Clinical engineers and equipment technicians in hospitals are mostly unseen and unknown folks that keep medical technology functioning, effectively and safely.

Work history:
Manager, Clinical Technology Projects, New York Presbyterian Hospital, NYC, 2007-2015
Associate Director, Biomedical Engineering, Mount Sinai Health System, NYC, 1984-2003
Assistant Director, Biomedical Engineering, Bellevue Hospital, NYC, 1979-1984
Supervisor, Test Department, Electronics For Medicine (EFM), Pleasantville, NY, 1977-1979

Shown here are technicians in the EFM manufacturing plant, 1977 (EFM was the first manufacturer of clinical monitoring equipment).

An Incident from my first hospital days at Bellevue (Main entrance shown here, 1980).

 

 

 

 

 

Alan at work c. 1987, St. Luke’s-Roosevelt Hospital, now Mt. Sinai).

The following were peer-reviewed and published by the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI).

Article Citation: Alan Pakaln (2004) The Three Critical Issues I’ve Learned in 23 Years in Clinical Engineering. Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology: March 2004, Vol. 38, No. 2, pp. 119-121.

Article Citation: Alan Pakaln (2006) Proposed: A Standard Clinical Engineering Review Procedure. Biomedical Instrumentation & Technology: July 2006, Vol. 40, No. 4, pp. 315-318.

This one was rejected by reviewers for lack of siting references plus issues not related to the proposal (Technology academics are a rough crowd!). 

A book (not quite finished but available) detailing some of my hospital experiences. Available on Amazon.

An old battle for me: How surveys and hospitals miscalculate equipment inspection compliance – deliberately.