Roger A. Bowles, MS, EdD, CBET
There are many specializations in the healthcare technology management (HTM) world. That is one of the things that makes our career field so much fun and challenging at the same time. If one type of instrumentation doesn’t keep your interest, there are always different areas and specialty areas to explore. When I was an active BMET in a hospital, I enjoyed working on respiratory equipment and diagnostic imaging ultrasound equipment. One area of specialization that interested me that I never explored was dialysis equipment.
As a young technician, I was able to watch BMETs work on them in two different hospitals, but I never had the opportunity myself. At the college, we are fortunate to have two newer dialysis machines that were donated to us. Due to demand, we are working on putting together more BMET dialysis training and that will be forthcoming in the next couple of years.
As many of you know, my wife is a technical manager in the dialysis world so I often hear about the challenges the patients face and the issues with the equipment. I know that patients on dialysis are sometimes limited in where they can travel and for how long without first making plans to accommodate their treatments. Recently, I got to see and meet dialysis patients on a weeklong cruise onboard the High Seas Rally, a motorcycle rally that takes place on a Royal Caribbean cruise ship every year.
Normally, I wouldn’t go on a cruise. I thought I had had my fill while serving in the U.S. Navy. However, thanks to Law Tigers, I won the opportunity just by submitting my email to a contest in a motorcycle magazine. This was a great experience and I can’t wait to go back next year.
The High Seas Rally brings along several dialysis patients every year (this year it was 11) for a fully paid, 7-day cruise. They are able to complete their treatments onboard the ship while on the cruise. The ship has a staffed clinic with four dialysis machines, two portable water systems, a physician in charge of their care, three register dialysis nurses, a patient care technician and a biomedical equipment technician … all dedicated to those patients.
The funds for their trip are raised every year through the High Seas Dialysis Fund. I believe they already have $50,000 going toward the 2023 rally. This is a worthwhile cause and you can find out more at highseasrally.com/experience/charitable-causes.
This month, I would like to give a huge shout out to those individuals who responded to my request for help in placing the 41 graduates we have coming up in our program. This is a huge group for us and it does produce a challenge. Many of them are flexible about relocating. We make it a point to emphasize the need for flexibility before they enroll in our program.
I make it a point in our fourth semester to start helping them get connected on LinkedIn, preparing a resume and working on interview skills. By the time you read this, we will be in 2023 and most of these students will be completing their internships and looking for positions. Shoot me an email at rabowles@tstc.edu or message me on LinkedIn. If you would like, we are always interested in hosting interviews with employers here on campus. Just let me know when you would like to come and we will accommodate! Also, we will have a great turnout at MD Expo in Houston this April. Hope to see you there!
Roger A. Bowles, MS, EdD, CBET, is a biomedical equipment technology/medical imaging technology instructor at Texas State Technical College-Waco.
