If You Give Your BMET* a Bagel*BMET = BioMedical Equipment Techniciana.k.a. Biomed

He may slow down long enough to tell you how things are going. For example

The product evaluation committee he sits on has finally decided which defibrillator to purchase for the new patient tower.

And the antenna installation for the telemetry system is right on schedule.

You remind him that he will need to schedule a time to inservice the staff on the patient monitoring system after the software upgrade is completed.

While youre on the subject of scheduling, he needs to know when he can have access to the portable x-ray machine for preventive maintenance.

Hell need some extra time to replace the batteries this time around, but he was able to find the exact same ones the manufacturer uses for 1/3 the cost by researching alternate vendors.

Before he leaves, youll ask him to take a look at the non-invasive blood pressure monitor to see if he can repair it.

Fortunately, its just a leaky cuff which he can easily replace from the Biomed parts inventory. You tell him theres no rush it can wait until tomorrow.

On the way to the shop, hell pass by the Hospital Administrator and the Risk Manager.

The Risk Manager will tell him about a devicerelated incident involving a ventilator. Hell call one of his factory-trained technicians to conduct an incident investigation immediately.

Then the Administrator will question him about a service contract proposal he received regarding the lab equipment.

Hell want to conduct a contract review. Since his fellow technicians are already competent working with centrifuges and microscopes, the hospital can probably save money by having Biomed take first call on those devices instead.

Continuing on his way, hell stop to consult with one of the Information Services gurus about networking issues with the Radiology Information System.

A short while later, the manager of Central Services will inform him that because of the high patient census, theyll need to rent more infusion pumps.

Hell ask her to wait until he checks the equipment inventory in their asset tracking system first. He may know where some unused pumps are hidden away.

Arriving back at his department, he takes care of his many responsibilities before the end of the workday, but he makes sure the on-call tech has his pager so Biomed can provide round-the-clock coverage.

First thing the next morning, he returns with that blood pressure cuff he promised you.

And he notices that another vendor has dropped off some bagels for breakfastso you give your BMET a bagel

BMETs Servicing Technology for Life

Biomedical Equipment Technicians, or Biomeds for short, are sometimes referred to as BMETs.BMETs have resources which allow them to network with other Biomeds, allowing them to obtain comparative information about numerous vendors products. They can also assist in the procurement of equipment, ensuring the inclusion of proper warranties, manuals and service tools.Performing the installation of new systems, Biomeds can many times help their hospitals realize savings compared to the fees charged by some manufacturers.Due to their knowledge of both technical and clinical issues, Biomeds can make excellent training resources.Biomeds are capable of ensuring that equipment software revisions are at adequate and compatible levels.Preventive Maintenance (PMs) is scheduled at regular intervals in order keep equipment functioning at peak efficiency with minimal downtime.Biomeds many times have the resources at their disposal to find alternate vendors to supply reliable repair parts at a great savings over manufacturers prices.Many times, this is the only aspect of a BioMedical (or Clinical) Engineering Department that many people recognize. This presentation is intended to point out the many other strengths of a BioMed Department.Biomeds can stock many of the more commonly used accessories, such as non-invasive blood pressure cuffs, pulse oximeter finger sensors and thermometer probes.Biomeds with more years of experience and/or factory training can aid in he investigation of device-related incidents.Sometimes, contracts are written which can give a hospital the impression that wads of money can be saved by taking the contract. However, careful attention must be paid to the details, such as the hours of coverage or the inclusion of labor AND parts. Savings may not always be as promised. Biomeds may not have all the answers(!). In such cases, they are more able to interact with other disciplines, translating between the clinical language of equipment users and the technical language of the service support.One of the key tools of a Biomed Department is (typically) a program to keep track of all the patient care equipment they are responsible for maintaining, including models and serial numbers as well as complete service histories.Many Biomed Departments offer the additional benefit of on-call technicians to provide continuous 24/7 service coverage even during off-hours.