In search of a significant method to give again this vacation season, Tajwar Khan, Regional Director of Operations for Crothall Healthcare Know-how Options (HTS), discovered the right match at a medical engineering convention in Illinois in fall 2023. Mission CURE, the most important distributor of donated medical gear to communities in 135 international locations, together with underserved hospitals within the US, and was in pressing want of specialists who might restore damaged anesthesia machines, ventilators and different important medical gear.

“My group normally has a Christmas dinner to rejoice one another and our achievements for the yr,” says Khan. “Nonetheless, this yr I needed to take part in a charity occasion the place we will make a big effect. Once I heard about Mission CURE's want for folks with the talents we’ve got, I knew this exercise was the suitable one as a result of it could assist so many individuals in want of medical care.”

In November 2023, a group of 14 HTS workers from our Midwest area went to an enormous Mission CURE warehouse in Woodbridge, Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. (See under for an inventory of all group members). After assembly with the warehouse supervisor who guided them to the damaged gear, the group set to work.

With their very own instruments and check gear in hand, the HTS group repaired roughly fifty medical units in 4 hours. For instance, the damaged gear included three anesthesia machines. Utilizing elements from one machine, biomedical technician Andrew Sorensen, who is extremely skilled in sustaining these units, fully repaired two of them utilizing elements from the third gadget. Assessments confirmed that the 2 units had been absolutely operational.

Different members of the HTS group used their expertise to restore further critically wanted gear. Victor Rojo, regional supervisor of Ann & Robert H. Lurie Kids's Hospital of Chicago, and Gary Zajdzinski, a biomedical technician III, repaired transportable X-ray gear. Different gear repaired and ready for cargo included child heaters and incubators, affected person screens, bilirubin mild phototherapy machines and automatic exterior defibrillators (AEDs).

“A few of this gear had been sitting idle for months awaiting the suitable technical expertise,” stated regional coordinator Karen Elder. “Our group was capable of rapidly decide which elements had been wanted to get the gear again up and working and prepared for cargo.”

Along with their volunteer work, the group donated a number of medical units to CURE. Lisa Ratajczyk, Crothall's Onsite Director at Methodist Hospital, supplied a beneficiant donation from the hospital within the type of affected person screens and different gear. Lurie Kids's Hospital, one other HTS associate, has donated a number of intravenous (IV) poles and usually makes different donations in assist of Mission CURE initiatives. Khan says leaders in her area are consistently speaking to hospitals to encourage donating gear to Mission CURE, relatively than promoting it for a small value.

The gear repaired by the HTS group is positioned in a container along with the opposite medical gear. Annually, Mission CURE ships roughly 200 40-foot freight containers value between $350,000 and $400,000 value of donated medical provides and gear around the globe.

“That is such a novel volunteer venture that we hope to make it an annual or semi-annual occasion,” says Khan. “Mission CURE is a wonderful group and with our expertise we will assist them and assist folks all around the world. Giving again to these much less lucky than us is the right method to present our connection to the vacation spirit.”

The volunteers included HTS workers who work at Methodist Hospitals in Gary and Merrillville, Indiana; Marion Common Hospital, Marion, Indiana and Lurie Kids's Hospital and the Shirley Ryan AbilityLab in Chicago.

Entrance row, left to proper: Natsumi Shiotani – Unit Director II, Scott Witterstaetter, Biomedical Technician II; Karen Elder – Regional Coordinator; Victor Rojo, Regional Regional Supervisor; Janett Fuentes, Imaging Specialist I; Tajwar Khan – Regional Director of Operations – Midwest, and Lisa Ratajczyk – Unit Director II.

Again row, left to proper: Gary Zajdzinski, biomedical engineer III; Marquis Benton, – Apprentice; Brian Litt pupil; Andrew Sorensen – Biomedical Technician III and Anesthesia Specialist; Brandon Rodriguez, biomedical technician I; Jarmaine Strickland, Biomedical Technician III, and Keenan Kozar – Imaging Specialist I.