Tech Choice Awards 2024

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THANK YOU TO OUR SPONSORS:

College of Biomedical Equipment Technology

TECH CHOICE AWARDS (The

Wrenchies)

TECH CHOICE AWARDS CELEBRATE HTM PROFESSIONALS

Te chNation magazine continues to promote and applaud the men and women of healthcare technology management (HTM) with the addition of the inaugural Tech Choice Awards. The Tech Choice Awards (also known as the Wrenchies) shine a spotlight on the heroes of HTM.

The idea for the awards came via a LinkedIn post by Wesley Reid CHTM, CBET, CRES, the director of tech management with ENTECH.

“As most of my ideas do, the idea for the Tech Choice Awards was born of constant open discussion with peers in our industry. Just so happened it was my favorite peer and fiance, Theresa Heitchler, who encouraged me to post the inquiry on LinkedIn as we talked about challenges, shop life, opportunities and appreciation for our community,” Reid said. “We love celebrating our HTM colleagues and know TechNation does as well. I believe giving everyone a vote and access to submission will enfranchise the entire community, inspire excellence, and bring us together to celebrate each other’s commitment to our beloved profession.”

A special thank you goes out to the sponsors who helped make the awards possible. The sponsors enjoyed amazing publicity during the nomination and voting process. The sponsors did not have any input when it came to selecting the honorees. The winners are based 100 percent on votes from the HTM community.”

Finalists in each category were selected during a month-long nomination process.

Next, the HTM community was invited and encouraged to vote online. The Wrenchies are the “people’s choice awards of HTM” thanks to an outpouring of support from TechNation readers, biomeds and the entire HTM community. The online voting period saw more than 5,000 votes recorded.

The Tech Choice Award categories are:

• Lifetime Achievement Award, sponsored by Tri-Imaging Solutions

• Professional of the Year Award, sponsored by Renovo Solutions

• Department of the Year Award, sponsored by USOC Medical

• Young Professional of the Year Award

• Women in Leadership Winner, sponsored by Avante Health Solutions

• Director/Manager of the Year, sponsored by MW Imaging

• ISO Employee of the Year Award, sponsored by Elite Biomedical Solutions

• Military BMET of the Year Award, sponsored by CBET

• Humanitarian of the Year Winner, sponsored by Healthmark Industries

• Industry Influencer of the Year, sponsored by Soma Tech Intl

• Ingenuity Award

• Association of the Year Award, sponsored by MultiMedical Systems

• Outstanding Vendor of the Year Award

STAFF REPORT

SPONSORED BY:

LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD

Patrick Lynch, CHTM, CBET, CCE, MBA, CPHIMS

BY JOHN WALLACE

Patrick “Pat” Lynch, CHTM, CBET, CCE, MBA, CPHIMS, is the recipient of the inaugural Tech Choice Awards Lifetime Achievement Award presented by TechNation magazine based on nominations and online voting by the HTM community. The Lifetime Achievement Award is sponsored by Tri-Imaging Solutions.

Indiana Biomedical Society Vice President Kelly VanDeWalker nominated Pat for the award.

“Pat Lynch has long been an advocate of the biomedical field and everyone that works in it, working with the top professional organizations all the way down to the state biomedical societies as well as working overseas with mission groups and foreign hospitals,” VanDeWalker wrote. “You could walk into almost any biomedical shop, mention Pat’s name and someone would know who he is, and some would have even worked with him on some committee.”

“For some of us, Pat is a go-to to find out information or answers about changes in the career field,” he added. “His

resume and background speak for itself.”

VanDeWalker pointed out that Pat is currently fighting pancreatic cancer and continues to be active in the HTM community while undergoing treatment.

“There is not another person more deserving of this award at this time than Pat Lynch,” VanDeWalker concluded.

MD Publishing President John Krieg echoed that sentiment.

“The outpouring of votes for Pat was incredible. In fact, one fellow nominee, Ken O’Day of BC Group, requested that all of his votes be given to Pat as he felt Pat was deserving of the win,” Krieg said. “This award is well-deserved for the positive impact and support Pat has given to the HTM community throughout his many years of dedicated service.”

The HTM community agreed with overwhelming support. Hundreds of biomeds logged in and voted for Pat to receive the inaugural award.

HTM colleagues also shared an abundance of comments

“Pat Lynch has long been an advocate of the biomedical field and everyone that works in it, working with the top professional organizations all the way down to the state biomedical societies, as well as working overseas with mission groups and foreign hospitals.”

- Kelly VanDeWalker, vice president, Indiana Biomedical Society

expressing Pat’s positive impact on biomedical engineering and biomeds everywhere.

WellStar Health’s Gregory Goll, CHT, CBETM, is among those who shared praise for Pat.

“I was not surprised,” to find out about the award. “In our profession, Pat’s influence is global versus regional.”

Goll describes Pat as the ultimate HTM advocate.

“Pat has never worried about challenging what and why we maintain our equipment. The focus was adding value to what we do, this is supported by other members of our community. Patient safety always is a pillar of his presentations,” Goll explained.

“Pat promoted our field and was a mentor in starting many biomedical organizations. I sent him surplus patient cable and sensors for Biomeds Without Boarders. Normally, after a new installation, these items were basically considered trash, but still had a useful remaining life. Pat had created a way to save these items which could impact patient care in other parts of the world,” Goll added.

“Pat set an example for many of us to continue. Look at what you do and always look to improve. He is always engaged and sets an example to follow. Above all, I consider it an honor to have his respect and friendship,” Goll added.

OTHER NOMINEES FOR LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT

Ken

William

Ed

DEPARTMENT OF THE YEAR AWARD

SPONSORED BY:

The Houston Methodist Biomedical Engineering Department

BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

Houston, Texas is one of the best-known cities in America. The city and surrounding communities form a metropolis that extends to the Galveston Bay. With a population exceeding 2.3 million, it is the fourth largest city in the U.S., covering 637 square miles. Houston was founded in 1836 and offers attractions like Space Center Houston, the largest fine arts museum in the Southwest and the downtown aquarium.

A city of this size depends on health care systems with the capacity to serve such a large population. That capability is embraced by Houston Methodist Hospital, affiliated hospitals and other facilities scattered across the Houston metro area.

With eight hospitals, an academic institute and 2,509 operating beds, Houston Methodist includes 27,947 employees, with many working in biomed. The 85-member biomedical engineering department is led by System Director Anthony Maroulis. Other members of leadership include Campus Director of Clinical Engineering Marc Bateman, Managers of Clinical Engineering Terresa Everhart, Javier Ruiz, Miguel Meza and Coreaun Jackson as well as Program Coordinators Brandon Hight and Nathan Stathos.

Leadership is part of GE Healthcare. The team’s clinical engineers include Zach Smith, Cristian Delgado, Bailyn Piecewicz and Hani Khalil. The department also consists of two administration assistants, five biomed equipment tech leads, 23 biomed

equipment tech IIs, 23 biomed equipment tech IIIs, 15 biomed equipment tech Is, 4 biomed radiology service engineers and 1 data entry specialist.

Bateman says that the biomed team services more than 91,000 medical devices in-house thanks to the exceptional training options available to the department’s technicians.

In addition to managing equipment at the eight hospitals, the large biomed team also serves more than 20 orthopedic and sports medicine locations offering physical and occupational therapy across the Greater Houston area.

They are also responsible for equipment at the Specialty Physician Group with 848 physicians at 191 locations and the Primary Care Group with 169 physicians at 42 locations.

The hospital is affiliated with Weill Cornell Medicine, NewYork-Presbyterian Hospital and the Texas Annual Conference of the United Methodist Church. The Houston Methodist Academic Institute, which is a research and education institute, has a faculty of 742, with 2,110 credentialed researchers.

BIG TEAM, BIG PROJECTS

The challenges to address COVID-19 surges taxed the resources of health care facilities across the nation, but it required innovation on a grand scale for the biomed team at Houston Methodist.

“At the onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a glaring

TECH CHOICE AWARDS

need to reduce exposure to patients within the hospital for our RT department. Thankfully, our Hamilton G5 ventilators have a detachable interaction panel. RT asked to have vents inside the COVID room and place the interaction panel outside to minimize exposure for the RT therapist to go inside the room. The interaction panel was attached to a table outside the patient room and we had to do this for 90-100 G5 patient rooms,” Smith says.

He says that together with the IT medical device integration team, they successfully opened a virtual ICU (vICU). “We had a key role to play in ensuring the patient physiological monitors were capable of being used in this new, innovative setting,” Smith says.

The team tackled many other projects related to the vICU to meet the needs of patients and visitors during the pandemic. Another project was centered around Alaris pump interoperability and tying them to patient records.

“Pharmacy, nursing, biomed, multiple IT groups, and the manufacturer have worked together to automate the delivery of IV drugs across the system,” Smith says.

He says that the result of the project is that a nurse at the bedside can now scan barcodes on the drug, patient, pump channel which will program the pump with the physician order. It also automates the charting of drug delivery in the patient record in the EHR.

“Another benefit is that there is now a standardized drug library used at all hospitals, so a standard of care is met as well as contributing to the system ISO certification,” Smith adds.

The team has also worked to improve asset equipment disposition.

“We have taken the manual process of gathering signatures from department leaders to retire no longer needed equipment from our inventory to a system that leverages the platform Docusign. Using Docusign, we have saved time and resources by going digital, allowing time for other tasks,” Smith says.

The biomed team has also handled its share of problem solving, including automated notifications when defibrillators have been put into service.

“In order to adequately service our automated external defibrillators (AEDs) located throughout the hospital, we have worked with our RTLS vendor, GE, to send an email notification each time it is moved from its glass-protected case and put in use. This way, we can make sure it is inspected by our technicians after use,” Smith says.

Realtime location systems (RTLS) have not only been used by the team with the defibs, but has also been a valuable tool for locating ER pumps.

“Leveraging RTLS, we created par level of IV pumps in our ER and were able to locate them to bring them back. This helped solve the issue of idle pumps and the shortages that incurred. The RTLS beacons on the pumps could help pinpoint where the IV pumps were so they could be gathered and returned in the ER,” Smith says. Team members also solved a problem that resulted from power outages. “Our Da Vinci robots used in our ORs took a significant time to reboot when there was a power blip. In ORs that do not have a built-in UPS, we added an external UPS and it solved this issue – the Da Vinci now stays up and running when there is a sudden outage,” Smith says.

Another project related to defibs provided valuable data to clinicians.

“Our hospital code blue committee wanted to find a way to transmit their code files from all our defibs in the hospital after code blue (cardiac arrest) events. We worked with our defib vendor, Zoll, and added WiFi cards to each of our defibs, allowing us to transmit data for our clinicians to review after each code. This was done for over 250 defibs. This has helped them further educate the code blue team,” Smith says.

Away from the workplace, team members remain involved in the HTM community.

“There is an assortment of professional associations that our biomed technicians are involved in. AAMI and ACCE for example. Some are also active in the local HTMA Texas and we also have a biomed instructor that serves at a local community college,” Maroulis says.

“Partnering with GE HealthCare we have implemented an apprentice program. The apprentice program has been a big success at Houston Methodist. We have used the talent pool to shape future careers, and at the same time, create a workforce that we can hire. Students from local colleges spend 12 months working with senior BMETS, where they gain a lot of experience,” Maroulis says.

With big responsibilities and big challenges, this talented team of technicians and engineers has solved problems and addressed pandemic-related trials to the benefit of patients and clinical staff. They are also partnering to train the next generation of biomeds learning in an ideal environment.

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PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR AWARD

SPONSORED BY:

Taylor Dunbar, Clinical Engineering Specialist, Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center

BY K. RICHARD DOUGLAS

Sometimes the influence of family members and a general sense for what you want to do with your life is just enough to get pointed in a general direction. That was the case for Taylor Dunbar, a clinical engineering specialist at the Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center in Columbus, Ohio.

“My major when I first started undergrad was ‘Engineering-Undecided.’ I knew that I wanted to do some kind of engineering, but I wasn’t sure which one. I was always interested in math and science, and I was very crafty, and I enjoyed tinkering with things – understanding why and how things worked (or didn’t work) – so deciding on pursuing an engineering degree was the easy part,” Dunbar says.

She says that both of her grandparents – Alice and Derwood – worked in health care for many years.

“I remember hearing so many stories from them –their favorite memories, their hardest days, coworkers and patients that left an everlasting impact on them. I always thought it would be cool to work in health care, but I just wasn’t sure how. I could tell from their stories

that they were making a difference every day throughout their careers, and they inspired me to want to do the same. I wanted to find a way to use my skills to create a positive impact like they did,” Dunbar says.

She says that when she learned about Ohio State’s biomedical engineering program, it felt like the perfect blend of engineering and health care.

“I didn’t learn about clinical engineering specifically until I was about halfway through undergrad. I was browsing the student positions available at the Wexner Medical Center and just so happened to stumble upon a posting for a clinical engineering student assistant,” Dunbar says.

“The description was a little vague and it was a department I had never heard of before, but I took a chance and applied. During my interview, the biomed director at the time, Tony McCabe, took me on a little tour around the hospital. I honestly don’t remember much of the interview, because I was mesmerized by the size and complexity of the building we were walking through. After working for clinical engineering for two

TECH CHOICE AWARDS

years as a student assistant, I was very excited when I was offered a full-time position to join the team after graduation,” Dunbar adds.

After the work as a student assistant, and then joining the CE team full time after graduating in the spring of 2018, Dunbar was promoted to clinical engineering specialist in January of 2021, and is now a specialist 2. Beyond her formal training, Dunbar has also attended several OEM training classes. Some of that training has allowed her to specialize in apheresis equipment.

MANAGING PROJECTS

Dunbar’s interest in project management has been an academic pursuit and she also has an interest in women’s opportunities in engineering fields.

Challenges are a part of the HTM profession and instilling confidence in clinical colleagues may be one of them. Yet, overcoming some of those challenges results from proving capability. Dunbar has taken on the challenge.

“One challenge I have encountered is being a young woman in a field that is male dominated. I would receive tickets for broken equipment from our dispatcher, and when I would show up on the floor, the users would be shocked that a young woman was there to fix their equipment. I think there were even some people that doubted me because of my age, or gender or both. I had to work extra hard to gain their respect and trust,” she says.

Dunbar says that she has a strong interest in project management. She recently went back to school part time for her MBA and her management has granted her many opportunities to be part of various projects throughout the medical center.

“One of my favorite projects, that I am currently a part of, is a Go-Live Initiative for 12-lead at the bedside.

I am super excited about this project because I can see how it will improve patient care,” she says.

“Another project I have really enjoyed being a part of, was an inventory audit in preparation for our new hospital building, which is in the construction phase. As part of the audit, we created a scorecard which would allow us to determine what equipment can and should be moved to the new tower and which equipment would need to be replaced,” Dunbar says.

“I have also recently become more involved with the DOI (diversity, outreach and inclusion) office at Ohio State, specifically with Women in Engineering. I sat on my first engineering alumnae panel during National Engineers Week for an event called ‘EmpowHERing the Future,’” Dunbar adds.

Asked about what people should know about her, Dunbar says that she strongly believes in the work biomeds are doing.

“It is certainly behind the scenes work – and many times thankless – but I don’t let that discourage me. My mom is a two-time cancer survivor, so the fact that I work in the James Cancer Hospital makes my job that much more meaningful,” she says.

On the home front, family is important.

“I have the most supportive family – they push me every day to challenge myself and to be the best version of myself possible. I would not be where I am today without my parents, Brian and Jane, grandparents, Derwood and Alice, and my sister, Sydney,” Dunbar says.

In her free time, she enjoys trail running and hiking, teaching herself DIY home projects, gardening and snuggling with her fur-babies (Hallie Rae and Harold Brown).

For patients and clinicians in Columbus, Ohio, they can be grateful that they have a project-management-minded clinical engineer watching out for them.

Will Axon CBET

Larry Sanlin BMET III

Michele Manzoli CCE Broderick Richard CCE

•

•

YOUNG PROFESSIONAL OF THE YEAR

Allison Woolford, CBET, Biomedical Equipment Specialist, Duke University Hospital

“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.

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.

D’Juan James Ben Scoggin Jessica Pitterka Isaiah Ledesma

DIRECTOR/ MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Chris Nowak is personable and professional all at the same time. He has the ability to recall names of the hundreds of HTM professionals he has met over the years. He knows “the clinical engineering, HTM business, like the back of his hand, from A to Z.” His credentials include CBET, CHP, CSCS, and past president of AAMI. Nowak is applauded for his attention to detail and always “doing what is right” for patients and his staff. He supports the continuing education of team members and always wants the best for those who work with him. He is truly concerned about their wellbeing.

OTHER NOMINEES FOR DIRECTOR/MANAGER OF THE YEAR

Anthony McCabe

Director of Clinical Engineering at the University of Miami Health System

Nicholas Mihaltses

Director of Biomedical Services at Crothall Healthcare

Jeff Ruiz Trimedx Senior Site Manager Sparrow Health System and Holland Hospital

Leticia Reynolds Vendor Services Manager at UCHealth

Chris Nowak, Director, Clinical Engineering at Arkansas Children’s Hospital

INGENUITY AWARD

Carl Cross, Biomedical Engineer at VHA

“He innovated an entire PowerBI Analytics portal for the Medical Device Cybersecurity data for the entire VHA Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) community which consists of approximately 2,000 Biomedical Equipment Support Specialists and Biomedical Engineers throughout the U.S. This portal compiles key cybersecurity data as it relates to medical equipment in VHA medical centers. Since its inception, this portal has been utilized over 175,000 times by VHA HTM professionals, and it directly benefits the HTM community on a daily basis.

He has also developed enterprise interactive reports for tracking each Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) directive to monitor remediation of cybersecurity vulnerabilities in the field. These reports are vital to the successful management of cybersecurity threats to medical systems in the VHA health care system.”

OTHER NOMINEES FOR THE INGENUITY AWARD

Josh Williams Field Service Tech at Renew Biomedical

Natsumi Shiotani Director-Medical Device Integrations, Projects & Equipment Services

Cullen Ross Biomedical Project Manager at Mercy Ships

Codi Nelson Program Director for Crothall Healthcare

Congratulations

Josh Garvin

C ongratulations #NAM E

Josh Garvin is an (Army) VISN 10 Information Systems Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs.

We extend our d eepest gratitud e to the dedicated HTM professionals who serve our n ation. Your u nwavering commitment to safe and

e cient medi cal equipment operation directly impacts patient wel lbeing. We are h onored to acknowl edge and pay tribute to your

exemplary service and expertise . A special thank y ou to TechNation for

creating a plat form that celebra tes outstanding healthcare leade rs.

rough this re cognition, we hig hlight the remarkab le contributio ns made by HTM pro fessionals, emblematic of the ha rd work exhibited by military service members worldwide.

Learn more about our accredited education and train ing programs by visiting us at www.cbet.edu or c all us at 210.233.1102.

MILITARY BMET OF THE YEAR

Josh Garvin, VISN 10 Information Systems Biomedical Equipment

Support Specialist at U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs

“Joshua Garvin is a veteran of the United States Army where he was an intelligence analyst for many years. Since 2012, Josh has been working for the Department of Veterans Affairs in networking- and cybersecurity-related capacities. As of March 2021, he has been a Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist (BESS) for the Veterans Integrated Service Network (VISN) covering Michigan, Indiana and Ohio. In his time with VA, he’s made a significant impact to the healthcare technology management (HTM) community in this region and throughout the Veterans Health Administration (VHA). Josh has worked to ensure VHA medical centers in his region meet the key performance indicators related to cybersecurity, such as vulnerability management. He’s also played a hand in countless VISN-wide projects such as the deployment of Zeiss FORUM Eye PACS in preparation for an electronic health record changeover. Josh’s passion for cybersecurity is even more evident in his enthusiasm to educate those that need or wish to learn more about the topic. He holds education sessions in the VA for interested BESS for several years, and he’s even created training content available to all biomedical engineers and BESS. The topics covered range from medical device security KPI improvements, basic networking skills, adding devices to the domain, PowerShell tutorials, IBM web reports, isolation management and much more. Josh also takes the time to provide additional support and education to those VA sites that express the need. He has regularly held one-on-one trainings for sites struggling with cybersecurity actions and/or have new VA HTM staff onboard. He is the co-lead for the National VHA HTM IT Education Workgroup that aims to educate the HTM field in medical device security knowledge. This expertise has even been featured in a variety of TechNation articles with Josh as co-writer to three published articles. He truly encompasses what it means to be the Military BMET of the Year from his time in the Army to now serving his fellow Veterans as a BESS for the Veterans Health Administration.” - Jennifer Harrison, Biomedical Engineer, Veterans Health Administration

OTHER NOMINEES FOR MILITARY BMET OF THE YEAR

Josh Watkins (Navy) Technical Instructor, Global Education and Training Center, GE Healthcare

Tom Hanak (Air Force) Senior Service Director at MW Imaging

Morton Campbell (Army) Imaging Specialist I at Erlanger Health

ISO EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY:

Keven Sun, Biomedical Service Technician, CME Corp

“Keven Sun is everything an ISO employee/BMET/CBET should be. Keven has that ‘can do’ attitude and he wears it so well. There is nothing technical/mechanical that Keven cannot and will not fix. He is the kind of young, eager, full of potential BMET/CBET that everyone wants on their team and I am lucky to have him on mine. I have known Keven for a few years now and I have watched him grow as a tech and as a person. So much of this job is accolades and recognition and certifications and rightfully so. However, when did we forget the importance of being a genuinely nice person. I would bet that each of us would rather work with an extremely talented and genuinely nice person versus the know-itall biomed with all the certs after his/her name. Patient care and mutual respect are our 2 top priorities here at CME. We place these above all else and Keven Sun knows his customers well and always provides this level or higher of service. We are in a selfless career field, where pats on the back are rare. I want to give Keven his time to shine because he has earned it as a young CBET and yes, because he is a genuinely kind person that everyone wants to work with.” -

John Waller, New England Regional Biomedical Services Manager, CME CORP

OTHER NOMINEES FOR ISO EMPLOYEE OF THE YEAR

Rhonda Breeden Crothall Healthcare

Daniel Cheramie Trimedx

Laura Plascencia Sodexo

Christopher Walters Global Med Systems

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For

HUMANITARIAN AWARD

SPONSORED BY:

Emmanuel Essah, Biomedical Program Manager at Mercy Ships

“You can use your God-given skills and your talents in the biomedical engineering field to bring hope and healing to the forgotten poor. You will get to befriend patients that we serve. Even though I do not have direct interaction with patients in my day-to-day job, the equipment that I repair or maintain is used to treat the patients. Whether it’s for monitoring, diagnosis, etcetera,” Essah says.

Emmanuel Essah is making a real difference in the lives of his fellow Africans and bringing his skill set to the benefit of those who need medical intervention desperately.

OTHER NOMINEES FOR THE HUMANITARIAN AWARD

Edward Reyes Lead Biomedical Equipment Support Specialist at Department of

Brian Gore Biomedical Equipment Specialist,

Derrick Kamina Technical Services Manager at Gradian Health Systems

Praygod Lyimo Senior Biomedical Engineer at Gradian Health Systems

DIAGNOSTIC IMAGING

Training Programs

Committed to empowering the biomedical community with exceptional training programs for CV, CT, MRI, and Ultrasound equipment, Avante Health Solutions aims to enhance the knowledge base for the betterment of patient care. Through the provision of cost-effective, hands-on, and practical training, engineers can promptly influence day-to-day operations, ensuring the continuous uptime of equipment.

Small classes to increase instructor-to-student ratios

Comprehensive hands-on course instruction

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Ultrasound Training Videos

Efficient course structure gets engineers back to work quickly

Industry expert instructors

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Access to our ultrasound video training library upon registration.

WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AWARD

SPONSORED BY:

Dana Hamed, Clinical Engineering Supervisor at Middlesex Health

“Dana has taken on a difficult challenge in stride this year, both becoming supervisor and an interim manager for our department. Despite the difficulty of covering both positions for a prolonged period, Dana has stepped up to the new roles and responsibilities.

Dana exemplifies many key leadership qualities, she has a strong work ethic, stays until the job is done, and she’s available to help solve crisis issues at any time. Most importantly, she leads by example by being kind and empathetic, always willing to help find solutions, and committed to learning and improving.”

- Kyle Cagnoli, Clinical Engineer, Middlesex Health

“Her style of leadership is one of her greatest strengths. She is strong and decisive while being personable with the team to ensure their concerns are met equitably. She has a great mindset to evaluate a problem and works to solve it for the betterment of the patients the facility serves.”

- Michael Heusser, Chief Biomedical Engineer for VA CT

OTHER NOMINEES FOR THE WOMEN IN LEADERSHIP AWARD

CHTM, Texas Childrens

Andrea Brainard CBET,

Health

Terri Crofts Sr. Regional Director Operations (Northeast) at Crothall Healthcare

Samantha Jacques VP Clinical Engineering McLaren Health

Carol Davis-Smith President Carol Davis-Smith & Associates LLC

Offering one of the industry's most extensive inventories of accessories and parts with full equipment support.

Contract and non-contract services from CBET/CRES certified engineers that meet or exceed JCAHO requirements.

Offering a one-stop shop vendor-neutral platform where customers can purchase different models up to 50% below the cost of new.

Established rental program that allows facilities long-tern, short-term, and rent-to-own options.

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INDUSTRY INFLUENCER

SPONSORED BY:

Bryant Hawkins Sr. ‘HTM on the Line’ Podcast

“Bryant is an outstanding leader, influencer, educator, mentor and friend. Not only does he impact the HTM industry with his time and service, but he gives of himself as an open and transparent human. He is dedicated to the field by reminding us to pour our knowledge and experience out for new HTM professionals. His passion and dedication to connect with others in our field is one of a kind. All the while he remains humble, as he shines brightly. He acknowledges that this industry is not a solo mission to become successful, but we are a community that commands integrity to keep patients and clinicians safe. Among many awesome titles, he most certainly deserves the acknowledgement of TechNation’s Influencer of the Year.” - Nicole Ruffin, Biomedical Equipment Technician, Crothall Healthcare

OTHER NOMINEES FOR THE INDUSTRY INFLUENCER AWARD

Justin Barbour Better Biomed

Kim Rowland Director of Business Development and Marketing for RSTI

Chace Torres Bearded Biomed

Carlos Villafane BiomedTechnicians.com

save the date

APRIL 7-9, 2024 • LAS VEGAS, NEVADA

For over 20 years MD Expo has provided world-class educational sessions, top-flight networking opportunities and an exhibit hall filled with the latest technology, service and equipment options. Make plans to join us at the M Resort & Casino in the spring.

mdexposhow.com #MDExpo

MAY 2-3, 2024 • INDIANAPOLIS, INDIANA

HTM Mixers serve as a regional conference for HTM professionals eager to earn continuing education credits, explore solutions in an exhibit hall and network with peers. Our 2024 event is proudly sponsored by the Indiana Biomedical Society.

htmmixer.com #HTMMixer

New England • October 8-10, 2024

OCTOBER 8-10, 2024 • NEW ENGLAND

In line with the spring MD Expo, our fall event provides opportunities for meaningful interactions with HTM thought leaders and peers from around the nation. In addition to educational sessions, networking opportunities and an exhibit hall filled with the latest technology, service and equipment options, the fall MD Expo offers a Reverse Expo, directly connecting decision makers and vendors with valuable face-time.

mdexposhow.com #MDExpo

OUTSTANDING VENDOR OF THE YEAR

Sage Services Group, sageservicesgroup.com

“Sage Services Group and Wes Stichweh provide top notch service for all of our patient monitoring needs. Whenever I have something broken, Wes is just a phone call away. I don’t even have to worry about boxing it up. No matter how big or how small, he will stop by the hospital to pick it up. Even if he is on vacation and can’t make it to the hospital, he will send me the repair form and a FedEx label for me to ship it out. Once it is shipped out, the turnaround time is amazing. I know that within a week, I am going to have my device back and it is going to be working better than ever. The convenience and the repair process are impeccable.” -

Allison Woolford, Biomedi

cal

Equipment Specialist, Duke University Hospital

CONGRATULATIONS TO THE TECH CHOICE AWARD WINNER

ASSOCIATION OF THE YEAR

Florida Biomedical Society

“The Florida Biomedical Society truly deserves recognition and an award for their exceptional contributions to the field. Their annual symposiums are not only highly informative but also incredibly engaging and consistently attracting a diverse and substantial audience. What sets them apart is their commitment to creating a family-friendly atmosphere. Beyond their academic pursuits, the society’s members actively participate in community initiatives, showcasing their dedication to giving back. With their substantial reach and impact, the Florida Biomedical Society stands as a prominent and influential force in the biomedical community. Their unwavering commitment to education, inclusivity, and community engagement makes them a deserving recipient of this esteemed award.”

- Myra Becerra, Biomed Supervisor, Memorial Healthcare System

SPONSORED BY:

ASSOCIATION OF THE YEAR

SPONSORED BY:

Florida Biomedical Society

“The Florida Biomedical Society truly deserves recognition and an award for their exceptional contributions to the field. Their annual symposiums are not only highly informative but also incredibly engaging and consistently attracting a diverse and substantial audience. What sets them apart is their commitment to creating a family-friendly atmosphere. Beyond their academic pursuits, the society’s members actively participate in community initiatives, showcasing their dedication to giving back. With their substantial reach and impact, the Florida Biomedical Society stands as a prominent and influential force in the biomedical community. Their unwavering commitment to education, inclusivity, and community engagement makes them a deserving recipient of this esteemed award.” - Myra Becerra, Biomed Supervisor, Memorial Healthcare System

OTHER NOMINEES FOR ASSOCIATION OF THE YEAR

North Carolina Biomedical Association

California Medical Instrumentation Association

Healthcare Technology Managment Association-Texas

Clinical Engineering Association of Illinois

SPONSORS: THANK YOU AGAIN TO OUR