Keeping medical devices operational while asking the age-old question to hospital staff… did you plug it in? Embark on this quest of service calls and the industry as a whole that leaves me pondering; why the hell do I love my profession so much. Knowledge will be given, occasional grievances will be shared, and laughter will commence! Disclaimer: The views and opinions from your bearded host are solely mine and do not reflect the agenda or opinion of any other entity or affiliate.
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About the Bearded author
I left high school with a full-ride academic scholarship to UTSA with the hopes of becoming a geologist. At the time, I was working in a garage door installation company overnight so that I could go to school during the day… and I dropped out because I could not do both entirely. I ended up as a telemarketer asking people to donate to state troopers and firefighters.
I woke up one day and thought, what the hell am I doing? This is not anywhere near the life I wanted. So I, along with a friend, enlisted in the Army. Nothing says finding purpose like volunteering to get screamed at (Aww, America!) Need mind you, I'd do it all over again, lol.
As mentioned in the pilot episode, I was trained as a Biomed 68A in the military. I was one of the last classes to graduate from Shepard air force base before the schoolhouse was established in San Antonio. It would’ve been nice if I waited to enlist, considering I grew up in San Antonio, but “hey, I got to live it up in Wichita Falls, TX ‘’ so no need to dread such an amazing experience, right? By the way, if you haven’t been to Wichita falls, you’re not missing a damn thing.
I eventually learned how to repair multiple devices and was even given the task of training the Afghan army medics on how to do simple repairs themselves. We returned home in 2012 and took on the job of servicing all fort hood field units’ medical equipment, which was daunting considering it had never been done before. This continued until the Ebola breakout in Africa, and we were shipped off again to end up in Liberia, Africa. As an NCO, I ran a mission while there to an Ebola testing lab, and I had never been so nervous. We were working on equipment to identify positive infections... which happened to be a lot of the time. Getting to fly in a helicopter across the jungle, sharing a glass of scotch with good company, and sleeping on bug-infested beds made it all worth it. We would return home not six months later, where I was appointed to manage the Biomed shop. I left the service in 2017 and have dedicated my life to making a difference for every medical facility I care for.
The podcast started on Dec 2, 2021. Like many others, I became tired of the minimal to no awareness of Biomed. The Biomed is an unsung hero, the backbone, a swiss army knife, and a solution architect in all medical facilities. We ensure patient safety through all medical devices’ repair, calibration, and asset management. The podcast will continue to be a beacon of support for the HTM field, no matter what. I appreciate your support and “May the beard be with you.”