Q: I keep running into hospitals that have their equipment inventories only partially setup. By this, I mean they are missing some of the following:
1. Imaging Equipment – they only inventory the stuff that they personally maintain.
2. Department accounting number – they are not able to identify which departments are their biggest customers, nor are they able to run department-specific reports.
3. Work order data – technicians do not log their time accurately.
4. Parts costs – Technicians do not log the cost of parts to specific assets in the inventory.
5. Hourly cost in the CMMS – I have seen departments that set the CMMS chargeback rate anywhere from $15 to $350 per hour.
What other inventory and CMMS data omissions do you see? Could the industry be ready for a basic inventory management class? Why are the CMMS vendors not teaching these things?
A: Some other traditional ones that are often missed are lab equipment, endoscopes, scope washers and sterilizers. Some new ones that are often missed are IP address, anti-virus software version, PHI identification (Does it store PHI?) and PHI protection (How are you protecting against PHI – physical security, encryption, etc.?)
A: Inventories should include: operating system and patches applied, applications revisions, network information (to include but not limited to IP address, MAC IDs, LAN, primary and backup networks, etc.), serial numbers, model numbers, and manufacturing dates of certain parts of the system such as X-ray tubes, collimators, detectors and equipment license information such as systems that require a license to operate in your state such as CT or sterilizers.
Q: What are your favorite pieces of test equipment? And, why? I am interested to find out what tools are good for a Biomed starting to fill up his first toolbox.
A: The Fluke Pro Sim 8. You can complete a patient monitor PM with ease in just five minutes. It’s pretty compact, has built in leak testing functionality, and can check all parameters including cardiac output, invasive pressures, NIBP, temperature, ECG, and SP02. It also has a long battery life.
A: Pronk’s toolkit is my favorite. NIBP, pulse ox, ECG and cardiac output in a handy self contained carry around.
A: My Pronk Slim-Sim SL-8. It’s great for rapid troubleshooting of EKG issues and it never needs charging. My most non-traditional piece of test equipment is an ultrasonic leak detector. I have an Inficon “whisper.” It is great to check for pneumatic leaks that are very small or in noisy environments. Since it detects ultrasonic disturbances caused by air leaks, it is unaffected by ambient noise. I first encountered this tester working in a pharmaceutical manufacturing plant.
A: Fluke Impulse 7000. It is a defibrillator/AED/pacer analyzer. No test loads needed, they are built in and it is very light!
A: A quarter-inch SAE and metric socket set, butane soldering iron, zipties (new age duct tape) and a nice LED penlight are always handy.
A: My favorite tool is a de-soldering iron from RadioShack. It is a simplified version of a de-soldering station. It has an integrated squeeze bulb on a soldering iron with a hollow tip. All you have to do is compress the bulb with your thumb, put the component lead into the tip of the iron, wait for the solder to melt and release the bulb. I paid about 12 bucks for mine and use it all the time. For board level replacement of ICs, it is the best! Now, I don’t have to wish I had a third hand every time I de-solder.
Q: What is the benefit of getting a certification? Is it worth the time for a HTM professional just starting out?
A: I feel that the effort taken to obtain certification shows a commitment to the occupation. If I was looking at two candidates of equal experience, but only one had certification, I would give preference to the certified individual. While this is generally not a requirement for employment, most employers prefer certified applicants.
A: Many years ago having a certification got you a hiring bonus at some places. One hospital in our city requires certification to get promoted to a Tech 3 position. I’ll agree it is a huge advantage in the hiring process. But, unfortunately, I’ve been hearing that a low salary seems to be more of a priority these days over experience and certification to some employers.
A: It also sets the bar for a minimum standard.
A: I agree 100 percent. The effort to get certified shows commitment and dedication. We can teach the rest!