In our October Focus On column, we explored the CDRH’s radical new approach to spotting medical device safety issues before they become problems. The CDRH has reorganized its safety reporting methods to involve every employee throughout the center, by incorporating Matrix organization elements.

A Matrix design places staff members from different departments under new supervisors who oversee a specific part of a particular project. The unique organizational structure gets its name from a Matrix table, where all elements are represented in both rows and columns. Employees continue to report to their existing manager, but also work closely with other project managers who oversee aspects of a particular project.

A Matrix approach is ideal for special, temporary, or ongoing projects that rely on cooperation from multiple departments. In a hospital, for example, organizing staff into a Matrix structure may be suitable for researching, purchasing, and setting up new equipment, or for special projects requiring close interaction between biomeds and IT.

Have you used a Matrix reporting structure for any project? Any tips on the best way to organize it? What works for keeping everyone on track during special projects—and, likewise, what doesn’t?  

Welcome once again to our Biomeds’ Best Practices Blog. Thanks to those of you who have commented on the blogs and to those of you who have also sent questions and ideas for us to post. We hope you’ll send more ideas, as this is your blog, designed to help you connect and get great ideas on how to work smarter.

Here’s the latest question that I received from a biomed who is looking for your “best practices”: “How many biomeds have been told, ‘we are dropping the contract on this piece of equipment,’ and then not been given any training on it, but yet you are expected to service it?”

This CBET said it’s an area of concern for most biomed technicians and is part of an ongoing problem of getting more from your employees while giving them more work than they can handle. This biomed says the equipment list keeps growing while the number of technicians to do the work keeps dropping. Any suggestions on how to cope with this? How do you get the training you need? We hope you’ll share your comments and ideas—thanks!

Biomed technician Larry Walsh of Provena St Mary’s Hospital in Kankakee, Ill, wrote to me after reading our September cover article about biomeds helping medical teams abroad. Our May “Focus On” section also highlighted mission work.

Here’s what Larry said: “I was reading articles in 24x7 about mission trips and the organizations sponsoring them. We have two biomeds in our shop and both of us have taken mission trips. I went to Fond des Blanc, Haiti, and my co-worker went to India. We have gone through the TriMedx Foundation, Indianapolis, which is a very helpful and caring organization. It was a very rewarding experience and both of us are willing to do more. TriMedx Foundation also sponsors mission trips in the US. They sponsor time in their shop in Indianapolis repairing equipment going to missions. I have also gone to Minneapolis on a mission trip to repair equipment going to Africa. Tim Moss and Gloria Brocksmith do a great job of coordinating all of this.”

Have you taken a mission trip and been able to get sponsorship from your employer —either with paid time off or help with expenses? Share your tips on how to gain support from your employer.