The psychologist and philosopher, William James, once said; “The deepest craving of human nature is the need to be appreciated.”
Appreciation that is expressed for the work a person performs is more highly prized than a salary, according to many work satisfaction studies.
Work is a requirement. Few can take a pass on this necessity. Work can be drudgery, or it can be fulfilling. Some people have a passion for their careers. In some careers, there is a sense of purpose. There is a realization of the importance of the career field or profession.
Healthcare technology management (HTM) is a “one-step removed” profession. It is a profession critical to patient care and healing, even saving lives, as it supports clinical professionals in that effort.
HTM is a helping profession; it improves lives, maintains life and allows important diagnostic medical devices to guide treatment.
TechNation magazine believes that the dedication and striving for excellence demonstrated by a biomed association, a military BMET, a director or manager, an educator, ISO employee, biomed professional, influencer or vendor deserves appreciation.
The same goes for women in leadership and humanitarians, as well as a professional in the field worthy of a lifetime achievement (now known as ICON) award.
For this reason, TechNation magazine continues to promote and applaud the men and women of HTM with the second annual Tech Choice Awards. The Tech Choice Awards (also known as the Wrenchies) shine a spotlight on the heroes of HTM.
Much like an Academy Award or an Emmy, the act of being nominated holds nearly the same level of attainment as the overall winner. This is true because the nominees represent the top of their profession and having mastered their craft.
Peers most understand the rigors and requirements of a profession. Peers also best understand when another member of a profession excels at what they do.
The votes were cast and tallied for the Tech Choice Awards and the winners are those recognized by peers who were motivated by their knowledge of the nominees’ dedication. There can be no higher honor than the recognition of one’s colleagues and peers. The winners are based entirely on the number of votes received over the past several months.
We asked finalists in the Lifetime Achievement (ICON), Professional of the Year and Industry Influencer categories to reflect upon their nomination, what it means to them and how the recognition will impact their careers.
LIVING A LIFETIME OF ACHIEVEMENT
In karate, those who earn the highest respect and recognition, along with having attained at least the rank of 6th-degree black belt, may be bestowed with the honorific title Renshi, Kyoshi or Hanshi. These titles denote accomplishment and signify an enormous amount of time given back to the karate community. They garner the highest respect within the discipline.
In the same vein, the awarding of the Lifetime (ICON) Award reflects upon the value the nominee has given back to the HTM profession. It also denotes respect.
Despite receiving votes for this high honor, the finalists are humble and respectful of those who would consider them for this award.
“I was surprised and humbled as there are so many bright lights in this field,” says Wayne Moore, B.Sc., MBA, FASE, FAIUM, founder partner of Acertara Acoustic Laboratories.
“It’s quite an honor to be nominated for this award by my peers. I have closely followed and collaborated with several of the nominees, so I am grateful to be named along with them. I have closely followed the others in their careers, and they are well deserving of this award. Binseng, Wayne, Dustin, and Dean are leaders I look up to in our field,” says David Braeutigam, professor at Collin College.
Dean Skillicorn, CBET, CHTM, medical imaging servicer, manager of clinical engineering at St. Luke’s Health System says that being nominated specifically with this group of individuals, is very heart warming and a great honor.
“I have worked diligently in my career with several of the finalists in assisting in the development of HTM as a concept. It has truly been a pleasure to serve the HTM community. The opportunity to be a finalist is very humbling and satisfying,” Skillicorn says.
Binseng Wang, ScD, CCE, vice president, program management, Sodexo, says that the nomination represents “a new high point in my career.”
“It’s an incredible honor to be nominated by peers in this field I love so much. Honestly, it feels a bit like being handed a participation trophy at a marathon while I’m still tying my shoelaces. I’m deeply grateful, but there are others in this category who have run the whole race – and probably built the timing system and fixed a few stretchers along the way,” says Dustin K. Telford, AAMIF, CHTM, CBET, CRES, CLES, consultant with Healthcare Incident Investigation & Technology Consulting at ECRI.
These finalists also recognized their colleagues in the field as sharing credit if they are the eventual winner.
“As I said above, being nominated for the Lifetime Achievement Award is a new high point in my career. Winning it would be an extraordinary recognition of the work that I had the privilege of conducting with my fellow HTM professionals over the past four decades,” Wang says.
“Please note that I don’t consider winning it as a personal accomplishment but a recognition of what dozens of colleagues and I managed to contribute to the advancement of our profession. As they say in Africa, ‘it takes a village [to raise a child],’” Wang says.
Wang says that while professionals in many other industries can claim valuable contributions to human beings, few have such a direct, tangible impact as HTM professionals.
“I feel extremely grateful to be among dedicated professionals who contribute daily to saving lives and healing people when they are most vulnerable,” he adds.
Moore says of winning; “I would be grateful, but as I said above, I would also be surprised given the storied careers of the other nominees.”
“Winning this prestigious award would be very rewarding. Recognition like this is very hard to obtain. The fact I was even nominated has been very special and I appreciate the recognition. To win this award? It would be very enrichening and rewarding to know my colleagues in this field feel I have been a great contributor over time at a high level of performance to earn such a distinction. Thank you to all the individuals who participated in the nominations. Congratulations to all of the finalists are who truly deserving of winning this award,” Skillicorn says.
Winning the award would also top off a career in HTM in the best possible way.
“I recently retired from teaching full-time so winning the award would be a nice way to put a stamp on my career. I will probably still attend HTM meetings and maybe teach part time at Collin College, but I am enjoying retirement and look forward to playing more golf,” Braeutigam says.
He says that he is impressed with the new leadership he sees in the HTM field locally in the Dallas-Ft. Worth area and nationally, so he believes the biomed field is in great hands.
From capping off a career, winning may also seem undeserved in a field of very qualified finalists.
“Winning would feel like being knighted with a soldering iron – deeply touching, slightly terrifying, and likely to leave a lasting mark. But truly, I’d prefer people vote for one of the other nominees. Some of them have already earned the right to sit down and enjoy their well-deserved accolades without someone like me still pacing around the starting line,” Telford says.
NOTE: The name of the Lifetime Achievement Award has been updated and is now the Icon Award.
THE CORE OF HTM
Among the Professional of the Year finalists, there is a dedication to the field, a reverence for working in HTM and appreciation of co-workers.
These are biomeds, managers and directors chosen from a very large population of biomeds within the field as those who are exemplary in the field.
“Being nominated for the HTM/biomed national Professional of the Year Award is such an honor. To me, it really reflects the hard work and dedication of the entire team I get to work with every day. This recognition isn’t just about me – it’s about what we’ve accomplished together. I’m proud of what we do, and it means a lot to see that acknowledged,” says Charles Woolfolk, manager II-HTM, Temple Memorial Hospital and Clinics/McLane Children’s Hospital and Continuous Care Hospital with Baylor Scott & White.
Dave Scott, CBET, senior biomedical equipment technician at the University of Colorado Hospital in Aurora, Colorado, well-known in the HTM community for his pioneering work with CABMET in CBET-prep, said that when he was first notified of being a finalist, he was surprised.
“Then I thought, who nominated me, because no one said anything to me about nominating me. I was very happy and it’s a great honor to be nominated. I felt like I had already won just by being nominated,” Scott says.
Greg Czajka, director, clinical engineering planning & projects at Advocate Health Care says of the professional nomination that it’s humbling.
“Like everyone else, I go into work every day and do my best to make the patients coming to my system for care the best experience they can receive. I try to learn something every day and take accountability for the decisions I make. As a leader, my goal is to empower my team to make the right calls and elevate their careers. I have a passion for our field and am grateful that I get to work in a setting that brings me joy. I hope to continue bringing in new talent and shining a spotlight on HTM so that we can move forward beyond ‘unsung heroes,’” Czajka says.
A commitment to helping others is a common quality among those nominated for the Professional of the Year Award and all of the Wrenchies.
“Being nominated for an award like the Wrenchie is an honor! It means that my contributions were recognized and valued by others, and that I made a positive impact in some way. It would symbolize that I’ve been able to help, connect, or make a difference, which is a rewarding feeling in itself. Even more than winning, the nomination would reflect appreciation for the work done and the trust people have in the service I provide. Recognition like that motivates me to keep improving and giving my best,” says Earl Morris Jr., BMET at Harrison County Hospital in Corydon, Indiana.
Steve Ellithorpe, CHTM, executive director of Enterprise Clinical Technology Services at Providence says that he “was surprised and humbled by the fact that someone or multiple people took the time to nominate me for this award. To be identified as a finalist is quite an honor.”
“Deep appreciation as the votes were submitted by co-workers, friends and peers within healthcare and the HTM community. Over the course of my career, I’ve served in different professional roles and supported local biomedical associations. This provided opportunity to collaborate, lead and mentor within the HTM community locally, regionally and nationally. I’m deeply appreciative that these efforts may be recognized through this award,” Ellithorpe says.
USING THEIR INFLUENCE
The Internet changed communication for all time. It made the world smaller. It further connected the HTM community, allowing for online learning and collaboration. Alongside the Internet, the influence of women in the HTM field has grown in recent years. The influencer finalists personify innovation, resourcefulness and the drive to share knowledge and further the careers of colleagues.
“I was truly surprised, honored and humbled by the nomination. You can only hope that what you do, the way you present yourself and the connections you make are impactful. It fills my heart with pride and joy knowing that my peers in HTM see me as a leader and someone they can turn to for information and advice. If you can measure yourself to only impact one person, I call that success. To know that I have impacted many is beyond measure,” says Chyrill Sandrini, director of client solutions, surgical services & marketing director at MultiMedical Systems LLC.
Carlos R. Villafañe, CBET, CET, team lead SJW/biomedical engineer III at Baycare Health System says that being nominated for TechNation’s Industry Influencer of the Year Award is incredibly motivating for him.
“I see it as recognition for sharing my passion for the HTM field. It validates the countless hours of effort behind the scenes: from crafting engaging content to recording, editing and building meaningful connections with everyone I can reach. Regardless of the outcome, I’m grateful for the opportunity to be recognized among such talented individuals,” Villafañe says.
Jennifer Chester, BMET III, says that being nominated for this award was incredibly humbling and validating.
“It feels amazing to be recognized for my efforts in a field I am so passionate about, especially as I strive to bring more awareness to the biomedical equipment technology (BMET) profession. It’s a reminder that the stories I share and the initiatives I take on – whether through ‘Bella the BMET’ or my work in HTM – are making an impact. It means the world to know that others see the value in what I’m trying to accomplish,” she says.
The spirit of helping others while praising other finalists are the sentiments of another finalist.
“To me, it was truly an honor, as I don’t consider myself an influencer. I just believe in supporting and assisting others in accomplishing their goals. And I was not at all surprised by the other nominees, as those are who I have seen to be amazing influencers. They are out there paving the way for people to be empowered and to grow in HTM,” says Jewel Newell, MBA, president and CEO of NRC Recruiting and Consulting.
Kim Rowland, director of strategic partnerships and military programs at RSTI, says that being nominated for the second year in a row is an incredible honor.
“After 2O+ years in the industry, it feels rewarding to be recognized at this level. To be in the top five again, alongside such talented leaders, really highlights the strength and collaboration within our community. As someone focused on building partnerships and supporting growth – both professionally with customers/vendors/coopetition and with my team; and also, personally within my role with ‘Women in Leadership’ – this nomination feels like a reflection of the connections and progress we’ve all worked toward together,” Rowland says.
To be recognized by your peers is a great honor. The Lifetime, Professional and Influencer finalists, along with all the finalists, are aware of the significance of this fact. The winners of the Tech Choice Awards (also known as the Wrenchies), can be found in this issue of TechNation and an award ceremony is planned for the MD Expo set for Southern California next month.
The results are in! After months of anticipation and over 6,500 votes, the winners of the 2025 Tech Choice Awards have been determined by your votes. We reveal the winners here with an award ceremony to follow at the MD Expo in Southern California. A big thank you to our sponsors for making these awards possible!
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