Valdez Bravo, a biomedical equipment support specialist at Portland VA Medical Center in Oregon would appreciate your input on how to create a biomedical equipment repair forum that biomeds in developing nations could access to interact with US biomedical equipment techs—or biomeds from other countries as well—to assist with locating literature, parts, solutions, etc.

Here’s what Valdez said: “The idea stems from my time in March 2008 when I traveled to JFK Medical Center in Monrovia, Liberia. I was there with a nonprofit called Project HOPE. We were rebuilding the medical center that had basically been destroyed during Liberia’s 10-year civil war. The experience was amazing, and I was able to fix a lot of things, but many issues could have been resolved if the Liberian’s (who speak English) could have had an e-mail address or forum location to direct questions to. These were very smart individuals who were excellent in electronics, but needed just a little bit of info in order to do a lot of good.”

He doesn’t want to “reinvent the wheel” so if you know of a good site already in operation, or you have ideas, please comment here and see what you can all “virtually” build together. Thanks!

What are you doing to mark National Biomedical/Clinical Engineering Week? Celebrated May 23 through 29 it is the perfect opportunity to showcase your department within the hospital and your profession within the community.

What have you done in the past that has worked to get the word out? Did you set up a booth in the hospital lobby? Put a notice in your hospital’s newsletter? Help your colleagues spread the word about the industry by sharing your ideas. We look forward to your comments.

In early April we posted a blog on behalf of Biomed Don Hang who works in a clinical engineering department in Ohio. He was interested in your suggestions about some design ideas he had. Once again on his behalf we invite your input.

Don says he thinks that, “Utilizing ground chains or ground brush wheels would help so that larger instruments (like anesthesia, neonate/infant incubators, warmers, etc) do not pick up static charge—which I have always felt probably does not help the electronics and definitely does not make the technician on the receiving end of static shock any more comfortable.”

What do you think? Any suggestions on how to implement this? Click on the comment link and let Don know how to accomplish this. Thanks!