Biomedical Engineering Life – who are the people in HTM (Healthcare Technology Management)? Our five HTM Week 2024 blogs have now featured 51 Biomedical engineers from across the USA celebrating their work in healthcare technology management and the biomed life.

Here, to conclude the week, are eleven more HTMs and Biomeds from across the USA sharing their inspiration.

“Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) Week, May 19–25, 2024, promotes awareness of—and appreciation for—the critical work of professionals who manage and maintain the vast assortment of health technology found in healthcare delivery organisations”.

Biomedical Engineering Life – who are the people in HTM?

Eleven! more people representing biomedical engineering life

Joshua Smallwood, Program Coordinator, Arkansas

Joshua Smallwood is Program Coordinator at GE Healthcare. He has 11 years of service with the Arkansas Army National Guard. Joshua is based in Pearcy, Arkansas.
Why has a career in HTM been right for you?
I honestly fell into the biomedical field while looking for a new job in the Arkansas Army National Guard when my wife was pregnant with our second child. My intent was to look for a new job that had a long AIT (Advanced Individual Training) that way when the baby was born, I would be on active duty. This didn’t work out as planned as I was prior service and took over a year to get a seat in the school.
At first, I struggled with it as I knew nothing about electronics, but once I learned the basics, I fell in love with it. I was looking for a job in the military that I could transfer to the civilian side and make a career to be able to provide for my family. Working as a biomed has been really rewarding not only the salary, but the impact to patient care even without direct patient care.
I really enjoy the challenge and that every day it is something different. I’ve had several jobs since I started working and over time, I would get bored with doing the same stuff day in and day out. Whereas, with biomed every day is a new day and a new set of challenges.

Alan Moretti, HTM Medical Imaging and Radiation Oncology Equipment Leader, Illinois

Alan Moretti has nearly forty years of experience in Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) most recently for Renovo Solutions. He is based in Greater Chicago in Illinois.
Why has a career in HTM been right for you?

I am in my 38th year as an HTMer and the profession has and continues to exceed all my personal and professional aspirations! The most important of all aspirations has been the privilege to serve all of the wonderful patients, families, co – HTMers and clinical colleagues! Thank You HTM👍👍

Daniel García Valerio, Professional service engineer in nuclear medicine, PETCT, CT, microPET and Cyclotron system, Texas

Daniel García Valerio is experienced in equipment installation, inspection, and assembly. He works for TTG Imaging Solutions as an Inhouse Engineer. Daniel is based in Houston in Texas.
Why has a career in HTM been right for you?
I’ll just say, every time I’m working doing refurbishing, service or even orienting someone who is working with one system, I’m always thinking that I or someone I love could be the patient who is getting that diagnosis….that’s why always I’m doing my best when I’m working on it. I enjoy and love working in this field as well.

Rhiannon Thurmond, Field Service Engineer Ultrasound / Digital Radiography, Texas

Rhiannon Thurmond has over 17 years of experience in both Biomed and Imaging modalities. She works for Boston Imaging, a subsidiary of Samsung Electronics Co Ltd as a Field Service Engineer, Ultrasound/DR. Rhiannon is based in the College Station/Bryan metro area, Texas
Why has a career in HTM been right for you?
Working in HTM has been one of the most rewarding experiences and careers I could have chosen. When I started working in the industry at 19 I had no idea how much it would impact my life. I have now been in the industry for over 17 years and am still learning something new every day! I love the act of learning and solving problems. This role allows me to do what I love (helping others) and the journey way has grown with me over the years.

Beginning in Biomed

When I first started as a Biomed I needed a stable 9-5 job, wanted to work in a hospital close to home and was able to do just that. Financially allowing me to care for my children, come home in time for dinner fulfilled because I got to do what I love and helping others care for the ones they love through my repairs. I had the ability to see first hand how a down medical device can offset the flow of patient care.

I learned just how valuable we Biomeds are in the greater scheme of things. For example, I recall rounding patient floors and seeing beds lined up with out of order tags; this offset the care that could be provided because without beds you couldn’t admit a patient. I recall how construction affected infant security as when a corridor was re-routed the system would need to be tuned to account for staff walking down a new wing, otherwise nuisance alarms would ring and Code Pink would echo through the halls causing staff to drop what they are doing and guard the doors. I learned about Nuisance alarms and how when a device isn’t functioning as it should it causes fatigue on the already burdened nurse who simply wants her infusion pump to not alarm occlusion and has ruled out all external variables.

Our roles are integral in the big scheme of things. Knowing the importance and trickledown effect of not having a qualified BMET onsite was valuable to me and left me feeling like I did something important when I laid my head on my pillow after a long day’s work.

Growing

As my children grew and as I gained more wisdom, I then discovered how needed FSEs were to service rural areas and small clinics / ASC’s that may not have an onsite tech available. The tasks and needs increased while in the field – devices I had not seen or heard of were now present. The need and demand for folks in our industry is higher than ever. I keep learning to ensure that I can be a number one resource (not for the pay, but for the reward).

Final Thoughts

This career has allowed me to improve my critical thinking skills, work with awesome tools and analysers, improve communication skills, be a problem solver, and has given me an opportunity to travel and see the world. I have an abundance of gratitude for my career choice as the people working in this industry are all amazing and have unique talents that they spend countless hours grooming and working to improve so that we can make the biggest impact on patient care. We help each other, we dream big, and we have an understanding that HTM is more than just a job but a career that saves lives.

Gregory Bennett, Field Service Project Manager, Texas

Gregory Bennett is a Field Service Manager for Tri-Imaging Solutions and is still applying his knowledge to the field by performing FSE duties. He is based in Denton in Texas.
Why has a career in HTM been right for you?
My career in the HTM field has been the most rewarding and gratifying journey in my professional career that I have held. I have always wanted to be in the HTM environment from a young age and I stuck to it through my college years. So, I started in biomed and worked my way up to field services and now into leadership where I can share my experiences and knowledge with other HTM professionals. I love what we do, the excitement of the everyday challenges and the reward of knowing a patient is getting healthier because of our efforts to support lives. Let’s keep moving forward heroes of the HTM community.

Alex Royster, Biomedical Equipment Specialist, Florida

Alex Royster served in the US Army and is an experienced biomedical technician with over 11 years of expertise. He works as a Biomedical Equipment Specialist for Royal Caribbean Group. Alex is based in Fort Lauderdale in Florida.
Why has a career in HTM been right for you?
The HTM path has been beneficial for me as it has allowed me to help in the healthcare industry, while simultaneously providing me the chance to travel around the world. I enjoy puzzles, helping people, and problem solving, which is what I am paid to do from month to month and essentially makes up the profession. Whether working at a hospital, for a jump team, or onboard a cruise, my HTM career has created countless friendships, opened numerous doors, and the journey has been nothing short of exciting.

Kyle Sciulli, Biomedical Technician, Hawaii

Kyle Sciulli is a Biomedical Equipment Technician and has been working for the US Navy for nearly seven years. He is based in Honolulu in Hawaii.
Why has a career in HTM been right for you?
I like working as a biomed because it is a satisfying and meaningful field. It helped me discover that I have a passion for repair which has given me a lot of new interests. The people I’ve met in the biomed community have also been some of the most welcoming and friendly people I’ve ever met. I am truly grateful to work in such a great field.

Bailey Messina, Field Service Engineer, Massachusetts

Bailey Messina has served in the US Army and is experienced in the hospital and healthcare industry. He works for Boston Imaging as a Field Service Engineer. Bailey works for the company’s Massachusetts location remotely from Texas.
Why has a career in HTM been right for you?
A career in HTM has been right for me in many ways. As an Army veteran, I find myself always looking to help others and ensure their safety. In HTM each and every day, we work to our full capacity to make sure equipment is safe for patient use. Whether we find something as simple as a missing or broken bolt on a piece of equipment or a calibration failure that needs to be addressed. We are working to ensure the safety of others and help our customers in any way possible! This is why a career in HTM has been right for me.

Smitha Krishnan, Biomedical Engineer, Texas

Smitha Krishnan is a Biomedical Engineer and works at CHI St. Luke’s Health. She has also taught biomedical engineering. Smitha is based in Houston in Texas.
Why has a career in HTM been right for you?
This career in HTM as a biomed has been perfect to me because each day is like a fun ride.
You have planned your PM scheduled for the month, then you are pulled into a floor call figuring out networking, then you have a call for an EKG (aka ECG) down. After that, you are walking into a patient’s room checking on their monitor and the patient turns around saying thank you. As well, the nurse says – “you are magical, you made that monitor work”, so you walk off knowing it was a simple error but having that smile of feeling appreciated.
For a person like me, I love troubleshooting and multitasking. Working in TMC in the world’s largest medical centre it’s always a new day and something new to troubleshoot and we have new equipment to roll out. Also trying to rekindle and keep alive some oldies among the equipment which the doctors love.
This career has offered me all the fun I want at work, with all love for biomedical engineering.

Merrick Breck, Biomed Specialist, Ohio

Merrick Breck worked in mechanical engineering and then transitioned to biomedical engineering. He works as a Biomed Specialist for The Christ Hospital Health Network. Merrick is based in Hamilton in Ohio.
Why has a career in HTM been right for you?
In a hospital you know it is helping someone.
You are the eyes and ears of making sure equipment is working correctly. I like to tinker with stuff using my hands. Get some tools and I’m there. You get a special bond with your fellow biomeds.
It takes us all to make it work.

Jessica French, Biomedical Equipment Technician, Ohio

Jessica French is a Biomedical Equipment Technician for Sodexo. She is based in Cleveland in Ohio.
Why has a career in HTM been right for you?
I haven’t been in this field long. In fact, just two short years but I finally found my career. Leading up to this career I was a medical assistant, then worked in central processing and as an anaesthesia tech when the facility needed one.
Working in Sterile Processing we would call the HTM team frequently. Our lead tech asked if I have thought about going into the field. I started following our team to see how they operated. I loved the idea of working hands on with the equipment but being able to contribute with patient care. So, I went back to college to receive a certification in Biomedical Equipment and Technology. While in school I accepted a position with Sodexo where I finished out the CADET programme, a programme that is hands on while you are doing schooling through Sodexo. I then continued my education to receive my associate degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology.
Two years later I love my job and cannot wait to see where this career takes me!

Earlier HTM week medical engineering articles

This is USA Biomedical Engineering Life Part 1,
This is USA Biomedical Engineering Life Part 2,
and This is USA Biomedical Engineering Life Part 3,
and This is USA Biomedical Engineering Life Part 4

Worth Sharing!