Opening Doors: Get Noticed by the C-Suite

Abstract

the C-Suite? Many clinical engineers and biomedical equipment technicians (BMETs) don’t think so. You and your clinical customers see your contributions to quality patient care and safety throughout the clinical environment, from patient monitoring to diagnosis to treatment. To some in the C-Suite, however, you might as well be invisible. Lack of recognition, respect, and support from the C-Suite—chief executive, financial, and information officers—is a sore spot for many medical technology professionals. That’s why AAMI’s Technology Management Council (TMC) has made it a key priority this year to provide tools to help individuals promote the work of clinical engineering (CE) departments to senior hospital executives. “Ultimately, the clinical engineering department reports to the hospital’s or health system’s senior leaders,” says Carol Davis-Smith, a director with Premier Inc. and TMC chair. “AAMI can communicate the concepts around technology management and clinical engineering. However, it will take the individuals themselves to truly advance the profession in the minds of the C-Suite.” To support individual efforts, BI&T reached out to medical technology professionals who have managed to raise their departments’ visibility with the C-Suite. Their advice could help you achieve the same success. Take Care of the Basics For many medical technology professionals, “no news is good news.” That’s the first insight from two people who should know: David Braeutigam, director of biomedical engineering at Baylor Health Care System, and Paul Kelley, manager of biomedical engineering and the green initiative at Washington Hospital Heathcare System in Fremont, CA. By this they mean, of course, that CE departments tend to get the limelight when they least want it—in cases of medical equipment or device incidents. Incidents are a sure-fire way to get the attention of the C-Suite, but this is hardly the kind of attention anyone wants. Therefore, before even thinking about stepping out for C-Suite recognition, make sure your department provides outstanding core services—equipment maintenance, repair, and deployment—day in and day out. Patient safety and risk management are the first line of duty. Moreover, it’s a smart strategy to extend this modus operandi to even the most mundane equipment, says Brian Poplin, senior vice president of ARAMARK clinical technology services. Medical technology professionals get special satisfaction from servicing high-end, sophisticated equipment, such as computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scanners and operating rooms devices. Most patients, however, never undergo these diagnostics or see the scanners—and they’re sedated in the operating room. Instead, what they and their families see is routine equipment such as patient monitors and infusion pumps in hospital rooms. “You can’t underestimate the cleanliness and overall Martha Vockley is principal of VockleyLang, LLC, a communications and marketing firm based in Reston, VA. E-mail: mmv@cox.net Martha Vockley Opening Doors Get Noticed by the C-Suite