BMETS maintain medical mission

  • Published
  • By Airman 1st Class Armando A. Schwier-Morales
  • 22nd Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs
MCCONNELL AIR FORCE BASE, Kan. --  There are only three of them at McConnell but their work affects thousands of Team McConnell members visiting the clinic.

Biomedical Equipment Technicians are responsible for servicing and maintaining the medical equipment here and in hospitals worldwide. They work on technology like dental chairs, sterilizers, defibrillators, x-ray equipment and blood pressure machines.

"With the help of Senior Airman Connor Galvin and Airman 1st Class Lawrence Seay, there has been a foundation of excellence executed to maintain the highest quality of medical care at McConnell," said Staff Sgt. Brandon Tull, 22nd Medical Support Squadron Biomedical Equipment NCOIC.

Airmen Galvin and Seay, both biomedical equipment technicians, acquire, install, use and maintain medical equipment. They don't stop there, they also train and support medical staff on proper usage of the equipment.

"Our BMETs provide an extremely important service, enabling us to provide quality medical and dental care to our beneficiaries," said Col. Russell Boester, 22nd MDG deputy commander. "They have a robust preventive maintenance program for all medical/dental equipment within the 22nd MDG. When a piece of equipment does go down they respond very quickly and complete needed repairs with minimal down time. Our BMETs are highly professional, work efficiently, and are vital to our mission completion and success."

Along with maintaining equipment, BMETs also monitor and ensure constant temperatures for the freezers where blood, vaccines and medications are kept.

"With our constant effort, we ensure patients receive the best care possible when it comes to the equipment they come in contact with at the 22nd MDG," said Sergeant Tull. "This was validated with being a key part in the 2010 Air Force Small Logistics Account of the Year."

The Technology Management Council of the Association for Advancement of Medical Instrumentation is sponsoring an event to recognize and celebrate the efforts of all BMETs nationwide. The celebration, known as National Biomedical/Clinical Engineering Appreciation Week, starts May 22.

"It's great that there is a week dedicated to us," said Airman Galvin. "We appreciate the recognition we get for the hard work we put in."

To help celebrate the week, McConnell's BMETs will be meeting with local area BMETs.

"Being able to meet with other technicians in my career field is great because we get to share ideas and processes as well as problems and fixes," said Airman Seay. "I love this career field and I'm glad I came into it."

McConnell's own three-man team will finish off the week by inviting members of Team McConnell to stop by their office in the clinic and see what they do May 26, 2011 from 2 to 4 p.m.

For more information about the week or the career field call the BMETs at (316) 759-5135 or visit www.aami.org/tmcconnect.