The AAMI Technology Management Council’s annual Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) Week aims to celebrate the contributions of HTM departments around the country. Today, the final day of the festivities, the TMC has announced the winners of its individual and group contests.

Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor, Me, has won the facility celebration contest for its “outstanding spirit and creativity.” Each day this week was devoted to a special celebration, with baked goods, a catered lunch, and a small gift to team members. Team-building activities with go-kart racing and paintball wrapped up the week. The department will receive a $500 gift card.

Photo of Ismael Cordero

Ismael Cordero

The winner of the “My Dream for HTM” short essay contest is Ismael Cordero, biomedical service manager for Gradian Health Systems. His winning entry, reprinted below, envisions a streamlined and durable medical device that’s easy to repair and troubleshoot. Gradian, a nonprofit based in New York, manufactures a Universal Anaesthesia Machine designed for use by low-resource hospitals in the developing world without access to reliable electricity. The unit comes with extensive customer support from Gradian.

Envision… a medical device that’s been created and designed with BMETs in mind from its very inception. It’s easy to troubleshoot, and all of its modules and components are easily accessible and replaceable. It has no multiple layers of panels and hardware. There is no excessive hardware that you end up collecting in a drawer because you do not remember where it came from. It has no delicate connectors that break when you pull them out. It does not need expensive proprietary batteries or filters. Comprehensive service manuals are provided in printed form and are available for download free-of-charge. The manuals are full of photos and easy-to-follow diagrams and schematics. BMET training is provided at the time of installation, and refresher training videos are available to stream or download. Technical bulletins are supplied periodically with maintenance tips. An online discussion forum is available to get tips from manufacturer experts and experienced users. Parts lists with prices are available online and are kept up-to-date. A set of essential spares, tools and test devices are provided when you buy the device.

Second and third place in the essay contest went to Michael Rakauskas of Baxter Healthcare and J. Patrick Lashway of Oregon Health and Science University, respectively.

For more information on HTM Week, visit the AAMI website.