By John Wallace
Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, TechNation remains committed to delivering quality educational opportunities for HTM professionals. This commitment resulted in the first-ever Webinar Week – think Shark Week for biomeds! The bonus is that the webinars are eligible for 1 credit from the ACI. The AAMI Credentials Institute (ACI) awards certification credentials to professionals in healthcare technology management and the sterilization industry.
Webinar Week became a reality when the MD Expo scheduled for earlier this year had to be modified after the venue closed amind the COVID-19 pandemic. The result is a series of HTM Mixers and Webinar Week.
“We understand that participants may be hesitant or unable to travel so by providing local, regional conferences, we will be able to provide the education and networking that they need,” MD Publishing President and Founder John Krieg said. “If hospitals can’t come to us, we will go to them.”
Webinar Week, which was held July 27-30, averaged more than 100 attendees per session and each presentation is available on-demand at WebinarWednesday.Live.
Attendees praised Webinar Week in a survey. They were asked to complete the sentence, “Webinar Week is … .” Their responses included:
- a refreshing way to earn continuing education credits.
- like looking through a catalog of neat stuff you want to add to your Christmas wish list. Good stuff!
- very valuable for CE and HTM professional. It lets you be updated and keep thinking out of the box and strategically.
- a pandemic dream for earning CEUs.
- COVID-safe and free!
- an awesome week full of education from the HTM community!
- a great way to get current news and ideas about how to manage events happening now.
- a real benefit to the HTM community. Keep up the good work!
- really great way to spend my lunch receiving some relevant information.
- touching issues biomed techs need to be aware and should be refreshed to implement.
- a way to grow professionally during a pandemic.
One popular session offered during Webinar Week was “Straight Talk on COVID-19’s Effect on the HTM Industry.” The panel discussion provided insights and a forum where biomeds could share best practices.
This panel discussion featured leaders from across the healthcare technology management industry as they addressed how COVID-19 has impacted HTM professionals, their departments, their facilities and their communities. Panel members shared the hurdles they’ve faced, but also the triumphs they’ve celebrated. Questions from attendees were welcome and addressed by the panel participants.
Panel members included UHS of Delaware Inc. Senior Director of Healthcare Technology Management Christopher G. Nowak, CBET, CHP, CSCS; University of Cincinnati Health Clinical Engineering System Director Jennifer DeFrancesco, DHA, MS, CHTM; Middlesex Health Clinical Engineering Manager Michael Heusser MS, CCE; and Intermountain Continuum of Care Clinical Engineering System Director Mike Busdicker, CHTM, FACHE.
Another presentation was “A Collaborative Approach to Downtime Planning for Critical Medical Device Systems” presented by Izabella Gieras, director, clinical technology, Huntington Hospital.
All medical device systems experience downtimes, whether planned or unplanned. With the proliferation of medical device integration and interconnectivity, the downtimes can have a significant impact not just on one system, one application, but on a multitude of systems, hospital wide. Careful planning, which includes seamless communication as well as practical policies and procedures, and sound change management, supports smooth downtime planning, when scheduled and facilitates minimal impact on clinical and non-clinical operations, when unplanned. Additionally, the presenter addressed the collaborative approach within a multidisciplinary team that needs to be involved in such planning.
“Strategic Technology Planning – Process, Leading Practices & Pandemics” was also a part of Webinar Week. Carol Davis-Smith, president of Carol Davis-Smith & Associates LLC explored how the COVID-19 pandemic has or could impact strategic technology planning going forward. She clarified what strategic technology planning is and is not, then reviewed the process steps and leading practices so HTM professionals can initiate or enhance the strategic technology planning process within their organization.
The session is immediately applicable to supervisors, managers, directors and other management roles. Staff (individual contributors) also found the session helpful in becoming stronger contributors to the HTM department’s success. Those individuals seeking to advance into management roles can now use this session in developing perspective and skills that will support career growth.
Also, Biomed Security Administrator David Yaeger and ProHealth Care Director HTM and Biomedical Engineering Rob Bundick presented “Maintaining an In-House Medical Device Cybersecurity Program.”
At the conclusion of this presentation, attendees understood how to get started creating a cybersecurity program in their facilities. If a program is already in place, the session provided insights on how to keep progress moving forward for a secure and protected facility.
For more information, visit 1technation.com/webinarweek.