pharmacies and hospitals were halted. This resulted in healthcare delivery organizations suffering serious losses. In March, CBS News reported that healthcare delivery organizations across the industry could be losing a cumulative $100 million a day. The cost to UnitedHealth is already estimated as $872 million but is likely to exceed $1 billion and therefore would make it one of the most costly cyber losses for a single organization.

Change Healthcare worked to restore services, but periodic problems have persisted and the company has faced additional cyberthreats. The federal government also continues to take interest, with Senator Ron Wyden (D-OR) promising an April 30th hearing by the Senate Finance Committee.

To better understand the implications of this story, AAMI News spoke to Axel Wirth, longtime AAMI member, AAMI Fellow, and chief security strategist at the medical device cybersecurity firm Medcrypt. The following represents Wirth’s views as a cybersecurity professional 36 TechNation | June 2024

and a friend to the health care industry and do not necessarily represent AAMI’s perspective. The correspondence has been lightly edited for length and clarity.

Q: WHAT ARE THE LONG-TERM IMPLICATIONS OF THIS BREACH? A: Many have identified the Change Healthcare breach as a paradigm shift for the health care industry, similar to the Colonial Pipeline event for the oil and gas industry. I would tend to agree and similarly, I would expect that governments’ and regulators’ efforts to improve health care’s cybersecurity posture will accelerate now.

Q: DO YOU HAVE ANY THOUGHTS ON THE FALLOUT OF THE BREACH AND WHAT WEAKNESSES IT REVEALED? A: It is worth noting the sheer impact these events had on the larger industry. It was estimated that over 50% of U.S. health care providers were impacted from a revenue cycle perspective and experienced the impact of their ability to process billings or prescriptions. This is pretty much a traditional single point of failure example but on a very large scale.

Q: WHAT CAN HEALTHCARE DELIVERY ORGANIZATIONS AND CYBERSECURITY PROFESSIONALS LEARN FROM THESE EVENTS? A: The lesson learned for us is that we really shouldn’t be looking at security risks as an issue for individual systems or even the individual hospital. It really has become an issue of regional and even national criticality as it affects, due to scale, our larger public health system.

Q: WHY ALL THE CONCERN? WAS THE CHANGE HEALTHCARE BREACH SIMPLY BIGGER THAN MOST ATTACKS OR DOES IT IMPLY INNOVATION ON PART OF BAD ACTORS? A: A noteworthy aspect is the speed and scale of the attack relative to what we have seen in the past. On one hand, this established a new precedent of the level of

impact on the industry, on the other hand it is a continuation of increasing attack severity and malice trends as we have been observing over the past years when analyzing HHS “Wall of Shame” breach reporting data.

Q: SO, WHILE THE ATTACK DEMONSTRATED NEW CAPABILITIES FROM MALIGN ACTORS, THIS ALSO PART OF AN INDUSTRY-WIDE TREND? A: Sure. For example, despite 733 breaches reported, 2023 stayed relatively flat compared to the two previous years. However, the number of breached records set a new all-time high, exceeding last year by a factor of 2.5. Further, breaches reported now show 80% classified as “Hacking/ IT Incident”, which aligns with my previous statement about increase in targeted and malicious attacks.

Another important trend to note is that of cyber adversaries using strategies to maximize their profits. For example, in the Change Healthcare case, in addition to the initial ransom demand (rumors have it pegged at $22 million) we now see additional extortion of Change, affected patients, as well as attempts to whole-sale the data in the underground markets.

GUIDE FOR HTM DEPARTMENT FINANCIALS Do you work in a management capacity in healthcare technology management (HTM)? The AAMI has published a new document on non-technical skills development designed to help HTM staff improve the financial management of their departments. HTM Non-Technical Skills Development: Financial Acumen focuses on two issue areas; financial considerations in HTM and business planning.

According to Danielle McGeary, AAMI’s vice president of HTM, “this new document is the right place to start if you’re seeking to increase financial literacy in your HTM department and improve your employees’ understanding of your business model.”

First, the document presents the key concepts HTM staff will need to know, such as cost of service ratio, total cost of ownership, and others. It then applies these concepts to the financial operations of an HTM department and the management of medical devices, looking at: • Budgeting concerns including capital budgets and operating budgets • Earnings before interest, taxes and depreciation • Revenue and return on investment

The document also includes the fundamentals of business planning so that HTM departments can establish and pursue a long-term strategy and deal with future financial issues. Analytic frameworks for assessing a given department can include: • A SBAR analysis, which uses a “Situation, Assessment, Recommendation” model • A SWOT analysis, which focuses on “Strengths, Weaknesses, Opportunities and Threats” • The PEST analysis, which addresses “Political, Economic, Social and Technology” factors The guide addresses all three paradigms and provides readers with the information needed to choose the version that best fits their department. Further, the document provides the basics on: • Constructing one-, three-, and five-year plans • Performance indicators • Benchmarking • Labor and training costs Mike Powers, director of HTM at Intermountain Health, collaborated with his fellow AAMI volunteers to produce the document. “When trying to encourage engagement of caregivers with their roles, it is helpful to illustrate for them ‘why what you do is important.’ It is also important to understand the finance side of an HTM shop,” Powers explained. “HTM Non-Technical Skills Development: Financial Acumen goes a long way towards accomplishing both tasks by equipping caregivers with the baseline financial knowledge to run an HTM department as a business unit and answer the question, ‘What do you do here?’ ” In short, Powers and his peers have designed HTM Non-Technical Skills Development: Financial Acumen to be a one-stop resource to educate employees, gauge the financial health of your department, and plan for the future.

The document is free for AAMI members and can be purchased by non-members in the AAMI store. Non-members who are interested in this and other AAMI documents are encouraged to consider a one-year individual AAMI membership. Priced at $100, this membership tier includes immediate access to a wealth of other AAMI HTM resources and BI&T publications such as guides on equipment acquisition, cybersecurity issues, career planning and more.

June 2024 | TechNation 37

INDUSTRY UPDATES

ECRI UPDATE

Navigating the Journey: How Biomedical Technicians Empower Patients Traveling with Medical Equipment

F

BY MARC SCHLESSINGER, RRT, MBA, FACHE, LSSGB or individuals requiring medical equipment to manage chronic conditions or disabilities, travel can pose significant challenges.

Whether it’s navigating airport security with complex devices or ensuring equipment functionality during transit if required, the logistics of traveling with medical equipment can be daunting as well as nerve wracking to the patient, especially for those without any clinical or technical background. However, biomedical technicians and clinical engineers can play a vital role in ensuring patients travel safely and confidently with their medical devices. Through their expertise in equipment maintenance, troubleshooting, and support, biomedical technicians and clinical engineers offer invaluable assistance to patients and their families, ensuring that their journey remains smooth and stress-free.

UNDERSTANDING THE CHALLENGES Traveling with medical equipment presents a myriad of challenges for patients and caregivers alike. From the logistical complexities of transporting bulky devices such as portable dialysis equipment or ventilators to the potential risks of equipment malfunction or damage, there are numerous factors to consider when planning a trip. Additionally, navigating airport security protocols, customs regulations, and transportation policies can add layers of complexity to the travel experience, particularly for individuals with specialized medical needs. Furthermore, the electrical connections, voltage and Hz where the patient is traveling to may not be compatible with their medical devices, requiring the use of converters and adapters.

Moreover, patients may face uncertainties regarding access to technical support and maintenance services

38 TechNation | June 2024

while traveling, exacerbating concerns about equipment reliability and performance. In such scenarios, the expertise of biomedical technicians becomes invaluable, providing reassurance and practical assistance to patients in need.

THE ROLE OF BIOMEDICAL TECHNICIANS AND CLINICAL ENGINEERS Biomedical technicians and clinical engineers are highly skilled professionals trained to install, maintain, and repair medical equipment across various health care settings.

Your expertise encompasses a wide range of devices, including ventilators, infusion pumps, mobility aids and more. Beyond your technical proficiency, biomedical technicians and clinical engineers possess a deep understanding of patient needs and safety considerations, making you and invaluable resources for individuals traveling with medical equipment.

Prior to travel, biomedical technicians and clinical engineers can collaborate with patients and health care providers to assess equipment functionality, perform preventive maintenance checks, and address any issues or concerns. By conducting thorough inspections and diagnostic tests, biomedical technicians help ensure that medical devices are in optimal condition for travel, minimizing the risk of unexpected failures or malfunctions.

This could be a great opportunity to start a biomedical outreach program for hospitals to improve their visibility and show value to their patients.

During the travel process, biomedical technicians and clinical engineers can offer guidance on navigating airport security procedures, providing documentation for medical devices, and addressing potential challenges encountered along the way. Their expertise in troubleshooting and problem-solving enables them to assist patients in resolving technical issues promptly, thereby minimizing disruptions to their travel plans.

Furthermore, biomedical technicians and clinical engineers are well suited to educate patients and

caregivers on best practices for maintaining and operating medical equipment during travel, empowering them to advocate for their needs and navigate unfamiliar environments with confidence. By equipping patients with the knowledge and resources they need to address potential issues independently, biomedical technicians and clinical engineers can promote self-sufficiency and resilience in managing medical devices while traveling.

PRACTICAL TIPS AND STRATEGIES For patients planning to travel with medical equipment, there are several practical tips and strategies to consider, with the guidance of biomedical technicians: • Plan Ahead: Begin preparations well in advance of the travel date, allowing ample time to address any equipment maintenance or servicing needs.

• Communicate with Health Care Providers: Keep health care providers informed of travel plans and seek their guidance on managing medical devices while away from home.

• Pack Wisely: Pack essential supplies, spare part and documentation for medical equipment in carry-on luggage to ensure accessibility and avoid loss or damage. If traveling abroad, ensure you have the correct adapters and converters for the location you are staying.

• Know Your Rights: Familiarize yourself with airline policies, transportation regulations, and accessibility accommodations for travelers with medical needs. This is especially important when traveling with oxygen.

• Stay Connected: Keep contact information for biomedical technicians, equipment manufacturers, and local service providers readily available in case assistance is needed during travel.

CONCLUSION Traveling with medical equipment can be a challenging process, but with your support, patients can navigate the journey with confidence and peace of mind. By leveraging their expertise in equipment maintenance, troubleshooting, and support, biomedical technicians and clinical engineers will empower patients to travel safely and independently, while ensuring that their medical needs are met wherever their journey may take them. As advocates for patient safety and well-being, you play a critical role in enhancing the travel experience for individuals with medical conditions, promoting inclusivity, accessibility and dignity for all travelers.

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June 2024 | TechNation 39

THE BENCH

BIOMED 101

Overcoming Obstacles Can Boost Career

I

BY JENNIFER CHESTER

n a male-dominated field like Healthcare Technology Maintenance (HTM), women often find themselves navigating through a labyrinth of expectations and pressure. The recent MD Expo presentation, “How to Make Mistakes: A Female Biomed’s Memoir of Questionable Decision Making,” (tinyurl.com/2bdw2myh) was a beacon of empowerment and growth. This transformative talk is not just a narrative of errors but a guide on overcoming setbacks and evolving into the best version of oneself.

The presentation delves into the immense pressure women face in HTM, shedding light on the unrealistic expectations and challenges that come with working in a traditionally male-centric industry. By sharing my personal journey, I aim to foster a sense of camaraderie among women in the audience, creating a space for shared experiences and mutual understanding.

One of the central themes of the presentation is the idea that mistakes should not be viewed as stumbling

40 TechNation | June 2024

blocks but rather as stepping stones towards personal and professional growth. I advocate for embracing a growth mindset, a concept pioneered by psychologist Carol S. Dweck. This mindset encourages individuals to perceive challenges and setbacks as opportunities for learning and development.

As a female biomed, I recognize the tendency for women in HTM to be overly self-critical and burdened by the fear of making mistakes in a high-stakes environment.

By openly discussing my own questionable decision-making moments, I aim to shatter the illusion of perfection and foster a culture that celebrates resilience and learning from missteps.

This presentation takes a deep dive into the differences between a growth mindset and a fixed mindset. A fixed mindset often hinders progress by viewing intelligence and abilities as static traits. On the contrary, a growth mindset thrives on the belief that talents and intelligence can be developed through dedication, hard work and perseverance. The audience is encouraged to shift their perspective, moving away from the limiting

belief that mistakes define them to embracing the idea that mistakes are opportunities to refine their skills.

In the presentation, I share practical strategies on how to cultivate a growth mindset in the demanding field of HTM. From setting realistic goals to acknowledging and learning from failures, the presentation provides actionable insights that empower women to break free from the constraints of a fixed mindset.

The presentation also extends its reach beyond the female demographic, recognizing that the challenges faced in HTM are not exclusive to gender. Any HTM staff member, regardless of gender, can benefit from the lessons shared. The goal is to create an inclusive environment where everyone feels inspired to overcome challenges and pursue continuous improvement.

Throughout the presentation, real-world anecdotes and examples illustrate the speaker’s journey of growth.

These stories serve as relatable touchpoints, resonating with the audience and reinforcing the message that mistakes are an inherent part of professional development. By sharing both successes and failures, the speaker humanizes the learning process, making it more accessible and encouraging for all attendees.

To enhance audience engagement, the presentation incorporates interactive elements, such as Q&A sessions

and group discussions. This not only allows participants to share their experiences but also fosters a supportive community where individuals can learn from each other’s insights and strategies for overcoming challenges in HTM. In conclusion, “How to Make Mistakes” is more than just a presentation; it’s promises to be a transformative experience that empowers women and HTM staff to redefine their relationship with mistakes. By embracing a growth mindset and learning from missteps, attendees will be better equipped to navigate the pressures of the field, ultimately becoming the best versions of themselves. The talk encourages a shift in perspective from fearing mistakes to leveraging them as valuable tools for personal and professional advancement in the dynamic world of healthcare technology maintenance.

Watch Jennifer Chester’s MD Expo presentation on this topic at https://tinyurl.com/2bdw2myh.

Jennifer Chester is a BMET II with Crothall Healthcare.

June 2024 | TechNation 41

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The CITREX H5 measures bi-directional flows, pressures, temperature, and oxygen concentration. These measurements are made with extremely high precision and reliability. The intuitive user interface is easily configurable, with options to save multiple profiles to suit many different applications. Twenty-six different ventilation parameter measurements allow the user to configure the H5 to exact individual needs. The built-in library of Testing Apps make workflows more efficient and eliminate the risks of measurement or transcription errors. Apps guide biomedical engineers through performance tests based on the service

manual of the device under test, take measurements automatically, and create PDF test reports that are easily downloaded and attached to a work order. Software updates can be received directly via Wi-Fi by the analyzer. In addition, the USB, RS-232, Ethernet, CAN, an external trigger input, and analogue out connections, allow the H5 to be integrated into many projects.

The MultiGasAnalyser OR-703, in conjunction with CITREX H5, performs gas measurements for the calibration and testing of anesthesia systems. The sensor measures concentrations of Carbon dioxide, Nitrogen oxide, Halothane, Enflurane, Isoflurane, Sevoflurane, and Desflurane.

For more information on IMT Analytic products, visit imtanalytics.com.

June 2024 | TechNation 43

All webinars, podcast, and product demos are eligible for 1 CE credit from the ACI.

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Watch these webinars on-demand rigelmedical.com cynerio.com SESSION EXPLORES IDENTIFYING EXPOSED EPHI The Webinar Wednesday presentation “Identifying Exposed ePHI: Finding Patient Data Before Hackers Do” was sponsored

by Cynerio and is eligible for 1 CE credit from the ACI. Last year, witnessed an unprecedented surge in patient data exposure, with nearly 130 million patient records compromised, impacting approximately 1 in 3 patients in the United States.

Driven by cyber threats fueled by the lucrative black market for health care data, escalating ransomware payments, and lagging security adoption, the frequency and magnitude of breaches are poised to persist in the foreseeable future.

In response to this critical issue, leading health care institutions are embracing novel strategies to identify and mitigate risks associated with exposed patient records.

Cynerio Security Evangelist Chad Holmes and Director of Sales Engineering Tim Holmes used this webinar to delve into a comprehensive discussion covering commonly vulnerable technologies, the systematic factors contributing to widespread data exposure, and cutting-edge techniques aimed at proactively identifying and securing health care systems before malicious actors exploit vulnerabilities.

As part of the ongoing 10th anniversary celebration of Webinar Wednesday, Lori Clifford, anaArea manager with Renovo Solutions, won a pair of Apple Airpods!

After the webinar, attendees were asked, “How did today’s webinar meet your expectations?”

“Very good information about what especially Cynerio does to ePhi.” – Klaus Gambke, key account manager, ACP IT Solutions AG. “Very informative about the costs and impacts cyber criminals have on the health care system.”

– Tyler Tryon, BMET 3, Saint Luke’s East “I learned how hackers infiltrate hospital systems and how to prevent it” – Wade Bailey, Biomed Tech 3, Piedmont Rockdale “The details and ‘why’ behind them was very useful.”

– David Banister, Field Service, Clinical Engineering Services LLC 44 TechNation | June 2024

ESA DEMO CHARGES UP ATTENDEES The Webinar Wednesday Tools of the Trade Demo of the Rigel 288+ Electrical Safety Analyzer by Rigel Medical North America Product Manager Lewis Lennard was a hit with attendees. The session was sponsored by Rigel Medical and eligible for 1 CE credit from the ACI. The Rigel 288+ Electrical Safety Analyzer was the featured Tool of the Trade in the March issue of TechNation magazine.

Lennard did an amazing job of explaining its capabilities and provided a demonstration of how it works.

The Rigel 288+ is a handheld medical electrical safety tester that combines the features of an automatic/manual tester with data logging and asset management capability. Its operation is through a menu driven GUI. A 5,000-record memory and Bluetooth connectivity make it an effective mobile unit.

Enjoy complete freedom to move around, without the need for mains voltage, thanks to its battery-powered test capability.

Using standard AA batteries, tests can be carried out for insulation, ground bond testing, and touch or point-to-point leakage current testing.

The Rigel 288+ electrical safety analyzer offers an accurate and fast solution for meeting international and local safety standards, including IEC 62353, AAMI/IEC 60601-1, IEC 61010, NFPA-99.

As part of the celebration, during the demo Webinar Wednesday gave away a $100 Amazon gift card. The winner is Robert Paladino, a BMET 3, with Sodexo CTM. He was one of 55 attendees for the live presentation. A whopping 10 attendees requested a follow up with a Rigel representative for more information about the company’s devices. A recording of the demo is available for on-demand viewing at WebinarWednesday.live.

Attendees were asked, “What was your single biggest takeaway from today’s product demo?”

“Accessibility of Data through different methods.”

– Willy Escalona, Biomed, Maui Health Systems “I am excited about how user friendly the analyzer is!”

– Texas Children’s Hospital HTM Manager Raymond Scott “I did enhance my knowledge and experience.”

– King Faisal Hospital Senior Clinical Engineer Yousri Okasha.

hmark.com TECHNOLOGIES THAT AID INSPECTIONS The Webinar Wednesday presentation “Technologies That Help Enhanced Inspections”

by Healthmark Industries Special Projects Manager Jahan Azizi is eligible for 1 credit from the ACI. The informative webinar was sponsored by Healthmark Industries.

Azizi provided great insights as he defined enhanced visual inspection as well as reviewed standards and guidelines that support borescopic inspection. He discussed other inspection technologies and identified solutions for automation in endoscope processing. Azizi also explained the ways that automation can assist in the implementation of a quality management system (QMS) for endoscope processing.

The webinar included a question-and-answer session where attendees were able to gain additional insights from Azizi.

Attendees provided feedback and gave the webinar a high rating of 4 out of a possible high of 5. Biomed Tech Troy Meeks was one of the attendees for the live presentation and won a $100 Amazon gift card as Webinar Wednesday continues to celebrate its 10th anniversary!

Attendees were asked, “What does Webinar Wednesday provide the industry?”

“Allows biomedical technicians to keep current with the latest technology.”

– Steven Johnson, a senior biomedical technician with Samaritan Hospital/Trinity Health

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“A good review of the procedures and processes within the health care environment, specifically biomedical engineering. Education on how to provide better outcomes for the patient population.”

– Matthew Howard, a BMET II with Kaweah Health

kontakt.io WEBINAR IMPARTS RTLS KNOWLEDGE The Webinar Wednesday presentation “Enhancing Value of Outsourced Biomed Programs with RTLS Solutions” was sponsored by Kontakt.io and eligible for 1 credit from the ACI. Presenters Kapil Asher and Chris Holbrook, HTM technology leader at Kontakt.io, shared deep knowledge in the world of outsourced biomed operations. They discussed the benefits of enhancing these programs with RTLS based automations.

They also were able to deep dive into the financial benefits for the end customer, as well as how the efficiencies achieved can help the vendor companies take on more services for their customers without giving up their margins.

The presentation included acknowledging the significance of outsourced biomed programs in health care systems and optimizing operational efficiency with RTLS integration. It also showed how to harness data-driven insights for continuous improvement.

Attendees provided great feedback and one lucky attendee took home a prize as Webinar Wednesday continues to celebrate its 10th anniversary. Justin Cozadd, a biomed with Corewell Health in Michigan won a $100 Amazon gift card!

Attendees were asked, “Excluding CE credits, why do you attend Webinar Wednesday?”

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“To be aware of the latest updates/trends and technology in the biomedical field.”

– Earnswell Tuazon, a biomedical engineering department manager with the Te Marae Ora Ministry of Health Cook Islands.

“Always invested in learning industry applicable information to stay relevant.”

– Jeremy Ekalo, BMET II, Renovo Solutions.

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“Thirst for knowledge!”

– Frank Nichols, a biomed manager at Piedmont Medical Center.

June 2024 | TechNation 45

ROUNDTABLE

ROUNDTABLE

M

Employment

ay means spring cleaning and graduation to many. June is prime job hunting season with new biomeds entering the field and others looking for a fresh start.

TechNation magazine reached out to its expert sources to find out more about employment in the healthcare technology field, specifically when it comes to biomeds, clinical engineers and field service engineers.

Participants sharing their expert insights in the June roundtable article on employment are: • Radiological Service Training Institute (RSTI) CEO Todd Boyland, CEO, CRES, CPSM • Multi-Medical Systems Director of Talent Acquisitions Chris Duplissis • College of Biomedical Equipment Technology President Dr. Richard L. “Monty” Gonzales • Stephens International Recruiting Executive Recruiter Tim Hopkins • HTM Jobs duo Kristen Register and Sydney Krieg.

Q: WHAT ARE IMPORTANT FACTORS TO CONSIDER WHEN STARTING AN HTM CAREER? BOYLAND: For those starting HTM careers, I feel important factors include continuing opportunities for 46 TechNation | June 2024

growth and understanding what those paths might be, opportunities to confront new challenges for personal and professional growth, as well as trust in your leadership and trust in the coworkers on your team.

DUPLISSIS: When considering a career in the HTM arena. I would encourage anyone to ask themself this short list of questions: 1. Do I enjoy working with people and technology?

2. Do I enjoy challenging situations with regards to people using technology?

3. Do I enjoy troubleshooting vague or difficult situations related to the above questions?

4. Do I enjoy disassembling and reassembling mechanical and electronic devices, to include networking computers?

5. Do I enjoy working under pressure and in stressful situations regularly?

6. Can I remain politely calm, composed, and focused when working with timelines, and people?

7. Can I communicate with people outside of my workspace; that are intelligent, educated, and inquisitive about technology on regular professional basis.

GONZALES: Prior to embarking on a career in healthcare technology management (HTM), possessing the required education and training is crucial. Additionally, it is imperative that both novice and experienced technicians maintain a clear perspective on the importance of seeking ongoing education and training to stay abreast of the rapidly evolving industry. In any field, professional development is a vital

aspect of advancing one’s career. While technical expertise is undoubtedly crucial, professional growth should encompass enhancements in communication, interpersonal skills, ethics training and other areas often overlooked.

importance, and provide better input with regards to annual evaluations.

Which just may lead to a better position or promotion within a health hcare system, hospital, OEM/ISO company.

HOPKINS: It depends on the role we are working on.

Generally, for technician level candidates, military training or an associates in biomed or electronics are desired.

Any additional OEM or third-party training on specialty equipment, such as imaging, anesthesia, ventilators, networking and IT certification, is a big plus. For management positions, a bachelor’s degree in business is great but not always required. Employers will often consider a candidate’s experience in lieu of a degree.

Candidates with an MBA certainly put themselves above the competition.

GONZALES: A significant trend in resume development is shifting towards experiential resumes, placing emphasis on the value of practical experience as crucial, if not more so, than the formal education typically highlighted in resumes.

Effectively capturing one’s experiences necessitates taking a portfolio-based approach and remaining vigilant to ensure that invaluable experiences are documented and included in one’s resume. Rather than fixating on rigid timelines, I recommend that professionals consistently update their resumes and meticulously document significant work experiences that are frequently underrated or overlooked.

By showcasing recent accomplishments and roles, individuals can illustrate their career advancement and development to both current and prospective employers.

HTM JOBS: Everyone’s career path looks different, especially in the HTM industry. The career path for a biomedical professional isn’t linear which means there are a lot of different avenues HTM professionals can explore. This allows for much more flexibility when it comes to job searching and figuring out your next move in the industry.

Q: HOW OFTEN SHOULD BIOMEDS UPDATE THEIR RESUME? BOYLAND: I feel that annually is reasonable. Potential employers likely will not want to see job hopping or recycling, but that doesn’t mean you can’t keep up to date with new certifications, CEUs, etc. … as they are accomplished.

DUPLISSIS: My recommendation is that BMETs should be updating their CVs/resumes each time you progress in your career to a new position. This way your resume stays current and better reflects the details of what you are actually doing, responsible for and have accomplished during your employment. I have and continue to read, and rewrite resumes for individuals that have missed the mark on the importance of presenting yourself as capable, motivated and a team player too numerous to count. Hiring managers want to see and read details of your accomplishments. When they do not see them on your resume, well I can assure you that they lose interest quickly, and move on to the next applicant. Please keep this one fact in mind, your resume is your life’s work, and should represent you as a dedicated professional willing to add and bring your skills, abilities, and talents to the team.

Also, I would highly recommend keeping a personal career diary of sorts as well. Updating it each month with accomplishments that have brought value to your current position with the clinical staff, teammates and employer.

My personal reasons for doing this are simply to better recall what I have accomplished over the months and years in my positional roles.

In turn, this allows me to better reflect upon my worth,

HOPKINS: As often as possible. Anytime training is offered to biomeds in the field, they usually jump on the opportunity. I always advise candidates to save any formal training documents and list them on their resume.

Companies often are looking for ways to reduce contracts. If they do not see the training listed on a resume, the opportunity may be missed for everyone.

HTM JOBS: Biomeds should keep their resumes as up to date as possible. When applying for jobs, it’s important to make sure your resume accurately describes your current and past experiences. You can even tailor your resume to each job you apply for to highlight the skills and qualifications that will make you a strong candidate for the role. If you are not actively searching for a job, it’s still a good idea to periodically update your resume as you gain more experience … you never know when you’ll need to have it accessible!

Q: HOW IMPORTANT ARE CERTIFICATIONS? BOYLAND: I feel they are important. Certifications demonstrate a commitment to your craft, as well as demonstrating continuing education and a willingness to keep learning and improving.

DUPLISSIS: In my humble observations, spanning almost 25 years as a HTM professional, certifications add value to an individual’s sense of confidence and history of professional achievement, to include affording one a regulated requirement to stay current with continuing education. I have also noticed a trend over the past 10 years that health care systems and hospitals prefer to use HTM certifications to better align staffing requirements with their accreditation standards. So, with all this in mind, the bottom line is best stated as follows: Certification is an individual choice that may add value to the individual’s career goals, and may also, with regards promotions, better allow you to distinguish yourself from your peers.

June 2024 | TechNation 47

ROUNDTABLE

Todd Boyland Radiological Service Training Institute (RSTI)

Chris Duplissis Multi-Medical Systems

Dr. Richard L. “Monty” Gonzales College of Biomedical Equipment Technology

GONZALES: Certifications are increasingly vital in the rapidly evolving HTM industry, as the alignment between IT and HTM grows stronger. For IT professionals seeking career advancement, obtaining advanced certifications from organizations like CompTIA and HIMSS has become a critical step in career progression. The trend towards recognizing the importance of certifications, micro-credentialing, and on-demand training is expected to continue to rise in importance. Certifications not only showcase competency, but also signify membership in a community of practice. At the College of Biomedical Equipment Technology, we encourage all technicians to pursue professional certification as part of their continuing professional development.

HOPKINS: It’s important but not a deal breaker in most cases. Certification will put you a notch above the competition. A couple of clients have required CBET certification to qualify for a higher-level position. Other clients incentivize their employees by offering a raise once the certification is completed.

HTM JOBS: Certifications will always set you apart as a candidate. They prove your dedication and interest in expanding your knowledge and skill set within the HTM profession. However, a lack of certifications will not necessarily make you less qualified as a candidate.

Employers have become more flexible in their requirements for certain positions and are most interested in biomeds who are skilled and willing to learn.

Q: WHAT ARE SOME HIRING TRENDS IN THE HTM INDUSTRY? BOYLAND: I feel a reduced importance is being placed on electronics (while still necessary), and an increased importance is being placed on computer skills.

DUPLISSIS: The trend that I have noticed is simply stated as such, the current work force in HTM world is nearing retirement age or has already retired. With this said, most health care systems and hospitals have not properly prepared for the departure of 30 to 40 years of industry knowledge leaving their 48 TechNation | June 2024

Tim Hopkins Stephens International

Sydney Krieg & Kristen Register HTM Jobs

facility. So again, with this said, your resume details matter if you really desire the opportunity to advance into a new career position. Of course, experience matters, and the more experience you can catalog on that resume the better.

GONZALES: There is a tremendous demand for qualified technicians, across the spectrum from entrylevel to seasoned technician. One of the more exciting trends is the increasing interest in apprenticeship programs with large health care organizations. Driven largely by necessity, we are working with an increasing number of health care organizations to support their unique apprenticeship programs and requirements.

Another interesting trend is the continued strengthening of the relationship between IT and HTM departments.

Consequently, we have seen a handful of health care organizations innovatively approaching expectations attached to new hire roles and responsibilities.

HOPKINS: I’m noticing companies training biomeds from other fields. Most candidates have an electronics background in some capacity. Companies will train candidates with a good understanding of basic electronics especially if the potential employee has good communication skills.

HTM JOBS: There are currently more open positions than there are candidates to fill at this point in time. We are seeing employers adapting by hiring either nontraditional talent and/or entry level candidates and focusing on training in the facility to fill their needs.

Q: HOW IMPORTANT IS THE ABILITY TO RELOCATE WHEN SEEKING AN HTM JOB? BOYLAND: I feel this varies by engineer and can go either way. I feel there are positions available that require talented candidates, within proximity to just about anywhere. On the same token, there are opportunities to move just about anywhere in the U.S. to fill the demand for skilled engineers.

DUPLISSIS: This is an individual choice that could make or break the beginning of a new BMET’s career, with regards to

geographical opportunities. I would personally recommend that new BMET’s and even mid-career BMET’s be open about their career goals and desires to learn more outside of college or their current positional role. Yes, moving one’s life halfway or totally across the country can be stressful, however, with the end game in mind you are starting the next chapter in your professional career. No one says you have to stay somewhere forever. Remember just as the seasons change four times a year, our career has seasons as well. Learn to enjoy them and appreciate the change that each season brings you too.

GONZALES: I was once advised to prioritize location, job opportunity, or salary when embarking on a career path, because achieving all three goals at once could be a nearly impossible task. When pursuing a career, it’s crucial to recognize that priorities need to be balanced, while maintaining flexibility, embracing risks, and tackling challenges, even if it requires accepting a role in a less desirable location to secure the ideal job. In the field of HTM, relocating should be carefully considered when exploring job prospects and career development, taking into consideration job availability, opportunities for advancement, personal circumstances, and the willingness to adapt and make necessary changes in life for career advancement.

HOPKINS: Candidates willing to relocate will have a much better chance of landing their first position out of school. If they attend a local community college the market in their general area can be saturated. I advise getting out of their comfort zone and relocating to get a start. After gaining a few years of experience doors will be easier to open back home. Experienced professions often need to relocate for advancement as well. Within any organization there are limited numbers of opportunities in the local market. Many ISOs and large hospital systems provide excellent advancement opportunities for employees willing to move.

HTM JOBS: As we have mentioned, since there are more positions available than people to fill them, the ability to relocate is extremely important. Many employers offer relocation assistance to candidates that are willing to relocate. We always encourage candidates to look at all opportunities and broaden their search.

Q: WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK TECHNATION READERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT EMPLOYMENT? BOYLAND: In my opinion, the leadership team will likely make the biggest impact to the happiness and success of HTM employees. Really get to know who your leadership team could be and talk with potential coworkers to get feedback from those who have been there. Working with a great team who wants to make each other better can have a huge impact on the quality of your work/life balance.

DUPLISSIS: Great question and in today’s world we need to consider outside distractions that slow or disable our ability to focus on the responsibilities and tasks at hand. Technology is a double-edged sword and if not used correctly, it can cut unexpectedly. Managing our distractions can be difficult, but not impossible. Please consider the short list of personal disciplines throughout your workday to keep you engaged and on the ball during your participation at work.

• Keep all personal electronic media devices in airplane mode when you start your day.

• Provide your significant other or spouse with your supervisors work number for emergency contact needs.

• Only use your personal media devices on your breaks or lunch if you are expecting a message from someone you consider a very important person.

• Do not check your personal email address at work for the obvious reason of distracting yourself from the duties of your employment.

• Stay engaged throughout the day with your teammates and manager. If all your physical work is accomplished, shift gears and refocus your energy on the administrative duties/paperwork. No one enjoys admin work, however, as we quickly learn. If we do not document a service event, it technically has not happened.

• If everything assigned to you is accomplished, do not be afraid or hesitant to ask if you can assist or help someone.

This will lead to new learning opportunities and build a sense of community within your team.

• Do not consider yourself an expert in all things, without first considering another person’s question. Easily stated, communication is very important. It is not what we say, but how we say it. Practice humility and kindness every day. By doing this, you will be seen as approachable and a team player within your health care system, hospital or OEM/ISO company.

GONZALES: The future of healthcare technology management (HTM) presents a challenging landscape shaped by rapid technological advancements and constant innovation. As medical innovations break new ground, HTM professionals will face an expanding array of responsibilities, placing them at the forefront of the field. While it is crucial to focus on the horizon, it is equally important to uphold core values and non-technical skills that are now in high demand by employers nationwide.

HOPKINS: Always take advantage of any training opportunities. It’s not aways an immediate return, but in the long run it will benefit you and any organization.

HTM JOBS: It is a candidate’s market! If you are thinking about advancing in your career, now is a great time to consider. You can register for free at HTMjobs.com and browse over 400 opportunities nationwide.

June 2024 | TechNation 49

CORPORATE PROFILE

CORPORATE PROFILE

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FIGHTING THE GOOD FIGHT At Elite Biomedical Solutions, our mission is clear: to fight for the advancement of quality standards and advocate 52 TechNation | June 2024

for the needs of our healthcare partners. We strive to dismantle barriers to access by developing innovative solutions that are effective and ensure accessibility to all.

Elite actively advocates for policies and initiatives that promote the interests of the healthcare industry and improve patient care. We collaborate with healthcare organizations, policymakers and advocacy groups to address pressing issues, such as the right to repair movement.

Furthermore, our commitment to corporate social responsibility extends beyond our products. We engage in philanthropic efforts to support underserved communities and healthcare initiatives, ensuring that our impact extends beyond the bottom line and into our local communities.

PROTECTING OUR PROMISE There are no short cuts when it comes to patient safety.

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2. Innovation: We are committed to continuous innovation, investing in research and development to stay at the forefront of technological advancements in the medical field.

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LEADING THE CHARGE As the landscape of healthcare evolves, Elite embraces a proactive approach to meeting industry and customer needs. By actively listening to the demands, we recognize the growing importance of expanding our current service and replacement parts solutions for more medical devices.

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STANDING TOGETHER Having multiple sources in today’s supply chain is crucial for resilience and risk mitigation. This is especially true in the medical field, where any disruption can have life-threatening consequences.

However, these sources must be carefully vetted to ensure they meet stringent quality standards. Reliability, consistency and adherence to regulatory requirements are paramount when dealing with medical parts to guarantee patient safety and maintain the integrity of healthcare systems. It’s going to take a collective effort to improve the healthcare industry. Every stakeholder, from manufacturers to regulators to BMETS to purchasing, has a part. By ensuring the quality and reliability of medical parts through rigorous vetting processes and collaboration, we can build a stronger, more resilient healthcare system that prioritizes patient safety. Together, we can create a future where access to high-quality medical parts is a universal standard.

June 2024 | TechNation 53

COVER STORY

GRAY AREA EQUIPMENT RESPONSIBILITY

Personal Experiences and Opinions

BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

I

n a car dealership, if a car comes into the service department for an oil and filter change, it is likely to go to the lube guy or girl. A car with a dent in the quarter panel would go to the body shop specialist and a car needing more extensive mechanical work, or a recall repair, may go the one of the automotive technicians assigned to the service bays.

56 TechNation | June 2024

There is a clear delineation of responsibility in the service department of the dealership and tasks are well understood. It is not likely that the sales department will call a technician to the sales floor of the dealer to sell a prospective customer a car. It is equally unlikely that the lube bay in the service department would call up a salesperson to do an oil change.

The responsibility for certain mechanical and electrical devices in a health care setting may be less clearly delineated.

At the dealer, this problem may mean that a customer is not queried several met in the showroom by a salesperson or a car coming into the leaders and included body shop is not evaluated. These situations don’t have the their real-world same urgency as the well-being of a patient. experiences and In the health care setting, there are many types of equipinsights. ment that can fall into gray areas. This gray area equipment Salim Kai, MS, CBET, may not have a clearly defined responsible party assigned to it director of clinical engifor repairs or maintenance. There are no national standards neering at Cincinnati Chilthat clearly define responsibility for this gray area equipment. dren’s Hospital Medical Center There is increasing overlap between HTM, facilities, in Cincinnati, Ohio, says that the IT/IS and security; which creates confusion. Integration of issue of gray area equipment and many devices has made this trend even more proresponsibilities isn’t new, but it has gained nounced between biomed and IT. Reporting structure can more focus today with advancing technology. often play into these determinations.

“It has always been challenging to define the boundThe importance of defining responsible parties isn’t only to aries and responsibilities of managing some of the aid in expediting service for that equipment but also in order to equipment,” he says. clearly document and classify it in CMMS as part of that Kai says that it may be more noticeable today because of biomed department’s medical equipment management all the sensor automation, connectivity, cybersecurity and program (MEMP). It is important that this equipment be defined interoperability with devices. as medical equipment.

“Also, the lines between consumer electronics and medical In 2022, AAMI’s Technology Management Council (TMC) devices are more blurred. For example, the heavy use of the brought focus to this situation by conducting a survey of HTM Internet with smartphones, tablets and software apps by health leadership at about 120 healthcare delivery organizations care professionals to display biomedical data is an expectation (HDOs) to determine how responsibility is assigned for gray and no longer [just] nice to have,” he says. area medical equipment.

IT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THAT WAY TMC utilized the experience of its members to identify sevJim Fedele, CBET, senior program director of clinical eral devices that might be categorized as gray area and asked engineering, BioTronics for the North Central and Central survey participants to identify any additional equipment not inRegions at UPMS in Williamsport, Pennsylvania, says that cluded in the survey. The survey asked participants to select the clinical staff should not be left in a quandary because of department at their facility that was tasked with managing and any gray area confusion. maintaining the listed gray area equipment.

“In my professional journey, it seems that whenever The TMC pointed out that it is important to have written there’s an issue with equipment, a system, or documentation and a stated policy clearly a general nursing challenge, the resolution delineating departmental responsibilities often falls to the biomed department. Take, “It has always been for these gray area devices and systems. for instance, exam tables, overhead lights, This will help expedite service calls and challenging to define stretchers, beds and, lately, items like RTLS ascertain that proper maintenance is perlocation tags and temperature tags. It makes formed throughout that equipment’s life the boundaries and sense, though; biomed departments excel at cycle. customer service, which naturally leads responsibilities of Whether it’s a nurse call system, beds, nursing staff to seek solutions from us,” OR booms or a fetal monitoring network; the managing some of Fedele says. responsibility isn’t always handled the same He says that during his tenure at Aramark, way. Has the hospital bed morphed from a the equipment.” he often helped price new accounts and noticed piece of furniture to a medical device? How many items that seemed beyond the departSalim Kai do tele-health or home healthcare devices ment’s usual scope. impact responsibilities?

“I’ve always found this to be a quandary. I aim to please, According to an AAMI press release about the survey; “The and turning down someone in need doesn’t sit well with me.

TMC compiled a list of more than 45 types of medical and I’ve seen the exasperation of nurses trying to provide patient non-medical equipment that tend to fall into gray areas.” care while caught in a blame game.

Ultimately, it’s the patients The results of the survey and resulting report don’t seek to who suffer, as the nursing staff’s focus shifts from them to be a prescription for biomed and other departments as to the resolving these issues,” Fedele says. correct roles and responsibilities for this equipment, but rather Many areas of responsibility were simply decided years the survey presents data that suggests some guidance for the ago and these decisions remained written in stone regardless equipment referenced. of advances in technology.

Beyond the data gathered in the survey, the personal “I have had the opportunity to work at multiple hospitals experience of HTM leaders provides insights into the practical and organizations.

One of the first things I ask when joining a application of assigning gray area responsibility. TechNation new organization is checking on these gray areas. Beds, June 2024 | TechNation 57

COVER STORY gurneys, blanket warmers, sterilizers, nurse call, applications, can also be the impetus for areas of responsibility; mostly PACS, radiology and networking access,” says Renato Castro, already defined, but often requiring joint resolution.

CHTM, CBET, BSBMET, assistant manager of biomedical “Our team was called to evaluate issues with our sterilizers engineering at Stanford Health Care Tri-Valley in Pleasanbecause the device did not pass the morning test. After ton, California. performing numerous troubleshooting techniques our team He says that these delineations, of who owns discovered that the issue was coming from the steam generathese, are usually decided early on and then it tors that are maintained by the facilities operations team,” says becomes one of those decisions that Ralph McCall, assistant director of healthcare technology leadership tends to say “it has always management at Texas Children’s Hospital in Houston, Texas. been that way.”

He says that his department partnered with the facilities “This is usually understood by staff team and discovered that the steam generator had a heating that have been around for a while and element that was faulty. Once the heating element was is just taught as tribal knowledge. replaced, the HTM team ran multiple tests and all tests passed.

These gray area items are rarely “One of the things that helped to troubleshoot this issue explicitly discussed during new hire was noticing that more than one device had the same issue so orientation,” Castro says. our team looked into the device that was supplying the steam.

Networked equipment most When it comes to sterilizer or washer devices it can be often crosses lines of responsibility. challenging for our clinical teams to identify which department Some firsthand perspective can resolve their issues. Overall, these devices usually create a comes from Leo Velasquez, close partnership with facilities and HTM because the items manager of clinical engineering and facilities maintain supplies steam and water, and we support central equipment at Cook Children’s the medical equipment,” McCall says.

Medical Center in Fort Worth, Texas.

Kai recalls a time when temperature variation and a lack of “One recent example was a project to monitoring impacted $50,000 of medications. bring the Etiometry Platform (an automated “Temperature Trak system was purchased by the data aggregation and analytics platform) to the hospital to provide 24/7 remote monitoring and documentacardiac intensive care unit,” Velasquez says. tion of temperature and humidity in pharmacy and dietary. It He says that a work offers a range of hardware, team consisting of an MD, nurssoftware and accessories to suit “I have had the opportunity to ing, biotech, lab IS and clinical engidifferent needs and comply with neering worked together to bring regulations,” Kai says. work at multiple hospitals and together patient specific informaHe says that there are two tion in an aggregated format with components to the system: Wi-Fi organizations. One of the first predictive analytics. transmitter and the probe (hardthings I ask when joining a new “We have learned from experiware). This was a multiphase ence that when we get new equiporganization is checking on these project with dietary and pharmacy ment – like EKG carts, portable to go first. HTM had to configure X-ray machines or ultrasound magray areas. Beds, gurneys, blanket units, facilities had to install physical chines – that is networked, we need hardware units, support after warmers, sterilizers, nurse call, to have someone from biotech installation was assigned to IT/ available to make sure we get the applications, PACS, radiology and facilities and HTM. connectivity to the correct location “IT to address access point working correctly,” Velasquez says. wireless issues, HTM to provide networking access” He says that clinical engisystem maintenance and swap - Renato Castro neering also works with facilities outs as needed and facilities to or plant operations for all electriprovide service coordination for cal, plumbing, medical gases and structural needs. In areas refrigerator/freezers or warmers,” Kai says. like sterile processing, it relies on them heavily.

He says that HTM would do a little trouble shooting to “The area of responsibility is roughly the same where we confirm whether or not the problem is because of the handle the device itself and they have everything coming into TempTrak hardware probe or the Wi-Fi system. HTM would and going out of the unit. We do work closely with both biotech follow through as appropriate: If the issue is related to a Wi-Fi and facilities/plant ops,” Velasquez adds. transmitter replacement because of the TempTrak OEM. If issue related to the network system, open an iSupport ticket, to TEMPERATURE AND HUMIDITY be assigned to IS network engineering, if due to Wi-Fi system.

Steam, that vaporous gas form of H2O, can be the catalyst for HTM would work directly with IS network engineering to biomed and facilities to get involved with connected projects. It troubleshoot and resolve the problem. Probe calibration is 58 TechNation | June 2024

annual or whenever there is doubt by a user calibration is validated.

Kai says that this example is about managing technologies that affect patient care which has an IT and Facilities component, where HTM shines through. Kai offers these tips for success; “assign a project manager to track the deliverables and project expectations. Have solution-oriented content experts from each department to participate. Have a project charter and statement of work with the vendor that defines deliverables.”

DEPEND ON BIOMED FOR A SOLUTION The example of steam in McCall’s example, as the centerpiece of a multi-departmental effort, is not unique. Much like networked devices, when responsibilities overlap into two departments, the responsibility for steam has required biomed to correct a problem that involves facilities.

Jim Arnold, director, east region of biomedical engineering for Piedmont Healthcare in Georgia, points to the need for facilities engineering to provide quality “dry” steam to sterilizers in sterile processing departments. He says that one way this can be accomplished is by implementing and executing a strong steam trap maintenance program. He had one experience with this in the distant past.

“We hired a steam expert, which resulted in finding some measurements within and some measurements just outside the acceptable steam quality range.

Our problems were intermittent and it was still a challenge to convince FE that house steam was an issue,” Arnold says.

He says that when this happened, the biomed department had a very strong and resourceful biomedical technician on staff who had primary responsibility for maintaining the SPD equipment.

“He left no stone unturned as he researched potential solutions. He researched online, spoke with vendors in the field, read articles and spoke with anyone who had an opinion. Ultimately, he came across what we deemed to be a great solution that we, (biomed), could implement ourselves,” Arnold remembers.

He says that biomed ended up installing cyclonic steam separators just in front of the steam entry point to the sterilizers, which solved the issues as a result of their ability to very effectively remove moisture from the steam prior to its entry into our steam sterilizers.

“The positive impact was recognized immediately and we learned so much from the experience,” Arnold says.

Arnold suggests that HTM document its steam, water and air quality and pressure when machines are working properly.

Knowing what one should see when things are working well can be very helpful when troubleshooting issues and comparing readings. Also, daily rounding in an SPD environment to inspect the readings can effectively help a technician keep his or her finger on the pulse of equipment.

With more medical equipment and systems crossing lines of responsibility, or advances in technology creating more medical devices, it is important to have written guidelines to identify service providers. Whether it be steam or networked devices, hospital beds or nurse call, the need to expedite and document a service response is crucial to patient care.

PROFESSIONAL

SOURCES JIM

ARNOLD JIM

FEDELE RENATO

CASTRO SALIM

KAI

RALPH

McCALL LEO

VELASQUEZ June 2024 | TechNation 59

New England • October 8-10, 2024

MOHEGAN SUN: CASINO & RESORT UNCASVILLE, CONNECTICUT

REGISTRATION NOW OPEN!

Don’t miss these events at MD Expo this Fall.

For more information, visit mdexposhow.com.

HOT Workshops powered by

MD Expo is proud to introduce our new HOT workshops! These are all day hands on training workshops. Broadening our world class education, these hands-on training (HOT) workshops were a response the ever increasing demand for more technical training from our TechNation audience. Attendees will be able to ‘look under the hood’ and experience training on actual equipment, enhancing their technical expertise and learn real takeaways, to take back to their departments.

NOTE: $100 fee applies for all-day Tuesday sessions. Discount code not applicable.

Digital Advisory Board (DAB) TechNation’s Digital Advisory Board is designed to maximize efforts to empower biomeds and elevate the HTM industry. MD Publishing President and Founder John Krieg said he is excited about working with the Digital Advisory Board to find additional avenues to reach and serve the HTM community. Digital Advisory Board members share news on social media, network at industry events, report on HTM conferences, author articles and provide advice to the TechNation team.

CBET Study Review Join the AAMI CBET Study Course this Fall at MD Expo. CBET Study Course attendees will have access to course materials which include module slides, practice exams and key test-taking notes. All CBET Study Course attendees in this live session can direct questions to the instructor in real-time that will either be answered at the end of the session or addressed via the AAMI discussion group.

NOTE: $125 fee applies for CBET Review Course registration and includes both Tuesday and Wednesday sessions. VIP Pass is not applicable.

EXPERT ADVICE

CAREER CENTER What’s the Deal With Elevator Pitches?

I

BY KATHLEEN FURORE

’ve seen several people posting on social media asking for advice on crafting elevator pitches. Does everyone who is looking for a job need an elevator pitch? And how can they write one that gets the attention of prospective employers?

According to the Center for Career Development at Princeton University, an elevator pitch is a 30- to 60-second professional introduction that allows you to start a conversation with a prospective employer by doing three key things: • Communicating your personal brand and what you want to be known for • Conveying your unique selling points • Providing three answers to: “Tell me about yourself,” “What do you do?” and “What are you interested in doing next?”

While having an elevator pitch at the ready isn’t imperative, it is advisable, says marketing expert Rex Huxford, director of demand generation at MD Clarity. Not having one, he notes, could leave you unprepared if an unexpected opportunity presents itself.

“Even if you don’t plan to use it, simply writing one can help set you up for better success because it helps you understand your own value proposition,” Huxford explains.

“In marketing, everything centers around what you’re doing and how it’s better than competitors – the same principle applies here.”

A good, succinct elevator pitch can prove a plus in myriad situations, depending on where you are in your academic or career trajectory. According to Indeed, it can be a valuable tool to turn to at career fairs, during professional networking and membership events, in internal networking conversations, in online profiles, and even when preparing for an interview or crafting the professional summary statement on your resume.

Huxford recommends creating a quick elevator pitch template that can be tweaked, as needed. That way, he says, “it will be much easier to tailor each hook on the spot

62 TechNation | June 2024

to the person you’re pitching. You won’t stumble over your words and fumble the delivery if you already have a rough idea of the message you want to share.”

To start the process, marketing pros recommend taking the following steps: • Start with the basics. “Write down what you see as your core ideal function within the workplace,” says Rob Boyle, marketing operations director for Airswift. “This doesn’t necessarily need to be your job title, although it may be.”

• List your top skills, traits and knowledge. Boyle suggests brainstorming the things that contribute the most value from a professional standpoint. “Once you have this list in mind, you can pick out the two to three top qualities that are the most noteworthy or important for your industry and role, then put them together with your big-picture job description.

Huxford echoes that advice. “Start with a hook explaining your expertise, then transition to your value proposition or how your skills can benefit the potential employer,” he says.

• Finish with the call to action. This is “the ultimate marketing tool,” Huxford says. “It could be the specific role you’re interested in, a request for a follow-up conversation, a connection on LinkedIn, and more, depending on your ultimate goal and the individual situation.”

Practice your pitch aloud. And make sure it’s short; Boyle recommends 30 seconds at most. “Time yourself doing it until you have a natural-sounding, professional description that you can give within that 30-seconds-or-less time limit,” Boyle concludes.

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

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June 2024 | TechNation 63

EXPERT ADVICE

NETWORKING NOTES Learning DICOM: An Autobiography

G

BY TONY PHAM

oing through the standard biomedical engineering curriculum at college, I was taught about the inner workings of various imaging modalities, including ultrasound, X-ray, MRI, etc. Upon entering the HTM workforce, it became apparent that I was never taught how all the images got transferred outside of those modalities.

This was my introduction to Digital Imaging and Communications in Medicine (DICOM) and is a public use protocol for the digital storage and transmission of medical images. Fortunately, I have some colleagues who are knowledgeable on the topic of DICOM and they were willing to teach me. Following is more about my experience learning DICOM.

The first concept I found useful was learning the roles that each device played during image transfer. Specifically, these roles are SCU (Service Class User) and SCP (Service Class Provider). Despite their names, the SCU serves as the image sender and SCP acts as the image receiver. It may be easier to just think of the roles as a sender and a receiver. In each instance of image transfer through DICOM, one software will be the SCU and the other will be the SCP. Normally, imaging modalities like X-ray machines will only ever be used as an SCU. These devices typically have no use for receiving medical images. Likewise, printers would act as SCPs. Almost everything else could be either role, depending on the specific DICOM transfer being performed.

After understanding how the SCU and SCP roles work in DICOM, I began setting up a complete DICOM network. I used two open-source applications called GinkgoCADx and Conquest DICOM Server. GinkgoCADx served as a

64 TechNation | June 2024

workstation DICOM viewer while Conquest was the DICOM server. After starting up the Conquest DICOM server, I went to the configurations tab to set both the Application Entity (AE) title and port for the server. Similarly, I also set the AE title and port for GinkgoCADx under the DICOM nodes page in its settings. Take good notes of the IP addresses, AE titles, and ports for both the server and the workstation viewer as these are vital for establishing the connection.

Because I was setting up the server and the workstation on the same computer, they shared the same IP address, that of my computer. This did not mess up the DICOM network configuration thanks to the different ports set for each application. My colleague explained this concept using the analogy of an apartment complex where the DICOM image is a piece of mail, and the IP address is the address of the whole apartment complex. In this analogy, the ports would be the apartment numbers. While both the DICOM server and the workstation viewer resided in the same main address, which was my computer, they were in two separate locations, which were the ports. This allows us to send images back and forth between Conquest and GinkgoCADx. In a practical setup, the server and workstations would be separate machines with different IP addresses, but the same concept still applies.

Next, I had to finish establishing a connection between the applications by inputting each one’s information into the other. In Conquest, I entered GinkgoCADx’s information under the known DICOM providers tab, making sure to add an extra new line under the list of DICOM providers. In GinkgoCADx, I then entered the Conquest server information into the DICOM nodes page, the same place I set the AE title and port configuration before. Once both Conquest and GinkgoCADx had the other’s information, it was time to test the DICOM network.

Before testing, I downloaded a couple of DICOM images from the Internet and loaded them into GinkgoCADx. In Conquest, I opened the server status tab and checked the

debug log box on the right side to see any errors on the server. Upon first trying to upload the DICOM images from GinkgoCADx to the Conquest server, I saw an error in the server logs. Trying a different image gave me the same error. I restarted the server and re-initialized the database.

That seemed to work, and the images uploaded correctly.

As with almost all technological devices, a complete reboot seems to be the easiest fix to an issue. I verified that the new images were in the database by checking the logs and browsing the database in Conquest.

After verifying that the images were uploaded to the server correctly, I ran the DICOM Query/Retrieve (Q/R) operation from GinkgoCADx. I wanted to see what could be found from the server’s database. Using the broadest search conditions available, I looked for all images/studies.

GinkgoCADx found the two images I had previously uploaded along with two default images. The successful download and viewing of those two default images from the server indicated that the DICOM network functioned properly. This was further supported by the server logs which showed successful processes for the DICOM Q/R. On the topic of operations, there are a few terms that are commonly used in DICOM. C-STORE, also known as “DICOM Push”, is normally used by imaging modalities (SCUs) to send their captured images to the DICOM server and/or workstations (SCPs). The C-FIND and C-MOVE operations are used in DICOM Q/R to first find specific images and then pull the selected images to the SCP. Finally, C-ECHO is equivalent to a more advanced ping, specifically used to test DICOM connection and functionality. There are other operations in DICOM, but these four are the most used by large PACS manufacturers.

At this point, my colleague and I had a brief discussion

on what kind of information is stored in the DICOM header.

In each DICOM transfer, information about the medical image/study is sent in the form of a header that comes before the actual image(s). Within the DICOM header, there are many fields that can contain standard information as well as custom ones. Each piece of info has an associated tag as well as a name and value, and this information is what is filtered through when using the C-FIND operation. Common standardized information includes patient information, the type of medical image, where the images were taken, etc. Fun fact, information in the DICOM header can be removed, or anonymized, as needed for sharing of the images such as in court cases or for educational purposes.

To review the steps for setting up DICOM for new devices: The key information when connecting any device to the DICOM network is the IP address of the device, the AE title and specific port number that is assigned to it. This info then needs to be added to all machines (including servers, workstations, etc.) that will be directly sending or receiving images from the new DICOM device. This must be done on each SCU and SCP for them to communicate with each other. Once all the info has been entered on both sides, a test can be performed with the C-ECHO command or through sending/retrieving a test image. If the new device is networked appropriately, a “successful test” signals that the connection is good.

Tony Pham, Biomedical Engineer at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

June 2024 | TechNation 65

EXPERT ADVICE

SPONSORED CONTENT

HOW TO MAXIMIZE THE EFFICIENCY OF YOUR PATIENT MONITOR FLEET

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BY MAI SUMLUT, SENIOR MANAGER OF ENGINEERING s a key component in almost any medical setting, patient monitors come in many varieties and sizes.

Throughout the course of patient treatment, clinicians can use a combination of bedside and portable monitors. Keeping an entire fleet of patient monitors in good working order in any facility, especially a large hospital, requires expertise, time and money.

Facilities can manage their patient monitors more efficiently while increasing cost savings by partnering with an equipment provider to help them source the monitors they need, and make sure they’re up and running with comprehensive service, repair and parts. In this article, learn what to look for in a patient monitoring equipment provider in order to maximize your facility’s efficiency and its budget.

COST-EFFECTIVE PATIENT MONITOR SOURCING As I mentioned earlier, patient monitors in a variety of sizes and configurations are used in medical settings at any given time. When choosing a patient monitor provider, it makes sense to work with a company that offers a large inventory of refurbished monitors in various types, brands and models.

Look for a company who can offer monitors from all the top manufacturers including GE, Philips, Draeger and more.

While the biggest, most straightforward benefit of refurbished monitors is the cost savings, professionally refurbished medical equipment can also provide facilities with other benefits. Sourcing a late-model, refurbished patient monitor can integrate more seamlessly into an existing fleet, reducing staff training.

Avante Health Solutions is well-known for its wide selection of patient monitors. Avante can offer facilities professionally refurbished monitors from top manufacturers, helping facilities find the equipment they need at a cost-effective price point.

SIMPLE, FAST SERVICE AND REPAIR In addition to sourcing the right models, a true equipment partner can offer facilities flexible, simple service on their 66 TechNation | June 2024

patient monitors with a quick turnaround. Be sure to ask a prospective equipment provider what their repair process entails. A reputable company will have simple, easy-to-use services that allow facilities to easily communicate equipment errors and send in their equipment for repair.

When choosing a patient monitor repair partner, be sure the company has the skills and expertise to be able to handle a variety of repairs on all major brands. The company should have thorough processes for repair and documentation and should be able to communicate this effectively to customers. An easy way to determine whether a company is quality-focused is to ask if their processes have been certified by a regulatory agency.

Avante offers patient monitoring repairs at component level. Repair technicians at Avante understand how time consuming the repair process can be for facilities, so they have streamlined to process to be quick, simple, and easy to use. Avante’s patient monitoring repair processes have been certified with ISO 13485:2016 and ISO 9001:2015.

IN-DEMAND PATIENT MONITOR PARTS Beyond equipment sourcing and repair, a patient monitoring equipment partner can also give facilities access to component parts. Being able to easily order and receive patient monitoring parts allows hospital biomedical technicians to perform maintenance and minor repairs in-house, allowing them to quickly get the equipment back on the floor.

Avante has one of the largest selections of patient monitor component parts in the industry today. With an inventory of both OEM- and Avante-brand replacement parts, Avante empowers the biomedical community with the parts they need in their facilities. Avante offers discounts and free shipping for large orders, helping to save valuable budget space.

Mai Sumlut is a Senior Manager of Engineering at Avante Health Solutions’ San Clemente Center for Excellence.

For more information on patient monitor equipment sourcing, service and parts from Avante, please visit avantehs.com/monitoring.

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EXPERT ADVICE

CYBERSECURITY

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No Pay, No way: Why Paying Ransom is No Laughing Matter

BY NADIA ELKAISSI, CHTM icture this: A hospital’s Picture Archiving Computer System (PACS) vendor was notified that all their servers were shut down unexpectedly, leaving all patient data inaccessible. After a swift investigation, it was discovered that the entire system was a victim to a ransomware attack, leaving sensitive patient data exposed.

The hackers began threatening to sell the data if a ransom was not paid within 48 hours. In an attempt to quickly protect the leakage of data, the vendor paid the gang $50 million. Although there was assurance that the data would be deleted once the debt was paid, there was no guarantee that the hackers would delete all data. Then, the hackers announce that they did not delete the data and will be selling it on the Internet. With this additional dilemma, the vendor is already thinking, was it the right choice to pay the ransom? What is the correct way to handle a ransomware attack?

Today, health care is constantly evolving, and technology is advancing to support patient care. However, the dependence on interconnected systems presents additional vulnerabilities that, if not remediated, can open the doors to hackers.

Understanding the risks associated with a product is becoming a necessary step before procurement. Prior to installation, hospitals should be setting plans to address all situations

68 TechNation | June 2024

regarding the system. They should understand how to protect their new advanced systems, and how to react when an attack occurs. With the increasing amount of cyberattacks on hospital systems, the initial instinct is to pay the ransom. Although this reaction is intended to gain control, yielding to demands fails to guarantee a resolution. It also perpetuates a cycle of extortion and poses significant risks to patient safety and data integrity.

Before delving into why a strong cybersecurity program is necessary to ensure the protection of patient data, it is important to understand why it is not always ideal to have a reactive approach during a cyberattack. As discussed above, many initial reactions are to pay the ransom and secure the data. While this may be the quicker solution, there is no guarantee that the hackers will comply with the promises that were made. In fact, hackers may take the money and disappear without fulfilling the promise, which would result in a permanent loss of patient data. In addition, the payment essentially funds criminal activities, which could provide incentive to hackers to find more ways to hack a vulnerable organization.

Lastly, paying the hacker is not solving the underlying problem, which is to address the vulnerabilities that lead to the attack.

Without addressing the weaknesses, the hospitals and vendors will remain susceptible to future attacks, leading to the exposure of additional patient data. Although these are only a few reasons to avoid a reactive approach, the reasons are consistent with the goal to focus on developing a strong cybersecurity strategy.

Ransomware attacks are a large wake-up call to organizations to invest in a strong cybersecurity program. It is impera-

tive that hospitals should focus on areas such as evaluating the needs of the system, performing frequent penetration testing, educating staff on cybersecurity, and establishing response protocols. As hospitals are integrating more solutions, they should be focusing on developing firewalls, implementing a strong antivirus software, installing an intrusion detection system, and performing regular monitoring and audits to address weaknesses. Penetration testing and developing a patch management system are additional requirements that will help to strengthen the security and reduce any holes in the system.

In addition, staff should be constantly trained on the importance of cybersecurity and to recognize phishing or suspicious links.

Human error is one of the most significant cybersecurity threats. Therefore, continuous training will hopefully reduce the likelihood for an attack on a health care system. Finally, a hospital should be building a strong incident response plan in the event of a breach. This will ensure for a less reactive approach if the plan includes protocols to minimize the damage and detailed steps to restore normal operation.

A strong cybersecurity strategy starts with developing proactive measures.

Implementing strong measures can significantly reduce the risk of falling victim to hacker exploits and ensuring the integrity of the system and patient data. While the temptation to pay the ransom may offer a temporary solution, it does not solve the overall problem of why the system was attacked and how to prevent additional attacks from occurring. No plan is perfect but having a strong program that is constantly monitoring and auditing hospital systems will help to reduce the probability of an attack and provide more oversite products in the hospital. Only through collective commitment to proactive cybersecurity can hospitals ensure the safeguarding of patient data.

Nadia ElKaissi, CHTM, is a biomedical engineer with healthcare technology management at VA Central Office (19HTM).

June 2024 | TechNation 69

EXPERT ADVICE

20/20 IMAGING INSIGHTS Seeing is Believing

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BY TED LUCIDI, CBET

esterday’s “biomed shop” has evolved into healthcare technology management (HTM). HTM now spans entire health care enterprises, and some come complete with their own field service divisions and supply chain teams focused on maximizing support budgets.

Compared to just 20 years ago, HTM teams now have hundreds of suppliers ready, willing and able to assist with repairing or providing creative solutions for thousands of medical devices. With the sheer number of choices available, how do today’s HTM managers choose the right partner? More importantly, why should a provider be your first call?

Each supplier, vendor or service provider (including OEMs) has its own pros, cons and areas in which they choose to prioritize and focus. Very few, if any, excel at delivering all things to all customers. What’s important in your facility may not be as high a priority in another. Developing a vendor scorecard helps to normalize all the variables and helps to define what’s most important to you, your customers, your department, and your organization. Over the years, our team of industry experts have assisted many health care organizations with qualifying suppliers with respect to due diligence and research in developing effective request for proposal (RFP). Following are five areas on which to focus from a repair provider perspective.

PROVIDER-RELATED QUESTIONS How long has the provider been in business and how 70 TechNation | June 2024

long have they provided the specific service? How many technicians or engineers are employed and what training do they receive? How and why is the provider qualified to work on the specific device(s)? Is the provider a generalist or a specialist (providing service across a wide variety of devices, versus a focused approach). Being able to thoroughly answer these questions and provide openness and transparency should be some of the minimal criteria you accept.

SUPPORT-RELATED QUESTIONS What are the provider’s specialties/capabilities, and do they guarantee any results? What is their annual repair volume?

Do they perform ALL repairs in-house? If not, how much and exactly what is outsourced, and is that important to you? Are loaners available, what is the cost, and what fulfillment rate can be expected? What is included in the repair and what’s the typical turn-around time? With respect to ultrasound probes and MRI coils, typically, turn-around time is a function of the technical complexity of the device and invasiveness of the repair.

QUALITY-RELATED QUESTIONS What warranty period is provided, and what is the current valid warranty rate on a specific product? Is the provider able to supply a service history or work history? You may not know it, but typically OEMs do not provide parts or materials to independent service organizations (ISOs) and many of the parts/components used in ultrasound probes are unable to be harvested for secondary usage. Knowing this, a good question to ask is, how are replacement parts and materials qualified? What is the process, what testing is performed, and how does the provider ensure the repaired/replaced device performs consistently with the OEM design? One type of testing used by Innovatus Imaging relative to material compatibility is to the ISO

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Virtual tour of Pittsburgh headquarters and MRI repair center.

10993 standard (which certifies biocompatibility). At a minimum, when issuing an RFP, insist that a repair provider be ISO 13485:2016 certified in order to qualify.

KEY PERFORMANCE INDICATORS First things first, establish what is important to you and your customers. Consider rating vendors based on overall quality of work, quality of communication, follow-up, call-back rate, warranty rate, response time, cost of downtime, etc. It is important to weigh each criterion because your facility is unique as well as your customers’ needs and expectations. There is no universal model; however, price should never be the primary driver.

Eventually decisions will be based upon price, but when choosing between repair providers, be sure to do an apples-to-apples comparison. Develop one or more very detailed scenarios, provide very specific details, and require very specific answers that all lead to the bottom line. A scenario-based comparison minimizes variables and can help normalize the data.

SEEING IS BELIEVING Once selections have been narrowed to a final few, insist on an in-person, or virtual, tour of the repair facilities. As travel budgets have continued to decrease, and during the COVID pandemic, when travel was restricted, Innovatus perfected the virtual tour. Mobile phones are amazing devices! Clients can tour our facilities LIVE and INTERACTIVELY, just as if in-person. Our teams pull back the curtain and show what we do, how we do it, and, more importantly, explain why we do it the way we do. You can see our teams in-action, ask probing questions, and may even see your product being repaired. Not every repair provider is willing

Virtual tour of ultrasound repair center.

to go to this level to earn your trust.

As an FDA registered medical device manufacturer and ISO 13485:2016 certified repair provider for ultrasound probes and MRI coils, developing successful partnerships with suppliers is integral to our quality management system. Part 7 of the ISO standard states that an organization SHALL (not should) establish criteria for the evaluation of suppliers which is based on 1) the suppliers’ ability to provide a product or service that meets the organization’s requirements, 2) is based on the performance of the supplier, 3) is based on the effect of the purchased product (or service) on the quality of the medical device and 4) is proportionate to the risk associated with the medical device. In short, Innovatus Imaging develops a vendor scorecard for our suppliers. The beauty of the ISO 13485 standard is that, even though it may not need to be totally implemented in an in-house clinical engineering department, the standard can provide guidance and best practices to elevate any HTM department.

Getting the most of your time, effort and budget are important now, more than ever. Knowing what to ask, why it is important and how to frame the questions are key to writing effective RFPs. Reach out to the team of industry experts at Innovatus Imaging before drafting your next RFP or to arrange a virtual tour for your team.

Ted Lucidi, CBET, is the director of commercial operations and business analytics at Innovatus Imaging.

June 2024 | TechNation 71

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EXPERT ADVICE

RIGHT TO REPAIR More States Consider Legislation

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BY NATHAN PROCTOR t wasn’t long ago that every product we bought came with the expectation that we could fix it. They came with full-service manuals by default, and spare parts were standardized and widely available.

For decades, it’s been getting harder and harder to fix products, as manufacturers have restricted access to what they used to share without reservation: the parts, tools and information used by technicians to do the repairs.

That’s why I’m pushing for Right to Repair reforms across the country, across a wide variety of industries, from toasters to tractors, cameras to computed tomography (CT) scanners. While there are huge differences between how things are fixed at a hospital and a farm, the barriers manufacturers use to control the repair process are similar, and so are the arguments they use to block access.

And, Right to Repair has struck a nerve.

People have noticed that it’s so hard to fix things, they remember when it wasn’t such a hassle, and they want fixable things again. Our model Right to Repair reforms simply require manufacturers to share the repair parts, tools and information they use themselves.

So far this year, 30 states have introduced or carried over legislation, including many which include medical devices.

Here are some recent highlights.

On March 27, Gov. Tina Kotek signed Oregon’s Right to Repair bill into law, making Oregon the fourth state to enact Right to Repair rules for consumer electronics, including appliances, laptops and cellphones. Oregon’s bill is the first

in the nation to ban manufacturers from using software to prevent technicians from fully installing spare parts, a practice called “parts pairing.”

Parts pairing is a big barrier to repair in many industries and something that happens in medical devices as well.

Parts pairing is when the device recognizes the individual components within a device by coding them with a unique identifier (usually a serial number). When the parts change, the device detects it, and can restrict functions, display misleading warnings about unauthorized components, or otherwise frustrate the user.

Colorado lawmakers have passed Right to Repair legislation in each of the last two sessions – a bill to protect wheelchair users’ Right to Repair in 2022, followed by a Right to Repair for farmers bill last year. This year they are back with a broad Right to Repair bill covering personal and business electronics – which passed out of the House in March, and out of the Senate in April. It waits for final concurrence, and then it will head to the governor.

In a new front for Right to Repair, Missouri lawmakers have introduced the first Right to Repair bill specific to motorcycles, which was advanced out of committee. The Motorcycles Riders Foundation and other groups support the measure.

For the latest information, visit pirg.org/campaigns/right-to-repair.

Nathan Proctor is senior director of the U.S. PIRG Campaign for the Right to Repair.

June 2024 | TechNation 73

EXPERT ADVICE

THE FUTURE Tips for a Great Interview

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BY JOIE N. MARHEFKA ummer is an exciting time for many of our students, as they are graduating and starting new jobs. Our students at Penn State New Kensington typically graduate in August, but some students graduate in May. Therefore, it seems like a good time to talk about topics related to getting a job. I’d like to share some interview tips that I discuss in my classes. Hopefully these suggestions will be helpful for recent graduates as well as for anyone looking for a new position.

Before the interview, it is important to prepare. Research the company and the position. This may help you to answer questions and will make it evident that you are really interested in the job.

Take a look at your resume and the job description.

Make sure that you are able to talk about everything on your resume and think about ways to connect your experience to the requirements of the position. Bring a list of references – preferably including previous supervisors or professors – to the interview. Ask people if they are willing to be a reference before including them on the list. I find it frustrating when I get caught off guard by a call or email saying that a former student has listed me as a reference, and I had no idea that they were even looking for a job. Also, if you are like me and not good at interviews, I’d recommend practicing some common interview questions. Tons of these can be found by a simple Google search. I’d also advise making a list of questions that you might want to ask during the interview. Finally, if the interview is in-person, make sure that you know where you are going. If it’s in an unfamiliar location, it might be worth driving there ahead of time so that you don’t get lost.

For the interview itself, be sure to arrive on time – but not too early. Personally, I leave early in case there is traffic but will look for a coffee shop or someplace nearby to hang

74 TechNation | June 2024

out if I arrive early. I aim to get to the interview about 10 minutes before it starts, but not earlier, as the people who will be conducting the interview are likely busy with other things. If the interview is virtual, make sure to find a location where you will not be distracted. Consider using a plain background or blurring your background for an interview on Teams/Zoom/etc.

During the interview, give examples to support your answers. Think of things that you’ve done in school, previous jobs, volunteer work or clubs that support answers to questions. If previous jobs don’t seem relevant, consider connecting soft skills that are relevant to both positions, such as communication, customer service and teamwork.

When answering questions, be yourself. It is best to be authentic rather than trying to convince the interviewer that you are something you are not. Focus on what makes you a good fit for the job. If you are asked, “Tell me about yourself,” the interviewer most likely does not want to hear your life story. Focus on things you’ve done that make you a good candidate for the position. If you don’t hear a question or don’t fully understand it, it is OK to ask the interviewer to repeat the question or to provide clarification. It is also fine to take a minute to think about a question before answering.

Finally, ask questions. This will make you appear more interested in the job. If you don’t come up with any questions during the interview, have some questions prepared ahead of time. And make sure to ask things about the job – not just about pay and benefits.

After the interview, follow up with a thank you note. This is a good opportunity to reaffirm interest in the position. This note could be handwritten or an email.

Good luck to all of the recent graduates and to anyone else who is interviewing!

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

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BREAKROOM

HTM ON THE LINE

SCRAPBOOK In early April, HTM On The Line held its first-ever STEM Saturday and Career Fair, featuring HTM professionals who traveled to New Orleans from California, Kentucky and North Carolina to contribute to its success. The event spotlighted the HTM industry and offered students from STEMNOLA an opportunity to see first-hand what this industry offers. Looking forward to the next one in October 2024.

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Five HTM professionals are seen alongside parents, advisors and 20 students from 16 different high schools in the New Orleans area.

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Pictured at the recent STEM Saturday event hosted by HTM On The Line (from left to right) are Dr. Jeff Smoot, Maria Denson, Bryant Hawkins, Allison Woolford and D’Juan James enjoying a meal in the French Quarters.

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The Krewe enjoys delicious cuisine at New Orleans Food & Spirit, with the famous Voodoo Rolls as the standout dish.

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The HTM On The Line Krewe at the airport, en route to the MD Expo in Las Vegas.

June 2024 | TechNation 79

BREAKROOM

SCRAPBOOK The 2024 MD Expo Las Vegas exceeded expectations with 800+ healthcare technology management professionals in attendance for top-flight educational sessions, a packed exhibit hall, fun networking events, invitation-only leadership summit, motivational keynote address and the inaugural Tech Choice Awards presentation.

For more information, visit mdexposhow.com.

mdexposhow.com

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80 TechNation | June 2024

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Tech Choice Award winner Emmanuel Essah, Biomedical Program Manager at Mercy Ships, holds a copy of TechNation magazine at the MD Expo in Las Vegas.

The Humanitarian award was sponsored

by Heathmark.

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Door prize winner Rahsaan Towler is seen with Elvis inside the exhibit hall.

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The Bearded Biomed conducts an interview in the exhibit hall.

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Rocket scientist Maureen Zappala delivers a motivating keynote address sponsored by Zopec Medical.

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John Mendoza and Teresa Mendoza from Level One Imaging Solutions view a solar eclipse with special glasses sponsored by CURE Biomedical.

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Members of the popular and fastgrowing Women In Leadership LinkedIn group pose for a photo.

MD Publishing President John Krieg embraces Tech Choice Award Director of the Year Chris Nowak. The award was sponsored by MW Imaging.

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Dr. Nicole Walton-Trujillo gives HTMJobs’ Sydney Krieg a free dance lesson during the finale party sponsored by AIV.

The YP at MD event brought together up and coming members of the biomed community for food, fun and networking. The event was sponsored by Adepto Medical, Pio Bio and Prescott’s Inc.

Peak Medical Resources welcome Tuan Tran to the MD Expo.

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Mason Creal, Clint Creal and Nate Gibson represented Adepto Medical, Pio Bio and Prescott’s Inc. at MD Expo Las Vegas.

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Las Vegas Showgirls pose for a photo with some of the highly trained biomeds in attendance at MD Expo.

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The Houston Methodist Biomedical Engineering Department won a Tech Choice Award as the Department of the Year.

The award was sponsored by USOC.

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June 2024 | TechNation 81

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25 What all AI based devices are based on 29 6 in Roman numbers 30 Company expert in patient monitoring devices DOWN

10 Breathing devices

1 Part of ENT

14 Professional medical org.

2 Result of an examination

15 Rogers’ state, abbr.

3 Sanitize completely

16 Dieters’ units, abbr.

4 Sphere

17 First or foremost in time or development 19 Electrical current type 20 Follow as a result 23 Physical therapy, for short 24 Org. responsible for ensuring the use of high-quality medical devices and safe radiation emitting products, abbr.

5 Added wing to a building

15 Relating to old records 17 Tube used for measuring and transferring small quantities of liquid or gas 18 Include 21 Zero 22 Numero ___ 25 Electrical current measurement 26 Talk a lot 27 Brazilian city 28 CAT scan alternative

6 Assesses, as a situation, with “up” 7 Patient’s record 10 Heart flow regulator 11 Road cover 12 Leave out 13 Computer memory

June 2024 | TechNation 83

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June 2024 | TechNation 85

SERVICE INDEX P

3

P P

pronktech.com • 800-609-9802

capitali.us • 417-708-2924

EQ2 eq2llc.com • 888-312-4367

Renovo Solutions

27

TruAsset, LLC

39

Computed Tomography

85

renovo1.com • 844-4RENOVO

truasset.com • 214-276-1280

CM Parts Plus cmpartsplus.com • 877-267-2784

Diagnostic Solutions diagnostic-solutions.com • 330-296-9729

84

www.ncbiomedassoc.com •

International X-Ray Brokers KEI Medical Imaging Services

BC Group International, Inc BCGroupStore.com • 314-638-3800

College of Biomedical Equipment Technology

maullbiomedicaltraining.com • 440-724-7511

MultiMedical Systems multimedicalsystems.com • 888-532-8056

Probo Medical probomedical.com • 3174947872

Pronk Technologies, Inc. pronktech.com • 800-609-9802

Renovo Solutions renovo1.com • 844-4RENOVO

11

Maull Biomedical Training

P

63

P P P

triimaging.com • 855-401-4888

75

P P

NVRT Labs Inc.

7 2,32,85 85

allpartsmedical.com • 866-507-4793

International X-Ray Brokers internationalxraybrokers.com • 508-559-9441

Probo Medical probomedical.com • 3174947872

31

P P

72 7

P P

Cardiac Monitoring Jet Medical Electronics Inc www.jetmedical.com • 714-937-0809

sebiomedical.com/ • 828-396-6010

86 TechNation | June 2024

P P

5

P P P

34,91

P P P

Consultancy nvrtlabs.com •

32

Contrast Media Injectors 626 Holdings weare626.com • 800-516-0991

Maull Biomedical Training maullbiomedicaltraining.com • 440-724-7511

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

Renovo Solutions renovo1.com • 844-4RENOVO

21 63

P P P

69

P P

CM Parts Plus Diagnostic Solutions diagnostic-solutions.com • 330-296-9729

Innovatus Imaging innovatusimaging.com • 844-687-5100

77

P P

11 85

Diagnostic Imaging cmpartsplus.com • 877-267-2784

Cardiology Southeastern Biomedical, Inc

76

Cyber Security

C-Arm AllParts Medical

Tri-Imaging Solutions

P P

P P P

RSTI rsti-training.com • 800-229-7784

41

63

maullbiomedicaltraining.com • 440-724-7511

P P

85

P P

82

keimedicalimaging.com • 512-477-1500

92

31

72

internationalxraybrokers.com • 508-559-9441

Biomedical

Maull Biomedical Training

82,85

allpartsmedical.com • 866-507-4793

82,85

NCBA

www.j2smedical.com • 844-342-5527

2,32,85

AllParts Medical

P P

Association

J2S Medical

39

eq2llc.com • 888-312-4367

Pronk Technologies, Inc.

Capital i

cbet.edu • 866-866-9027

CMMS EQ2

Asset Management

TRAINING

usocmedical.com • 855-888-8762

4

SERVICE

USOC Medical

truasset.com • 214-276-1280

75

multimedicalsystems.com • 888-532-8056

www.ambickford.com • 800-795-3062

TruAsset, LLC

Certified Equipment Sales Multimedical Systems

A.M. Bickford

PARTS

Anesthesia

Company Info

AD PAGE

TRAINING

SERVICE

PARTS

AD PAGE

Company Info

International X-Ray Brokers internationalxraybrokers.com • 508-559-9441

41

P P

76

P P

8 72

P

SERVICE INDEX 34,91

PM Biomedical

pronktech.com • 800-609-9802

ecri.org • 610-825-6000

Maull Biomedical Training maullbiomedicaltraining.com • 440-724-7511

NVRT Labs Inc. nvrtlabs.com •

RSTI rsti-training.com • 800-229-7784

Tri-Imaging Solutions triimaging.com • 855-401-4892

Webinar Wednesday http://webinarwednesday.live/ •

www.htmjobs.com •

P

42

P

63

P

5

hmark.com • 800-521-6224

50

www.alcosales.com • 800-323-4282

EQ2 eq2llc.com • 888-312-4367

SalesMaker Carts salesmakercarts.com • 800-821-4140

hmark.com • 800-521-6224

P P

aiv-inc.com • 888-587-6759

BC Group International, Inc BCGroupStore.com • 314-638-3800

Elite Biomedical Solutions elitebiomedicalsolutions.com • 855-291-6701

J2S Medical www.j2smedical.com • 844-342-5527

cbet.edu • 866-866-9027

P

RSTI

Tenacore LLC tenacore.com • 800-297-2241

AllParts Medical

cmpartsplus.com • 877-267-2784

Diagnostic Solutions

39

International X-Ray Brokers

69

KEI Medical Imaging Services

innovatusimaging.com • 844-687-5100 internationalxraybrokers.com • 508-559-9441 keimedicalimaging.com • 512-477-1500

Probo Medical probomedical.com • 3174947872

Tri-Imaging Solutions triimaging.com • 855-401-4891

63

P P

92 55

P P

85

P P

P P

5

P P P

17

P P

31

P P

41

P P

76

P P

MRI

Innovatus Imaging

P P

72

Monitors/CRTs

45

6

P

Mammography rsti-training.com • 800-229-7784

P

11

Labratory

diagnostic-solutions.com • 330-296-9729

Infusion Pumps AIV

College of Biomedical Equipment Technology

CM Parts Plus 6

Infection Control Healthmark Industries

Laboratory

allpartsmedical.com • 866-507-4793

General ALCO Sales & Service Co.

P P

82

keimedicalimaging.com • 512-477-1500

ozarkbiomedical.com • 800-457-7576

34,91 67

KEI Medical Imaging Services

Ozark Biomedical

32

Endoscopy Healthmark Industries

3

usocmedical.com • 855-888-8762

11

Employment/Recruiting HTM Jobs

2,32,85

USOC Medical

P P

P P

Installs/Deinstalls

College of Biomedical Equipment Technology ECRI Institute

82

pmbiomedical.com • 800-777-6474

Education/Training cbet.edu • 866-866-9027

75

multimedicalsystems.com • 888-532-8056

Pronk Technologies, Inc.

TRAINING

triimaging.com • 855-401-4889

P P

85

renovo1.com • 844-4RENOVO

Tri-Imaging Solutions

7

Multimedical Systems

SERVICE

Renovo Solutions

P P P

PARTS

probomedical.com • 3174947872

63

Company Info

AD PAGE

Probo Medical

TRAINING

maullbiomedicaltraining.com • 440-724-7511

SERVICE

Maull Biomedical Training

PARTS

AD PAGE

Company Info

8 72 82 7

P P

34,91

P P

76

P P

Nuclear Medicine Diagnostic Solutions diagnostic-solutions.com • 330-296-9729

International X-Ray Brokers internationalxraybrokers.com • 508-559-9441

72

Online Resource MedWrench www.MedWrench.com •

16 June 2024 | TechNation 87

17

P P

Patient Monitors AIV aiv-inc.com • 888-587-6759

BC Group International, Inc BCGroupStore.com • 314-638-3800

Elite Biomedical Solutions elitebiomedicalsolutions.com • 855-291-6701

PM Biomedical pmbiomedical.com • 800-777-6474

Pronk Technologies, Inc. pronktech.com • 800-609-9802

Southeastern Biomedical, Inc sebiomedical.com/ • 828-396-6010

Tenacore LLC tenacore.com • 800-297-2241

USOC Medical usocmedical.com • 855-888-8762

innovatusimaging.com • 844-687-5100

63

P P

92 55

P P

82

P P

2,32,85

www.j2smedical.com • 844-342-5527

aiv-inc.com • 888-587-6759

BC Group International, Inc BCGroupStore.com • 314-638-3800

CM Parts Plus cmpartsplus.com • 877-267-2784

Elite Biomedical Solutions elitebiomedicalsolutions.com • 855-291-6701

Innovatus Imaging innovatusimaging.com • 844-687-5100

International X-Ray Brokers internationalxraybrokers.com • 508-559-9441

Multimedical Systems multimedicalsystems.com • 888-532-8056

PM Biomedical pmbiomedical.com • 800-777-6474

Tenacore LLC tenacore.com • 800-297-2241

aiv-inc.com • 888-587-6759

Diagnostic Solutions diagnostic-solutions.com • 330-296-9729

Elite Biomedical Solutions elitebiomedicalsolutions.com • 855-291-6701

tenacore.com • 800-297-2241

USOC Medical usocmedical.com • 855-888-8762

MultiMedical Systems multimedicalsystems.com • 888-532-8056

EQ2

P P

truasset.com • 214-276-1280

3

P P

AIV

TruAsset, LLC

aiv-inc.com • 888-587-6759 elitebiomedicalsolutions.com • 855-291-6701

PM Biomedical pmbiomedical.com • 800-777-6474

USOC Medical usocmedical.com • 855-888-8762

P P

17 3

75

P

39 82,85

63

P P

55

P P

82

P P

3

P P

92

P P

6

P P

2,32,85

P P

89

P P

77

P P

31

P P

Test Equipment 63

P P

92 41

P P

55 8 72 75

P

BC Group International, Inc BCGroupStore.com • 314-638-3800

Healthmark Industries hmark.com • 800-521-6224

Pronk Technologies, Inc. pronktech.com • 800-609-9802

QRS Solutions qrs-solutions.com/ • 877-254-7086

Southeastern Biomedical, Inc sebiomedical.com/ • 828-396-6010

Ultrasound AllParts Medical allpartsmedical.com • 866-507-4793

Innovatus Imaging

P P

innovatusimaging.com • 844-687-5100

17

www.mwimaging.com • 877-889-8223

82

MW Imaging Probo Medical probomedical.com • 3174947872

63

P P

76

P P

55

8 25

P P P

7

P P

X-Ray AllParts Medical allpartsmedical.com • 866-507-4793

RSTI rsti-training.com • 800-229-7784

Tri-Imaging Solutions triimaging.com • 855-401-4890

88 TechNation | June 2024

82

Telemetry

Elite Biomedical Solutions

85

82

Software

17

8

85

Short term BMET staffing

P P

Replacement Parts AIV

Tenacore LLC

eq2llc.com • 888-312-4367

Repair AIV

pmbiomedical.com • 800-777-6474

77

Rental/Leasing J2S Medical

keimedicalimaging.com • 512-477-1500

PM Biomedical

Refurbish Innovatus Imaging

KEI Medical Imaging Services

TRAINING

www.j2smedical.com • 844-342-5527

SERVICE

tenacore.com • 800-297-2241

J2S Medical

PARTS

Tenacore LLC

Company Info

AD PAGE

Oxygen Blender

TRAINING

SERVICE

PARTS

AD PAGE

Company Info

31 5 34,91

P P P P P

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

21

Healthmark Industries………………… 6

PM Biomedical………………………

A.M. Bickford…………………………… 4

HTM Jobs………………………… 50,51

Probo Medical…………………………… 7

AIV……………………………………

63

Innovatus Imaging……………………… 8

Pronk Technologies, Inc. ……… 2,32,85

ALCO Sales & Service Co.……………

45

International X-Ray Brokers…………

72

QRS Solutions…………………………

89

AllParts Medical………………………

31

J2S Medical…………………………

85

Renovo Solutions……………………

85

BC Group International, Inc…………

92

Jet Medical Electronics Inc…………

69

RSTI……………………………………… 5

Capital i………………………………

27

KEI Medical Imaging Services………

82

SalesMaker Carts……………………

69

CM Parts Plus …………………………

41

Maull Biomedical Training……………

63

Southeastern Biomedical, Inc………

77

MedWrench…………………………

16

Tenacore LLC…………………………

17

Multimedical Systems………………

75

Tri-Imaging Solutions……………… 34,91

MW Imaging…………………………

25

TruAsset, LLC……………………… 82,85

NCBA…………………………………

84

USOC Medical…………………………… 3

NVRT Labs Inc.………………………

32

Webinar Wednesday…………………

Ozark Biomedical……………………

72

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

11

Diagnostic Solutions…………………

76

ECRI Institute…………………………

42

Elite Biomedical Solutions……………

55

EQ2……………………………………

39

ROI REALIZATION THROUGH TEST EQUIPMENT AUTOMATION

82

67

vPad-IV Slide-and-click modular system

vPad-IV Infusion Device Analyzer

Start with a single channel and slowly add as your needs increase. Conduct up to six preventative maintenance inspections on different devices at the same time.

Expandable system can be arbitrarily configured as 1 to 6 channels

Completely independent channels enable differing tests and inspections to be executed simultaneously.

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www.QRS-Solutions.com

JUNE 14-17, 2024 | PHOENIX, AZ

COME MEET US!

ISO 17025:2017 CALIBRATIONS CERTIFIED TO ISO 9001:2015 ANSI/NCSL Z540-1

June 2024 | TechNation 89

BREAKROOM

SHOW US

YOUR SH P The Show Us Your Shop feature is where TechNation will share submitted photos of your biomed/HTM shops. Clean? Messy? We want to see them ALL! Simply post your photo on social media and use the hashtag #ShowUsYourShop.

A member of the TechNation team will contact you for approval.

Photo by Maria Denson

Photo by Dr. Jeffrey Smoot, MBA, BIT

Photo by Chace Torres, CBET, CHTM

Had an amazing experience talking to high school students about our industry at the Career Day event organized by Byron Webster and CMIA Orange County Chapter.

Cohort 12 has just started (2nd week) for the BMET program at MiraCosta College Community Education & Workforce Development. I explained Electrical Safety and let the students perform one. Seeing students engage is always exciting.

Needless to say PM Inspections will not be occurring in that room today.

90 TechNation | June 2024

We have the key to your success.

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