By K. Richard Douglas
In Atlanta, Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta (CHOA) is an important health care provider and one of the largest pediatric clinical care providers in the country. In 2022, U.S. News and World Report named the hospital one of the nation’s best children’s hospitals; marking 19 years with that achievement.
With such an important mission, to care for the Atlanta area’s youngest patients, the hospital depends on competent biomedical services.
Sonali Kamalasanan, CBET, is manager of HTM for CHOA. Her career track started very young when she realized the profession she would choose.
“My dad has always been my hero and inspiration. He’s an engineer by profession and that’s what made me inspired towards engineering at first. But as a kid, I was also fascinated by the medical profession. Once I was a senior in high school, I had to choose a career path and be focused. I came across biomedical engineering and learned how specialized this field is; where both medicine and engineering intersected,” she says.
Kamalasanan says that she realized that biomedical engineering came with a broad, multidisciplinary curriculum that allows students to develop a strong framework of skills and knowledge. She also realized that it required a heavy course load of mathematics and science classes, such as chemistry, medical physiology, biology and electrical engineering.
“It was quite challenging. I stood up to the challenge, and until this date, I have never looked back. I’m proud of the decision and the career path that I chose,” she says.
Kamalasanan has a Bachelor of Biomedical Engineering degree with six months training in the research and development department at Siemens Medical.
The training and experience have paid off.
“At present, I hold the position of manager of HTM for Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta and I am also a biomedical engineering consultant for the United Nations. I have been in the HTM industry for more than 25 years and have worked at different levels and different positions during this tenure. I have worked as a BMET, sales and service engineer, manager of biomed, director of biomed and biomed consultant,” Kamalasanan says.
Her specialty areas lean toward the non-technical skills needed in HTM leadership.
“Finance management and process implementations are the two core areas for the proper functioning of the HTM department and these are my strengths,” Kamalasanan says.
Achieving the Best for her Employer and the U.N.
Kamalasanan says that the major challenges she has faced are similar to what other managers who prioritize involvement in all facets of their team and customers have faced.
“During my tenure, I have faced several challenges from setting up a biomedical department; getting the PMs under control; setting up policies and procedures; working with union workers to creating, tracking and staying on budget. I have handled various projects for OR, radiology, cardiology, ophthalmology, labs, etcetera and have been a part of the evaluation team for the purchase of capital medical equipment in hospitals as well as the U.N.,” she says.
Kamalasanan says that as a consultant with the U.N., it is always a challenge trying to draft the technical specifications and evaluate the tenders for various worldwide projects.
“During this evaluation process, it is very important to consider various factors like the country’s adaptability to sustain the equipment in their present local working environment, having availability of local vendors for after sales support and working within the guidelines of international safety and regulatory standards,” she says.
When not working, Kamalasanan stays busy with her many pastimes.
“I have a lot of hobbies like jewelry making, stitching, painting, and, last but not the least, I do have a green thumb and love gardening,” she says.
“I was fortunate enough to marry my engineering sweetheart and have been happily married for the past 26 years. We have been blessed with two boys, and at present, both are in their undergrad programs with the University of Georgia,” she adds.
A person of few words, Kamalasanan says that attitude and self-improvement are key attributes in her life.
“I believe in myself and always have a positive attitude and try to get the job done in an accurate and timely manner. I am very passionate about whatever I do and consistently seek ways to improve by setting goals and working towards them,” she says.
Always up to the job of meeting challenges and finding the best solutions, this HTM manager contributes to the health and well-being of the youngest patients in Atlanta.