TechNation Magazine May 2022 by MD Publishing

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VOL. 13

ADVANCING THE BIOMEDICAL / HTM PROFESSIONAL

MAY 2022

Examining eqUipment

expenses TIPS FOR ESTIMATING LIFE CYCLE COSTS, SUPPORT PAGE 58

12 14 38 52

Professional of the Month Allison Woolford

Company Showcase J2S Medical AAMI Guide to AAMI eXchange

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ext month’s Feature article: N Training/Education

EXAMINING EQUIPMENT EXPENSES: TIPS FOR ESTIMATING LIFE CYCLE COSTS, SUPPORT Cost analysis is critical to determine the entire cost of the capital purchase alongside an analysis of the maintenance and parts costs as well as the time devoted to maintaining the new piece of equipment.

ext month’s Feature article: N HTM Apprenticeship & Internships

TechNation (Vol. 13, Issue #5) May 2022 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. ©2022

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

MAY 2022

TECHNATION

CONTENTS

INSIDE Departments

PUBLISHER

John M. Krieg

VICE PRESIDENT

Kristin Leavoy

ACCOUNT EXECUTIVES

Jayme McKelvey Megan Strand

ART DEPARTMENT

Karlee Gower Taylor Powers Kameryn Johnson

EDITORIAL

John Wallace

CONTRIBUTORS

Roger Bowles K. Richard Douglas Jim Fedele Joie Marhefka Manny Roman Connor Walsh David Witt 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, Service Zone Vice President Midwest Imaging - Siemens Healthineers Jennifer DeFrancesco, DHA, MS, CHTM, System Director, Clinical Engineering, Crothall Healthcare Rob Bundick, Director HTM & Biomedical Engineering, ProHealth Care

P.12 SPOTLIGHT p.12 Professional of the Month: Allison Woolford p.14 Company Showcase: J2S Medical p.18 Department of the Month: Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority Biomedical Engineering Department p.20 Association of the Month: The CMIA Bay Area Chapter P.25 p.25 p.30 p.32 p.34 p.36 p.38

INDUSTRY UPDATES News & Notes Welcome to TechNation ECRI Update Ribbon Cutting: SmartTank AAMI Update Guide to AAMI eXchange

P.43 p.43 p.44 p.47 p.48

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

P.64 EXPERT ADVICE p.64 Career Center p.66 Cybersecurity p.70 20/20 Imaging Insights sponsored by Innovatus Imaging p.74 Top 5 Outcomes from Improved Device Efficiency sponsored by Medigate p.76 The Future p.79 Witt’s End P.80 p.80 p.82 p.86 p.90 p.93 p.98

BREAKROOM Did You Know? The Vault MedWrench Bulletin Board HTM Jobs Scrapbook - HIMSS HTM Strong

p.94 Service Index p.97 Alphabetical Index 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

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MAY 2022

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SPOTLIGHT

PROFESSIONAL OF THE MONTH:

ALLISON WOOLFORD, CBET Biomed and Professor; Contributing to the Profession BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

aleigh-Durham is like Dallas-Ft. Worth; two major cities in such proximity that they are often linked in regional descriptions. Each city is a major hub for commerce, entertainment and culture, giving residents two choices for many services within a short driving distance.

Raleigh, North Carolina is home to UNC Rex Healthcare, a health care system founded in 1894, which includes an acute care hospital, wellness centers, urgent care centers, cancer and heart centers, skilled nursing facilities and more. Durham is home to Durham Tech, a growing institution in North Carolina, serving more than 18,000 students. The college offers programs that include “the arts, engineering, education, health technologies, information technology, public safety and business administration,” according to its website. One thing the health system and the college have in common is a healthcare technology management (HTM) professional. Allison Woolford, CBET, is a senior BMET with UNC Rex Healthcare. She is also an adjunct professor with the college. Her entry into the HTM field came about mostly through happenstance. “While I was working for the American Red Cross as a laboratory technician, we would call the equipment department whenever we had an issue with the equipment. If they couldn’t fix it, they would call the vendor. It was always

TECHNATION

MAY 2022

fascinating to watch the field service engineers come in and repair the equipment. I was really able to see how the equipment worked and they had no problems answering all of my questions,” Woolford remembers. She says that after several years with the American Red Cross, she was offered employment within UNC Rex Healthcare’s clinical engineering department. “I was encouraged to attend Durham Technical Community College so that I could be formally trained. Durham Technical Community College offered an associate degree in applied science in biomedical equipment technology. On Mondays and Wednesdays, I would work 10 hours and then go to class in the evening. The majority of my classes were Tuesday and Thursday afternoon so I would work in the morning and leave for class at lunch time. Fridays would be a normal work day,” Woolford says. She says that she started in January 2018 and graduated magna cum laude in June 2020. In August 2020, she passed the Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET) exam provided by the AAMI Credentials Institute. Woolford’s biomed degree was not her first venture into higher education. She had already accomplished much academically before learning about the HTM field. “I didn’t learn about the biomedical profession until after I completed my Bachelor of Science degree in biology and chemistry from Xavier University of Louisiana and Master of Science degree in

environmental management from University of Maryland, University College,” she says. Woolford says that after doing some research, she discovered “this career that is so fascinating.” “It is mind-blowing to be able to take an operating room table apart and repair it,” she says. TRAINING THE NEXT GENERATION OF BIOMEDS Special projects always challenge biomeds with a focus on going above and beyond to help out with new construction or equipment installations. Woolford has seen her fair share of these projects in addition to her efforts to prepare future biomeds. “I have been involved in numerous renovation projects within the hospital and at our various clinics. I assisted with setting up equipment and configuring the patient monitoring system for our newly renovated neonatal intensive care unit (NICU), medical surgical intensive care unit (MSICU), neuroscience intensive care unit (NSICU) and various patient floors,” she says. Within the hospital’s labor and delivery unit, she oversaw the replacement of GE Corometrics 250cx series fetal monitors with Philips Avalon FM-50 units, as well as swapping out the Ohmeda Ohio 4400 infant warmers with the GE Panda iRes Warmer. “I assisted with checking in new Stryker Medical Big Wheel stretchers for the emergency department. When COVID-19 first hit, we opened a special respiratory isolation unit (SRIU), that we had to work

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SPOTLIGHT Allison Woolford is an accomplished academic and biomed with several degrees.

BIOMETRICS FAVORITE BOOK: “Atlas Shrugged” by Ayn Rand

FAVORITE MOVIE: “The Da Vinci Code”

FAVORITE FOOD: Shrimp and strawberries

HIDDEN TALENT: Cooking steaks on the grill

WHAT’S ON MY BENCH? “What you will always see on my bench is a bottle of water, pictures of my family, candy, Post-it notes and my day planner.”

FAVORITE PART OF BEING A BIOMED? “Meeting new people and helping to make sure patients get the care they need. I get this incredible satisfaction when I am able to repair the equipment and get it back to the floor so that it can be used.”

long hours to outfit with the necessary equipment to treat COVID-19 patients. This required the purchase of various ventilators, IV pumps, hospital beds, patient monitoring systems and MAXAIR helmets,” Woolford says. She was also in charge of managing the biomedical equipment at over 60 various off-site clinics in and around Raleigh that UNC Rex Healthcare manages including a new hospital in Holly Springs. “With those clinics, besides maintaining preventive maintenance activities, I would assist with location moves and expansions, as well as checking in new equipment. I have helped set up patient monitoring systems into various departments as they were being upgraded or relocated to different areas of the hospital. I have also managed the various offsite clinics that are affiliated with UNC Rex Healthcare,” Woolford adds. A central focus of her work as an adjunct professor is to try to help increase the number of students entering the HTM pipeline. When she was a student at Durham Technical Community College, she discovered that the one professor who was

teaching the program did not have any experience in the HTM field. “His experience was mostly in the electronics field. During my final year, that professor decided to take a job somewhere else which resulted in some re-organization to take place within the program. It was common knowledge that I was already in the field, so the incoming program director approached me to help revamp the program,” Woolford says. She took part in various meetings with the new program director to discuss how to revamp the biomedical program so that it aligns with industry standards. “To start, we had to discuss what the goals are for an entry-level biomedical technician and what they would typically repair on a daily basis. Once that discussion was completed, we were able to dispose of equipment that was just taking up space, and purchase equipment that aligned with those goals. From there, we were able to revamp the course topics. Students would learn about the equipment as well as be introduced to federal and state regulations, National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) and infection control to name a few.

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

Woolford is currently the professor for the “Introduction to Biomedical Technology” course and says that she can incorporate real-life situations into the online class. “My goal is to help the students truly understand what life is like in a hospital setting. I am also trying to set up a semi-annual presentation where various biomedical technicians can come in and connect with the students. That way, they can see the various job opportunities for biomedical technicians,” she says. When not teaching the next generation of biomeds or tackling projects at work, Woolford enjoys baking cookies, cupcakes and cheesecakes, as well as working in her flower beds. She is also the “proud mother” of a second-grader and a high school freshman. In 2019, she won the North Carolina Biomedical Association Norman Reeves Scholarship Award. It is no surprise; the HTM field has been enriched by having biomeds like Woolford, who are both devoted to their work as well as contributing to the training of future biomeds.

MAY 2022

TECHNATION

SPOTLIGHT

SPONSORED CONTENT

COMPANY SHOWCASE J2S Medical BY RACHEL HOMIER

his April, biomedical equipment supplier J2S Medical celebrates ten years in business! Over those years, senior leaders Joe Stem, Jamie Charles, and Sarah Stem have taken the company from a small start-up to a hugely successful operation that occupies two warehouses, as well as an in-house service department which serves customers across the country with high-quality, cost-effective solutions for various types of medical products.

Rachel Homier

J2S Medical offers replacement parts and repair service for most major biomedical equipment brands. The company’s core competency is infusion equipment but has expanded and evolved with customer needs to include a handful of other modalities, from patient monitoring to endoscopy. “We are also proud to be able to offer solutions for equipment that isn’t supported by the original manufacturer anymore, such as the Covidien Kangaroo ePump and the MedSystem III,” says Biomedical Engineering Supervisor Garry Willoughby. This, along with the quick turnaround offered by the J2S Service Department, has become increasingly important during the COVID-19 pandemic and ongoing supply chain crisis, as many health care organizations simply do not have the budget to purchase new equipment. In addition to its robust parts and service offerings, J2S Medical also provides recertified, patient-ready capital equipment and rental opportunities.

“We support the health care community by providing niche products that are both effective and economical,” explains Director of Biomedical Engineering Jamie Charles, “We save our customers money by providing a quality, pre-owned product and adding a competitive warranty.” J2S Medical understands that each organization has unique needs and uses a combination of all of the above (parts, repair and preowned equipment) to find the right solution for its customers. While much has changed within the company (and the entire HTM industry) over the past decade, what has remained constant is J2S Medical’s dedication to excellent customer service and quality products. “As customers ourselves, we know that what separates J2S Medical from other providers is how consistent we are on those two core principles of our company. While we celebrate this company milestone, we do so with many customers who have been with us since that very first week ten years ago,” Director of Operations Joe Stem says. “We take

District Sales Manager at J2S Medical

TECHNATION

MAY 2022

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SPOTLIGHT

Efficient, Reliable, Cost Effective Solutions

great pride having been on the forefront of providing cost-saving options such as non-OEM and recertified replacement parts.” A major contributing factor to the successful growth of J2S Medical is the dynamic culture cultivated by its owners. When employees were asked what they appreciate about Joe, Jamie and Sarah, words that arose repeatedly included approachable, reliable and dedicated. “J2S is more than just a company, we are a tight-knit team that our leadership truly understands and respects,” says Administrator Emily White. “Our leadership team really focuses on employee growth and autonomy, which allows us to spread our wings and try out different ideas within a safe space,” J2S Medical District Sales Manager Kelly Thakkar added. “It’s been rewarding to watch the company grow over the years, and so much has to do with the loyal customers and dedicated team we have.” J2S Medical Director of Sales and Marketing Sarah Stem reflects. “The vision of J2S started with its founders, but it is humbling to have such a talented group of people to help carry out and improve on that vision throughout the years.” Many staff members have been with the company for the majority of its time in business, and that speaks to the feeling of community and family shared as J2S enters into an even brighter future. The health care industry is everchanging, and it’s exciting to watch J2S Medical take the opportunity to evolve with it, as many products and services provided today did not exist just a short time ago. J2S Medical looks forward to celebrating this banner year, and many more milestones ahead! To learn more, visit J2SMedical.com, follow J2S Medical on Facebook and LinkedIn, and look forward to seeing representatives at multiple HTM conferences this year.

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

J2S Leadership: Director of Operations (Joe Stem), Director of Sales and Marketing (Sarah Stem), and Director of Biomedical Engineering (Jamie Charles)

Kelly Thakkar and Emily White attending a local Clinical Engineering conference this winter.

MAY 2022

TECHNATION

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SPOTLIGHT

DEPARTMENT OF THE MONTH: Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority Biomedical Engineering Department

BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

he U.S. includes many American Indian Tribal Nations. One of these tribal nations is the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma.

The tribe lived in the American Southeast for about 1,800 years. This included present-day Alabama, Mississippi and Louisiana. Most of the Choctaw were forced to relocate to Oklahoma. After settling in Oklahoma, the Choctaw re-established their government by adopting a new constitution. In June 1983, the Choctaws also adopted a new updated constitution with a balance of powers among executive, legislative and judicial branches. The Choctaw Nation headquarters is in Durant, Oklahoma. “The Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma was the first tribe to build a hospital with tribal funds in 1999 in Talihina, Oklahoma. In addition, nine other clinic facilities have been added in rural communities in southeastern Oklahoma,” says Manasi Ghatpande, director of biomedical engineering, Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority,

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MAY 2022

located at the Durant Regional Medical Clinic in Durant, Oklahoma. She says that biomed supports the entire Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority. The Choctaw Nation Health Care Center in Talihina is a state-of-the-art 152,894 square foot facility consisting of 44 inpatient beds, including 12 labor, delivery, recovery and postpartum (LDRP) suites. All hospital rooms are private. “In addition, the hospital offers a surgery center, family practice, pediatrics, laboratory, radiology, pharmacy, physical therapy, respiratory therapy, optometry, audiology, dental, a full-service dietary department, 24/7 emergency department and much more. The Choctaw Nation Health Care Center is the hub of our health system with eight outlying clinics located in Atoka, Broken Bow, Durant, Hugo, Idabel, McAlester, Poteau and Stigler,” Ghatpande says. She says that the biomedical engineering department services all the medical equipment, both fixed and portable, used for the diagnosis, treatment and monitoring during patient care. The department, including Ghatpande and Technician Kaleb Kasitz, is located at the Durant Clinic and supports the Durant and Atoka Clinics.

In Talihina, the biomed team includes Manager Caleb Lacy and biomed technicians Jess Atteberry, Clancy Mahan and Anthony Fratta who support the Talihina Health Care Center (inpatient hospital) and the McAlester Clinic. Tyler Ludlow is the administrative assistant who supports both facilities. Biomed Technician James Bowling provides service to the Idabel, Hugo and Broken Bow Clinics. Biomed Technician Joshua Doles services the Poteau and Stigler clinics. Ghatpande says that patient care is their top priority. “Choctaw tribal members and Native Americans from all parts of the country are served in our health care facility. Frequently we have patients travelling interstate to be seen in one of our CNHSA facilities, hence the equipment down-time being minimal is crucial,” she says. The biomeds in the department have a diverse skill set and varied duties. “Biomed is responsible for the entire life cycle of the medical equipment which includes planning and choosing the best suited technology through the procurement process, installation,

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SPOTLIGHT

Manasi Ghatpande is the director of biomedical engineering at Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority in Oklahoma. She is a hands-on leader who can often be found working on devices in the various facilities her team maintains. She is seen assisting Biomed Engineering Technician II Kaleb Kasitz with a repair.

calibration and maintenance, until disposal,” Ghatpande says. She says that the biomed department also shares responsibility with the facilities department for medical freezers and vaccine refrigerators. “Along with infection control, biomed also supports powered air purifying respirator CAPR units and UV disinfecting lights. It also supports non-direct patient care systems like nurse call, patient room TVs and the infant abduction prevention system,” Ghatpande adds. INTRODUCING THE PROFESSION AND UPGRADING CLINICS The Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority has done much to provide quality health care services to the surrounding communities. This effort has generated several projects for the biomed team. The group is even proactive in bringing the benefits of the profession to a new generation of biomeds. “Currently, biomed is involved in clinic expansion, nurse call upgrades and infant security systems projects. Biomed also participates in Hospital Day for high school students in the fall, where we set up a booth with an interactive presentation and games to engage students, pique their curiosity and encourage them to explore biomedical engineering as a field,” Ghatpande says. “[The] Biomed field is relatively unknown, especially in southeastern rural parts of Oklahoma. Choctaw Nation offers internships to Choctaw students, where

they can receive hands-on experience in the field of biomed. Our HR facilitates Hospital Day for high school students where students are invited. We set up a booth with trivia questions and crossword puzzle games to engage students,” Ghatpande adds. She says that one of challenges of being rural is the availability of field service engineers to service the clinic location areas even though there is a service contract. “Our biomeds often take first call when it comes to repair of equipment, with the location of the hospital and clinics, it is not always possible for vendors to provide service on an urgent basis. Our elderly patient population and travel time to facilities make equipment downtime very critical. Our biomed department stays on call to cover nights and to avoid any equipment downtime,” Ghatpande says. In addition to introducing students to biomed or doing double-duty when required, the biomed team has been involved in a clinic expansion project at several locations. At the Stigler Clinic, the dental clinic is expanding and moving to a newer and bigger building. There is also an expansion project where the facility is adding five dental operatories. Biomed is responsible for equipment selection, planning and installation. “With being consistent in the equipment throughout our facilities and providers/ clinical staff requirements. Biomed is also on the lookout for a selection of new evolving technology to meet our patient

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

needs,” Ghatpande says. She says that they are also adding a radiology department with a rad room and future expansion for an ultrasound room. “The McAlester Clinic is doubling in size with the addition to employee health, Urgent Care clinic. Biomed will be responsible for the medical equipment and the Talihina hospital is expanding its residency clinic and specialty clinic,” Ghatpande says. The biomed department is also tackling a nurse call upgrade project as well. “Our nurse call 4000 responder system is retiring. We will be upgrading to the new 5K at the Talihina Hospital and 5000 at Durant clinic. Biomed works with nursing administration, by gathering the requirements and integrating nurse call with medical equipment like patient beds and TVs,” Ghatpande says. Biomed has also been instrumental in facilitating an infant security system. “With the expansion and addition of rooms, we are upgrading to a new infant abduction prevention system that best suits our needs,” Ghatpande adds. The health care needs of the Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma are competently met every day through a modern system of health care facilities and the medical equipment is professionally managed by the experienced HTM professionals that make up the Choctaw Nation Health Services Authority Biomedical Engineering Department.

MAY 2022

TECHNATION

SPOTLIGHT

ASSOCIATION OF THE MONTH:

CMIA Bay Area Chapter BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

alifornia is the third largest U.S. state and has had statehood since 1850. The Golden State offers visitors many experiences, from strolling through a redwood forest, to enjoying the beaches near San Diego and hiking in Lake Tahoe.

Some of the images in the state best known to tourists are the cable cars in San Francisco and the Golden Gate Bridge. Along with many of the leading tech companies, these well-known attractions can be found in the bay area of northern California. While the bay area of California is best known for its namesake San Francisco, it also includes many cities that have become famous due to the emergence of high-tech, including Palo Alto, Mountain View and Menlo Park. The region is also known for many prominent hospitals and health care systems. Managing the medical equipment at these institutions are the HTM professionals in the bay area. Joined by employees of ISOs and third-party medi-

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MAY 2022

cal supply companies, many are members of the California Medical Instrumentation Association (CMIA). The association is broken down into eight local chapters, reflecting the enormity of the state. The chapter that serves the biomeds and medical device vendors in the region around the San Francisco Bay is the CMIA Bay Area chapter. “This year the Bay Area Chapter is focusing on quality local presenters, bringing great minds, experiences and learning opportunities together. We want to bring in non-corporate, local presenters and educators in efforts to bring a more communal sense of professionalism to our group,” says Bill Lesch, the chapter’s president. Besides Lesch, chapter officers include Vice President Jamie Piceno, Secretary Anthony Faddis, Treasurer Jacob Freedman and Board Member Renato Castro. Like many organizations, including HTM associations, the opportunity to hold in-person meetings and other activities had been restricted during the pandemic. The CMIA Bay Area Chapter

holds regular meetings and allows those not able to attend to participate virtually. “Our Bay Area chapter meetings are held every third Wednesday of every even month. We had our first online simulcast and are prepping to have an interactive simulcast for future meetings,” Lesch says. The group held an in-person meeting on February 16, 2022. “Our last meeting titled ‘Clinical Engineering and Project Management – Cohesion and Coordination,’ was comprised of five local industry leaders in a panel discussion. We had it over dinner and drinks – 75 people attended and it was a hit,” Lesch says. THE WHOLE IS GREATER THAN THE SUM OF ITS PARTS Along with the seven other chapters, the Bay Area Chapter is part of a nonprofit organization that unites HTM professionals around the state of California. It has a code of ethics and its own board of directors. The CMIA statewide biomed association has been in operation since 1972. CMIA incorporated in 1992. There are

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SPOTLIGHT

The CMIA Bay Area chapter looks to return to in-person events as it promotes HTM.

over 54 meetings a year across the eight chapters. During the pandemic, the organization moved to virtual meetings. CMIA holds an annual conference that includes an awards banquet. Along with the statewide group, the Bay Area chapter will be a part of the CMIA Connect 2022 conference on September 30 and October 1, 2022. The annual conference will feature 30 educational sessions with CEUs offered, a three-day exhibit hall with 75 participating vendors, keynote speakers, networking events and an awards dinner. The conference will also include an Outreach event, targeting junior high and high school students to learn more about the biomed field, according to the CMIA website. The Connect Conference will be held at the Sheraton Grand Sacramento Hotel. While the Bay Area Chapter does not individually offer a scholarship program, the state-wide group does. That program is called the Frank Yip Scholarship. The scholarship was established in 1998 to honor the

memory of Frank Yip, who was the owner of FYE Medical, a medical equipment distributor. Yip was very active in the biomed community and participated in the formation of the Bay Area chapter. He also served on the board of directors. In officers today, the chapter looks for someone capable of managing chapter funds, someone who can curate presentation topics and speakers and engage chapter members with industry news and content. They should be able to represent the Bay Area chapter in state meetings and the CMIA annual Connect Conference, which will all lead to becoming a leader in the local HTM community. One of the action items on the group’s agenda for this year is to establish closer ties with local technical schools and colleges. It is also doing its part to increase active participation in the biomed community. “Our goal is to always increase membership for our chapter, and most important, interest in our profession,” Lesch said.

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

He says the group will accomplish this through reaching out to the local colleges and inviting newly graduated students; even from high schools. “We feel that through excitable presenters, sharing the multiple facets of this industry, fun locations, serving good food and genuinely showing we care; will show a community worth being part of,” Lesch says. With the pandemic morphing into an endemic, a return to a more normal agenda for all biomed societies and associations will be possible. That will allow members of the CMIA Bay Area chapter to return to networking and rubbing elbows and welcoming new members. The return to normal will also allow the Bay Area members to join their biomed colleagues from around the third-largest state in the fall at the group’s biggest annual event. The city by the bay, and adjacent cities, will see biomeds leaving Zoom meetings behind and re-energizing the Bay Area chapter going forward.

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NEWS & NOTES Updates from the HTM Industry COGNOSOS ADDS LOCATIONAI TO RTLS SOLUTION Cognosos Inc., a real-time location services (RTLS) provider, has introduced LocationAI, a highly accurate, machine learning-powered location engine, into its asset tracking platform for hospitals and health care facilities. “Ushering in the next generation of RTLS, this cutting-edge technology achieves room-level accuracy, without disturbing clinical workflows with complex installation processes or the need to place hardware in patient rooms that are typical with other systems. Additionally, with Cognosos’ LocationAI technology, health care facilities benefit from a self-healing network that monitors and responds to environmental changes like construction or infrastructure adjustments, eliminating network decay and maintaining accuracy and reliability over time,” a news release states. Cognosos’ LocationAI technology leverages powerful machine-learning algorithms that classify which room objects are in. In just the same way that an image-recognition algorithm can be trained to recognize specific images, so too can

the LocationAI algorithm, enabling it to recognize when an asset is in Room 1 versus Room 2. More than this, LocationAI continuously updates its learned classifications, so it gets better over time. “We’re excited to introduce the health care industry to a new era of RTLS technology,” said Adrian Jennings, chief product officer at Cognosos. “Cognosos leverages the advancements in cloud, AI and machine learning to redefine what should be expected from asset tracking solutions: room-level accuracy without room-level infrastructure. Our technology eliminates several shortcomings of previous generation RTLS solutions by drastically reducing the amount of hardware needed to achieve room-level accuracy and eliminating costly network decay. In turn, total cost of ownership and installation timelines are reduced, while ROI, accuracy and ease-of-use are maximized.” For more information, visit www.cognosos.com/hospitals.

CROTHALL HEALTHCARE TECHNOLOGY SOLUTIONS ACQUIRES ABM’S CLINICAL ENGINEERING ORGANIZATION Crothall Healthcare’s Healthcare Technology Solutions (HTS) division has announced its acquisition of New York-based ABM’s Clinical Engineering organization. “This acquisition expands Healthcare Technology Solutions bringing our proven record of clinical engineering quality, innovation and expertise to more health systems. We are pleased to welcome our new customers and the ABM team to the Crothall family,” Crothall Healthcare Technology Solutions President James Cheek said. A release announcing the acquisition stated that key benefits of the transaction include: • Increased patient safety and reduced medical device risk by reducing variation in processes through our ISO 13485:2016 Quality Management System. • Industry leading infrastructure with state-of-the-art

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solutions for Cybersecurity Management (cyberHUB), Remote Monitoring for imaging equipment (remoteINSIGHTS), and Equipment Distribution and Disinfection (equipREADY). • Unbiased data, through our capitalINSIGHTS platform, providing medical equipment priority replacement guidance and justification. • Complete executive dashboards transparency and visibility to inventory through our Computerized Maintenance Management System (teamCHAMPS). • Reduced reliance on OEM or other Independent Service Organization (ISO) contracts through comprehensive training programs. For more information, visit tinyurl.com/ywh555ty.

MAY 2022

TECHNATION

INDUSTRY UPDATES

ECRI RELEASES ENHANCED VALUE ANALYSIS WORKFLOW SOLUTION ECRI has announced the release of an enhanced technology solution designed to improve new product and standardization decisions. Designed for health care value analysis committees, the decision-support technology solution features best-in-class intelligence and clinical evidence content to guide technology procurement. “The health care supply chain has faced incredible challenges and undergone transformational changes during the pandemic,” says Marcus Schabacker, MD, Ph.D., president and CEO, ECRI. “We understand these challenges and are designing improved solutions to help hospitals and health systems make transparent, evidence-based technology decisions that will reduce costs and improve patient outcomes.” ECRI’s Value Analysis Workflow offers unique transparency into the decision-making process to strengthen engagement by physicians and collaboration with other team members. It is also scalable to meet health systems’ current and future needs. This is the first time that ECRI has embedded the full breadth of their proprietary medical technology intelligence into a single software application. Value analysis teams have access to a range of resources, including 2,500 clinical evidence assessments; the largest and most comprehensive dataset of pricing on equipment, supplies and services; functionally equivalent product alternatives;

and product safety data. The decision support tool also includes product test results based on evaluations conducted in ECRI’s independent medical device laboratory. A fully scalable product, Value Analysis Workflow enables health care systems to: • Accelerate system-wide decisions on new health technology requests – organizes and automates projects, tasks and content all in one place • Adopt a best-in-class approach using best-practice standard workflows – connects to superior clinical evidence content, proprietary pricing and comparison intelligence, and patient safety data • Engage physicians, clinicians and supply chain leaders – with transparency into the workflow progress and technology decision making “While some value analysis teams are just starting to adopt more automated and streamlined processes, others are already high performers focused on reducing waste and variability through standardization and clinically driven decision making,” says Stuart Morris-Hipkins, chief solutions officer at ECRI. “The beauty of our new workflow tool is that it can be scaled to meet our members’ specific needs, right now and in the future as they grow and mature their value analysis process.” For more information, visit ecri.org.

FLUKE BIOMEDICAL ONEQA NOW INTEGRATES WITH ACCRUENT CMMS Fluke Biomedical announced that its OneQA software now integrates with Accruent’s TMS computerized maintenance management system (CMMS). Fluke Biomedical OneQA is a software platform that helps automate biomedical QA / PM workflows. It can be used alone or integrated into an existing asset management system. Accruent TMS customers can now add OneQA to their workflows to reduce or eliminate manual intervention from work order initiation through test report retention. “Integrating OneQA with TMS will help biomedical departments be more automated while still meeting regulatory needs,” said Terry Harris, Fluke Biomedical SaaS healthcare sales executive. “With OneQA, a TMS customer can integrate test equipment, testing protocols, test results, and with a select set of Fluke

TECHNATION

MAY 2022

Biomedical tools, a series of fully automated test passes into their broader asset management system.” One of the most widely used CMMS systems in U.S. hospitals, Accruent TMS users are already familiar with the system’s software add-ons to help customers become more efficient. “TMS customers could yield considerable time savings with OneQA,” said Kiran Jagilinki, product manager for Fluke Biomedical OneQA. “Work order checklists can be created in minutes and include images or notes to increase knowledge sharing. Test results are recorded in OneQA and can be sent to TMS, all without manual data entry.” For more information, visit flukebiomedical.com/oneqa-integrate-automate.

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INDUSTRY UPDATES ORDR LAUNCHES CLINICAL DEFENDER Ordr, a leader in connected device security, has announced the availability of Ordr Clinical Defender. Built on Ordr’s foundational asset and risk management features, and developed with best practices from top healthcare delivery organizations (HDOs), Ordr Clinical Defender enables healthcare technology management (HTM) teams to more efficiently and accurately manage their connected medical devices. HTM teams face significant challenges in managing the explosive growth of connected medical devices critical to patient care. There is typically a 15-20% discrepancy between assets registered in a computerized maintenance management system (CMMS), and assets deployed on the network. This increases risks for health care organizations as unknown devices increase the attack surface, and missing devices may contain protected health information (PHI), putting the organization in jeopardy of a costly HIPAA data breach violation. Furthermore, HTM teams spend an average of 30-60 minutes per person, per shift, looking for equipment. At a cost of $100 per hour, reducing this time can lead to significant cost savings. In addition, addressing clinical risks like identifying devices running outdated operating systems can drag on for weeks due to the lack of accurate data, making organizations vulnerable to cyberattacks. Ordr Clinical Defender, running on the new Ordr 8 Software release, provides focused, actionable, and accurate HTM insights

and workflows, so HTM and clinical engineering teams can: • Automate real-time asset inventory without impacting device operations • Address compliance by identifying missing, newly connected, or misplaced devices • Mitigate risks by identifying devices with vulnerabilities and recalls • Accelerate remediation efforts for devices with clinical risks; • Save millions of dollars by optimizing device utilization. “The thing we were astonished by was the visualization of the Ordr data. We found quite a few devices that had very out-of-date operating systems that we were not aware of, that we’re now addressing from an upgrade standpoint. We were able to mitigate those risks before anything happens,” said Chuck Christian, Vice President Technology and CTO, Franciscan Alliance. “It is refreshing to work with a vendor that actually listens and empathizes with issues and pain points from customers. It’s exciting to see the rubber meet the road in terms of suggestions and requests. Ordr’s Clinical Defender dashboard is both modern and functional. Kudos to the team,” said Jeremiah Green, information security manager, University of Rochester and University Rochester Medical Center. For more information, visit ordr.net.

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MAY 2022

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

PHILIPS EXPANDS CYBERSECURITY SERVICES PORTFOLIO Royal Philips announced the expansion of its medical device cybersecurity services portfolio at HIMSS22. Philips is introducing Secure Remote Access Management Service, leveraging the broad set of security capabilities enabled by the integration of SecureLink’s critical access management and governance technology with Philips Remote Services’ secure connectivity framework for technical and clinical support. The services provide benefits for health care providers including increased uptime, clinical performance and advanced security to help protect access to their clinical solutions and medical devices. “We are continuously expanding the foundation of Philips Cybersecurity Services and this type of integration is a strong complement to our offering, giving our customers more options for building robust cybersecurity programs,” said Gal Gnainsky, head of security at Philips. “As health care providers’ cybersecurity requirements continue to increase, partnering with SecureLink highlights Philips’ focus on offering best-inclass solutions to provide more secure access management and protect health networks down to granular device level.” Remote services have become an essential component of the digital transformation of health care. Philips’ portfolio of remote services is utilized to monitor key performance parameters for many clinical systems and devices on a continuous basis and alert customers of potential issues and rectify them, often remotely, before they result in system or device failures that interrupt patient care. During the COVID-19 pandemic, they played an important role in helping to keep hospitals operational at a time when on-site maintenance was

TECHNATION

MAY 2022

logistically difficult. Applying artificial intelligence (AI) and predictive analytics to the acquired data, they are also important to support the goals of zero system downtime, increased efficiency and seamless uninterrupted workflows. By integrating with SecureLink’s vendor privileged access management and governance capabilities, the Philips Remote Services portfolio now provides additional capabilities, offering a uniform level of security, visibility, traceability and audit capability needed for critical access management and data security. SecureLink’s solutions allow customers to manage privileged access sessions with rich audit logging, limiting access to relevant devices and systems and granting only “need to know” permissions required to monitor or maintain them. The Philips Cybersecurity Services portfolio comprises an end-to-end suite of technologies and services to safeguard customers’ medical systems, devices and related software regardless of vendor, helping empower the digital transformation in health care. The company’s approach to cybersecurity is characterized by end-to-end “Security by Design” principles that focus on security during product design, development, testing and deployment right through to in-use performance monitoring, system updates and incident response management. Philips also contributes to the development of national and international cybersecurity standards for medical devices, and its cybersecurity services portfolio aligns with global cybersecurity best practices and standards. The Philips Remote Services operating environment implements security controls that meet the internationally recognized ISO/IEC 27001 Information Security Management Systems standard.

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

NEW COO AT RELINK MEDICAL

Operate Efficiently, Perform Real Time, Simplify Compliance Tools For Flawless Inspections:

Jeremy Dalton reLink Medical COO

The company reLink Medical has announced the promotion of Jeremy Dalton to chief operating officer. In this new role, Dalton will build upon his current responsibilities while developing and implementing strategies needed to enhance company growth and leading the expansion of both regional and national business presence, according to a news release. “He will also be instrumental in growing additional service lines and managed programs for reLink’s 360 Enterprise clients,” the release states. “We are thrilled that Jeremy will take on the role as chief operating officer at reLink Medical,” shares Jeff Dalton, CEO of reLink Medical. “He has been an integral part of our team since 2016, and we look forward to him as he leads the business in innovative, strategic changes as we are poised to grow and move forward into 2022 and beyond.” “A true leader in business development and logistics, Jeremy has been instrumental in developing, growing, and maintaining successful business operations for reLink, formerly vice president of operations for the company,” the release adds. “Jeremy earned an A.B.A in business administration from Ohio University and has nearly 15 years of warehousing and logistics experience within the health care industry. He has worked in roles at nearly every level within the operations and business development fields for companies ranging in size from $300,000 to $300 million.”

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MAY 2022

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ECRI UPDATE 10 Tips for Navigating Health Care Supply Chain Disruptions

“

If you don’t have it, you can’t use it to care for the patient.” That, in a nutshell, summarizes ECRI’s rationale for including supply chain challenges as the No. 2 topic on its 2022 Top 10 Health Technology Hazards list. The pandemic exposed the vulnerability of the supply chain function and the vital need to keep it robust and reliable. Several ECRI resources can help with that effort.

The COVID-19 pandemic created a “perfect storm” for medical device supply chains: a crisis of international scale, with multiple product lines suddenly being in high demand, supported by supply chains designed around lean inventory models. The vulnerability of supply chains, a problem that existed well before the pandemic, suddenly became a critical obstacle to providing patient care. Two of ECRI’s supply chain experts – Tim Browne, executive director of ECRI’s Supply Guide service, and Jillian Tengood Hillman, Ph.D., manager of Functional Equivalents Technical Development – share key strategies for preventing product shortages and maintaining patient care in the event that you are unable to get the supplies you need. 1. RECOGNIZE THAT SUPPLY CHAIN DISRUPTIONS DIRECTLY IMPACT PATIENT CARE The unavailability of products could result in an inability to treat patients and protect staff; and that could lead to injury, illness or even death for patients or clinicians. “That’s why the topic warranted a spot near the top of our list,” explains Hillman. The inability of a health care facility to

TECHNATION

MAY 2022

restock its shelves can pretty quickly impact patient care. That’s true whether you’re talking about medications, supplies like masks and gowns, or even capital equipment: A ventilator, for example, could be rendered useless if you can’t resupply the parts and accessories required to deliver therapy to the patient. 2. DON’T BE LULLED INTO THINKING THIS IS “YESTERDAY’S” PROBLEM; SHORTAGES CONTINUE The pandemic stressed health care supply chains to the breaking point, exploiting vulnerabilities that already existed. Failing to address those vulnerabilities and plan for future disruptions – whether triggered by a pandemic, a natural disaster, geopolitical instabilities or other causes – will leave healthcare delivery organizations at risk. While many of the disruptions experienced during the height of the pandemic have resolved, new categories of disruption have emerged. Browne cites two in particular: shortage of magnesium, which has impacted the availability of aluminum-based products like crutches, and a slowdown in resin production, which hinders the manufacturing of plastic products. The impact is already being felt. In a poll conducted during a February 2022 ECRI webcast on the topic, more than one-third of all respondents reported experiencing shortages in each of the five categories shown in the figure. In addition, attendees described challenges obtaining products such as urinary catheters, endotracheal tubes, irrigation bottles for sterile water and saline, central line securement devices, hot packs, electrodes and defibrillator batteries.

3. REASSESS YOUR INVENTORY MODELS Supply chains built around lean inventory models and dependent on just-in-time deliveries are particularly susceptible to disruptions. Healthcare delivery organizations need to rethink their inventory levels for critical supplies. For example, “many organizations now maintain a 120-day supply of personal protective equipment (PPE) products,” notes Browne. 4. RE-EXAMINE SOLE-SOURCE AGREEMENTS Healthcare delivery organizations need to take a fresh look at the costs and benefits of sole-source agreements (contracts to purchase certain products exclusively from one supplier). “While sole-source agreements may offer the best option financially, they may leave you more vulnerable to supply chain disruptions,” advises Hillman. 5. BECOME LESS RELIANT ON INTERNATIONAL MANUFACTURERS The PPE shortages that were prevalent during the pandemic brought to light an overreliance on international manufacturers for many products. U.S. customers had to scramble to locate products from other sources when shutdowns, production challenges or export restrictions took hold in the country of origin. Transitioning to more domestic suppliers could reduce the risk. 6. BE PREPARED TO SOURCE PRODUCTS FROM NONTRADITIONAL SUPPLIERS When products become scarce, you may need to look toward nontraditional suppliers, such as international manufacturers or domestic manufacturers who have transitioned their operations to meet an

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

emergency need. “It’s essential that you vet these suppliers,” cautions Hillman. “Look for ways to gain assurance about the quality of the products you’ll be getting.” Browne adds, “Establishing relationships with international brokers can also help in this regard.” 7. MAINTAIN RELATIONSHIPS ESTABLISHED DURING THE PANDEMIC During the height of the pandemic, many healthcare delivery organizations collaborated with government agencies, group purchasing organizations and even local competitors to share information and resources. Maintaining relationships that proved successful will help organizations navigate future disruptions. 8. BUILD UP YOUR KNOWLEDGE AND INFRASTRUCTURE WITH RESPECT TO FUNCTIONAL EQUIVALENTS When a product becomes unobtainable, organizations need to identify functionally equivalent alternatives – that is, products that can fulfill the same clinical purpose. “To do this effectively,” advises Browne, “organizations need an unfiltered, GPOand distributor-agnostic lens on the market to get insight into all available alternatives.” ECRI can provide such a view. Browne

adds, “By proactively cataloging alternatives in your Item Master database, you’ll be able to quickly pivot to alternatives when disruptions occur.” 9. LOOK DEEPER WHEN IDENTIFYING FUNCTIONAL EQUIVALENTS “It’s not enough to lump broad categories of products together and call them functionally equivalent,” explains Hillman. A gown is not just a gown, for example; different materials or methods of construction may be used depending on the intended application. Identifying products that are truly functionally equivalent requires a deeper understanding of what the product is, and how, when, and why it is being used. Hillman cites wound care biologics as an example: Some types are derived from tissue, go through very minimal processing, and do not require 510(k) clearance, while others are highly processed and do require 510(k) clearance. “The two types interact with the wound differently at the molecular level, which is why ECRI classifies them as not functionally equivalent.” Workflow considerations are another factor to assess, adds Hillman. “One product may need to be hydrated before use, while another does not. That difference could affect your protocol for the procedure.”

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10. TRANSITION FROM A REACTIVE APPROACH TO A PROACTIVE ONE To get ahead of supply chain issues, try to identify where products are manufactured and where the raw materials come from. If you learn of a disruption in one of those regions, you can pivot accordingly before the disruption affects your operations. Greater transparency from manufacturers and suppliers will be needed; but health care providers can also help one another by sharing information about which products are in short supply and where alternatives can be found. TO LEARN MORE . . . This article is adapted from ECRI’s Top 10 Health Technology Hazards for 2022 report and its February 2022 webcast “Navigating Supply Disruption: Collaboration and Information Sharing as a Strategy.” (ECRI members can access the recording at https:// ly.ecri.org/supplychain.) An Executive Brief version of the Top 10 report is available for complimentary download at www.ecri. org/2022hazards. The full report, accessible to ECRI members, provides detailed steps that organizations can take to prevent adverse incidents. To learn more, contact ECRI at (610) 825-6000, ext. 5891, or by e-mail at clientservices@ecri.org.

MAY 2022

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

RIBBON CUTTING Life Spark Medical BY STAFF REPORT

ife Spark Medical is the company behind the SmartTank. It is described as the most innovative and straightforward way to accurately test capnometer and anesthesia gas monitors. Respiratory gas monitors can fail in several ways that traditional testing methods simply can’t detect. The SmartTank can detect these through a series of quick dynamic tests and simulations. Now, individuals can know that gas monitors are functioning correctly while saving time and money.

TechNation recently interviewed Darryl Zitting, co-owner and developer of The SmartTank, to find out more about the company and its products. Q: WHAT ARE SOME OF THE SERVICES AND PRODUCTS YOU OFFER? A: Life Spark Medical currently offers The SmartTank, a comprehensive, automated tester of respiratory gas monitors. Q: HOW DOES YOUR COMPANY STAND OUT IN THE MEDICAL EQUIPMENT FIELD? A: The SmartTank allows for easy testing by offering preloaded test sequences that step operators through OEM’s PM test procedure, document test results, and helps avoid unnecessary and costly gas monitor repairs while reducing calibration gas waste.

Darryl Zitting Co-Owner and Developer of The SmartTank

Q: WHAT IS ON THE HORIZON FOR YOUR COMPANY? A: Life Spark Medical is currently focusing on launching the SmartTank and helping customers save time/money by automating their respiratory gas monitor testing. Q: IS THERE ANYTHING ELSE YOU WOULD LIKE OUR READERS TO KNOW? A: To schedule a virtual demo, call or text us at 435.254.3010.

For more information, visit smarttanktester.com

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MAY 2022

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AAMI UPDATE AAMI Comments on Proposed Quality System Regulation Change in FDA Meeting

n a virtual public advisory committee meeting of the FDA’s Device Good Manufacturing Practice Advisory Committee on March 2, committee members and the public discussed a proposed rule with far-reaching implications for the medical device industry – an alignment of the FDA’s Quality System Regulation (21 CFR 820) with the international consensus standard for devices, ISO 13485:2016, Medical devices-Quality management systems-Requirements for regulatory purposes.

The change has been a long time coming, said Ariel Seeley, associate director of regulatory documents and special projects in the Office of Policy at the FDA’s Center for Devices and Radiological Health. “Over time, regulatory bodies coalesced around the international standard for quality management systems for devices, ISO 13485,” said Seely at the meeting. “With its current proposed rule, FDA is announcing its intention to take [the] next step to further ensure its [quality system regulation] remains harmonized with current global standards.” Global harmonization of regulatory requirements introduces great efficiencies, she added, “such as ensuring favorable marketing conditions to potentially support earlier access to devices, promoting competition and efficiency, and reducing unnecessary duplication of effort.” In comments delivered to the public meeting, AAMI’s Vice President of Standards Amanda Benedict lauded the nearly three decades of work by standards

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MAY 2022

professionals to make quality systems harmonization possible, as well as the numerous benefits that harmonization would allow. AAMI administers the Secretariat to ISO/TC 210, the international technical committee responsible for the development of ISO 13485, as well as the U.S. Technical Advisory Group to ISO/TC 210, which is responsible for the U.S. national adoption of the ISO standard. “Consensus-based uniform and systematic approaches to quality management across the world can improve the safety and performance of medical devices globally, which benefits patients, and also encourages innovation within industry and facilitates expedited and less costly introduction of products into new markets,” Benedict said. “AAMI has long believed that ISO 13485 should become the global quality system standard for medical devices worldwide, and we support efforts towards regulatory convergence. The adoption of the new rule by the FDA would essentially make this a reality, leading to improved safety, effectiveness and availability of medical technology for all.” Also providing feedback were the medical device trade association AdvaMed and Medical Imaging & Technology Alliance (MITA). Representatives from both organizations expressed overall support for harmonization with ISO 13485, citing reduced costs and greater efficiency for companies. However, both groups sought clarification on the length and process of the transition period times and the role of ISO 13585 certification and inspections. For

example, Jamie Wolszon, vice president of technology and regulatory affairs at AdvaMed, recommended “sufficiently long” transition period of two years to protect smaller medical device companies and provide opportunity for training. “The use of [an] international voluntary consensus standard to meet regulatory requirements has many benefits, including – and this one is paramount – that it furthers the efforts to harmonize global medical technology regulations” while also “introducing efficiencies for both FDA and the medical device industry by reducing unnecessary duplication,” said Wolszon. “We strongly believe that the proposed transition will lead to the promotion of global harmonization and reduction of unnecessary burden while ensuring patient safety and public health.” The FDA is accepting comments on the proposed rule until May 24 at www.regulations.gov, Docket No. FDA-2021-N-0507. The proposed rule was published in the Federal Register Notice.

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

AAMI COMMITTEE PUBLISHES NEW HTM TEAM BUILDING GUIDE The AAMI Health Technology Leadership Committee (HTLC) has published a new guide for HTM professionals on how to build successful teams. “In this field, we have a lot of people who are technically competent, who can fix any machine you put in front of them,” said Mike Powers, director of clinical engineering at Intermountain Healthcare in Utah and one of six experts who contributed to the document. “The problem is, to be an effective leader or team member, that’s just the beginning of what you really need.” With that as its premise, the guide provides an overview of team-building insights ranging from classifications for teams to “key models” of group development. “Gone are the days when HTM was expected to sneak in, ‘fix it’ and sneak out, with the nurse never knowing we were there,” Powers added. HTM professionals of all levels are now expected “to not only fix the device, but also the user’s relationship with the device – to, in effect, become part of the care provider’s team to restore their faith in the device before it is returned to clinical care.” The guide was envisioned as a way to help fill the HTM leadership gap that’s formed thanks to recent turnover in the industry. And while AAMI’s HTLC are aware they can’t possibly teach everything there is to know about developing

strong teams within the confines of a seven-page guide, the document “should be seen as a playbook, a place to start,” Powers said. “After you read this, leading a team won’t seem so overwhelming anymore. You’ll see how others have done it before, and you’ll have the confidence to give it a try yourself.”

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MAY 2022

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AAMI eXchange 2022: A

AMI eXchange, a national healthcare technology management event, is returning as an in-person convention and expo in San Antonio, Texas on June 3-6. Healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals and manufacturers will once again come together to exchange ideas, learn and network at the beautiful Henry B. Gonzalez Convention Center, nestled alongside the world-famous San Antonio Riverwalk.

A REUNION CELEBRATION After two years of remote events, AAMI eXchange will be a community reunion for Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) stakeholders, including biomedical and clinical engineers, technicians, cybersecurity and sterilization experts, hospital administrators and managers, manufacturers, and the industry’s leading service and solution providers. AAMI is pulling out all the stops to make this year’s event special. Saturday night will feature the first-ever AAMI Party at The LDR and Grotto, a beautiful indoor-outdoor space offering a unique “Old West” style experience paired with the beauty and serenity of the Riverwalk. In addition to the new AAMI Party, attendees’ favorite events will be back in full swing this year, with a Welcome Reception taking place on the expo floor Friday night and the AAMI Appreciation Reception taking place Sunday night at the Hard Rock Café overlooking the Riverwalk.

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MAY 2022

MEETING FRIENDS … OLD AND NEW This year’s event will be an opportunity to reconnect with old friends and make new ones, and ample time for networking has been built into the schedule. The AAMI booth on the expo floor is being expanded to create the AAMI Lounge, a great space for meeting with peers and AAMI staff, most notably new AAMI President and CEO Pamela Arora. She is eager to meet attendees and chat about the opportunities that await AAMI and its stakeholders. “The scope of AAMI’s influence is broadening with the evolution of medical devices and technology, and the organization needs to strongly capitalize on its wins,” Arora noted. “I have ideas of what those are, but it’s important that I listen to our members and stakeholders to hear their perspectives. To that effect, I’ll be taking time to get to know our greater community. Come and say, ‘Hello!’ ” INSPIRING SPEAKERS Arora will take the stage on Saturday to introduce herself to the AAMI community and share her thoughts on the future of healthcare technology. She’ll then be joined by thought leaders from across the community for a thought-provoking discussion about the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead in the rapidly changing field. On Sunday, social entrepreneur Derreck Kayongo will take the stage. As founder of the Global Soap Project, Kayongo has built a multimillion-dollar venture that takes

Pamela Arora President & CEO AAMI recycled soap and distributes the life-improving product through global health programs to people in need around the world. He will break down the key factors that have led to his success: Service, Education, Leadership and Faith (S.E.L.F.). He’ll share his account of life as a Ugandan refugee and the turning point that led him to a brilliant transformation as a social entrepreneur. This inspiring story will challenge attendees to focus on personal accountability, to seek out opportunities to improve and, most importantly, to create an environment where everyone is empowered to thrive. On Monday, AAMI eXchange will wrap up with keynote speaker Herman McKenzie, director of the department of engineering in the standards interpretation group for The Joint Commission. He leads the team responsible for developing and

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INDUSTRY UPDATES

Your Guide to Prepare interpreting the Life Safety and Environment of Care Standards. He will share key observations on recent developments and will participate in a facilitated audience Q&A session. Attendees are encouraged to come with questions. PEER-TO-PEER LEARNING AAMI eXchange will once again offer three days of best-in-class educational sessions led by recognized experts in the health technology field. With multiple tracks spread across the three days, attendees will have the opportunity to build an agenda that matches their specific interests and experience level. And, for those that hold an ACI certification, attendees can earn up to 15 ACI CEUs. Tracks this year include: • 3D Printing • Artificial Intelligence & Machine Learning • Career/Professional Development • Cybersecurity • Emergency Preparedness • Equipment Management (staffand management-level tracks) • Telehealth/Hospital-at-Home • Internet of Things (IoT) • Meeting Regulatory/Accreditation Requirements • Patient Safety • Sterilization (medical device packaging and reprocessing) • Virtual Reality & Augmented Reality A full listing of all educational sessions can be found at bit.ly/eXchange-edu.

Herman McKenzie Department of Engineering Director EXPO AND SPECIAL EVENTS Approximately 150 exhibitors will be on hand this year to showcase their technology and solutions and to meet with attendees. This year’s expo will feature product and service spotlights in the AAMI Theater as well as two product showcase spaces. A complete list of exhibitors and booth locations can be found via an interactive map at bit.ly/eXchange2022EXPO. In addition to spending time on the expo floor, attendees will have opportunities to take advantage of several special events. A live CBET Study Course will be offered on Thursday, June 2 and Friday, June 3. This training will cover each area of AAMI’s CBET exam outline, including anatomy and physiology; public safety in the health care facility; fundamentals of electricity and electronics; healthcare technology and function; healthcare technology problem-solving; and

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healthcare information technology. All course registrants will have access to the electronic course materials as well as a private discussion group. On Saturday June 4, the American College of Clinical Engineering will host a symposium on “The Three R’s of the Round Table — Recruitment, Retention, Recognition.” Then, on Sunday and Monday, two additional industry symposia will be available, hosted by CyberMDX and TRIMEDX respectively. Separate registration for all three symposia can be found on the AAMI eXchange 2022 website. COME FOR EXCHANGE, STAY FOR MORE FUN San Antonio is a wonderful destination with a rich history, diverse cultural landscape and some of the best attractions in the country. For those looking to explore the San Antonio area before and after eXchange, there are extensive sightseeing opportunities including riverboat cruises, ghost tours, a historic Japanese Tea Garden and, of course, tours of the Alamo. San Antonio is also one of two U.S. cities designated a UNESCO Creative City of Gastronomy. Foodies are encouraged to visit www.visitsanantonio.com/eat/ and the AAMI eXchange website to learn more!

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EXHIBITOR SPOTLIGHT Be Sure to Visit These Exhibitors! Accruent Accruent.com Booth #619

Agiliti Health Agilitihealth.com Booth #427

Asset Services Assetservices.com Booth #1118

Avante Health Solutions Avantehs.com Booth #405

BC Group International, Inc Bcgroupintl.com Booth #524 AllParts Medical Allpartsmedical.com Booth #311

A.M. Bickford Ambickford.com Booth #626

Alco Sales Service Co. Alcosales.com Booth #635

Asimily Asimily.com Booth #1519

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MAY 2022

BETA Biomed Services Betabiomed.com Booth #1513

Cox Prosight coxprosight.com Booth #724

CyberMDX - A Forescout Company cybermdx.com Booth #1134

Cynerio cynerio.com Booth #736

Elite Biomedical Solutions Elitebiomedicalsolutions.com Booth #1524

Cadmet, Inc Cadmet.com Booth #928

FOBI Medical Fobi.us Booth #505

College of Biomedical Equipment Technology cbet.edu Booth #835

GE Healthcare Gehealthcare.com Booth #819

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Healthmark Industries hmark.com Booth #830

HTMJobs HTMJobs.com Booth #1026

Maull Biomedical Maullbiomedical.com Booth #930

Medical Equipment Doctor medicalequipdoc.com Booth #103

Phoenix Data Systems, Inc goaims.com Booth #1218

SPBS Spbs.com Booth #734

Pioneer Biomedical adeptomed.com Booth #838

TechNation 1technation.com Booth #1026

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Experts in Siemens Medical Imaging

Infusystem Infusystem.com Booth #211

Injector Support and Service WeAreISS.com Booth #735

Innovatus Imaging innovatusimaging.com Booth #818

Medigate medigate.io Booth #1525

MedWrench Medwrench.com Booth #1024

MultiMedical Systems, LLC multimedicalsystems.com Booth #434

Pronk Technologies Technical Prospects LLC the medical product support network Pronktech.com technicalprospects.com Booth #825

Booth #325

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Radcal Tri-Imaging Solutions Radcal.com Triimaging.com Booth #719 “MedWrench has proven toBooth #127

be an invaluable resource in servicing medical technology.” ReNew Biomedical–Sam Morgan, Kaleida Health Renewbiomedical.com Booth #1209

TruAsset, LLC truasset.com Booth #329

DISCUSSION FORUMS • FREE TO JOIN • FIND SERVICE COMPANIE Integrity Biomedical Services Integritybiomed.com Booth #425

Lexicon MedParts lexiconmedparts.com Booth #828

Nuvolo Nuvolo.com Booth #1009

Ordr ordr.net Booth #1411

Rigel Medical seaward-groupusa.com Booth #929

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Vis it u s a t A A M I E xc h a n g e ! RTI Group Rtigroup.com Booth #919

BOOTH 1024 Southeastern Biomedical Associates, Inc. MEDICAL EQUIPMENT SALES AND SERVICE

LifeSpark Medical Smarttanktester.com Booth #604

sebiomedical.com PartsSource Booth #509 Partssource.com Prepare to seek out top Booth #227

MedWrench vendors at AAMI Exchange for a chance to win over $1,000 in prizes!

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USOC Medical usocmedical.com Booth #119

Vizzia Technologies Vizziatech.com Booth #1530

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Stop by the Med Wrench booth 10 24 Exchang at AAMI e to join the Med Wrench Scaveng er Hunt. MAY 2022

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SHOP TALK POWERED BY

SIEMENS ACUSON SEQUOIA C512

GE HEALTHCARE CARESCAPE B650

SIEMENS SONOLINE ANTARES

I have a 15L8w transducer and a 6C2 transducer and an EV-8C4 transducer all by Sequoia. But the 15L8w and 6C2 transducer won’t fit into the ports. The EV-8C4 slide’s right in. Do I have the wrong size? I thought the manual says they’re compatible.

The 15L8w and 6C2 are considered high-definition probes. Based upon the revision of the front-end board, the connector ports are physically configured to permit or limit the connection of high-definition probes to certain ports. Try fitting the probes in the left-most port. Look at the shape of the top of the connector ports. The left port may have triangular-shaped plastics. The right two ports may be more square in design.

One more question, what are the proper steps to shut down the ultrasound?

The system runs on a UNIXbased operating system. It is very important that the system be powered down in the correct manner. Pressing the power button on the right-front section beneath the monitor is the recommended processes. If the system hangs, there is a way to force a shutdown using a push button underneath one of the handles on the user interface.

I am getting the error message “Service Monitor - Error Code 0xHOST1100” after replacing the CPU battery. Did a time change and restarted but the time reverted back to 0:00 with the error code for a couple of times now. What else can I do to fix this?

A: Q:

I’d check the battery for voltage and placement.

The battery voltage and placement are great. The round rubber on the casing that is pressing on the battery melted so I removed all of it. Does that make a change?

I am not sure. Is there any way you can measure voltages from the battery by tracing lines on the circuit board? The purpose is to make sure the battery is actually electrically connected. Do you know why the rubber melted? The manual says to change (set) the time, and then change the battery. See Page 139.

My Sonoline Antares ultrasound machine shows operating system not found. Can anyone help me secure a reloaded HDD?

Please check to see if your OS drive is working or not. Reach into the drive location and and try to hear some sort of click-click sound (of course in case of mech HDD) , if that sound is coming continuously then your drive is gone and needs to be replaced with a new one with the appropriate OS and Application package. It may be available on software CD/DVD that comes with the machine.

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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MAY 2022

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BIOMED 101 Testing Patient Monitoring Systems BY LEWIS LENNARD

ital signs are crucial in communicating a patient’s condition and severity of a disease to health care clinicians. Patient monitors observe these vital signs continuously and provide warnings in the case of a serious event. It’s important any anomalous vital sign values alert clinicians, and to some extent, provide direct physiological input data to control connected life support devices.

COVID-19 and other factors have led to a surge in patient admissions increasing the demand for patient monitors worldwide. Aging populations, increasing complexity of patient conditions and health care cutbacks have taken their toll on health care organizations. Furthermore, a shortage of clinicians and technological advances has led to remote patient monitoring becoming commonplace. Recalls of medical equipment up to the present day remain as relevant as ever. Vital sign monitoring equipment has been reported to the FDA with a multitude of different problems and failure to conform sometimes resulting in patient injuries. The FDA database includes many reports of NIBP failures, incorrect oxygen values, ECG signal errors and no alarms sounding for anomalous vital sign values. This compounds the importance of ensuring patient monitoring systems

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MAY 2022

are accurate and safe to use. Moreover, like all healthcare technology, these monitors must also be thoroughly checked and tested on a regular basis to ensure that they work accurately and safely so they do not pose a risk to operators and patients alike. To ensure that monitors are performing as intended, performance tests at regular intervals are essential. The main function of a patient monitor is to provide accurate data across all available vital signs. Such accuracy is verified on a periodic basis, based on risk assessment, manufacturer recommendations and stages of the monitor’s life cycle. Performance tests are typically executed using calibrated simulators across several vital sign parameters and are all part of an acceptance test, preventative maintenance cycle or repair. A typical test cycle for a vital signs monitor might include a visual inspection, self-tests, electrical safety testing, integrity of the device under test, parameter accuracy of temperature, pressure, SpO2, ECG and respiration. Alarms checks for pitch, frequency, volume are required as well as dynamic physiological simulations. Patient simulation is implemented by the following performance verification procedures from medical device manufacturer service manuals. Ideally, a multi-parameter patient simulator is used to test a device in one test sequence, which

provides a practical approach to the biomedical technicians. Each parameter has a different method for performance testing. NON-INVASIVE BLOOD PRESSURE (NIBP) NIBP measurement principles primarily rely on the oscillometric method. It determines systolic, diastolic and mean arterial values by detecting the vibrations in the arterial wall at various pressure points by means of an inflated cuff. Testing the accuracy of the monitor involves both static and dynamic pressure simulations at specific values while system leak and over pressure tests are also part of the procedure, executed using a manometer and a built-in pump, to ensure patient safety. INVASIVE BLOOD PRESSURE (IBP) IBP is an invasive form of blood pressure measurement and uses a liquid filled catheter, which is placed in an artery. The arterial pressure is converted by a pressure transducer into an electrical signal. This is typically 5µV/ V/mmHg. Testing the monitor for its linear sensitivity is essential in determining its accuracy. Patient simulation is performed by outputting defined DCV values. PULSE OXIMETRY (SPO2) SpO2 estimates the amount of oxygen in the blood by analysing the absorption of light by haemoglobin across two different wavelength

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LEDs (RED/IR). If more red than infrared light is being absorbed there are less oxygenated blood cells. SpO2 simulation is often implemented using optical simulation “fingers.” These devices provide variable attenuation to light in the red and IR wavelengths. ELECTROCARDIOGRAPH (ECG) ECG measures tiny electrical signals from the heart using ECG leads placed on various parts of the body. These signals are amplified, measured and displayed on a patient monitor. ECG simulations are electrically generated cardiac arrhythmias or performance waveforms with pre-set amplitudes and frequencies. RESPIRATION Respiration utilizes the ECG leads to measure transthoracic impedance. As the thoracic cavity expands during inspiration, the impedance of the chest increases. During expiration the impedance of the chest decreases. Simulating respiration involves set baseline impedances with delta impedances providing respiration rates. TEMPERATURE Temperature measurements in patient monitors are primarily carried out using NTC thermistors. This means that when temperature increases the resistance of the thermistor decreases. Temperature simulation is provided through a set number of resistances depending on the type of sensor (YSI400/ YSI700). Why is it important to test? The correct function and operation of medical equipment is equally as

important as the function it performs. An incorrect reading or missed condition might have considerable consequences for the patient, therefore; the person carrying out the maintenance must be technically competent, appropriately trained and aware of the various parameters being verified. Therefore, like all technology, equipment needs to be thoroughly checked and tested on a regular basis to ensure that they work accurately and safely so they do not pose a risk to operators and patients alike It is the responsibility of the medical equipment manufacturer to provide verification procedures to ensure optimum performance is being achieved and maintained. The person or organization carrying out the maintenance must make themselves aware of the required procedures and operation of the medical equipment. If there is any doubt, contact the manufacturer. Planned preventative maintenance is also an important aspect during the product life of medical electrical equipment. To ensure safety of the patient and operator, procedures are required to cover visual inspection, electrical safety testing (typically NFPA 99), performance or functional testing and record keeping. Always ensure that the function and operation of the DUT is understood before commencing on the planned preventative maintenance. Without fully understanding the function and/or operation, visual inspections, electrical safety tests and functional tests might be incorrect or incomplete. Prior to any testing, ensure that the manufactur-

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er’s recommendations are available as they often supersede any general inspection guidelines. Regular performance checks of patient monitoring devices maintain accuracy and performance. This is paramount for modern health care providers and hospitals. Take one of Spain’s leading biomedical device service companies, for example. Hermed Spain’s team of biomedical service engineers and technicians has grown from 35 to 50 and all are equipped with the latest Rigel Medical test technology, including the Uni-Sim vital signs simulator and the Rigel 288 Plus electrical safety analyzer. Dr. Marta Villarejo, director general of Hermed Spain, said: “The Uni-Sim Vital Signs Simulator has proven itself to be a very practical tool. By bringing together NIBP, SpO2, ECG, temperature, IBP and respiratory functions in one piece of equipment, it greatly facilitates the field service activities by Hermed engineers, saving time and avoiding the need to carry several pieces of equipment.” Biomedical engineers, technologists and technicians have important responsibilities, but the use of the latest vital signs and patient monitoring test equipment will contribute effectively to them meeting compliance and performance requirements and ensure safety measures can be effectively maintained in all hospitals and health care facilities without the imposition of an overly excessive test regime. – Lewis Lennard is an application engineer at Rigel Medical.

MAY 2022

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TOOLS OF THE TRADE Healthmark Industries Clamp for FIS-007

ealthmark Industries has introduced the Clamp for FIS-007 to its ProSys Optical Inspection product line. It is a solution for health care facilities faced with space constraints. The clamp is designed for mounting the FIS-007 control box to either posts that are 19-38mm in diameter, or rails that are 10 x 25mm. Manufactured from die cast aluminum and stainless-steel, the 130.3 L x 20.8 W x 63.5 diameter mm clamp can support up to 30 pounds and has a Clear E Coating finish, which can withstand hospital cleaning solutions. Easily mounted with the use of a Phillips head screwdriver.

For more information, visit www.hmark.com.

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MAY 2022

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WEBINAR WEDNESDAY Webinars Explore HTM Issues STAFF REPORT

he 2022 Webinar Wednesday series continues to provide helpful knowledge and valuable insights to attendees from throughout the healthcare technology management (HTM) realm. Recent webinars have touched on leadership, management and more.

TEAM MANAGEMENT The Webinar Wednesday presentation “A Practical Approach to Team Management” was sponsored by Phoenix Data Systems. It was eligible for 1 credit from the ACI. AIMS 3 Product Manager Aaron Peters provided methods to easily organize and manage teams to have custom workflows with greater visibility. Attendees were provided tips on how to manage technician teams, including team creation and manager assignments, how to swap team members in seconds as well as work order assignments, individual or in bulk. He also discussed how to auto-assign work orders by area assignments and home screen advantages for managers and techs. Peters also shared insights regarding how to manage entire departments with “Departmental Assignment Profiles, Partition Data for Clinical, Radiology, Facilities, IT, etc.” and how to operate the Use Trades feature for specialized work. Other items covered in the presentation included: • Take full advantage of all team benefits under assignment profiles • Unique risk setup for each department • Interfaces can work system-wide or for a single department Peters said some other benefits of team and departmental management are:

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MAY 2022

• Automation allows for different workflows for different teams • Custom critical messages can bridge the gap and show for all teams or all departments • Customer service forms and surveys work for all departments at once or a single department • Advanced reporting can track team reports from home screen Peters shared additional insights via a question-and-answer session. More than 100 people attended the live webinar and a recording of it is available for on-demand viewing, including the Q&A session at WebinarWednesday.live. Attendees provided feedback via a survey that included the question, “What do you like best about the Webinar Wednesday webinar series?” “Lots of good information and questions as well as industry best practices. Will definitely make time for more,” Innovation Coordinator C. Funk said. “Allows me to keep current, as well as provides refreshers on concepts,” Supervisor of Biomedical Services P. Neher said. “The wide range of information presented,” Biomed Tech R. Rhoades said. CT DOWNTIME The session “Faster Measurement of CTDI and CT Beam Width” presented by RTI Group Training Manager Erik Wikström was eligible for 1 credit from the ACI. It was sponsored by RTI Group. Wikström discussed ways to reduce the downtime of CT scanners due to quality control or preventive maintenance activities. CTDI is a commonly used exposure index used in computed tomography (CT) to

monitor performance. First defined in 1981, it has been subject to updates as CT technology has evolved – from X-ray beams measuring a few mm up to beams of 160mm width. Wikström also looked at CTDI formalism in its different generations and varying methods of measurement and how these are applied. The webinar provided excellent insights and prompted some great questions during the question-and-answer session. One question was, “How do you know how to convert those in the center of Phantom to do in the periphery?” Wikström explained that the company has purchased data from manufacturers and others to be able to investigate and research it. “So, we know the relationship between the dose in the center hole and the dose in the peripheral holes,” he added. Another question Wikström answered was, “How can an ion chamber give any kind of resolution of the CT dose profile?” The answer to this and other questions are available via on-demand viewing at WebinarWednesday.live. Attendees provided feedback regarding the webinar in a survey that also asked, “Why did you attend today’s webinar? And, was it worth your time?” “Was interested in seeing more about the Piranha platform. The sales rep in our area was here last week but I was unavailable due to schedule conflicts. So, this coming up was nice,” CE Manager W. Doiel said. “Part of my job is to measure beam width, so I want to learn more about it. Worth the time? Yes,” Medical Physicist L. Fajardo said.

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THE BENCH “To gain insight into QC techniques and measurement. It was worth my time and thank you for the opportunity to view,” Biomed D. Tomczak said. BENEFITS OF ISOS The webinar “Small- to Mid-Sized Independent Service Organizations – Benefits They Provide Hospitals and Challenges They Face Today” was presented by a panel of healthcare technology management (HTM) experts and was eligible for 1 credit from the ACI. The webinar was sponsored by Nuvolo. In the 60-minute webinar, the panel of HTM leaders and representatives from small- to mid-sized independent service organizations (ISOs) discussed the challenges smaller ISOs face in 2022. They also shared the impact these challenges may have on hospitals. Most hospitals utilize smaller third-party service providers to some degree as a way to provide clinical equipment maintenance support when needed. It may be to supplement the in-house HTM team when staff levels are low or workloads are high. In addition, many ISOs specialize in maintaining equipment the in-house staff may not be trained on and, therefore, are able to provide a less-expensive alternative to OEM contracts. Regardless of how the smaller ISOs are utilized in a hospital, they are a convenient and economical supplement to most clinical equipment maintenance programs. However, the COVID-19 pandemic, fierce competition from large OEMs and ISOs, and the BMET shortage itself, has put a strain like never before on small- to mid-sized, third-party service providers. Attendees had some great questions during the webinar, including “What is the latest in the right to repair initiative?” Some other questions the presenters addressed were: • The changes to the HTM field you discussed and foresee, obviously, also impact the independent service organization. Is it harder or easier for them to adapt compared to an in-house HTM department, and why? • What is the most important thing that a civilian BMET could learn from a military BMET? • How are they dealing with device

vulnerabilities, especially in the case where an OEM cannot provide a remediation in a timely manner? • As a new BMET, we are looking at bringing our program in house, but also maintaining a relationship with our independent service organization. What should be our primary focus? All the questions and answers can be heard by watching the on-demand webinar at WebinarWednesday.live. Attendees provided feedback regarding the webinar via a survey that included the question, “How will today’s webinar help you improve in your role?” “Better understanding of general ISO perspective versus specialized ISO,” Vice President T. Graff said. “Today’s webinar helped me understand the relation between a facility and ISO a lot better and the need for them,” Biomedical Engineering Technician A. McCray said. “It will help with understanding different viewpoints from the ones I have seen,” Tech Manager BMET II C. Bottomley said. ULTRASOUND IMAGE QUALITY The recent Webinar Wednesday session “Troubleshooting Ultrasound Image Quality” was presented by Joni Charles, ultrasound modality manager of Philips Multi-Vendor Services. The webinar was sponsored by AllParts and eligible for 1 credit from the ACI. More than 100 people logged in for the live presentation. A recording of the webinar is available for on-demand viewing at WebinarWednesday.live. Charles used the presentation as a means to assist engineers and biomeds in troubleshooting ultrasound image quality issues by providing practical knowledge, experience and information. She covered several topics including: • foundational ultrasound information; • explanation of the appearance and aesthetics of an ultrasound imaging screen; • explanation of the formation of an ultrasound image; • break down and discussion of the components involved in the creation of a ultrasound image; • discussion of the different types of front ends in ultrasound machines;

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• discussion of the different components that can affect image quality; • cost to service and elements to consider; • practical approach to troubleshooting first steps and beyond practical tools used in the diagnosis of image quality issues. She also fielding questions after her presentation. One question was, “How have any of the major components in ultrasound machines changed over the years?” Charles explained that there have been drastic changes oftentimes powered by the smaller and faster technology that is used in ultrasound devices. Another attendee asked what advice she would give to a biomed looking to move into ultrasound repair and service. Charles recommended an ultrasound basics course for starters. Attendees provided feedback via a post-webinar survey that included the question, “Why did you attend today’s webinar? And, was it worth your time?” “As a new intern to biomed, I am very interested to know all the different devices in my field to feel confident about my work. Yes, it was worth my time,” Biomed Intern A. Avxhiu said. “Applicable subject matter to equipment managed under my care. Yes, provided a good overview of system functionality and basic troubleshooting steps,” Biomedical Technician II D. Szabo said. “I am starting to work with ultrasound devices, and it was a good introduction to common troubleshooting steps,” Biomedical Engineering Technologist A. Aspenlieder said. For more information, visit WebinarWednesday.live.

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ROUNDTABLE

ROUNDTABLE IV Pumps

echNation asked several healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals from throughout the nation to share their insights regarding IV pumps. Participating in this roundtable article are Adepto Medical’s Clint Creal, USOC Medical Technician Andrea Garcia, Avante Health Solutions (AHS) Lead Technician Zaolatt Laphai, MultiMedical Systems’ Israel Matamoros, Infusystem Vice President of Acute Care Austin Otto and Infusion Pump Repair Lead Technician Johnathan Romero.

Q: WHAT IS ONE THING EVERY HTM PROFESSIONAL SHOULD KNOW ABOUT IV PUMPS? CREAL: Software is the name of the game now. Make sure you know what software level your pumps are at so that when you’re ordering rentals or additional units, they’ll be able to connect to your server and the drug library can be loaded onto the pumps.

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one should keep in mind how critical accuracy is for these devices. While patient monitoring and parameter modules are important, those devices read vitals off a patient, while an infusion pump delivers fluids into a patient. It’s important to keep these things in mind because any bit of over or under delivery can result in a patient incident.

Clint Creal Adepto Medical Drug libraries are a standard across the country now and clinicians will not want to use pumps that don’t have drug libraries on them. It’s important to match up all the software specifications prior to ordering additional pumps. GARCIA: When repairing an IV pump,

LAPHAI: One thing every HTM professional should know is that not all IV pumps are the same. They may all be designed to do the same thing (deliver fluids, nutrients, medications to patients), but their mechanisms of action are different. Two different types of pumps AHS services are Alaris 8100 Infusion Pumps and Medfusion 3500 Syringe pumps. Knowing what each type of pump’s specifications and functions are, while also maintaining proper maintenance, can ensure that this lifesaving equipment is performing to OEM specifications. Any inaccuracy could be potentially life threatening,

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ROUNDTABLE

syringe pumps are typically a lot fewer in quantity than the large volume pumps so it’s not worth sending a technician to OEM training to get certified for the few times they have to touch the pump a year. Parts for these unique pumps can also be expensive and some OEMs will not sell you parts unless you’ve been properly trained by them. There are many great vendors that can repair and service these pumps outside of the OEM and will typically have a lot faster turnaround time as well. Andrea Garcia USOC Medical depending on the medication being delivered. MATAMOROS: Something like a hairline fracture in the bezel of an IV pump can cause the pump to be out of range. Calibrating the pump will not fix the issue if you’re not thorough enough. So, being thorough is never a negative thing when it comes to patient safety. OTTO: IV pumps require a lot of resources. PM and repair can take up 30% of the workload for a typical biomed department. Shops that have ample resources can keep up, but if staffing is low there are a lot of outside resources that can cost effectively help support this equipment. Although IV pumps take up a lot of time, they don’t have to take up a lot of expense. ROMERO: From a technician’s point of view, being up to date with technology, especially software, is important to know. It is essential to be more familiar with software updates so that pumps can be more user-friendly and valuable. Being aware of the latest software can help save time and money. Q: WHAT ARE SOME COST-SAVING TIPS YOU CAN SHARE REGARDING IV PUMPS? CREAL: Specialty pumps do not always need to go back to the manufacturer. Epidural/pain pumps and specialty

GARCIA: By being proactive and staying up to date on your maintenance schedule you can prevent higher cost repairs by replacing minor overly used parts. Replacing parts like motors and clutch assemblies proactively can reduce the strain on higher cost parts, thereby increasing the longevity of some of the more expensive parts. LAPHAI: One of the most cost-effective strategies that can be utilized is to invest in your HTM professionals’ IV pump training and always make sure your testing equipment is operating correctly and is up to date. Also, using OEM-compatible parts will minimize valuable technician time and eliminate incompatibility errors. Having commonly used parts on hand will keep downtime minimal. The less time a unit is out of circulation for repairs, the more time it is operational and helping patients. MATAMOROS: Remember to save the tubing from the IV set. They always come in handy when you create a new test kit. Instead of ordering one from the manufacturer some OEM manuals give you a guide to create them. OTTO: Cutting cost is important for all equipment and IV pumps are no exception. Physical damage is the most expensive type of repair that can be mitigated with the right processes. A majority of physical damage occurs during cleaning and distribution along

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with improper handling of equipment. Looking at the trends within your facility and using that data to help educate other departments on proper procedures can have a large financial impact. Being involved with a mitigation plan through continuing education, physical damage and cost can be drastically reduced. ROMERO: Preventive maintenance is my golden tip. When you get your IV pumps regularly checked, it can really extend the life of your pumps. We recommend getting them a PM and calibration at least once a year. As a technician, I’ve seen pumps look fine outside, but they look horrible and corroded inside. Save yourself time and stress by getting your pumps PM and calibrated.

Zaolatt Laphai Avante Health Solutions (AHS)

Q: HOW HAS THE COVID-19 PANDEMIC IMPACTED THE USE AND MAINTENANCE/ REPAIR OF IV PUMPS? CREAL: COVID definitely put a lot of stress on hospitals in regards to infusion pumps. A lot of facilities were scrambling around looking for additional units or resurrecting old units that were in storage. Some facilities purchased additional infusion pumps while others rented them. I do think

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ROUNDTABLE

previously, readily available. Demand has driven up costs, and that affects facility budgets. Purchasing departments are now being proactive and ordering ahead and ordering in bulk. MATAMOROS: Pumps are being used more frequently and, because of this, checking calibration often is a must. COVID-19 has made it difficult to gather pumps that are in need of a PM. To assist with this, we have engaged the nursing leadership more than in the past to assist with locating devices. Israel Matamoros MultiMedical Systems that facilities will not want to go back to scrambling around so I think they’ll always keep an overstock of pumps as a reserve in case something like this were to happen again. GARCIA: IV pumps are widely used in the hospital more so than other devices, where typically each room will have one monitor and one parameter module, you will see multiple IV pumps in each room. Because of COVID-19, many hospitals have increased the amount of IV pumps they need on the floor at one time, which in turn has increased the amount of devices they need to send in for repair. It has turned into an all hands on deck situation where it is important to have as many IV pumps as possible ready as the hospital rooms have overflowed numerous times. LAPHAI: The COVID-19 pandemic has and is still impacting the use and maintenance/repair of IV pumps. As an integral part of patient care, IV pumps are in constant use and in constant need of repair/service during a normal season. During this pandemic, it has skyrocketed exponentially. Supply chain issues have strained resources to procure much needed parts that were,

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GARCIA: Preventative maintenance (PMs) are extremely important in ensuring the delivery accuracy of these devices. PMs are not something that one can be lackadaisical about as accurate infusing of medication and fluids can be integral in the recovery process. One should treat the care and maintenance of these devices as if they will be used on themselves or a family member one day.

OTTO: The pandemic has brought to the forefront the importance of IV pumps. It showed how valuable an accurate inventory can be and gave RTLS a new look. The pandemic also showed how important it is to have a well-planned maintenance program and the importance of using the right part suppliers and repair depots for quick turnaround and support. ROMERO: COVID-19 has created an influx in demand for us, increasing turnaround time to about 7-10 business days. So, we are busy. But we are working to support our customers in all capacities, decrease the turnaround time and meet the high demand. Q: HOW IMPORTANT ARE PMS AND WHY? CREAL: In our world at Adepto, every pump needs to have a PM and a recertification sheet before it leaves our facility stating that the pump is running accurately and within spec. However, that is our world since we are liable for that equipment when it is sent to a hospital. On the other hand, I have spoken to a few biomed directors that no longer run annual PMs on their infusion pumps. Studies have shown that of the annual PM process, only a select few pumps are out of calibration. So, the time and energy it takes to PM over a thousand pumps annually can be put towards staying up to date on other equipment.

Austin Otto Infusystem

LAPHAI: PMs are critical and need to be conducted in a timely manner. We cannot assume the accuracy of these units because it can result in the life or death of a patient. Routine maintenance will ensure these units can be trusted to perform in their expected manner and with so many ways to make a mistake, this is one simple remedy that can be quickly enforced and trusted. The benefit of eliminating human error when testing the accuracy of these devices cannot be understated. OTTO: Preventive maintenance on IV pumps is extremely important. It ensures that not only the device is functioning properly but allows that device to be inspected by a qualified technician on an annual basis. PMs

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ROUNDTABLE

because they can prevent and reduce issues in advance.

Johnathan Romero Infusion Pump Repair can help with tracking trends within a facility, limit unplanned downtime and mitigate issues before they can impact patient care. MATAMOROS: Performing a PM is highly recommended because maintaining accuracy on a device that is delivering various medications is key to patient safety. Without annual maintenance, patient lives could be at risk. So, being thorough with your PMs is never a negative thing. ROMERO: Think of PMs like a yearly doctor visit. When we visit the doctor, we can evaluate our health and prevent severe health conditions. PMs are the same. When evaluations only occur in an emergency, things become more complex and costly. PMs are important

Q: WHAT ELSE DO YOU THINK TECHNATION READERS NEED TO KNOW ABOUT PURCHASING AND SERVICING IV PUMPS? CREAL: There are a lot of companies out there that can repair infusion pumps. It’s probably the farthest you can get from rocket science. However, if you are sending equipment out to be serviced or purchasing additional pumps … make sure it’s through a vendor you know and trust. Pumps are relatively inexpensive within the medical world, but don’t always chase the cheapest price. If you value quality, work with a vendor that tracks their warranties and meets about them to discuss ways to improve. Everybody says they have high-quality equipment but work with a vendor that believes it and practices it weekly! GARCIA: When purchasing an IV pump it’s important to know where to access and locate software information on the pump. This will prevent possible compatibility issues when putting the unit into service. Always service the device following all ESD standards and with the utmost care. Keep a strict maintenance schedule so that units can be switched out when service or PMs are due, and never put a unit back into service without first performing the PM. LAPHAI: Selecting and servicing the correct infusion pump for your

clinical needs is an important task. The cost and availability of sets and intervals of PMs should be factored into your decision, and you need a reliable service provider to keep you up and running. MATAMOROS: Make sure to always use calibrated test sets and distilled water when testing an IV pump. Always keep track of how many uses your calibrated IV set has and prior to starting check the expiration date. Using a non-calibrated set can make the pump unable to recognize whether the IV set is defective. There is nothing better than accuracy. OTTO: Due diligence has never been more important when considering buying or renting IV pumps. Recalls and supply chain disruptions have made what used to be easy decisions complicated. Make sure you ask the right questions of your equipment and/ or service provider because the IV pump industry is fluid at this point. It’s easy to get a great sale or rental price on IV pumps, but the challenge relative to getting associated sets and working around recalls should be top of mind. ROMERO: I think research is vital for TechNation readers to know. They should be researching the IV pumps they want to purchase or service. Readers need to explore and understand how software updates can affect patient treatments.

For a video interview on this topic, visit 1TechNation.com/roundtable and select this month’s article!

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COVER STORY

Examining eqUipment

expenses TIPS FOR ESTIMATING LIFE CYCLE COSTS, SUPPORT By K. Richard Douglas

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SPOTLIGHT COVER STORY

any people buy a new car with their entire focus on the cost of the car from the dealer. Others will buy a used vehicle and choose a brand simply because of a prestigious nameplate. In some cases, a new car buyer will make their purchase decision because the vehicle is high-performance.

While it may be a good idea to find the best price on a new or used vehicle, it can often be shortsighted. Just as important is the true cost of ownership. In some cases, the cost of ownership of a vehicle with a prestigious nameplate can be a shock to the buyer and is often not discovered until they see their first maintenance bill from the dealership. That used Mercedes-Benz, BMW, Porsche or Audi may come with some unanticipated expenses. This scenario is not limited to cars and trucks. It is applicable to swimming pools, homes and even weapons systems. With cars, it includes the cost of repairs, fuel, maintenance and insurance. The cost of ownership always requires some homework ahead of a purchase to understand what elements can impact cost beyond the initial purchase price. With medical equipment, an analysis by a procurement specialist or other buyer must consider the life cycle costs and support commitment of devices. This can include manpower and personnel, training and training support, maintenance planning and technical data, as just a few examples. Cost analysis is critical to determine the entire cost of the capital purchase alongside an analysis of the maintenance and parts costs and the time devoted to maintaining the new piece of equipment. Supportability and maintainability are key factors.

SUPPORT BY RISK PROFILE The knowledge of healthcare technology management (HTM) professionals and related procurement specialists allows for a 30,000-foot view when capital equipment purchases are made. There is the conventional wisdom employed by HTM managers and other experts when considering the factors that go into a pre-procurement supportability analysis. “First, decide your uptime expectations. Is this a CT scanner that brings your whole emergency

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department to a screeching halt if it’s offline, or is it a pool of infusion pumps that are necessary for clinical care but relatively interchangeable if they need inspection or maintenance? The risk profile in each example is very different: it may be worth paying for rapid on-site supplier service for the CT scanner, while you may be comfortable maintaining the infusion pumps yourself,” says Erin Sparnon, senior engineering manager with ECRI. She says to then weigh the options available to provide the needed uptime; considering the availability of supplies, parts, training and certification if you’re looking to support the equipment in-house. How can biomeds or procurement specialists, who have input into capital equipment procurement, determine the true life cycle costs? “Biomeds and HTM have precious insight into the total impact of technologies, both clinical and nonclinical. Along with the standard issues of capital/consumables, implementation, service and support, also consider the resources that surround each device or system: does the clinical workflow need to change, requiring more or less staff time? And don’t forget to think through any cleaning, disinfection or replacement of accessories that happens in-between uses or patients. Do you need to invest in new cleaning methods or materials, dedicate new space to these activities or train staff on new processes?” Sparnon asks.

12 INTEGRATED PRODUCT SUPPORT ELEMENTS U.S. Army regulation AR 700-127 provides policies and requirements for integrated product support (IPS). In the military, the main audience for IPS are product support managers (PSM) and senior life cycle logisticians. However, the application for the strategy could have broad support and usefulness in non-military settings. The concept can be boiled down to its fundamentals. The Army’s implementation of performance-based life cycle product support, including performance-based logistics, is through the Army’s IPS program. Insights into the concept and usefulness of this approach were central to the session “Analyzing Product Support Aspects Before Purchasing Medical Devices,” presented at the 2021 AAMI eXchange. The presenter was Diego Gomez-Morales, deputy

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COVER STORY

director, policies and analysis directorate, Army Medical Logistics Command (AMLC) at Fort Detrick, Maryland. Gomez-Morales’ presentation covered the Army’s medical device procurement planning process, the foundational principles of IPS, the process of product support analysis (PSA), maintenance task analysis (MTA), repair parts lists and supply and support definitions. The Army says that the life cycle sustainment plan (LCSP) is the “key overarching IPS program planning document” used for acquisition and it allows users to “effectively and affordably satisfy life cycle product support requirements and is required for all ACAT programs. It is the guide used throughout the product life cycle. The Army even instructs relevant stakeholders to utilize the document daily. Gomez-Morales says that the information is beneficial because it either supports the HTM supportability issues encountered by both the sustainers and procurement individuals or provides an already existing framework to improve upon the procurement process. “As you already know, I have been in the ‘sustainment’ business of medical equipment for a long time – over 30 years now – and have experienced a lot of challenges while I was in the military with support to the medical devices we had,” Gomez-Morales says. “It turned out that we were not performing the proper supportability analysis to mitigate all support issues for these devices,” he says. “Since I found this out over 15 years ago, I have been an advocate – and my passion – for the implementation of an already existing

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Department of Defense process to address product support issues,” Gomez-Morales says. In his presentation, Gomez-Morales illustrates the “Two Level Maintenance/Acquisition Planning Relationships for Medical Devices.” The flowchart illustrates a multifaceted plan for evaluation of the anticipated support requirements of equipment after procurement.

“My point is that supportability analysis, before procurement, is an issue for both the commercial and DoD sector.” – Diego Gomez-Morales “The DoD Integrated Product Support process is a holistic approach for the identification of the ‘activities’ required for a particular product. The DoD and Army use the product support analysis method to identify these activities based on 12 Integrated Product Support elements. This process is genius and very intuitive for someone in the support and sustainment business and it applies perfectly to medical devices,” Gomez-Morales says. The formula is something that he created. In concept, it is PSA plus supportability analysis equals analysis addressing IPS.

SUSTAINMENT COSTS Gomez-Morales says that the presentation defines each of the IPS elements (i.e., supply and support,

maintenance planning and management, computer resources) as the foundation for ensuring the best product support analysis before procurement of the equipment. “The goal of the presentation was to have a quick look of the overall complexity of the process and how IPS (12 elements with an example of supply and support), PSA and supportability analysis (i.e., maintenance task analysis). Also, it was intended to show that some of these tools are available to the civilian sector,” Gomez-Morales says. Because the Army has its own vernacular and its own set of acronyms, Gomez-Morales has also demystified the process to make it applicable to the civilian and commercial sector, and in particular, to HTM managers who could benefit by integrating it into their programs. “Supportability analysis is something that is seldom done in the commercial sector, and it is hard to influence in the DoD. Most folks – civilian and DoD – only want to hear about the equipment procurement costs. They do not want to hear about the sustainment costs for equipment which is about 60-80 percent of the equipment/system’s acquisition/procurement costs. My point is that supportability analysis, before procurement, is an issue for both the commercial and DoD sector,” Gomez-Morales says. He suggests, as an example, that if there are 1,000 medical maintenance shops (both in the commercial and DoD sectors), then you can expect 1,000 different approaches to how the equipment will be supported. The procurement specialist or HTM manager is the one who needs to bring their unique expertise to

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SPOTLIGHT COVER STORY

understanding what the total life cycle costs will be including equipment procurement and sustainment support – repair parts, consumables, accessories, support equipment (test equipment), training, RMF-cybersecurity, etc.” Gomez-Morales says.

12 INTEGRATED PRODUCT SUPPORT ELEMENTS

Erin Sparnon, senior engineering manager with ECRI

the table and provide the foresight needed to consider several variables. “The intent of the PSA and IPS concept was to formulate a framework that allows for the people buying and sustaining the equipment to realize the ‘true’ life cycle costs of a system before equipment is purchased. My experience in both the DoD and civilian sector is that the clinicians (doctors) are the main drivers for the technology they want. A clinician is very unlikely thinking about the cost to sustain the system. It is up to the HTM managers to figure out how they will support the system after the fact. This is not a very effective business practice for both the DoD, and commercial sector,” Gomez-Morales says. He says that using the IPS elements as part of the procurement process involves every touch point of the supply chain from the folks adding the item to the supply/ property management systems, maintenance planning managers, cybersecurity managers and many others involved in the sustainment of medical devices. “Again, the key is to make an informed procurement decision by

Analysis paralysis may interfere with simple everyday decisions, but when it comes to preparing for major capital purchases, a more all-encompassing evaluation is critical. Gomez-Morales says that the pre-procurement analysis is based on the product support analysis (SAE TA-STD 0017) to identify the specific “support” activities for the equipment in question. “The foundation of PSA is the 12 integrated product support elements (i.e., supply support, maintenance planning and management, technical data, support equipment, training and training support, facilities and infrastructure, computer resources, etc.). As part of the maintenance task analysis, level of repair analysis (SAE AS 1390), fault tree analysis (IEC 61025), FMECA (ANSI/AIAA S-102.2.18) and reliability center maintenance (SA JA1011/JA1012) there is output that addresses the IPS elements in the form of a product support package,” he says. He says that the final analysis (outputs) is meant to influence-recommend leadership procurement-funding-sustainment decisions. “Having said that, we also have to influence our HTM culture to use the tools available to make them more indispensable in the procurement process,” Gomez-Morales says. He explains that his goal is not to make the process so complex that folks would run away from it, but to decipher it into words/terminology that should be second nature to the user.

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Diego Gomez-Morales, AMLC at Fort Detrick, Maryland

“It is important for the HTM community to understand the technology they are about to support. The IPS elements provide the framework for asking the simple questions as to how each of these elements will be supported once the item is purchased. So, it takes different disciplines to come up with a holistic product support package. It should not be only a maintainer trying to find a solution for every sustainment challenge,” Gomez-Morales says. He suggests that those interested should search “integrated product support” to learn more. He says that in the military, the DoD has a Defense Acquisition University (DAU) which is the main source for training, acquisition tools and applications. He says that the civilian sector can still find a lot of useful information on the strategy. The ideal model for estimating life cycle costs and support commitments in every health care setting may already exist in the practices of the U.S. Army. It is a process that has already been scrutinized and tested. The tools are there just waiting to be used.

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CAREER CENTER How to deal with a dream job rejection BY KATHLEEN FURORE

ou’ve not only landed an interview with the company you’ve always wanted to work for – you knocked that interview out of the park. But, alas, the call or letter saying someone else was chosen for the dream job arrives. What is the next step to take? How can you move on with the job search without feeling like a failure?

Dr. Eli Joseph, author of “The Perfect Rejection Resume: A Reader’s Guide to Building a Career Through Failure” and faculty member of Columbia University and Queens College, says, “It is never easy dealing with rejection from a job that you always wanted ... but how do you know that was an actual dream job? When you apply you almost always will think, ‘Is this the job for me? I feel like it is!’ What ends up happening is that you talk yourself into believing a certain job is ideal. It may very well be but there is also a chance that it is not.” That still doesn’t negate the fact that your confidence has taken a hit. “You left the interview feeling like you were invincible. Now, you’re devastated because you just found out you didn’t get that dream position,” says C.T. Price, CEO of Life Grows Green. “But you’ve still got plenty of options!” Here are just a few options career experts recommend: • Review the job description. “Analyze whether you might have a few more gaps in your skill set that likely lead to you being passed over,” Price suggests. “Sometimes, a strong interview can make up for a lack of experience, but many times it cannot — especially when there is an even stronger candidate vying for the same position.

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• Reach out to the company. “It is important for you to get feedback so that you work on closing the last-step gap in your next interview,” says certified executive coach and life coach Smita Das Jain, who suggests emailing HR and your interviewer to express your gratitude for their time and consideration. “Convey your thanks for letting you know their decision and mention that you would like to take the advantage of obtaining feedback from them so that you can learn and improve,” she continues. “Stress that you will be grateful for their valuable inputs. Chances are that not only will you get the feedback, but the interviewer and HR will remember you and reach out to you when the next suitable opportunity arises.” • Don’t give up. “Never give up! It’s always worth reaching out to the hiring manager with a well-constructed message to ask for a second chance or an opportunity to represent yourself again,” concurs Paul Banoub, a leadership consultant at Productivity ACE, who has been hiring people for more than 20 years. “Most of the time you’ll get a ‘no,’ but I have seen it several times where a rejected candidate ends up getting the job after showing their determination and persistence. And even in cases where the second answer is a ‘no,’ I always try and offer more feedback and development opportunities to help the candidate come back stronger next time. In fact, I recently hired someone that I rejected a couple of years ago, but they stayed in touch with me, listened to the feedback I provided and came back as a much stronger candidate. That was great to see.” • Use the experience to your advantage. “There is so much that you should

Kathleen Furore

be learning from failures that lead you down the path to something greater. The single greatest tip I can offer you is to use your failures to craft your dream job,” says Joseph, who suggests doing that by determining eight things: 1. What you like 2. What you dislike 3. What you presently are unqualified to do 4. What you are qualified to do 5. What brings you challenges that excite you 6. What brings you challenges that deter you 7. What you can do better 8. What you are great at Realize your interview skills, skill set or experience (or lack thereof) might have nothing to do with the hiring decision. “It could be that company policy requires them to interview a certain number of applicants before offering the job internally. The decision might have already been made before you interviewed,” Price says. “The important thing to remember is that finding the right job for you is a process; one that you shouldn’t abandon until you find the absolute right fit for where you’re at in your career”. – Kathleen Furore is a Chicago-based writer and editor who has covered personal finance and other business-related topics for a variety of trade and consumer publications. You can email her your career questions at kfurore@yahoo.com.

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CYBERSECURITY What Did You Learn Today? BY STEVEN HUGHES

Steven Hughes

rowing up I heard a phrase daily from my family: What did you learn today? ... If you didn’t learn anything new, you wasted the day.” Learning and improving are important skills for any professional. As an individual, you always want to grow and become wiser than you were yesterday. The ability to learn and teach others what you know and what you have learned is a very valuable commodity that folks in the healthcare technology management (HTM) community are always willing to share. The HTM community is unique in that they easily check their egos at the door and are always willing to listen and learn from those around them.

EVERYBODY IS A SME Take every opportunity to learn from your co-workers. If you have downtime and someone is going on a “call” or heading to a meeting ask if you come along and “shadow” to learn how they handle and solve problems, interact with staff, establish connections and how to create strong working relationships. One of my favorite television shows is “Undercover Boss,” where members of the C-suite of various organizations learn from their “boots on the ground” employees doing everyday activities where solutions to problems are shared as well as bringing to light challenges that need additional assistance in solving. This is a prime example of learning from your local

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Surface Matter Expert (SME). I am personally thrilled I get to interact and learn from all my coworkers every day and is one of the reasons why so many people have long successful careers in the HTM field. GET LOCAL One way to improve yourself and others around you is being involved with local, regional and national organizations related to your career. The benefits of joining an organization go beyond the great comradery, learning from others, but also contributing and improving the field and career you have chosen to make a living with and are passionate about. Talking, networking and interacting with people opens conversation to learn from those whom have already solved your problem. It is hard in the current state of events with COVID-19, but there are ways we can safely network and support the advancement of our field through HTM associations —local biomedical, clinical engineering and HTM chapters. It has been hard, but many organizations are still gathering safely and providing online virtual events. The California Medical Instrumentation Association (CMIA), Colorado Association of Biomedical Equipment Technicians (CABMET), Florida Biomedical Society (FBS), New England Society of Clinical Engineering (NESCE), and Philadelphia Area Medical Instrumentation Associa-

tion (PAMIA) are a few that I have been involved with and are great resources that are still conducting meetings, trainings and gatherings. They can also provide guidance on how to utilize resources available if you are interested in joining a local chapter in person, virtually or in starting your own. GET INVOLVED The HHS 405(d) Program and Task Group is a collaborative effort between industry and the federal government, which aims to raise awareness, provide vetted cybersecurity practices and works diligently to update, revise and create official 405(d) products to provide effective and current cybersecurity practices. If you would like help developing products like Health Industry Cybersecurity Practices (HICP) and the upcoming Enterprise Security Risk Management (ESRM) product to strengthen the health care and public health (HPH) sector’s cybersecurity posture against cyber threats get involved at 405d.hhs.gov. Information Sharing and Analysis Centers (ISACs) sanitize data to hide the identities of organizations that provide sensitive information before sharing among members or with the government. The Healthcare and Public Health Sector Coordinating Council (HSCC) Cybersecurity Working Group (CWG) collaborates with the Department of Health and Human Services

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and other federal agencies to identify and mitigate systemic risks that affect patient safety, security, and privacy, and consequently, national confidence in the health care system. If you would like to get involved with the development of recommendations, best practices, and guidance for enterprise cybersecurity improvements, as well as advice to government partners about policy and regulatory solutions that facilitate mitigation of cybersecurity threats to the sector visit h-isac.org. GATHER OFTEN • Attend conferences and local meetups. Networking with the HTM community is priceless. • AAMI (aami.org) has over 10,000 members, 5,600 of which are certified professionals with over 7,300 members who participate in frequent education events and have contributed to over 400+ resources. They provide annual networking and education conferences at the annual AAMI eXchange. • MD Expo (mdexposhow.com) is a conference targeting and showcasing healthcare technology management professionals with education and networking opportunities with peers, industry experts and vendors. • HIMSS (Himss.org) Global Health conference and exhibition is one of the largest shows for the health care community chock full of networking opportunities, education tracks and sessions that are available in person and digitally. LEARN THROUGH TEACHING There are many ways to mentor others in and entering the HTM field both inside and outside of your organization. The experience is rewarding and provides introspection, reflection and evolution by both the mentor and the

mentee. AAMI has established a mentorship program that pairs AAMI members who are looking for guidance in particular interest areas with those who have expertise on a variety of health technology topics. The Veteran Affairs Technical Career Field (TCF) program has 300 to 400 recent university graduates apply for the 15 to 20 available openings annually. Approximately 200 of the VA’s current 300 clinical engineers are alumni of the TCF program, which provides new clinical and biomedical engineers with two years of structured learning and real-world work experiences, guided by a preceptor, plus a $10,000 stipend to attend professional meetings and network in the HTM community. The AAMI BMET Apprenticeship Program guides employer partners in training the next generation of HTM professionals recognized by the U.S. Department of Labor to meet a growing need for biomedical engineering technicians (BMETs) across the United States. GET CERTIFIED The best and easiest way to have fulfillment and advancement in your career is to invest in yourself through self-development and by taking classes and learning from others to strengthen your skill set. There are many online and in-person certification programs out there for getting certified such as a Certified Healthcare Technology Manager (CHTM) and Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET) by ACCE (ACCEnet.org), Project Management Professional (PMP) by PMI, and A+, Security+, Network+, CySA+ by CompTIA (comptia.org). The (ISC)2 - International Information System Security Certification Consortium (ISC2.org) have several cybersecu-

EMPOWERING THE BIOMEDICAL/HTM PROFESSIONAL

rity certifications like the Certified Information Systems Security Professional (CISSP), Certified Cloud Security Professional (CCSP) and HealthCare Information Security and Privacy Practitioner (HCISPP) that are approved by the American National Standards Institute (ANSI). These do take a lot of time and dedication but are very rewarding both personally and professionally. Be sure to check with your employer if they can sponsor and assist with your professional development. ACCE also provides several online webinars and sessions. ECRI (ecri.org) is another great online resource that has several online training events available monthly. These resources help with meeting several continuing education requirements for many certifications. Whenever you go to bed, you should have a smile on your face and a feeling that you accomplished and learned something today. You should always strive to become better each day. You are the element of change not only in your life, but also the circles of people you interact with — the greater your reach, the greater the impact and the greater the fulfillment. We are our own coalition-builders, weavers of opportunity and rainmakers on our career path. Our knowledge is generally the sum of the knowledge of those around us and the people we interact with. The best investment you can make is an investment in yourself. I wish you all the best in you journey and look forward to your contributions to the field as well as seeing your own personal and professional growth as you grow and share your experiences with others! – Steven Hughes, FAC-COR FACP/PM VHA-CM, is a VISN 21 Biomedical Engineer at VA Sierra Pacific Network.

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