by
Gus Iversen, Editor in Chief | November 26, 2019
From the November 2019 issue of HealthCare Business News magazine
For over 30 years, AAMI and GE Healthcare have selected a BMET of the Year Award Winner based on dedication, achievement and excellence in the field of healthcare technology management. The 2019 recipient, Jojo Gonzales, has all of these traits and when he was tasked with launching Kaiser’s San Diego Medical Center in 2017, he was given an opportunity to prove it.
HealthCare Business News sat down with Gonzales to learn more about the challenges he has faced in his career, and the factors that have contributed to his record of success.
HCB News: When Kaiser's San Diego Medical Center launched in 2017, you had to help deploy 7,000 pieces of medical equipment and train the biomed team. What were some of the keys to making that launch a success?
Jojo Gonzales: I would credit the success of our program to the team that we have here in the San Diego Service Area. Having a great team with a strong sense of collaborative spirit makes someone look forward to coming to work. Key factors that contributed to our success included: a team-developed deployment strategy; established strong communication practices; systematic, step-by-step procedures to share with each other and reinforce lessons learned; and above all, helping each other and having fun!
HCB News: Did you learn any lessons in the process of that launch that might be beneficial to other biomed leaders?
JG: One of the most important lessons we learned is to use visualization techniques when formulating a plan. It enabled us to share the same vision as to what we want achieved as the end product.
HCB News: At Kaiser, are you seeing the convergence of the IT and biomedical departments? How does this change the biomed's role?
JG: I am definitely seeing the convergence of IT and Biomed departments. We’re collaborating more and Biomeds must now learn new skills or IT language to foster a healthy, working relationship. Our role and responsibilities have expanded beyond the device, such as data management, network, and security. Maintaining confidentiality, integrity, and availability is an IT security objective but Biomeds must now learn it as well.
HCB News: Have you experienced challenges when it comes to obtaining the necessary service training, codes and manuals from equipment manufacturers?
JG: Obtaining those from the equipment manufactures seems to have changed over the years and has become more challenging. Equipment manufacturers appear to be more guarded with their proprietary information. Some have implemented requirements such as not providing service-level passwords to their equipment unless the technician attends their technical training.
