TechNation Magazine November 2021 by MD Publishing

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ADVANCING THE BIOMEDICAL / HTM PROFESSIONAL

NOVEMBER 2021

12 Professional of the Month

Angela Bennett

14 Department of the Month

The Doctors Hospital of Laredo HTM Department

40 Roundtable Address Service Requested MD Publishing 1015 Tyrone Rd., Ste. 120 Tyrone, GA 30290

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Vol. 12

Asset Tracking

59 The Future

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CONTENTS

FEATURED

HE ROUNDTABLE: T ASSET TRACKING (RTLS, RFID, ETC.) TechNation reached out to several companies to find out the latest about asset tracking technology and devices.

THE NEXT HTM GENERATION – PROMISING TALENT ACROSS THE FIELD A look at the next generation of professionals with the skills and initiative to advance HTM into a high-tech future. ext month’s Feature article: N Biomed Wish List

Next month’s Roundtable article: Test Equipment

TechNation (Vol. 12, Issue #11) November 2021 is published monthly by MD Publishing, 1015 Tyrone Rd., Ste. 120, Tyrone, GA 30290. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to TechNation at 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. ©2021

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

NOVEMBER 2021

TECHNATION

CONTENTS

PUBLISHER

John M. Krieg

VICE PRESIDENT

Kristin Leavoy

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Jayme McKelvey Megan Cabot

ART DEPARTMENT Jonathan Riley Karlee Gower Taylor Powers EDITORIAL

John Wallace Erin Register

CONTRIBUTORS

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

DIGITAL SERVICES

Cindy Galindo Kennedy Krieg

EVENTS

Kristin Leavoy

WEBINARS

Jennifer Godwin

HTMJOBS.COM

Kristen Register Sydney Krieg

ACCOUNTING

Diane Costea

EDITORIAL BOARD

Jim Fedele, CBET, Senior Director of Clinical Engineering, UPMC Carol Davis-Smith, CCE, FACCE, AAMIF, Owner/ President of Carol Davis-Smith & Associates, LLC David Francoeur, CBET, CHTM, Senior Vice President Marketing and Sales, Tech Know Associates - TKA Jennifer DeFrancesco, DHA, MS, CHTM, System Director, Clinical Engineering, Crothall Healthcare Rob Bundick, Director HTM & Biomedical Engineering, ProHealth Care

INSIDE Departments P.12 SPOTLIGHT p.12 Professional of the Month: Angela Bennett p.14 Department of the Month: The Doctors Hospital of Laredo HTM Department p.18 Shifting Gears: Fashion-Forward Biomed P.21 INDUSTRY UPDATES p.21 News and Notes: Updates from the HTM Industry p.26 AAMI Update p.28 ECRI Update p.30 Ribbon Cutting: InfuSystem P.33 p.33 p.34 p.36 p.39

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

P.50 EXPERT ADVICE p.50 Career Center p.52 Radiation Oncology Equipment Options, sponsored by Avante Health Solutions p.54 Cybersecurity p.56 20/20 Imaging Insights, sponsored by Innovatus Imaging p.59 The Future p.60 Digital Asset Risk Management, sponsored by First Health Advisory P.64 BREAKROOM p.64 Did You Know? p.66 The Vault p.70 MedWrench Bulletin Board p.74 HTM Mixer Scrapbook p.86 HTM Strong p.81 Service Index p.85 Alphabetical Index Like us on Facebook, www.facebook.com/TechNationMag

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

TECHNATION

NOVEMBER 2021

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SPOTLIGHT

PROFESSIONAL OF THE MONTH: ANGELA BENNETT Young Professional to General Manager BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

very year, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) chooses a “Young Professional of the Year” to be recognized with an award.

AAMI says that the award is “presented annually to a professional under the age of 35 who exhibits exemplary professional accomplishments and a commitment to the health care profession.” The award comes with a $1,000 check and plaque, which has normally been presented at the organization’s annual conference. The 2020 Young Professional award winner was Angela Bennett, a senior area general manager/site director with Sodexo in West Virginia. Bennett was with Trimedx at the time she won the award. Bennett started her health care career on the clinician side. She received her training in the military. “I was working at a hospital as a patient care technician (PCT). I was working alongside frontline nurses and taking care of our community’s loved ones. I was working on my degree to be an RN, so to start out as a PCT, was beneficial to me because I learned so much about the health care system, and the nurses I worked with, were willing to teach me everything they knew,” 12

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NOVEMBER 2021

Bennett says. She says that she quickly realized that nursing school was expensive. “I had been told that the military was hiring, and all they needed was for me to make a life sacrifice and for me to sign on the dotted line, and they would help me with my nursing school education cost. I was honored to be able to serve on a larger scale. I had my heart set on being a 68C (Army Practical Nursing Specialist), as it was close to nursing, and I felt I would get good experience so that when I got out of the Army, I would be ahead of the game,” Bennett says. She says that despite this, the powers that be thought the nursing path was not for her and let her know that 68C was not an option at the time, so she said “anything in the medical field will do.” “The recruiter said, ‘How about a biomedical equipment technician (68A)?’ I didn’t know what that was or what it entailed. All I knew was the training was close to home in Texas, and was 11-months long, so I said ‘OK, I’m in!’ From there, my HTM journey and career began. I began my career in the HTM field with no knowledge of what it was or what I was going to be doing. All I knew is that it felt right. Little did I know I would fall in love with it and never look back,” Bennett says.

She then went through the Medical Education and Training Campus (METC) 68A program at Fort Sam Houston. Later, she enrolled in the Thomas Edison State University Bachelor of Science in Applied Science Technology in Biomedical Technology program. Bennett started her career as a BMET 1 with Trimedx in Kalamazoo, Michigan. “I was with Trimedx for a little over five years, and when I left, I was a senior site manager/site director at the hospital I started out as a BMET I. I worked my way through BMET II, lead technician and supervisor before landing my dream job as a manager/director. In May 2021, I made the decision to change companies and I am currently the senior area general manager/site director with Sodexo in West Virginia,” she says. DO WHAT YOU LOVE AND IT’S NOT WORK In addition to managing the day-to-day responsibilities of her area, Bennett has enjoyed being involved in special projects. “Projects are my favorite. I love to be engaged and help out when I can. It’s even better when I can be part of the planning stages and have a say in how things are installed or give feedback on what will work and not work in a space. I love watching it all unfold, and then WWW.1TECHNATION.COM

SPOTLIGHT

FAVORITE BOOK: Anything by Harlan Coben

FAVORITE MOVIE: “Harry Potter” Series

FAVORITE FOOD: Cereal

HIDDEN TALENT: I really don’t have any. I’m just a boring young leader who likes to do old soul things like crochet and quilt on the weekends.

WHAT’S ON MY BENCH? • • • •

• •

Coffee Note pad for my important to remember things and my to-do list Ear buds My candy jar (it’s an old soul thing. And yes, its either butterscotch candys, mints, or those strawberry bon-bon candys that are hard on the outside and chewy on the inside and wrapped in a strawberry looking wrapper) My “A Christmas Story” leg lamp that my previous team got me for Christmas because it made them think about me. And of course, my awards and military challenge coins, that I have been honored with and humbled by throughout my career.

FAVORITE PART OF BEING A BIOMED? “The always-changing field. Nothing stays the same. Every day is different. You never know what the next day will bring and it could be a day where you can catch up on stuff or it could be round-two of the Covid virus and you’re trying to figure out how to turn a 950-bed hospital into a 1,050-bed hospital. So, it’s always challenging; but good challenging.”

the final product being revealed is so rewarding,” she says. Bennett says that all the hard work, planning and time that goes into a project pays off when you get to admire something you were a part of achieving. “I have been part of a patient monitoring upgrade project, patient monitoring replacement project, a new OR addition to the hospital, bed replacement project, cancer center addition project, numerous clinic acquisitions and an IV pump replacement project,” she says. She says her military service gave her the ability to take a large project and break it down into manageable tasks. “After the first successful project, I was the point of contact for the rest of the projects I was a part of and became an asset to the project managers and the project,” Bennett says. Away from work, Bennett keeps busy

making, or remaking, things. “I love to renovate and remodel. Every house we have lived in, I’ve changed something or remodeled something. It allows my creative side to come out and I can learn new trades. So far, my favorite part is demo day. I also quilt and crochet. Like old lady style, in my rocking chair recliner with my hot tea on the side table and glasses down on the tip of my nose, quilting and crocheting,” she says. “I have a loving and very supportive husband and we have been blissfully married for six years. We have a very smart, almost too smart for his own good, three-year old little boy,” Bennett adds. She says that the best thing to know about her is that she loves what she does. She embraces the old Mark Twain adage about doing what you love and not having to work a day in your life,

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

and that idea really stuck with her after she heard a high school English teacher say it. “The next thing I have learned from my life experience; show appreciation and recognize those who have helped you and who have bent down to help you up. You never know how little effort it takes to be kind and show appreciation for those around you. I sincerely and wholeheartedly love what I do and I have compassion for it. And it shows in my day-to-day interactions with my team, my peers and my leaders,” Bennett says. Bennett can employ those life lessons in future achievements as well. Nominate a professional at 1TechNation.com/nominations.

NOVEMBER 2021

TECHNATION

SPOTLIGHT

DEPARTMENT OF THE MONTH The Doctors Hospital of Laredo HTM Department BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

aredo is a city in southern Texas that sits on the border with Mexico and is on the north back of the Rio Grande River. It is home to the U.S.’s largest inland ports of entry between the two countries. As a result, the city of Laredo has a blend of the two cultures.

The term “the streets of Laredo” has been found in everything from a cowboy ballad to a TV miniseries. It has brought the name of the city to a much bigger audience and conferred upon it thoughts of the cowboy days. The city’s health care needs are handled by Doctors Hospital of Laredo, a 181-bed acute care facility that offers a range of medical services. The hospital includes cancer care resources, comprehensive women’s services and a heart and vascular center. The hospital invested $2.7 million to expand its advanced cardiac surgical suite. Medical equipment at the facility is managed by the six-member healthcare technology management (HTM) department. The department consists of HTM Director Tito Rodriguez; MSET III Ruben 14

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Reyes; MSET III Jorge Perez, CBET; MSET II Isai Ledezma, CBET; MSET I Jose Daniel Carrillo, CBET; and MSET Leonel Hernandez II, R.T.(R) ARRT, HM L08A, CBET candidate. In addition to handling the medical equipment needs at the main hospital, the HTM team supports many other facilities, including the 101-bed Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center in Eagle Pass, Texas, along with clinics such as the Nueva Vida Maternity Clinic, North Laredo Diagnostic and Therapy Center, the Providence Health Center, Calton Road MRI, the South Laredo Diagnostic Center and the Doctors Hospital Emergency Room South and the Doctors Hospital Emergency Room Saunders. The department’s coverage also extends to the Doctors Hospital Cancer Treatment Center, the Doctors Hospital Medical Office Building and the Doctors Hospital Mobile Clinic. DEALING WITH CHALLENGES The biomed team has had some real challenges; both from a cybersecurity perspective and, in July of 2021, had to deal with a citywide water boil (two weeks), which presented a challenge for

dialysis services which Ledezma directly monitored and assisted with. “He ensured that the dialysis units functioned accordingly by monitoring the chlorine and total dissolved solids (TDS) levels daily,” Rodriguez says. Rodriguez says that if the levels were too high, he would change the carbon block filter if needed. This would ensure that the dialysis machines were functioning properly with reverse osmosis (RO) water. The team also dealt with a ransomware cyberattack in 2020 that affected all UHS affiliated clinics. “The HTM department worked in conjunction with IT to recover and restore medical information. The process took about two weeks of 14- to 16-hour days and consisted of re-imaging every single computer and medical network device at each UHS facility and bringing in outside services to re-image servers,” Rodriguez says. “Oversee the scheduling, corrective maintenance and reports for all diagnostic imaging equipment, PM inspections and physicist evaluations,” he adds. The team transitioned from outsourced biomed services to in-house biomed services in October of 2016. They also conWWW.1TECHNATION.COM

SPOTLIGHT

The Doctors Hospital of Laredo HTM Department maintains medical equipment at several facilities

Tito Rodriguez HTM Director

tributed to the set-up of ER South (August 2015) and ER Saunders (November 2019). Rodriguez says that the team also supplied and integrated medical equipment into two new ER facilities. “Mobilized all the equipment. Connected, installed, tested, validated Cerner, BDMI, Alaris, monitoring system connected, updating inventory, set up lab equipment with vendors, set up radiology equipment with vendors (scheduled/ recorded physicist evaluations, etcetera),” he says. The team contributed to the re-modeling of Providence Health Center by expanding surgical services to this facility. The department also assisted with moving, connecting, installing, testing and validating all systems as well as updating inventory. “This resulted in expanding surgical workload and abilities to handle the Laredo market growth the last 2 years and meet community demand,” Rodriguez says. Another project was the da Vinci robot setup and installation of da Vinci Robotic Surgical System Si. “The unit was moved from a sister facility and Isai Ledezma assisted surgery directly by collaborating and planning with central processing in regard to how the detachable surgical arms would be sterilized. He also ensured we collected all prior PM reports and unit paperwork to reflect accurately in our AIMS system. His contributions resulted in ensuring the robot was safe for use prior to proceeding with providing the first robotic surgeries to the community,” Rodriguez says.

The team also works to ensure COVID-19 ventilator uptime. “Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic, Jorge Perez was the task leading force in maintaining and troubleshooting ventilators for Doctors Hospital of Laredo. As soon as a ventilator was down, he was able to troubleshoot and send it back to the floor, minimizing downtime for our respiratory technicians taking care of our community. Doing this was a challenge as sometimes we had to work with what was available in the facility due to a national shortage and back-ordered parts for most of our ventilators. Mr. Perez coordinated with multiple rental vendors and ensured the respiratory department had units at the ready to service the needs of the community,” Rodriguez says. He says that Ruben Reyes has been a great asset to the Fort Duncan Regional Medical Center facility. “Not only has he been taking care of general biomedical/X-ray repairs, but he also attends to the facility’s administrational meetings every day. Since COVID-19 started, he tackled all of the usual tasks as far as ventilator repairs/rental equipment for keeping up with the respiratory technician’s workload. With the assistance of DHL co-workers he has been able to upkeep the balance for all the workload in the department and requests from directors/staff,” Rodriguez says. This small team who walks the streets of Laredo would make any cowboy proud. They keep all the equipment running in this border town and back-up the clinicians and patients who rely on them.

Team members also oversee the scheduling, corrective maintenance and reports for all diagnostic imaging equipment, PM inspections and physicist evaluations. “Leonel Hernandez II and Jose Daniel Carrillo directly oversee the physicist evaluations and PM inspections with Philips, Canon, Hologic and BC Technical for all diagnostic imaging equipment are scheduled by coordinating with radiology, cath lab, and affiliated clinics directors and supervisors,” Rodriguez says. He says that they maintain all PM reports, physicist evaluation reports and all service reports concerning physicist discrepancies and/or recommendations. In addition, he works closely with field service engineers during repairs and ensures FDA forms are recorded for major component changes and new evaluations are scheduled to re-assess unit safety for patient use. The department oversees the corrective maintenance and repair of all ultrasound probes and surgical/endoscopy Stryker and Olympus flexible/rigid scopes and camera heads. Carrillo directly oversees all probes, flexible scopes, rigid scopes and camera heads by coordinating with surgery and radiology directors and supervisors for equipment repair services/sending out equipment. His contributions and coordinating results in minimal down time and patient exams are completed/ conducted with functioning and safe equipment. Throughout the COVID-19 pandemic the department is able to maintain its inventory to be stocked. Items are readily available by providing fast service as soon as one of the units is down and in need of service.

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Nominate a department at 1TechNation.com/nominations. NOVEMBER 2021

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SHIFTING GEARS

A Look at HTM Professionals Away From Work Fashion-Forward Biomed BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

“

In the future, everyone will be world-famous for 15 minutes” is the 1960s quote often attributed to artist Andy Warhol. Although Warhol is not the one who originated it, nobody from that era could have imagined the power that social media and the Internet would lend to that concept.

The Internet and social media have allowed the thoughts, images and videos of any contributor or content creator to reach an audience not dreamed of during the 1960s. Whether pranks, opinions, useful information or pop culture, the many platforms on the Internet have produced “influencers” and social media icons over the past decade. Fashion has always been a big part of pop culture and the Nehru shirts and double-breasted jackets of the 1960s gave way to the elephant bottoms and platform shoes of the 1970s. All of that popular fashion set the stage for the “streetwear” of today. While often pricier than its predecessors, today’s streetwear still sends a fashion statement that the wearer is hip and focused on cutting-edge fashion. Whether inspired by social media influencers, famous rap or hip-hop artists or professional athletes, the streetwear of today is most often casual, comfortable and unique. One social media platform that has put the focus on streetwear in an ingenious way is the Instagram page “Outfitgrid.” The page was started in December of 2012 by Dennis Todisco and has since garnered more than 778,000 followers. Todisco picks one “winner” each day at 8 p.m. ET from a large number of “grids” that have

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been tagged on Instagram with the “Outfitgrid” tag. The entries come from people of all walks of life. The daily contest is a testament to the popularity of streetwear and the many brands that are sought-after by devotees. One biomed from the Atlanta area has won the daily contest not once; but three times. Trevor Lloyd was featured in a Wall Street Journal article in August of 2021 about the Outfitgrid Instagram page. At the time the story was written, Lloyd had already had his first win. Fashion has been a part of Lloyd’s lifestyle for several years. “I think growing up, it was a big part of how I made friends. We usually associate clothes as a uniform of who we like to be or what interests us. You can tell a lot about a person by what they are wearing, and I think that putting time and effort into what I wear reflects my interests, hobbies or what I represent without saying a word,” he says. Lloyd says that because of that, he really doesn’t see fashion as a hobby as much as a form of identification because over time our interests, preferences and lifestyles change. “I think that is reflected in what we wear. I think streetwear blends comfort and style well so that’s what I try to emulate in what I wear,” he says. These days, Lloyd is into brands like HiddenNY, Eric Emanuel, Stussy and Kith as well as smaller designer brands like WhoJungWoo, Warren Lotas, musebypablo, 5amrosa, bravest studios and Omar. Like many fashion-focused Instagram users, Lloyd landed on the Outfitgrid page. “I can’t exactly remember when I first followed; I know it has been at least

Trevor Lloyd is a BMET II at GE Healthcare in Atlanta, GA since 2015 when I can start remembering the posts were interesting. I’ve followed the creator of the page, Dennis Todisco, for probably longer, and he did outfitgrids on his own page, so I imagine it was from there that I stumbled upon the page. Although I’ve been following for years, I never posted my outfits up until this past July and usually post every weekend because that’s when I typically break from wearing a work uniform when I’m out during the day,” Lloyd says. RECOGNITION FOR HIS STREET WEAR After Lloyd realized his first win on the page, the concept caught the attention of the Wall Street Journal, and Lloyd heard from a writer interested in his experience. “It was interesting to be asked to talk to WSJ and try to represent that community of people who are into the Outfitgrid page. I did feel, though, there are people that are more important than myself to talk to because I had just started posting, and I know people on there who have posted for years and won

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SPOTLIGHT

Trevor Lloyd is among a growing number of people who participate in the #outfitgrid trend.

When he’s not in his uniform, Trevor Lloyd can be seen wearing popular streetwear.

way more times who probably deserved the platform,” Lloyd says. He says that he did get good feedback after the story ran, which felt good. “I just think I won at the right time that the writer of the article saw my post at the same time I won, and it was a timing thing,” Lloyd adds. While his official “uniform” during the workday may be different than street wear, that has been a constant since becoming a biomed. Lloyd’s biomed training came compliments of the military. “Enlisted out of Tampa, Florida in September 2013 and went to biomed training at the Army Medical Center and School in San Antonio, Texas for a year to receive the biomed certification. From there, I spent time on duty in Ogden, Utah; Seoul, South Korea and finally Fort Stewart in Savannah, Georgia up until I left the service,” Lloyd says.

He says that he never had any previous experience in electronics or medical devices and went in and found the job interesting. “I had to place well in the ASVAB test to qualify for it and had to enlist for a six-year contract to get it because the Army has a hard time retaining people in the field because they want to work in the civilian sector and never re-enlist. It all paid off though because in my time in service, I learned a lot and gained enough experience that my transition to being a civilian biomed has been seamless and a smooth transition so much that I went from my last day of service on a Friday to starting my current job that next Monday,” Lloyd says. He says that it is a lot slower paced on the civilian side and he does miss the traveling, but does enjoy the focus strictly on BMET work, unlike the Army, where you may be a BMET but you can also be tasked with many other things that take up your time at work.

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What advice does Lloyd have for the fashion-conscious who are just getting into the streetwear scene? “Look for what you like and think of what you want to say in your outfit. In the military, our uniforms can tell so many things about us; your name, branch of service, rank, unit, achievements, deployments, awards and so many other things; all can be told without saying a word,” he says. “I like to do that in what I’m wearing. Maybe not to that big of a scale, but I try to speak with what I wear, if that makes sense the same way my old Army uniform did for me, so that when you see me, you see something that tells you about me,” Lloyd adds. In addition to a personal Instagram page that Lloyd maintains, this page that features his own outfitgrids can be found at: @tza.patillas

NOVEMBER 2021

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NEWS & NOTES Updates from the HTM Industry HTM MIXER KANSAS CITY EXCEEDS EXPECTATIONS MD Publishing, the parent company behind TechNation magazine and MD Expo, continues to deliver successful events to the HTM world amid the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. Building on its 2020 HTM Mixers, the company ventured into unchartered territory with the first ever HTM Mixer Kansas City in September 2021. The event was a great success. It exceeded expectations. The event attracted more than 200 HTM professionals. The Gateway Biomedical Society, HTMA-MidWest and Heartland Biomedical Association proudly supported the event that included an exhibit hall, educational sessions and networking opportunities. An HTM Mixer is much like MD Publishing’s signature event – MD Expo. The main difference is that the HTM Mixer is smaller to provide a safe and clean environment for like-minded professionals to engage in continuing education and networking. MD Publishing President John Krieg described the Kansas City event as “a great HTM Mixer.” MD Publishing Vice President Kristin Leavoy said it was “a great event from start to finish,” including the outstanding Block Party at Adepto Medical’s headquarters. “This is amazing! Thank you Adepto Medical and Pioneer Biomedical Inc. for throwing this awesome block party during the KC #HTMMixer,” MD Publishing’s Jayme McKelvey posted on LinkedIn. Leavoy added that the mixer seemed to tap a market eager to network and connect with peers with many new faces not seen at previous mixers or MD Expos. These new quality attendees provided “incredible value” to exhibitors looking to connect with HTM thought leaders and decision makers. The future of HTM was also represented. Many students

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took advantage of free registration to learn more about this great career and network with company representatives and potential future coworkers. Danielle McGeary, vice president of healthcare technology management at AAMI, shared some of her thoughts about the HTM Mixer on LinkedIn. “Thank you to the Healthcare Technology Management Association-MidWest for inviting me to present AAMI’s ‘HTM in a Box’ to students from the Olathe Advanced Technical Center (part of Olathe North Sr High School) at MD Publishing’s #HTMMixer in Kansas City today. A special shout-out to Tim Cordes for coordinating the student visit and for his relentless passion for creating a strong pipeline of future BMETs and #HTM professionals. It was an absolute pleasure to co-present the session with him. #IamHTM” Sponsors Cylera, Pioneer Biomedical, Adepto Medical, Ordr, Nuvolo, Phoenix Data Systems and Accruent helped make registration free for hospital employees, active members of the military and students. • For more information about recorded educational sessions and upcoming HTM Mixers, visit HTMmixer.com.

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PERLIN NAMED PRESIDENT OF THE JOINT COMMISSION The Board of Commissioners of The Joint Commission recently announced the appointment of Dr. Jonathan B. Perlin to lead The Joint Commission as its next president and CEO. The appointment is effective March 1, 2022. Widely known for his leadership in health care quality and information technology, Perlin is currently president, clinical operations and chief medical officer of Nashville, Tennessee-based HCA Healthcare, one of the nation’s leading providers of health care services. At HCA, Perlin leads a large team of clinicians and data scientists in setting clinical and professional policy, implementing clinical data tools, and improving care outcomes. His team was the 2019 recipient of the John Eisenberg Award for National Innovation for enhancing sepsis detection and survival. “Dr. Perlin is a leader in quality and patient safety as demonstrated in his distinguished career,” said Michael Suk, MD, JD, MPH, MBA, FACS, chairman of The Joint Commission Search Committee. “He is well positioned to lead The Joint Commission into the future with intelligence and vision as the organization continues its mission to continuously improve the safety and quality of care provided to the public.” “I am very pleased with the appointment of Jonathan B. Perlin to lead The Joint Commission going forward,” said Mark R. Chassin, MD, FACP, MPP, MPH, current president and CEO, The Joint Commission. “Jonathan is a nationally recognized leader and expert in quality improvement. I know that he will continue to transform The Joint Commission’s critical work to improve patient safety and quality of care in health care organizations across the country and around the world.” “I am honored to have the opportunity to work with members of The Joint Commission community, including many government colleagues, and health services partners domestically and abroad in driving higher performance, more equitable and higher value healthcare,” said Perlin. •

SOMA TECH INTL AMONG INC. 5000 Soma Tech Intl, a leading supplier of new and refurbished capital medical equipment, has been named one of the fastest-growing private companies in the nation by Inc. magazine and one of 42 throughout the state of Connecticut. Released in August 2021, Soma is ranked 163 in the annual Inc. 5000 list. A blog post on the SOMA website explains more about the company. “In 1992, Soma was founded by two young entrepreneurs that identified the markets need for high-quality medical equipment at affordable prices and supplied by a local company,” the blog post states. Soma Tech Intl relocated its headquarter to a brand new facility in Bloomfield, Connecticut in 2008, where it houses a large inventory of medical equipment. Companies on the 2021 Inc. 5000 are ranked according to percentage revenue growth from 2017 to 2020. To qualify, companies must have been founded and generating revenue by March 31, 2017. They must be U.S.-based, privately held, for-profit, and independent – not subsidiaries or divisions of other companies – as of December 31, 2020. (Since then, some on the list may have gone public or been acquired.) The minimum revenue required for 2017 is $100,000; the minimum for 2020 is $2 million. Soma Tech Intl’s main mission is to provide high-quality new and refurbished medical equipment to health care facilities worldwide at affordable costs. By maintaining one of the largest medical equipment inventories, Soma Tech Intl provides a one-stop-shop platform where customers can compare and contrast among major models and manufacturers. • For more information, visit somatechnology.com.

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF VETERAN AFFAIRS ISSUES AWARD NOTICE The VHA Office of Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) and the Strategic Acquisition Center-Frederick (SAC-F) have collaborated to put in place a five year multiple-award indefinite-delivery indefinite-quantity (IDIQ) contract to provide technical and professional support to biomedical engineering departments at Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) medical centers, outpatient clinics, VISN offices and the HTM Program Office to accomplish corrective and planned maintenance, professional biomedical engineering services and project management work of VHA, including the VHA Office of Healthcare Technology Manage-

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ment (HTM) and its customers, to best accomplish VHA’s mission, strategic goals, healthcare priorities and initiatives. On September 16, 2021, following evaluations of proposals submitted in response to the National Biomedical Contractor Support Services (36C10X21R0036), the Government awarded four (4) contracts (each effective September 20, 2021), with a collective ceiling of $200 million, and a period of performance of a 5-years to the following firms: AgileRank LLC, DeltaStrac LLC, Blue Water Thinking LLC and Enabled Advisors LLC. •

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REPORT: VIZZIA AMONG TOP 100 HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY COMPANIES The Healthcare Technology Report has announced “The Top 100 Healthcare Technology Companies of 2021.” This year’s awardees comprise a broad range of companies from well-known names like Johnson & Johnson, 3M Health Care and Illumina to relatively newer but rapidly growing enterprises such as GRAIL, Capsule and DNA Script. The diverse range of sophisticated products and services offered through these companies – from digital pharmacies to holistic patient care and AI-powered robotics to digital health care payments – have not only led to the modernization of the health care sector but also to a brighter future where health care is democratized for all. Advancements in health care, whether through data and communications, research and clinical trials, or consumer offerings, have also helped to create an environment where more promising care alternatives are possible. The pioneering companies selected for this year’s list have one thing in common: they are revolutionizing the way we live, and the way we navigate one of the most important factors for all of us: our health. The following

awardees were nominated and selected based on a thorough evaluation process. Among the key criteria considered were product or service quality, customer adoption, management team caliber, organizational effectiveness and company growth among other factors. Some of the Top 100 Healthcare Technology Companies of 2021 are Johnson & Johnson, Integra LifeSciences, SOC Telemed, Danaher Corporation, Fresenius Medical Care, NextGen Healthcare, Castle Biosciences, Inc., Boston Scientific, Vocera, Poseida Therapeutics, Inc., PPD, GRAIL, Bardy Diagnostics Inc., 3M Health Care, Cedar, RapidAi, HillRom, PartsSource, ImagineSoftware, Immunex, Ardelyx, DNA Script, Syneos Health, IBH Integrated Behavioral Health, Pulse Biosciences, Alltech, BioDelivery Sciences International Inc, Qventus, Biocon Biologics, PaxeraHealth, b.well Connected Health, AKASA, Phathom Pharmaceuticals, Promaxo, XACT Robotics, Kinnos, Vizzia Technologies, Neopharma Technologies, neuro42 and many others. •

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ARIZONA COLLEGE LAUNCHES BIOMEDICAL EQUIPMENT TECHNOLOGY CERTIFICATE PROGRAM Mesa Community College, in collaboration with Banner Health, has established a certificate of completion (CCL) in biomedical equipment technology, the only program of its kind in Arizona. The MCC Biomedical Equipment Technology program introduces students to the technical knowledge and skills needed for entry-level positions such as troubleshooting, repairing and maintaining biomedical equipment used by hospitals, clinics, home health care providers, medical device manufacturers and repair companies. Coursework includes the study of electronics, networking, information security, human anatomy and physiology; and regulatory and health care delivery systems. According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, jobs for medical equipment repairers will grow 19.1% over the next decade. “The MCC Biomedical Equipment Technology program helps meet increasing workforce needs in local Arizona hospitals,” said Michael Voss, dean of instruction, career and

technical education. “This is a wonderful opportunity for students to kickstart a career in the medical field while making a living wage.” Students who complete the training will learn how to apply basic engineering principles and technical skills in support of engineers who are engaged in developing biological or medical systems and products. “Banner is excited to be partnering with Mesa Community College for this first-of-its-kind program to help Arizona residents develop biomedical technical knowledge and skills that are in such high demand now. By taking classes and getting involved in internships, students can grow into having well-paid positions that can help make a difference in peoples’ lives,’’ said Perry Kirwan, vice president of Technology Management/ENTECH at Banner Health. For more information, visit mesacc.edu/programs/map/biomedical-equipment-technology-ccl.

ASIMILY, MEDIMIZER ADDRESS CYBERSECURITY NEEDS MediMizer has announced the availability of its integration with Asimily Insight for cybersecurity. The joint solution automates the discovery of connected inventory and the challenging process of creating and maintaining a single, trusted medical device inventory. The integrated solutions provide the ability to identify and classify a connected medical device on the network along with new and modern capabilities to prioritize at-risk devices and, within it, the most critical vulnerabilities. Asimily provides passive monitoring for real-time threat detection and actionable intelligence for healthcare technology management (HTM) and security operations teams to work together for rapid remediation of known vulnerabilities and threats. The bi-directional integration enriches Asimily’s machine learning capabilities using rich contextual medical device data. MediMizer benefits from real-time security incident information to drive the cybersecurity remediation workflows. “Our customers can rely on Asimily’s capabilities to deliver critical cybersecurity capabilities to identify, evaluate, prioritize and mitigate vulnerabilities and protect connected devices and other important operational insights into their critical infrastructure. Our mission is to keep the connected device fleet safe and reliably utilized to ensure better patient outcomes,” said Consti Fernandes, vice president of engineering at Asimily. “Our integration with MediMizer allows

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customers to turn insight from the platform into action by enabling the health care system to instantly react to and remediate security threats targeting their connected device fleet.” The threat of cyberattacks against medical and IoT devices is massive and exponentially increasing risk for health care systems. Gartner estimates that the number of medical devices that will need to be “hardened” by health care systems will increase 45% by 2020. In the absence of a solution like this, health care systems will need to cobble together a patchwork of tools and manual processes comprising multiple and disparate systems-of-record, naming convention mismatches that will introduce friction and risk to their ability to effectively combat cyber threats. “We believe cybersecurity is a key part of any medical device management plan. The key to risk management is having the right solutions that address all facets of the problem,” said Mark Woodruff, CTO MediMizer. “Our integration with Asimily provides cybersecurity capabilities that deliver on the promise of keeping connected devices safe and reliable, protect patients and allow HTM departments the tools to shield the health care system from the liabilities and exposures resulting from cybersecurity exploits.” • For more information, visit www.asimily.com.

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AAMI UPDATE BMET Apprenticeship Program Earns Valuable College and Industry Support

U.S. national BMET Apprenticeship Program recently launched by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) has gained valuable new support through the College of Biomedical Equipment Technology and Fluke Biomedical. The backbone of hospitals and even laboratories, BMETs routinely service the medical devices that are needed to monitor patient health or record important data. Unfortunately, AAMI estimates that nearly half of the current healthcare technology management (HTM) workforce is over the age of 50. As more BMETs retire and the number of college programs to train new HTM professionals dwindles, health care systems will find it increasingly difficult to fill these crucial positions.

Thats why AAMI’s BMET Apprenticeship Program, recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor, guides employer partners in training the next generation of HTM professionals. The program combines traditional education with up to 6,000 hours of on-the-job learning. Prospective BMETs are matched with

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program partners in their area, who provide them with training and paid work experience, and cover expenses for the requisite educational courses. Now, the cost of supporting an apprentice may prove lower than employers expect! DISCOUNTED ACCESS TO EXCLUSIVE COLLEGE COURSES The College of Biomedical Equipment Technology is an online college that offers biomedical equipment technician (BMET) and healthcare technology management (HTM) training at the certificate and associate degree levels. The college is offering all participants in the Apprenticeship Program access to A&P and mathematics courses at a 20% discount for organizations taking on AAMI BMET apprentices. “Typically, only students enrolled in their degree program can take those classes, but they are opening them up to any AAMI BMET apprentices,” explained Danielle McGeary, vice president of HTM at AAMI. “We view the apprenticeship program as a unique opportunity to bridge a critically important gap in education and serve a segment of the

workforce that might otherwise struggle to gain entry into an incredible career field,” said Dr. Richard L. “Monty” Gonzales, president of the college. According to McGeary, “since the College of Biomedical Equipment Technology’s courses are entirely online, its support solves three potential problems our apprenticeship program’s partners may face.” 1. Employer partners might not already have a relationship with a local community college for providing classroom learning. 2. Employers/apprentices located in rural areas of the country are sometimes hours from a physical college, making it hard for apprentices to access the necessary classes. 3. Not everyone can attend face-toface school at night after working a 40-hour week, due to other commitments. “With this new option, apprentices can do it all online at their own pace,” said McGeary, who serves on the college’s advisory board. FREE INDUSTRY TRAINING Support from Fluke Biomedical is covering another important corner of

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the BMET Apprenticeship curriculum. A manufacturer of biomedical test equipment and training software, Fluke is offering free advanced training courses to participating apprentices. The courses add up to an estimated 22 hours of free training and count towards the “Medical Equipment Training from Industry Sources” requirement in the “Related Instruction” section of the new U.S. national apprenticeship program’s curriculum. “Year one requires 30 hours of medical equipment training from industry sources, so this 22 hours of content will complete a majority of the requirement at no cost to organizations participating in the BMET Apprenticeship Program,” explained McGeary. “The content contains a lot of training around their biomed test equipment, which is perfect for the apprentices who are brand new to the field and need to learn about test equipment and electrical safety.” “AAMI wanted to provide some quality free training options as we know budgets are tight for everyone right now,” McGeary added. “We are very appreciative of Fluke’s support.” “It turns out the program was the perfect application for our immense library of educational content,” said Michael Raiche, senior portfolio manager for Fluke Biomedical. “What better way to influence the test and measurement market than to educate the next generation? It’s important that we all understand the clinical applications of medical devices, the risks if they fail, how to test them and share industry best practices.” NUVOLO SPONSORSHIP PROGRAM In addition to help from Fluke Biomedical and the College of Biomedical Equipment Technology, AAMI previously announced the support of Nuvolo. Through the Nuvolo Apprenticeship Sponsorship Program, the first seven health systems or stand-alone hospitals to enroll in AAMI’s BMET Apprenticeship Program by December 1, 2021 will be automatically eligible to receive up to $725 per apprentice for up to two apprentices. Additional program details can be found at connectedworkplace.nuvolo. com/apprenticeship-certification-program/ “Our apprenticeship program continues to grow with the support of these incredible organizations,” said McGeary. “I’m excited to see even more companies join our growing list of employer partners paving the way for the next generation of exceptional BMETs!”

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ECRI UPDATE

Four Steps for Securing an Infusion Pump Wireless Network

nfusion pumps can be critical to the treatment of patients throughout a health care facility – which is why the security of the infusion pump network demands careful attention. A single malfunctioning pump can be promptly replaced. But a security incident that impacts multiple networked pumps or that spreads to other networked systems, as in the case of a ransomware outbreak, could severely impact a health care organization’s ability to provide care.

Infusion pumps deliver medications or other fluids – sometimes life-sustaining ones – with high accuracy over a specified time interval. While pumps may be used in a stand-alone configuration, increasingly they are integrated as part of a network. “Integration offers several benefits,” notes Juuso Leinonen, a principal project engineer in ECRI’s device evaluation group. “Features like autoprogramming, automatic documentation of infusion parameters in the patient’s EHR, and remote drug library updating can improve patient safety and workflow.” These benefits, however, depend on wireless coverage that is pervasive, responsive and secure in all areas where pumps are used. Disruptions to the wireless network – whether through a security incident or some other cause – could adversely impact the delivery of care. To secure

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infusion pumps that are integrated as part of a network, ECRI recommends the four steps outlined below. 1. ESTABLISH A UNIQUE WIRELESS NETWORK In terms of number of units, infusion pumps are the most common medical device on a hospital network. To simplify implementing security controls for such a large number of devices, facilities should establish a separate Service Set Identifier (SSID), or wireless network, exclusive to infusion pumps. The pumps on that network should have similar configurations and interact with the same servers. Additionally, client isolation – the clients in this case being the infusion pumps – can be enabled on the SSID. This measure restricts infusion pumps from transmitting network traffic to each other; thus, it can prevent a compromised pump from affecting other pumps on the same subnet. 2. USE SECURITY CONTROLS TO ISOLATE AND PROTECT THE NETWORK Most network traffic involving infusion pumps should be to and from pump servers. For example, pumps receive infusion orders from the server, and the server receives status information from the pumps. The pump server may also interface with components like the EHR (to receive medication orders and send

status information), drug library software (to update medication protocols) and possibly an external server hosted by the pump vendor (to perform data analytics). Pump server access should be controlled with a role-based access control (e.g., Active Directory) that specifies authorized activities for different roles (e.g., health technology management personnel can download logs, pharmacy personnel can modify drug libraries). Physical access to the pumps themselves is not normally controlled because of the challenges such control would pose to normal clinical workflow, although passcodes or passwords may be deployed to limit unauthorized access to certain settings and to prevent tampering. Firewalls or access control lists (ACLs) should govern the traffic to and from the infusion pumps on the wireless network. Pumps should only be able to access servers necessary for their function. In most cases, that should be limited to pump servers. Pumps do not require direct access to the Internet. This practice, called network segmentation, helps reduce the impact of a cyberattack. Chad Waters, a senior cybersecurity engineer in ECRI’s device evaluation group, explains: “Segmentation helps in both directions. It limits which hosts can reach a device (and attack it). And in the event that a device is compro-

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An illustration of pump traffic flow through an enterprise wireless network. In such environments, wireless controllers provide the connection between the infusion pump wireless network (a VLAN) and the rest of the wired environment. The wireless controllers are servers that control the access points by means of a tunnel protocol (e.g., CAPWAP, GRE); the access points, in turn, communicate with the Wi-Fi clients (pumps). Traffic on a wireless VLAN may be tunneled between the controller and any access point broadcasting that associated SSID. It is at these VLAN interfaces, the common points that all traffic from pumps on a given SSID traverses, where a firewall or ACL should be placed to regulate traffic to and from the pumps and the servers necessary for their function.

mised, segmentation helps contain the attack to prevent a wider outbreak.” Additionally, network access control (NAC) systems can be used to provide more robust control over device access to the wireless pump network. Also, internet of medical things (IoMT) security solutions – systems that analyze network traffic – can aid in device inventory and discover security issues. 3. IMPLEMENT STRONG WIRELESS SECURITY SETTINGS Wireless security standards provide methods for client authentication, which is the process of proving a user’s identity, and traffic encryption, which is a process that makes data unreadable or unusable by an unauthorized party. ECRI recommends implementing the strongest wireless security standard that is compatible with infusion pump systems. For most current implementations, that will mean using the WPA2 Enterprise wireless security standard. WPA, which stands for Wi-Fi Protected Access, is a family of modern encryption and authentication protocols, with separate versions developed for Personal and for Enterprise settings. (Personal versions

of the WPA standards are not appropriate for facility-wide implementations.) The original WPA standard was depreciated – that is, retired – in 2012 and should not be implemented; it includes security vulnerabilities that could be exploited. WPA2 Enterprise is now in common use and is well supported by infusion pump manufacturers. WPA3, on the other hand, which was certified as a standard in 2018 and offers many upgraded security features, is not yet well supported. Although several common operating systems introduced support for WPA3 by the end of 2020, introducing WPA3 support into infusion pumps may take much longer. In the meantime, you may want to consider laying the groundwork for WPA3 as you wait for infusion pumps to support it; that effort might include upgrading your wireless infrastructure, including the access points and any wireless controllers (servers). 4. MAINTAIN YOUR INFUSION PUMP AND WIRELESS SYSTEMS All components of the infusion pump network need to be properly maintained to prevent security incidents. That includes not only the pumps and

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pump servers, but also the wireless system and other supporting network infrastructure, such as the wireless controllers, access points, and any security controls like firewalls or NACs. The goal is to reduce the risk of the wireless network itself becoming an entry point into the system. For pumps and pump servers, firmware updates and patches should be tested on a subset of pumps. The rest of the inventory should then be updated according to a schedule dictated by the priority of the update. It may be possible to perform low-priority updates during routine preventive maintenance, but more severe security concerns should be remediated more quickly. TO LEARN MORE . . . This article is adapted from ECRI’s Guidance Article, “Best Practices for Securing an Infusion Pump Wireless Network” (Device Evaluation 2021 May 19). The complete article is available to members of ECRI’s Capital Guide, Device Evaluation, and associated programs. To learn more about membership, visit www. ecri.org/solutions/evaluation-and-comparison, or contact ECRI by telephone at (610) 825-6000, ext. 5891, or by e-mail at clientservices@ecri.org.

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RIBBON CUTTING InfuSystem BY ERIN REGISTER

through organic investment and strategic acquisitions to proactively fill a need in the acute care biomedical device service market. With our national footprint of on-site and depot service stations, we meet the growing demand for more efficient biomedical device repairs, preventative maintenance and technical support. Our biomedical device experts reduce costs for our customers, improve equipment availability and dependability and conveniently provide online service and repair records to meet compliance standards.

nfuSystem is a leading national health care service provider, facilitating outpatient care for durable medical equipment manufacturers and health care providers through equipment rentals, pump and consumables sales, and biomedical services and repair.

InfuSystem continues to diversify by providing integrated therapy services (ITS) across oncology, pain management, lymphedema and wound therapy markets for clinic-to-home health care, where continuing treatment involves complex durable medical equipment and services. While InfuSystem has been around for over three decades, they are new to the TechNation community. TechNation learned more about InfuSystem in a recent interview. Q: WHAT SERVICES DOES INFUSYSTEM OFFER? A: InfuSystem specializes in providing cost-effective biomedical maintenance solutions for infusion pumps and other medical devices. We offer streamlined on-site and depot

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Matt Mitchell Senior Vice President of Sales

services as part of our commitment to keeping medical equipment running effectively to support the health and well-being of patients nationwide. Our expert team of biomedical experts help to reduce cost, simplify service and provide greater dependability. Q: HOW DOES INFUSYSTEM STAND OUT IN THE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT FIELD? A: InfuSystem scaled its business

Q: IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WANT OUR READERS TO KNOW? A: Our goal is to collaborate with health care facilities to provide a continuum of maintenance and repair services for their medical devices. At InfuSystem, we strive to be an extension of our customers’ existing biomedical service model. To minimize the need for additional capital equipment, we work with health care facilities to ensure their medical devices are always patient-ready. For more information, visit www.infusystem.com.

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BIOMED 101

50 Years of Change in Medical Equipment BY MIKE CHUMA

ifty years ago, I started in the field of biomed in the United States Air Force when it was called medical maintenance with about 400 people in the field. Today, there are an estimated 54,000 biomeds or healthcare technology management professionals. Wow! In 1972, we learned about vacuum tubes. Anyone remember what those are? If not, you can Google it. In the early 1970s, if I remember correctly, we started learning about transistors and then integrated circuits. It signaled quite a change back then. It was like learning a foreign language. We had to really know how to troubleshoot all types of equipment even though some of us did specialize in X-ray (as it was called) along with respiratory and some lab equipment. Over the years, we depended on factory schools for training along with the military and some colleges. At that time, degrees weren’t required. Most of the education came from on-the-job training, that’s how I learned most of what I know. I also attended factory schools.

After the serving in the military, I joined the civilian ranks with ServiceMaster in 1979. It became Aramark, I believe, in 2001. I spent a total of 29

Mike Chuma Clinical Engineering Tech III great years there going from technician to manager and management engineer. From there, I spent time with Masterplan as a district manager before going back to serve as a manager with Crest Services and Jannex. Today, I am back with an in-house program as a BMET III and enjoy it. I believe troubleshooting has changed considerably. Today, because of advances in technology, we swap circuit boards on most repairs. This makes it quicker to get the equipment back to full operation. I have seen more vocational and community colleges start biomed

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training programs which has been good for the industry. These institutions, in my mind, have a more practical approach to training, more hands-on. At facilities I managed, we took on interns and placed them with each of our techs so they could at least physically see different types of equipment in a hospital. We also had them perform some PMs and minor repairs with supervision. I can honestly say that I have had a great career through the years. I have learned through my mistakes and by knowing who to go to for advice. My recommendations for new techs are the following: • R emember that the equipment you are working on could be used on a friend or family member. • B e honest, admit mistakes. This will take you further in life. • D on’t be afraid of expressing opinions and recommendations. It’s OK to disagree even though some may not like it. • You work with professionals, dress and act like one. – Mike Chuma is a clinical engineering tech III at St. Luke’s Health System.

NOVEMBER 2021

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he recent Webinar Wednesday presentation “Painting a Complete Picture for Quality Data” was presented by Matthew Binko and sponsored by Phoenix Data Systems. It was eligible for 1 credit from the ACI.

In the webinar, Binko guided HTM and HFM professionals in their search for higher quality data using a CMMS. From initial implementations to maintaining data throughout the life cycle of a database, attendees gained insight into practical workflows that provide better and more consistent data for their department. This is accomplished by optimizing preventative maintenance schedules at the proper record level, establishing model defaults and streamlining the parts process, to name a few. Combine this with a powerful reporting generator and interfaces, managers have complete control of what kind of data goes into and out of their system. Binko welcomed questions throughout his presentation. He provided additional insights by fielding questions from several attendees. One question was, “What are some other tips you have to help with clean data or data reviews?” In his answer, Binko explained how to use import and export tools within a CMMS. He also discussed how to filter search results within the system to achieve desired results. Another question asked, “I noticed list view is missing data, is there a way I can require my techs to fill in the blank fields?”

TECHNATION

NOVEMBER 2021

Binko shared tips on how to require that specific fields be completed. The webinar had 84 attendees for the live presentation. A recording of the session is available for on-demand viewing. Attendees provided feedback via a survey that included the question, “What did you like about this session?” “Presenter seemed to understand the challenges with data and CMMS systems,” Director Biomedical Services B. Lefler said. “The amount of information that was given for the product. The facility I work in currently is looking for a new CMMS program to help with various departments,” Biomedical Equipment Technician II A. Bigcoat said. “Informative and good information,” T. Kitts, lead biomed tech, said. “It was nice to see how other CMMS software is utilized,” HTM Imaging Manager L. McCluskey said. MEDICAL DEVICE SECURITY ENGINEERING MATTERS The TechNation webinar “Medical Device Security Engineering: What It Is & Why It Matters” was sponsored by Medigate and eligible for 1 CE credit from the ACI. In this 60-minute webinar, expert Thomas Finn, director of market development at Medigate, discussed how funding for medical device security projects is exploding despite HDOs being short on appropriately experienced staff. As a result, a new resource blend is emerging. It combines the skill sets of

biomed, IT security and clinical engineering. The new role is known as “medical device security engineering.” Is its development a long-term strategy or a smart, short-term investment? Key takeaways included: • The latest advances that are driving the change and the need for this new (combined) role; • Why workflow convergence is essential to drive cost-saving efficiencies, improved risk management and safer patient care; and • The business value of the resulting operational leverage. The session also included a question-and-answer segment. One question was, “For solutions like Medigate, which functional department is usually driving the tech evaluation process and to the budget? And, who owns the budget?” “I can answer real quickly, and I would say 60 to 70% of the time, it does come out of the IT area,” Finn said. “The other 30 to 40% of the time, and at an increasing pace by the way, it comes out of clinical engineering in biomed. We’ve even seen it pulled from multiple budgets because perhaps there was some urgent reason to move more quickly to install this sort of capability. Perhaps the HDR suffered a breach, for example.” The webinar drew 195 registrations with about half that number attending the live presentation. A recording of the webinar is available for on-demand viewing. Attendees provided positive feedback in a post-webinar survey that included the

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question, “What do you like best about the Webinar Wednesday webinar series?” “Based on topics I’ve seen, the webinars cover many issues and topics relevant for today’s HTM professionals. Good opportunities to learn new ideas and solutions, and to get CMEs,” shared M. Nielson, principal consultant. “Exposure to topics, areas or equipment that I may not have any direct involvement with; but, interested in knowing more about it,” said S. Sirois, BMET III. “Great opportunity for CEUs, different perspectives on the industry, great space for keeping up with current biomed/HTM trends,” said T. Tryon, BMET 3. “The information provided was exceptional. Great presentation,” said L. Clifford, area manager. For more information, visit WebinarWednesday.live. Thank you to our sponsors:

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SHOP TALK POWERED BY

3M HEALTH CARE STERI-VAC 5XL

I have a 3M Steri-Vac 5XL machine. It is showing E8 and E6 errors. What should I do?

E6 Pressure Sensor Failure indicates a vacuum sensor failure. This is only a range check and is designed to detect a disconnected sensor. E7 Pressure With Door Open Failure indicates a range failure while the door is open (i.e., out-of range ambient pressure). E8 Sensor Conversion Error indicates that the temperature circuit is out of calibration. GETINGE 733HC

Water in drain fault. Any recommendations? At end of exhaust stage.

Check vacuum level during the drying phase. It should reach below 1 psi. If it’s above 4 psi then this alarm will come. Check water pressure, water inlet strainer, water inlet solenoid valve and, finally, the vantury system. Rarely a water level detector. In general, water in the drain following a drying phase would indicate it is backfilling into the drain. Drainline or chamber trap check valve leaking. When the unit ceases pulling a vacuum at end of drying phase, advances to air in, water is also being pulled in at the same time. That is my guess based upon the limited information available. If it’s actually happening when the machine is exhausting, that is when steam pressure is being evacuated after sterilizing, then you have something a little more complicated going on.

After changing the battery in the IV pump with a known good battery, the “warning replace battery” message continues to appear and alarm. Is there a way to reset this in a biomed menu or reset the system completely? Yes, there should be a button at the bottom of the screen that says something like “change battery” or “reset battery.” Should come up as soon as you go into Biomed Mode.

Yes, with the door open turn on the pump. After bootup, with the door still open, press the decimal point key and then the start key – sometimes you need to toggle back and forth a couple of times. You will then see a screen that has date/time, alarm log and below that you will see a reset battery. Ensure you have the unit plugged into AC power before you hit the button.

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SHOP TALK

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

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NOVEMBER 2021

TECHNATION

ROUNDTABLE

Asset Tracking (RTLS, RFID, etc.)

ealthcare technology management (HTM) professionals are among those tasked with finding medical devices for a number of reasons. One reason is the need to locate equipment to complete preventative maintenance tasks. Another reason an HTM professional might need to locate a device is to provide a replacement for an ongoing surgery. Those are just two examples.

TechNation reached out to several companies to find out the latest about asset tracking technology and devices. Participating in the roundtable article are ZulaFly CEO Stephanie Andersen, Kontakt.io Director of Healthcare Enterprise IoT Solutions Kapil Asher, Cox Prosight Director of New Growth and Development Jaiganesh Balasubramanian, Accruent Vice President of Healthcare Strategy Al Gresch, Nuvolo Vice President of Product Marketing-Healthcare Heidi Horn, Cognosos Chief Product Officer Adrian Jennings and Vizzia Technologies Chief Commercial Officer Dave Wiedman. 1. WHAT FACTORS SHOULD BIOMEDS CONSIDER TO DETERMINE WHICH TYPE OF ASSET TRACKING SYSTEM IS BEST FOR THEIR FACILITY’S NEEDS? ANDERSEN: What is the goal of the tracking system? Is the system simply to locate assets or would biomed most utilize a system that also included PAR level, asset

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burden on the IT teams. Open standards systems also offer biomeds the flexibility to choose location and environmental sensors from multiple vendors, breaking the shackles of monopolistic RTLS systems.

Jaiganesh Balasubramanian Cox Prosight utilization and rental dashboards, thus maximizing your investment and seeing the greatest return? Facilities should select an asset tracking system that has customizable dashboard views based on your role to eliminate constant clicking around to find relevant information. ASHER: There are four factors biomeds should consider while choosing an asset tracking system: total cost of ownership, ease of installation and maintenance, use case scalability and location accuracy. Modernized RTLS systems based on open standards such as Bluetooth+WiFi that leverage existing wireless infrastructure are best suited to meet all these criteria. These systems are cloud-managed, eliminating the need for physical or virtual servers and databases reducing

BALASUBRAMANIAN: The factors to be considered include: • Location accuracy: Does the system offer room-level accuracy or better to ensure staff can reliably find equipment? • Battery life: Does the tag or receiver need frequent battery replacement? With larger scale deployments constant battery replacement becomes a big maintenance challenge to the facility. • Ease of deployment: Does the system deploy easily with minimal disruption to the ongoing care? • Maintainability: Is the system easy to maintain and scale offering the ability to maintain the system without high ongoing maintenance costs? GRESCH: First is, what is the outcome I’m looking for? Most only look for “dots on a map” (i.e., can I easily locate a device with a tag on it?). That’s great for being able to find things in order to help achieve your 100% PM completion, but if your organization is willing to invest in this technology, do not think small! Keep in mind the possibility of tracking peo-

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ROUNDTABLE

ple-to-people interactions and other IoT functionality to optimize processes and workflows. HORN: As a CMMS provider that integrates with most of the major RTLS products, Nuvolo would recommend first that you choose an RTLS system that can integrate with your CMMS. This enables the HTM department to locate equipment from the CMMS rather than have to constantly flip between your CMMS and RTLS applications. This saves tremendous time locating equipment due for planned maintenance, repairs or other services while you have those work orders open. Another huge benefit to integrating with your CMMS is the ability to keep the data in both systems “clean.” For example, if your asset management system shows a device is no longer appearing in your hospital, you can update your CMMS and vice versa. Other factors to consider before investing in an asset tracking system: the HTM organization not only needs to understand how it plans to use the asset management system but should also consult with other departments about how the system can be expanded in the future. For example, in addition to asset management, will the hospital want to also track patient and staff location in the future? Contact tracing of potential infectious disease contacts with patients, staff and equipment is another growing use case for RTLS. JENNINGS: Two important considerations when selecting an asset tracking system are: • Room determination: To maximize the financial return, the clinical value and operational efficiencies the solution should be able to identify equipment in all patient rooms, procedural areas, clean and soiled equipment rooms, hallways, etc. • Ease of installation: You do not want your asset tracking project to become a large and complex IT assignment competing with other large IT priorities, adding to the cost of the total project and eating into potential ROI.

protocols that can be used by facilities management and security systems. Leveraging a robust Wi-Fi network for location detection and data backhaul, the system eliminates a maze of redundant networks purposefully built for a single use case.

Dave Wiedman Vizzia Technologies WIEDMAN: Acute care facilities with active emergency departments and surgical operations require advanced tracking technology with a high degree of reliability. This encompasses chair-level location accuracy (<3 meters) and frequent data refresh rates (1–2 seconds). Advanced RTLS networks can support multiple clinical use cases (i.e., patient workflow, automated contact tracing, hand hygiene compliance), beyond traditional asset tracking. Lower cost technology such as Wi-Fi-based Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) provides “zone level” location and may be more suitable for smaller settings like clinics or dentist offices. 2. WHAT ARE SOME OF THE NEWEST FEATURES AVAILABLE? ANDERSEN: It’s important to find a system that allows staff to create the fields with information they would like to see; their verbiage. Customizable fields, along with only displaying dashboards and information that is relevant to each role, is vital in staff adoption and short ramp up time. ASHER: Modern RTLS systems offered by Kontakt.io are packed with features that not only address traditional biomed asset tracking use cases but also offer a wholistic Internet of Things (IoT) platform that integrates various environmental sensing capabilities such as temperature, humidity, air quality, light, motion, air pressure and carbon monoxide in a single box. The data is freely available with open source integration

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BALASUBRAMANIAN: Some of the new features and technology enhancements available include: • Bluetooth Low Energy based tracking: BLE technology reduces tag and infrastructure costs by up to 30% and offering better battery life and lower maintenance costs. • Blue dot experience: Newer technologies and algorithms have enabled near real-time tracking of medical equipment. Facilities can visualize equipment moving through the system. • Smart alerts: An integrated rules driven alerting module which enables facilities to be always informed on aspects like lost equipment, battery life, PM reminders and more. • Smart ordering: An insightful analytics module which highlights most and least used equipment enabling facilities to take more intelligent decisions regarding major equipment purchases. GRESCH: Some of those that have been in this space for a while have created APIs to automate a number of things relative to the complete asset life cycle. An example is, one technology we used in the past had the ability to track current draw on a device, which provided actual utilization data. I mentioned IoT functionality. Some of these companies have sensors that can provide temperature, humidity and vibration data. If you’re someone who is intent on moving toward predictive maintenance (and you should be), these can provide early warning signs to impending failures, particularly on your big iron (CT, MRI, LINAC, etc.). HORN: The ability to integrate with some CMMS systems provides organizations with that “single source of truth” for managing medical and facility assets. This

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enables HTM, facilities and other departments to locate equipment in real time directly from the CMMS rather than having to bounce between applications. JENNINGS: Some features are: •O nDemand Asset Replenishment (ODAR): We all agree our primary medical device goal is to ensure clean equipment is available when required

Adrian Jennings Cognosos

for a patient. Real-time visibility into clean equipment rooms, with real time alerting when stock levels are low ensures efficient restocking of rooms, eliminating hours wasted trying to manually keep track of equipment levels. •A sset location powered by AI: New technology can now leverage next-gen machine learning and AI to provide precise room-level location of assets without the need for costly and invasive installations. WIEDMAN: Enhanced reporting and analytics software that provides actionable data in real time. Biomeds and the C-suite want a robust software platform that provides reliable, secure and high-performance data that helps hospitals reduce costs, streamline processes and improve patient care. Management dashboards with intuitive design and powerful built-in maps provide comprehensive visibility into a hospital’s most important assets (equipment, patients and staff).

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3. HOW CAN ASSET TRACKING SYSTEMS HELP A HEALTH CARE FACILITY SAVE MONEY? ANDERSEN: There are a number of ways that an asset tracking system can provide a hard dollar ROI: asset utilization, PAR level setup on supply closets, notifications on rental equipment when equipment is no longer in use and, most importantly, is understanding your facility spend prior to deploying an asset tracking system. This will become your benchmark to compare against moving forward. Utilizing historical reports also aid with reimbursement of equipment that was used for specific procedures. ASHER: Asset tracking systems help a health care facility save money on two major fronts. • Improvement in productivity: Although a soft, intangible return on investment, helping biomedical engineers search for medical devices for PMs in seconds improves their efficiency significantly. The time saved is utilized to stay on top of PMs, satisfy Joint Commissions mandates on 100% PM compliance and repurpose extra time to learn new skills. • Hard dollar return on investment: Asset tracking solutions provided by Kontakt.io can improve asset utilization eliminating the need to purchase buffer quantities of IV pumps or beds and wheelchairs. We are also saving hospitals hundreds of thousands of dollars in reducing rental equipment and preventing small devices from accidentally walking out the door. BALASUBRAMANIAN: Asset tracking systems can help facilities in the following ways: • Reduce search time for equipment for nursing, clinical engineering and biomedical teams. Improvements translate into the various teams focus more on care, equipment maintenance and replenishment. • Improve utilization of equipment hence reducing yearly repurchasing of equipment not needed and reduction in rental costs. • Reduce loss of equipment by alerting

Stephanie Andersen ZulaFly

when equipment leaves a building or has been left unattended. • Improve and automate various asset workflows including preventive maintenance, rental returns and replenishment. GRESCH: As the number of qualified staff continues to dwindle across all clinical and technical positions, using technology to optimize staff productivity will be imperative. Think about the time your staff spends looking for equipment to PM, or clinical staff spends running around trying to find something like a bladder scanner. Reducing the amount of equipment rentals or capital purchases for mobile medical equipment that are driven by the perception of shortage because they aren’t being managed properly is another way. Sometimes just the amount of money saved annually on not having to continually replace lost telemetry transmitters can literally pay for the system. HORN: As the old saying goes, “Time is money.” Having the ability to quickly locate devices that are due for PMs, repairs or other maintenance, frees up your technicians’ time to work on other hospital priorities. In hospitals without asset tracking, technicians spend a significant amount of time trying to locate mobile devices like infusion pumps. Hospitals can also help avoid the significant cost of having to rent or replace devices that are lost (or hidden by

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ROUNDTABLE the clinical staff) somewhere in the hospital. JENNINGS: Asset tracking technology can help health care facilities save money by providing accurate data on asset utilization, guiding future asset purchases, adjusting rental needs and improving loss prevention. Here’s how: Do you have enough IV pumps, or too many? What about SCDs? In most hospitals up to 25% of equipment is sitting idle at any given moment. Asset tracking provides visibility into your equipment utilization, the data you need to make evidence-based purchasing decisions (or to avoid unnecessary purchases altogether). Likewise, if you rent equipment you already own, there’s a good chance that these rental costs could be eliminated. In order to make this determination; however, you need to know where (and what) your equipment is doing at all times, which requires room-level accurate location information. Finally, a lot of equipment is lost through trash collection and soiled laundry. Real-time alerting on these areas enables the quick recovery of equipment before it leaves your building. WIEDMAN: RTLS offers health care providers dual savings for medical devices (optimize fleet management, reduce expenses) and increased staff productivity (reduce time wasted looking for medical supplies). An AAMI eXchange 2021 presentation featured RTLS results from eight national health care systems. The “go live” clinical case studies yielded $8.5 million in savings. As an example, a 500-bed acute care hospital can save approximately $696,000 and 365,000 staff hours annually. 4. IS CYBERSECURITY A CONCERN WHEN IT COMES TO ASSET TRACKING TECHNOLOGIES? ANDERSEN: Security is a concern that should be taken very seriously when deploying any technology within a health care facility ensuring solutions are HIPAA compliant. ZulaFly takes cybersecurity seriously regardless of the application, asset or others, that we are implementing for our customers. ASHER: No, we are not seeing concerns

tory and life cycle management program are two keys to proper ITAM. I recall an infusion pump remediation effort that took place in one of my organizations shortly after we implemented an RTLS system. The time it would have taken to find all those devices would have been immense without it.

Al Gresch Accruent

over cybersecurity in asset tracking. Our data is completely encrypted both at rest and in-transit. We do not store any critical PHI or sensitive hospital data within our systems. Most of the data stored consists of unique identifiers of sensors and their payload, which does not mean anything outside of the systems they are intended for. As a matter of fact, we are helping biomeds respond better to cyber-attacks on medical devices by helping them find the affected devices in a faster manner as most vulnerability patches still require devices to be brought into the shop. BALASUBRAMANIAN: Absolutely. Cybersecurity should be top of mind of any IT solution. Some elements to consider include: • Does the infrastructure need network authentication? Can the infrastructure solution work without direct network access? • Does the solution provider have a cybersecurity frame to ensure new vulnerabilities are constantly being evaluated and addressed? In addition, does it use an industry standard framework like NIST meet industry standards like UL2900. • Does the solution provide network security, data protection, identity and access management, threat and incident response, resiliency. GRESCH: I haven’t heard of any vulnerability concerns related to asset tracking systems. However, a comprehensive inven-

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

HORN: All networked applications should be a concern to hospitals and thus require proper cybersecurity controls. However, on the flip side, being able to quickly locate a compromised asset that your OT cybersecurity monitoring application

Heidi Horn Nuvolo

identifies, can reduce the negative impact of that cyber threat to the rest of your organization. JENNINGS: It should not be. The location device (tag) on each piece of equipment should not be transmitting any hospital specific information. Look for a solution with a dedicated backhaul (not sharing your Wi-Fi or other wireless platforms) that’s hosted in a recognized health care-secure facility, like AWS. WIEDMAN: Any technology within a health care environment should be concerned with cybersecurity, especially vulnerable are Wi-Fi networks. Vizzia applications meet HIPAA and HITRUST standards with our software and network architecture, supported by additional security controls from Amazon Web Services (AWS).

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ROUNDTABLE

principles of open source protocols. We are democratizing data sharing so end-users can benefit from real time location in multiple facets of patient care, including staff location, patient throughput, environmental condition monitoring and wayfinding. With hardware getting cheaper by the day and exponential advancements in cloud computing, the dream of a hospital of the future can now finally become a reality.

Kapil Asher Kontakt.io 5. IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE TO SHARE WITH TECHNATION READERS? ANDERSEN: I would suggest looking for a solution that is cloud hosted. Cloud-hosted solutions are much quicker to deploy, easier to support, require less IT resources and are typically more cost effective. Do your homework, understand the platform that the asset tracking system is a part of and if there are other applications you can add on at any time so that you continue to see the value of your investment. I would also include that deploying a system that has a platform designed and developed by RTLS experts will go a long way in integrating disparate systems, producing analytics from all data collected, providing real-time notifications and customizable dashboards for the end users. ASHER: The next two to three years are going to be very exciting for asset tracking and IoT in general. Many companies are working toward integrating multiple use cases and analytical dashboards into our robust location services platform that is developed on the

BALASUBRAMANIAN: There has been considerable technological evolution over the last 10 years with Bluetooth Low Energy (BLE) leading the way. BLE provides significant cost savings while providing improved battery life of tags and ease of deployment and maintenance. Investing in an extensible IoT platform should be considered compared to a purpose-built asset tracking solution. A platform will provide extensibility to other problems the facility wants to solve in the future including wayfinding, staff duress, environmental monitoring and patient flow solutions without a significant reinvestment. With caregivers and clinicians on the go, a solution that provides the staff the mobility and visibility in the palm of their hands would be important to realize broader benefits. GRESCH: I often talk about the three-legged stool of people, process, technology. If you invest in technology without first having a good process in place, you will have wasted a lot of money (as many organizations have). Sometimes, you can even fix a problem without the use of expensive technology just by fixing a bad process. Make sure you partner with someone who understands that and will only leverage technology to support and sustain a good process.

HORN: Asset management technology is a significant investment for any hospital, so do your homework to make sure you buy a system that will meet your needs now as well as the future. The biggest reasons I’ve seen for these systems not meeting their full potential once deployed in a hospital is because the hospital doesn’t have the people dedicated to maintaining the data and the system itself. Once the data in the asset management system becomes obsolete, so does the application. JENNINGS: Have your asset tracking partner provide the ROI for your project to support your business justification. Focus on the hard-dollar impact of the solution, not the soft value (staff satisfaction, staff productivity). Understand how your asset tracking partner will help you track and prove ROI throughout the life of the project. WIEDMAN: It’s key to research RTLS vendors carefully for health care expertise. There are a myriad of companies that offer asset tracking technology (hardware and/or software) that are generically applied across multiple industries. Beyond the traditional validation criteria, biomed managers will want to seek relevant information on the number of “go live” deployments within health care, types of clinical solutions, reports and analytics provided and ongoing customer service.

For an informative video, visit 1TechNation.com/roundtable and select this month’s article!

TECHNATION

NOVEMBER 2021

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COVER BREAKROOM STORY

By K. Richard Douglas

he healthcare technology management (HTM) field has faced a dilemma in recent years; a flood of experienced baby-boom biomeds exiting the profession and a decreased number of training programs and new recruits to replace them.

With the exiting veteran biomeds goes decades of experience and knowledge. Much of that experience is hard to find in a book or a classroom. The profession doesn’t only need replacements for these departing technicians, but dedicated, knowledgeabsorbing rookies who can go aboveand-beyond in their pursuit of excellence. Thankfully, there are biomeds who have accepted that challenge. The steady exit of baby-boom biomeds began as early as 2015, but the pace continued and the profession has seen the aging of a large number of

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HTM pros, resulting in knowledgeable staff exiting the workforce. AAMI says that nearly half of the HTM workforce is over the age of 50. The U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics Occupational Outlook Handbook projects 6,300 openings annually for biomed technicians for the decade 2020-2030. AAMI’s new apprenticeship program seeks to address this need for new biomeds by offering “4,000 to 6,000 hours of paid, on-the-job training in safety, electronics, anatomy, information technology and more,” according to the organization’s website. The program leads to the certified associate in biomedical technology (CABT) certification. As is the case in every profession, there are biomeds who plan to make the work of a technician their career. There are others, who know from the very start, that they will put in the time and work to gain experience and then move into

management. Others will use biomed as a springboard to move into related careers. In the end, they all serve the needs of the patients and clinicians who they work with; directly or indirectly. Whether working as an in-house technician or in a support role for an independent service organization, the following professionals have the initiative, outstanding characteristics of leadership and commitment to their employers to take HTM into the next generation. SHARING THE KNOWLEDGE THROUGH SOCIAL MEDIA The subject of a recent “Shifting Gears” feature, Mayra Becerra, CBET, has shown the spirit and dedication that has expanded her influence as an HTM professional. Becerra is still a newcomer to biomed, having started in the profession in 2016. In an effort to bring biomed training and tips to a younger generation of

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biomeds, Becerra went to the platforms that younger biomeds utilize; YouTube, TikTok and Instagram. She started a channel called “TheBiomedGirl.” Her channels target the Millennials and Gen-X’ers who are entering the profession. She is also chair of the South Florida Association for Medical Instrumentation. Quite a resume for someone newer to the field. Like Becerra, Justin Barbour, a Houston-area biomed, provides training and insights to biomeds through his YouTube channel “Better Biomed”. Barbour has more than 300 videos on his channel and produced his first video three years ago. He is a big fan of online resources. “I honestly believe that the future of medical technology will revolve around a community of content creators – each with their own experiences and perspectives,” Barbour says. He says that he was military trained, serving nine and a half years, when he moved to South Carolina to start a civilian career as a BMET 3. “I have run two biomed shops and served along with some excellent mentors in several hospitals,” Barbour says. He says that three years ago, he made a video to train the local electricians on the electrical properties of an isolated electrical system that is found in operating rooms. “They didn’t understand how the isolation prevents people from getting electrically shocked. The video worked so well that I created several others and helped train two members of my team that joined without any prior biomed experience,” Barbour says. He says that as he works through the day, he is curious about the details surrounding most items that biomeds interact with that few understand. He says that he studies these topics, writes a script and then records each topic as a new video. “Now I have over 300 videos on my channel. I cover simple how-to’s, biomed basics, device teardowns, exploration of medical device failures,

professional development and even daily vlog-type videos. I have been written to by biomeds from almost every country that I can think of and even a few that I never knew existed,” Barbour says. As is the case with Becerra, Barbour is grateful for the many mentors and others who have shared their knowledge along the way. What bigger contribution can a biomed make than to spread knowledge and tips to the greater HTM community?

Priyanka Upendra

FORMER BIOMED SUPPORTING BIOMEDS Starting a career in biomed doesn’t mean that you will retire as a biomed. There are many who have proven that biomed can be a stepping stone and that training, education and aspiration can take a biomed in different directions. Priyanka Upendra is the senior director of customer success at ASIMILY, which is a provider of Internet of Medical Things (IoMT) risk management. Although Upendra started out as an intern, repairing and supporting non-high-risk equipment, she later was hired as a clinical engineer working on high-risk devices/equipment in endoscopy, respiratory therapy, critical care units, and then the operating room. “I later started working with IT and cybersecurity on integration projects –

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

anesthesia, bedside monitors, and ventilators; which then led to my role as a project manager for a nurse call project to integrate with active directory and then server configurations to meet security requirements,” Upendra says. She says that is when she transitioned as a clinical technology analyst and took over HTM/CE-IT projects, including some budget forecasting and cost savings projects and that led her to working with IT and cybersecurity departments on medical device cybersecurity. This experience, and much more, along with attaining bachelor’s and master’s degrees, led her on a career path that supports the biomed community in a new role. “I have had immense support and guidance from many HTM leaders, colleagues and friends,” she says. She also has found it beneficial to be engaged in professional societies such as AAMI, ACCE, HIMSS, ACHE, CMIA and BMES. ROOKIE BIOMEDS MAKING WAVES Biomed Maria Symonds began her journey into HTM because of her love of science, from physics to general electronics, according to Perry Kirwan, vice president of technology management at Banner Health. “Beginning her secondary education with an eye towards medical physics, she was introduced to the HTM field by a cousin who was attending a different technical school. Since she was very interested in the field, and wanted to do something to benefit mankind, she chose to switch schools and majors,” Kirwan says. He says that she entered into HTM in 2014, with education at Technological National de Mexico. She graduated with honors and then volunteered at Sonoran State Children’s Hospital to expand her experience. “She continued to work in the field until applying and being accepted to Banner Health Technology Management at our Banner Del Webb Medical Center in Sun City, Arizona. This is her first

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actual HTM position,” Kirwan says. He says that she started at Banner in June 2020 and has not stopped moving since. “Her thirst for knowledge and ability to absorb experiences and new modalities makes her a great asset to the shop, her co-workers, Banner Health, and the field of HTM. She has gained experience and has shown that she is committed to this field for the long haul,” Kirwan says. One of Symond’s Banner colleagues is Jacob Dreiling, biomed tech I. He works at Banner University Medical Center in Phoenix. “Jacob started his career path much earlier than most at the age of 11, exploring a summer apprenticeship with a local engineering firm, moving on to flight school training for a year, then progressing to a career in the automotive service industry. On his resume he states ‘I was not using my analytical mind to its best ability. I discovered the best use of my talents was in diagnostics and repair of electrical equipment,’ ” says Stacey Parman, technology management/ ENTECH director, BUMC-P at Banner. She says that this quest led Dreiling to an application within Banner’s Technology Management department as a “Biomed Observer” in which he faithfully volunteered several hours per week on his days off from his regular full-time job as an automotive technician at a local Toyota dealership. “From July through December of 2019, Jacob shadowed all the technicians in the shop, spending time learning and gaining valuable experience with the goal of one day becoming a member of the BUMCP team. Jacob has an incredible lust for knowledge and the intellect to process and retain information much faster than most. He quickly assimilated with the team, and his positive attitude, high energy and easygoing nature made him a natural fit with the entire team and leadership,” Parman says.

She says that in early 2020, a technician I opportunity became available, and Banner couldn’t wait for the chance to bring Dreiling on as a full-time paid employee. “That is one of the best hiring decisions we’ve ever made as his performance has taken off exponentially

He says that she has a master’s in healthcare administration from Weber State University and a bachelor’s in finance from Dixie State University. “She works with all of our in-house team, authorized service providers, co-chairs the system capital planning committee, and has been instrumental helping achieve over $5 million in savings to Intermountain Healthcare since joining our team. There is no doubt she will be a future leader in the HTM industry, if we do not lose her to overall health care system operations,” Busdicker says. He says that Johnathan Miller, Newton Holmquist, Max Saltern, Michael Miller and Samantha Sim have all been recent additions to the frontline CE caregiver team. “The unique thing is that Johnathan, Newton, Max and Michael are all second-generation technicians here at Intermountain and Samantha’s brother is a technician at one of our sites,” Busdicker says. Another promising HTM professional who is newer to the system is Samar Al Ibrahim, who currently works in the medical equipment cybersecurity area and does an outstanding job, according to Busdicker. “She has been with Intermountain Healthcare for three years and has been instrumental in the implementation of our cybersecurity program for medical equipment. Her desire to make a difference and be involved with moving the industry forward will open many doors for her to be a leader here at Intermountain Healthcare and within healthcare technology management. Samar has a master’s and bachelor’s degree in bioengineering and biomedical engineering from the Catholic University of America,” Busdicker says. Children’s of Alabama Director of Biomedical Engineering Kelvin Knight sees a good future in HTM for a couple of recent additions to his team.

“Her thirst for knowledge and ability to absorb experiences and new modalities makes her a great asset to the shop.”

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- Perry Kirwan from day one,” Parman adds. She says that now, just 19 months into the position, Dreiling has gained prominence among the team and is easily recognizable by staff and leaders at the facility as one of the subject matter experts on a variety of equipment and systems. “In a few short months, using knowledge and experience gained from the observer role, Jacob quickly became proficient and moved beyond the routine electromechanical tech I introductory support equipment such as infusion pumps, beds, stretchers, lifts and OR tables,” Parman adds. Mike Busdicker, MBA, CHTM, FACHE, system director of clinical engineering at Intermountain Environment of Care also has newcomers who make a difference. One has been with the Intermountain team for just three years. “Kayla Heppler is currently our CE central support manager and has responsibility for the service coordination center, parts/inventory, service contracts, KPIs/metrics, budgets, allocations, data integrity and overall system level reports. She joined our department in 2018 and has continued to earn the respect of our frontline CE caregivers, CE leaders and all of the clinical caregivers she works with daily,” Busdicker says.

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“Katelyn Reynolds is a BMET I who has just become eligible for a promotion to BMET II with two years of experience. Katelyn has been with Children’s since graduating Jefferson State Community College in August of 2019 with an associate of science in biomedical technology. She has excelled in her work and is taking classes in the evening at UAB to complete a bachelor of science in healthcare administration. I am confident Katelyn will one day become a leader in the HTM profession,” Knight says. One of her colleagues is Alex Flemming, a clinical engineer with Children’s of Alabama. Knight says that Flemming has an interesting story. “Alex came to us as a BMET I after completing the Jefferson State Community College Biomedical Technician program. Alex quickly achieved certifications for AAMI’s Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET) and Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialist (CLES). He previously completed a four-year degree in biomedical engineering from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB),” Knight says. He says that Alex became interested in working on medical equipment during an internship for his UAB program while at the VA Medical Center in Birmingham. “His unique educational background, with the combination of biomedical engineering and biomedical technology, bring a wealth of knowledge to our HTM team. Alex has excelled as a technician and now as a clinical engineer. Alex has elevated our HTM program with projects such as creating 3D printed models of various body parts to help with our simulation center’s clinical training program,” Knight says. He says that Flemming has helped the department develop his clinical engineer position and Knight looks forward to further developing the clinical engineering program at

Children’s of Alabama with his help. “One day, I expect to see Alex at the top of the HTM profession as a leader in clinical engineering,” Knight says. Another younger biomed who has made an impact on the HTM field is Connor Walsh, biomedical engineer for the Department of Veteran Affairs’ Office of Electronic Health Modernization. Walsh is a biomedical engineer and hybrid IT professional with near 10 years of progressive experience in healthcare technology management (HTM) and information technology

Cindy Orozco

(IT). In his current role, he supports nationwide medical device integration to the new Cerner electronic health record (EHR). Walsh says he has a strong understanding of the federal U.S. government cybersecurity policy and plays key roles which range from supporting initial medical system connectivity at VA facilities undergoing EHR transition to facilitating final medical system approval to operate and connect. Walsh has obtained various professional certifications, including Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Cisco Networking Associate (CCNA), Net+ and is a graduate of the VHA leadership development institute. In addition to normal duties, Walsh is co-chair of the national VHA HTM

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

Training and Education workgroup and is a cybersecurity columnist for TechNation. Prior to his new role, he was also co-chair of the national VHA HTM vulnerability management workgroup. Walsh has been an invited speaker to past AAMI and MD Expo conferences, featured in the AAMI BI&T journal on career progression through HTM, and moderator for ACCE webinars. TRIMEDX Biomed I Cindy Orozco gets the nod from her boss as a biomed to watch. She works at Indiana University Health. “She began her career in clinical engineering with an internship through IU Health in February 2021 and accepted a full-time role with TRIMEDX serving IU Health in May 2021. In this role, Cindy has been managing and maintaining equipment in the cath lab, heart station, ER and telemetry unit,” says Lisann GoodinBurton, TRIMEDX systems director of clinical engineering at Indiana University Health. She says that Orozco is originally from Logansport, Indiana. Orozco began her undergraduate studies at IUPUI. After first declaring her major in health science, she learned about the healthcare engineering technology management program and went on to earn an associate degree and fulfill her dreams of working hands-on in a health technology field. She plans to continue her education and earn a bachelor’s degree. “We are excited about Cindy and her growth at TRIMEDX. As an intern, she has shown that she is not afraid to learn new things and ask questions; and she continues to do so as a TRIMEDX associate, owning her work, showing vulnerability and a willingness to jump in and help the team,” Goodwin-Burton says. Will the flood of exiting experienced biomeds impact the field and their employer? There is no doubt, but with the level of talent entering the profession, the HTM field should be in good shape in the years ahead.

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EXPERT ADVICE

CAREER CENTER The Ultimate Professional BY CINDY STEPHENS, STEPHENS INTERNATIONAL RECRUITING, INC.

racticing effective leadership and continuously demonstrating a positive, professional attitude is extremely important in today’s tenuous times.

The COVID-19 pandemic has seriously impacted everyone; however, the continued shortage of health care workers and has brought many more challenges to employees and employers. Employees are struggling to maintain composure especially when they are exhausted and frustrated from additional workloads. In addition to the staff shortage, COVID concerns, politics and controversial issues are causing conflicts and additional stress within the workplace and at home. It is hard to remain positive when faced with these challenges, and even harder when faced with controversial discussions. Of course, it is very difficult to ignore discussions about these issues when it is in the news, on social media and almost shoved into our daily routines. We know that these conversations should not be done during work hours. However, most people have opinions about these issues, and some find it necessary to express their views at work. This often causes controversy and hostile feelings. The workplace is not the place to express personal viewpoints regarding COVID-19 immunizations, politics or controversial issues. This often leads to conflicts and can manifest into a very contentious and divisive work environment. So, how do you deal with this situation when faced with it during work hours?

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NOVEMBER 2021

People deal with it in many ways. However, the best approach is to remain professional and don’t allow yourself to get pulled into any controversial discussions during the workday. Even if you have strong feelings or beliefs, don’t get caught up in confrontational and divisive discussions. Either walk away or excuse yourself from the discussion. You should also use conflict management skills that you have learned and practiced during your career. We all possess these skills. It is important to remain professional and maintain composure, especially during work hours. My response to political, COVID-19 or even religious discussions is, “I prefer to remain positive and not get into discussions regarding these issues. We all have our own opinion, so please respect my privacy and leave me out of any discussions about this. I respect your opinion, so please respect mine.” It is especially important to remain professional and positive during your work hours. It is also very important not to respond to political or COVID-19 comments plastered on social media. If you enjoy getting on social media sites, keep it in mind that anything posted may come back to haunt you. Human resources and hiring professionals look at your social media profiles to get a picture of your personality and how you respond and react to comments and discussions on the many social media platforms. Even older comments may affect you for promotions or new opportunities. If you have any negative comments or confrontational discussions on any of the social media platforms, consider removing

Cindy Stephens

them from your profile. The comments may still be out there, but at first glance your profile will at least look better. Continuously display the positive and professional side of yourself. Social media platforms are a great place to share your knowledge and expertise and demonstrate your professionalism. However, these sites are not the place to vent your frustrations (about anything) or get into controversial discussions. Join professional discussions and groups, and provide input regarding questions or requests for assistance about technical issues that individuals may have. Of course, you are doing this during non-duty hours and not during your work hours. The exception to this is if you need immediate help regarding an equipment or parts query. Social media groups often help peers find answers to equipment failures or problems. Be the ultimate professional and set an example for others to follow.

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