By K. Richard Douglas
It’s not news that biomeds are having to learn more about networking and other tasks that have traditionally been part of the IT world. With training, they have had to evolve along with the integration of medical devices. What may be less commonly seen is when someone with expertise on the IT side comes over to the biomed side, putting the IT-trained HTM professional in a unique position.
One biomed, who started out working as a system administrator in Wisconsin, made the move and enjoys the HTM life.
“I was originally hired to work as a Server Administrator in our Clinical Engineering department,” says Todd Frederick, BS, CBET, a clinical engineering technician in the IS Clinical Engineering department with Gundersen Health System in La Crosse, Wis.
Gundersen Health includes a diverse mix of hospitals, regional medical clinics, nursing homes, breast care centers, dialysis centers, pharmacies, along with a health plan. The system’s reach extends into Iowa and Minnesota.
The department that Frederick belongs to includes a manager, two dialysis techs, eight biomeds, four imaging techs, one equipment tech and one hybrid tech (biomed/IT).
“I was responsible for getting devices to connect to our EMR system and maintaining system uptime. I decided to change roles after a year and transferred into a biomed position in our department,” he says.
“I started my career as a Technical Systems Administrator with Gundersen Lutheran — now Gundersen Health System — in March of 2012. In May 2013, I took my current position of clinical engineering technician in the clinical engineering department,” he says. “In this role, I maintain our biomedical equipment and still assist with many computer integrations and some applications. It is a great position as I get to work on all different types of equipment — except imaging, we have a different team for that.”
Frederick was always interested in technology. He built a computer while in high school and worked in a consumer electronics store while in college. When he graduated from college, there were not any traditional biomed jobs available locally. The position at Gundersen, working with servers, required a bachelor’s degree and proved to be a great opportunity to get a foot in the door.
The clinical engineering department is under Information Systems at Gundersen. The team Frederick joined was a hybrid group that connects medical equipment to computer systems. The role of an IT person in the biomed group provided the perfect background for a modern-day HTM professional.
Education
Frederick attended the University of Wisconsin at La Crosse and worked on a bachelor’s degree in biomedical science. The program included a lot of chemistry and biology with classes covering cancer biology and genetics.
“The biomed field really caught my attention as it was a combination of technology and biology,” he says. “My plan was always to go into biology/healthcare but I also had learned so much about computers and new technology that this field was the best of both worlds.”
He obtained his CBET certification in March “once I had the two years of experience,” Frederick says.
Beyond general biomed duties, Frederick has some areas of concentration.
“I work a lot with our staff paging system, ophthalmology and optometry, and Central Service equipment. I’m also one of the guys others go to regarding networking/IT issues. I also manage some projects for our department,” he says.
The out-of-the-ordinary projects that have challenged Frederick since becoming a biomed have also been the bane of many HTM pros, although he has the right attitude about them.
“I have been on some really cool projects since I started my career. The biggest one was our move into our new hospital. I assisted with a lot of the ‘child’ projects to make sure the move was successful; all in one day. One of the projects I did was a conversion to Masimo SpO2 technology. I had to track down all our non-Masimo monitors — over 250 — and collect them to be upgraded on-site,” Frederick explains.
The field service person performed the software upgrades. The new hospital was built near the old one and connects to a clinic and the old hospital.
Away from Work
When not on the job, Frederick likes to go on adventures in the virtual world and in the real one.
“I’m a pretty avid computer gamer. Me and some other coworkers get together and have LAN parties whenever our personal schedules align,” he says. “I really enjoy playing volleyball. I also enjoy camping and taking our motorcycle out for rides.”
He is a newlywed having married his wife, Tera, in July. The couple began dating in 2009.
“I owe a great debt to her for keeping me on track to complete both of my degrees,” he says. “We don’t have any children yet, but have a Great Dane named Jax.”
Frederick is known for his problem-solving skills and teamwork at Gundersen.
“I’m usually cracking a joke and have great interactions with my coworkers and departments. The staff has given me High Five awards — our in-house recognition — for problems I have fixed for them or the time I have taken to fully explain what needs to be done to resolve their issue,” he says. “I wear many hats in our department and find that people will contact me because ‘Todd will know what to do.’ ”
Favorite book: “To Kill a Mockingbird” by Harper Lee
Favorite movie: “The Dark Knight”
Favorite food: Cheeseburger Pie
Hidden talent: I do pretty good impersonations (mostly of people in our shop).
Favorite part of being a biomed: “Every day is different! It’s nice being able work on so many types of equipment.”
What’s on my bench?
• Nalgene water bottle
• My iPhone
• My Nexus 7 tablet
• “Got Bon Jovi?” coffee cup
• Work laptop
