February 13, 2024 • 52 mins
Join us as we discuss the remarkable journey of Maggie Berkey, whose life took an unexpected turn in the wake of the 9/11 events, leading her to forge a path in Health Technology Management (HTM). In this podcast episode, Maggie candidly shares her personal experiences, navigating the delicate balance between family life and a up-and-coming career. Discover the invaluable support systems that propelled her forward and learn about the profound impact of community and self-advocacy on professional growth. Maggie's narrative embodies the essence of innovation, adaptability, and dedication within the realm of Health Technology Management. Follow the link to listen to her inspiring story on the “HTM On The Line” podcast.
This podcast is sponsored by The College of Biomedical Equipment Technology. You can find out more information about this outstanding institution at CBET.EDU.
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Episode Transcript
Available transcripts are automatically generated. Complete accuracy is not guaranteed.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (00:03):
Hello everyone, Welcome to HTM on the
line podcast, the podcast thatis for HTM by HTM.
I'm your host, Bryant Hawkinssenior.
Have you ever considered howsomeone's career trajectory can
shift dramatically due to anational tragedy like 9 11?
(00:23):
Our guest, Mackie Burkey fromKearney, Nebraska, experienced
just that, leading her fromladies electronics to the heart
of health care technologymanagement.
Maggie's involvement incommunities, project management
and equipment maintenancereveals the complexities of HTM
(00:44):
and underscores the criticalrole it plays in patient care.
The episode culminates in aforward looking discussion on
the necessity of adaptabilityand the spirit of continuous
learning within HTM.
We close with a nod to thefuture, emphasizing the
importance of nurturing the nextgeneration skills in robotics
(01:06):
and programming to meet theindustry's evolving demands.
So settle in and immerseyourself in this captivating and
enlightening podcast experience.
Maggie, welcome to HTM on theline.
How are you doing today?
Maggie Berkey (01:26):
I'm doing great.
How are you doing?
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (01:28):
Bryant, I'm doing well.
I'm glad you took a little timeout your business schedule to
come hang out with me thisevening.
Hopefully we can have a goodtime talking with each other.
Maggie Berkey (01:38):
Yes, sir, I'm looking forward to it.
Thank you for inviting me andfor what you're doing for the
field, sir.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (01:46):
What inspired you to enter the HTM
industry?
What got you on this journey?
I'm curious.
Maggie Berkey (01:53):
Honestly, it was my mom.
She had seen a posting in thelocal newspaper that there was a
laser electronics programstarting at my alma mater and
encouraged me to give it a try.
She thought it would be more ofa man's field and said that it
(02:21):
would be something I could doand would help me get some job
security and fast forward.
I went to two years electronicsequivalent and graduated from
the laser program, startedworking in that field and 9-11
(02:45):
came along and shut down a lotof the jobs that were in that
industry.
So that pushed me into workingas a home health aide and that's
where I found out how hardnursing professionals work and I
(03:05):
really loved taking care ofpeople, but I also loved to fix
problems.
And so fast forward a few moreyears and I got married and
started having babies and myhusband said well, why are we
(03:28):
paying for this education thatyou're not using?
So we were back where by SiouxFalls, south Dakota, where my
alma mater is, and I went andtook a look at what there was
and they had a one year bio medtrack that as long as you had
(03:49):
the two years of electronicsequivalent, you could get that
degree.
And so I went for it and allthe doors just seemed to open
and it all flowed really easy.
So I kind of knew it was what Ishould be doing and after
(04:11):
graduating I probably put out atleast 80 applications and sat
for probably seven interviewsand Vicki Snyder at the
University of Minnesota MedicalCenter took a chance on me and I
(04:33):
.
It's kind of history from there.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (04:38):
Wow.
Now every time I ask someone,how did they get into the HTM
industry?
Everyone has a different story,but I've never had no one tell
me they mother introduced themto the industry.
So it keeps the list keepsgetting longer and that's pretty
awesome.
I mean, how did you feel whenyour mom was like what?
(05:00):
You trying to work on lasers?
Did that kind of make you say,what is this about?
Maggie Berkey (05:05):
I mean, you got to understand, my mom was a
truck driver.
Okay, she just a strong, caring, fearless woman and you know
she had eight kids and so shedidn't have any downtime and but
she really just the smartestwoman that I know and really
(05:30):
just knowing that she supportedme in it, it gave me the
confidence to even try.
She was ahead of her time, Ithink is just a real forward
thinker and somebody who knewthat it didn't matter what your
gender was.
You could do anything if youput your mind to it.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (05:54):
Definitely, definitely Now.
Can you describe your currentrole at the moment At the
hospital?
What is your current role?
What is your mainresponsibilities?
Maggie Berkey (06:06):
So you name it, and I'm probably been working on
it in the last several months.
I work at an award winningcritical access hospital in
rural Nebraska.
I'm one of a handful of inhouse programmed for.
(06:26):
I work for an independentservice organization called
bioelectronics.
They're centered in Lincoln butI report to this hospital in
Holdridge, Nebraska, every dayand I'll tell you I've got a lot
of hats.
(06:47):
I'm part of the maintenanceteam but I sit on the safety and
environmental care committee,capital planning committee.
I have had lots of newequipment come in in the years
(07:07):
since I started, so severalprojects along with just
supporting the nurses and doingPMs and repairs, and I
contribute to the success ofboth my ISO and my little
(07:29):
community hospital.
So I really get a little tasteof everything in a day.
And that's really what I lovethe most.
Probably about HTM is thatthere's no two days alike and
you get to kind of see where theday takes you.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (07:48):
Absolutely no.
Two days, no two hourssometimes.
Maggie Berkey (07:51):
That's so true, so true.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (07:54):
Especially, I remember I went to this small
hospital in a city called Gratit, michigan, and the facilities,
guys, was also slash security,also slash housekeeping.
I mean they did it all exceptby a man and at one guy did that
.
But everybody was like allhands on deck every day.
(08:16):
So I kind of can visualize whatyou're saying there.
That's great.
Now you mentioned projects.
What can you, I guess, sharewith us one of your most proud
projects or accomplishments thatyou have accomplished in your
(08:37):
HTM journey?
Can you share one with us?
Maggie Berkey (08:41):
It's hard to narrow it down to one, honestly.
Oh, two, three.
I'll tell you the first bigproject I was on at the
University of Minnesota.
I thought, wow, they're reallytrusting me with something
humongous here, and it was theintensive care unit turning over
(09:06):
their monitors.
But when I went to theschoolhouse in St Cloud Tech, st
Cloud, minnesota, that was apretty cool project, I would say
.
We partnered up with thenursing program at the college
(09:28):
and so the students in theBiomed program got to do the
Biomed job for the nursingprogram at the college.
So that was pretty cool littleproject and we ended up getting
an article published in theJournal of Clinical Engineering.
(09:53):
Creating a mock environment forthe real world, I think, is what
that was called, and it wasjust something that was evidence
that we can take down some ofthese silos and really work
(10:14):
together so everybody wins.
Of course there's theapprenticeship that I obviously
didn't invent the idea of anapprenticeship, but I had heard
people talking in the field fora number of years about how we
(10:37):
need people and how theworkforce is aging and what can
we do to solve this problem.
And one day my boss's boss cameto the shop and said there's
this big old mess.
How are we going to clean upthis mess?
And it just hit me If you hiresomebody, we can not only clean
(11:02):
up the mess, but I can build youa Biomed.
I know I've taught this stuff,so why wouldn't we?
And that kind of rolled intosomething way bigger than I had
imagined it would.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (11:18):
Yeah, that's good, that's all standing.
So you, part of the brainsbehind this apprenticeship
programs that's sweeping theUnited States right now with a
lot of ISOs are involved withthis program.
So congrats, thank you.
Thank you, you have a printthis program when you're trying
(11:40):
to become a plumber, so I guessyou can apply the same thing,
and it's funny how you oh sorry,go ahead.
Maggie Berkey (11:48):
I was just going to say most of the stuff I know
I learned on the job and youknow you can learn a little bit
about electronics from a bookand you can memorize your
medical terminology, but it'sreally when the boots are on the
ground that the real learningbegins.
I would argue that most of ushave been apprenticing since we
(12:14):
got into the field.
We just it wasn't formal.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (12:18):
Definitely, definitely.
Because, like I remember youprobably too when you was in
school, when you got to thatinternship, that's when all the
lights cut off, you're like, oh,okay, now it makes sense.
And that's a point you madejust made me think we've said
that we probably all arecontinuing with apprentice
because you kind of have to,because the way the industry is
(12:41):
changing it used to be, I guess,it was changing every 10 years,
15 hours, like every two tothree years.
Technology is changing andsince we're talking about that,
do you notice any type of trendsthat's been shaping the future
(13:01):
of HTO?
Do you see anything out there?
Maggie Berkey (13:07):
I think we all see that AI is going to turn our
heads around and round.
It's already started to impactsome things like news and photos
, and it's only going tocontinue to creep out there and
(13:30):
change the way we think and thework we do.
The pandemic pushed a fewpeople to office out of their
homes.
I don't know that Biomeds willever get the luxury of spending
too much time, but I do think itwill be interesting to see how
(13:59):
the next generation oftechnology shapes the future of
HTM.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (14:07):
We're already being impacted by things
like AI though you mentioned AI, I was fortunate enough to
attend the RSNA conference andGE had AI on the CT system With
the system would do.
It would adjust the tableheight up down back forward all
(14:31):
from a little big brother cameraabove the table To fact that's
helping the end user.
Most likely it's going to havesome effect on the service part
too.
Ai start having defectssomething like that it's
definitely going to be in thefuture.
As HTM professionals, we'regoing to have to get with the
(14:55):
chareons.
Some people might not want toget with that trend, but it's
coming.
Maggie Berkey (15:03):
Absolutely.
I know a lot of people when Istarted didn't really care too
much about computers or thenetwork and pointed the finger
over to the IT department andsaid that's trouble for them.
I think we all know that we doour patients and our clinical
(15:30):
staff and injustice if we don'tknow at least the basics of some
of these systems and understandkind of that behind the wall,
what's going on with thatinfrastructure.
It just helps us solve theproblems more quickly.
(15:50):
When I first started in Biomedthere were a lot fewer computers
in medical devices, but todayalmost all the equipment has
some kind of a chip in it andit's getting smarter and smarter
.
Good news, I think, for thefield is that we still, with AI
(16:15):
and with all these revolutionsin technology, we still have
plenty of opportunities.
You tell me a computer thatyou've ever met that didn't
glitch and it just doesn'thappen.
We've got stuff to do.
It might just look a littledifferent how we do it.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (16:37):
Absolutely these young people.
They know how to work thecomputers and tablets, the VR
headsets, I mean that's a lot ofthings that the older ones like
myself.
I have to adjust to it.
We have to get with the times.
Because you mentioned remoteworkers, you probably deal with
(17:01):
it too.
Whenever I have an issue withmy telemetry system, we call
tech support.
Someone remote hand takes overthe internet.
You couldn't do that back inthe day because you didn't have
a server.
You had to come in on site toget.
Now you can access it remotely.
That person can probably workfrom home.
(17:22):
In that aspect, certain thingslike that might have opportunity
for HTM professionals to workfrom home, because I see it with
imaging also, they're remotethen and they'll watch your cat
lab for you and let you knowwhen they see certain trends
coming up and they'll alert you.
It's a lot of things that'shappening.
(17:43):
I think it's going to be veryintriguing, I should say.
Maggie Berkey (17:50):
Great points.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (17:51):
Now, you're a female in the industry.
I don't know how many femalesdo you have in your work within
your company?
Just out of curiosity.
Maggie Berkey (18:02):
Let's see.
I think there's just twotechnicians that are female.
What's the total?
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (18:08):
What's the total?
Maggie Berkey (18:08):
techs you have.
I think there's 25 technicianstotal.
We have some support staff atthe main office that are female,
but I think there's five or sixof us total that are working
for the company.
Only two of us are technicians.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (18:33):
So what that is?
That's a 1.10%, that's aboutthe 8%, 8% is not bad.
Maggie Berkey (18:47):
I can say, though , when I started at the
University of Minnesota, we hadthree of the 10 technicians were
female, so I was a little bitspoiled that way and.
I've met a lot of awesomefemale technicians and I really
just want to give a shout out toall of them, because it is a
(19:09):
bit of a challenge to beconfident and just know that it
doesn't matter.
Some of those things reallydon't matter.
Just like my mom helped mebelieve, there's nothing that
will hold you back except what'sbetween your two ears.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (19:33):
That's it.
Now are we talking about thesefemales in the industry?
Now, what advice can you giveto a young woman aspiring to
enter into the HTM industry?
Like you had to say, you had ahigh school career day and a
young lady just comes up to youand say I want to do this.
(19:54):
After hearing your spell aboutit, what would you tell them to
encourage them to continue tojoin?
Maggie Berkey (20:03):
I would say here's my number.
How can I help get involved?
This is the best kept secret.
You will never regret it, youwill be rewarded in ways that
you can't even imagine, andthere's something for everyone
(20:26):
in HTM Reach.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (20:27):
Amen, sister .
Okay, that's good for the youngones.
What about this female who'sbeen in the industry for about
the 10 years and they just seemto be stagnated.
What advice would you give tothem?
Maggie Berkey (20:48):
If you're not reaching out to me, reach out to
another female leader in theindustry.
We have a growing network offemales that all we want to do
is help elevate each other andmake sure that other females get
(21:12):
that boost that they need toknow that they are in the right
place and their contributionsare important we have.
You know, unfortunately,sometimes females don't push
(21:35):
each other up, and that is onething that I think as a society
we could do better.
But there's a lot of women,especially in this field, that
really want to embrace the nextgeneration, be it male or female
(21:59):
, and help them grow thepotential that we have.
First and foremost, we got toget the word out about what is
HTM.
Where are we, who are we, whatdo we do?
And from there we really justhave so many opportunities.
(22:23):
There's so many little jewelsin this industry.
You can do just about anything.
Just the number of employersyou know.
You can be an expert atsomething, work for the
manufacturer, you can work foran ISO or OEM and travel every
(22:49):
day.
You can report to a criticalaccess hospital or a huge
thousand bed metropolitanhospital, and every one of those
scenarios is going to lead youinto so many different avenues
and so many differentopportunities that you never
(23:12):
knew you were missing until yougot started.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (23:16):
Yes, yes.
Now you touched on somethingthat's near and dear to me.
Also.
This industry is like a secretsociety or something.
In your opinion, how can wespread the word?
What could we do to improve onmaking awareness, Because the
podcast might not do enough, butwhat else can we do to make
(23:38):
awareness besides going to theschools?
What else do you think that wecan do?
Maggie Berkey (23:45):
I really think that we don't take enough
opportunities to kind of rubelbows with the C suite and make
sure that even in our ownfacilities that everybody knows
who we are and the value that weadd to the facility.
(24:06):
I think a lot of things startright at home, right within your
reach, and if you put yourpassion out every single day and
show people why the work you dois meaningful and don't be
(24:30):
afraid to toot your horn once ina while, so people will really
understand that what you do isimportant and it does impact
patient safety, it does impactstaff satisfaction, it does
impact the whole shebang, thenthat's a start.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (24:54):
Yeah, definitely.
I mean, you are absolutelyright about what did the
hospital?
You would be surprised how manypeople don't know what BioMed
is and you're working in thehospital with them.
But I was always thinking likeI don't know how many people we
have in the United States that'sBioMed.
(25:14):
Just say it's 10,000.
And I always wondered if the10,000 technicians each person
was to say I'm going to tellfour people about the industry,
I could be 40,000 people that'shearing about it and you are so
spot on.
Maggie Berkey (25:34):
I actually did collaborate with a female
colleague a couple years ago todo a session at Amy Fueled the
Thrive in HTM, and that was thecall, the challenge that we gave
, because just tell two peoplein your network and those waves
(26:01):
will continue out.
And if people see how muchreward and satisfaction that I
get from this, it's going tomake them think.
It's going to make them thinkabout who in my neighborhood or
(26:25):
who in my network is looking forsomething.
And I go to a lot of thesestudents what do they call them?
The, the holidays, healthcare,and yes and speak and say if you
(26:47):
know somebody who likes totinker and wants to help people
and has some communicationskills and isn't afraid, has
that need for some excitement intheir life, and send them my
way, tell them about Biomed.
(27:09):
And even if it's not you thatthis sounds appealing to, if you
know somebody, could you justdo my favor and tell them about
this really cool career field?
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (27:22):
Absolutely, I know of two people that I was
just telling them.
They just asked about my sonand I told him he's a Biomed and
they told their nephew hedidn't want to do it but the
other cousin did, so he finishedthe program and he's doing
Biomed.
And that simply came from asimple conversation.
(27:45):
And the point I tell a lot ofpeople when you join this
industry, you have a career.
It's not a job.
It's not like you just went toschool and took a trade.
You can do so much in thisindustry to where you can start
off as a B-Met one and then fiveyears you can be a specialist
(28:07):
and making a good living and notbeing entirely in a lot of debt
from school.
So that's one of the best parts.
The return on investment forbecoming a B-Met is unbelievable
.
Maggie Berkey (28:21):
It's huge.
It's huge.
And with the apprenticeship youknow you have no student debt
and you really are.
Even if you have a two-yeardegree, you really are getting a
huge return on the investment.
And you know, if you startworking in a hospital and see,
(28:42):
oh my goodness, look at theirdoing these really futuristic
cases in the cath lab, or youknow, I'm just I didn't realize
that I love the water sport ofdialysis, you know that just
trickles into the next phase ofyour career, but you'll never
(29:07):
get bored in biomed becausethey're so, it's so big and
there's so many differentopportunities.
It's funny you mentioneddialysis.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (29:15):
I did dialysis for seven years and
it's amazing how you have theelectrical flow pad and then you
have a fluid flow pad.
So both of those are rightinside the machine, and that's
not even counting the RO systemor something like that.
But it's just amazing how thatpiece of equipment is saving
(29:39):
that patient's life.
Without that equipment thatpatient can't live.
So when you're working on this,literally when you're working
on the equipment in the hospital, I don't think we realize that,
because we see so much in theshop that everything we touch is
making someone's life betterand that's something that gives
(30:01):
you the return.
Also, you're putting somethingin you saving lives and don't
even realize it.
It's just-.
Maggie Berkey (30:09):
Absolutely.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (30:10):
it's very fulfilling that's the world
looking for a fulfilling.
That's it.
You hit it on the head.
Now you mentioned that you havea husband and some little
kiddos.
I know they're small kids still, how old are you kids?
Maggie Berkey (30:21):
Hi, they actually range from.
My daughter is turning 13 thismonth and my youngest my oldest
just turned 30 last month.
Spectrum there and I've got ahandful of few boys in between.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (30:41):
Okay so my question to you is how do you
manage a work-life balance?
And especially, you mentionedhow you were in a hospital where
you wear a number of hats.
How do you balance thatwork-life balance?
Because that's a lot of that'sa good amount.
Maggie Berkey (30:58):
I would say my.
I had a great mentor, my mom,remember.
She had eight children and shemade it look effortless.
She really was, and is to thisday, my rock star mama.
You know, for me, honestly, abig part of it is my faith.
(31:20):
I have been blessed beyond anydream that I my dreams were way
too small and my creator said,oh look, watch this.
And I have a great network offemale and male colleagues.
And my husband he's justamazing.
(31:45):
I can't.
I mean, he definitely drives mecrazy because I'm married to
him and I have to live with him.
But he's also a great rock thathas pushed me to jump in
whenever I could and has alwaysbeen a great person and I think
(32:07):
that's a great thing Whenever Icould and has always encouraged.
You know, when I got my firstleadership job in Biomed, he was
the first to point out you knowyou're not really qualified for
this, but he was also the firstto recognize that.
(32:29):
I worked my tail off to makesure that I nailed it.
And it really is a lot aboutbalance.
You know, I try to take care ofmyself today, try to get enough
rest.
I never miss an opportunity tohang out with my grandsons or my
(32:53):
kids.
We prioritize time together andjust really.
I try to be very mindful aboutwhat's important and I would say
that family is number one andGod is my family, so he's right
(33:18):
in there.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (33:18):
That's it, and I mean the whole key to the
thing.
I tell everyone you work tolive, you don't live to work.
And people get that twisted, youknow, and you got to go home
and cut it off.
I mean, it might be hard butyou have to.
And it's amazing how they haveto say that behind every great
man is a great woman.
(33:38):
So I guess in your situation,behind every great woman is a
great man.
You know, because you hit it onthe head, you can't do it
without that support.
I don't care how good you are,if you don't have that support
at home, you're not going to beable to come up with the idea
about the apprenticeship program, you're not going to be able to
go to work and do what you dounless you have that support.
(34:01):
And that's very encouraging tohear and I think that's
encouraging for those who may belistening to know that you have
to put your family first.
I mean, people say it, but dopeople really do it?
It's the key, you know, becauseyou have to.
If you're not putting yourfamily first, what are you doing
?
Maggie Berkey (34:22):
I couldn't agree more and I asked my kids to make
sure and call me out if I amgetting off balance.
But I really do try to maketime for, you know, my daughter,
the youngest.
She likes to go out for littlecruises and just to chat my ear
(34:45):
off and listen to music and it'ssome of the most enjoyable time
that I have these days.
My boys they challenge me withsome other fun stuff, but they
all keep me on my toes and itreally is.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (35:04):
I wouldn't want to spend life any other way
and I know when I used to be ona challenging job.
If I'm having a challenging day, I used to keep my kids on my
desk and I just look at thepicture you know, like this is
why I'm here.
Maggie Berkey (35:20):
Keep that before you.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (35:21):
this is why I'm here, so you got to keep
your calm.
Okay, tell that nurse what youmight be thinking, or you can't
tell that coworker who's.
You have to stay focused,because what you do on a job
affects what happens at home.
So I used to keep my kids rightin front of me just to keep me
motivated.
You know, because you need thatmotivation, you need that
(35:44):
inspiration, and most of thetime, family is the inspiration
and motivation for 90, probably100% of people that's working,
unless you don't have one.
But that's my motivation and itsounded like that's yours also,
and that's good.
I mean, if you have a goodfamily, then it will show on
(36:06):
your work and it's somethingthat you definitely can continue
to grow in.
Now let me ask you thisquestion as far as
professionally, how do you stayupdated with the different
things going on in the HTMindustry?
How do you continue to growprofessionally?
(36:26):
What do you do?
Maggie Berkey (36:29):
I say my network helps a lot with that.
I'm very involved with my localHTM society and they help.
You know the quarterly meetingsand the annual symposium.
I asked for things, you know,when we got new ultrasounds I
(36:54):
asked if I could go to trainingand you know they said yes.
So just speaking up for myself,just saying you know I don't
really feel comfortable workingon that sophisticated dev
equipment without some kind oftraining.
(37:15):
But I read, you know I still getpaper copies of a lot of our
Biomed-focused magazines.
I listen to podcasts and thankyou for having podcasts to
listen to.
I listen to people like JustinBarber on YouTube and of course
(37:39):
the bearded Biomed, just to tryto keep my fingers and as many
pies as possible and just reallytry to be at least somewhat in
the loop on what's coming downthe pike.
And really, because I'm justkind of a nerd that way, I'm
(38:01):
interested in a lot of thosethings.
So I just want to know.
I don't maybe read to thedeepest level, but I try to
brief myself on a lot of stuff,just so I kind of know and then
if I'm interested in somethingor something really intrigues me
(38:21):
, then I'll dig a little deeper.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (38:24):
You did.
That's some information layingthere with the different
podcasts and I try to.
I get motivated from all ofthose people and you also mean
you may not think you encourageand motivate people, but you do
and I tell people all the timeyou don't have to have a podcast
to be inspirational,motivational.
(38:44):
Just coming to work and doingeverything the right way is
motivational, is inspirational.
And sharing your wisdom withothers, sharing your wisdom with
Amy, creating, coming up withthe apprentice, I mean that's
inspirational.
You can share something andthen someone can build on that.
(39:05):
You know, like I said, youmight not make the fire, but you
can do the spark.
That turns into how that quotegoes.
But you have that in you, whichis why I wanted to bring you on
, because I think people shouldknow about Maggie B.
But thank you.
Well, let me ask you anotherquestion, and sure, as far as
(39:30):
how long you've been in theindustry now.
Maggie Berkey (39:31):
Just, it's about 14 years, 14 years.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (39:37):
Wow, there you go, man.
And do you see let's just sayyou've been doing this 14 years
have it changed a lot in youropinion?
Not the technology, of course,that has changed, but as far as
the technician because you mayhave some involvement, ht and
(39:57):
professionals trying to say thattoo, you may have some that
refuse to change have younoticed the technicians in your
area evolving?
I'll say in the industry we'renot going to pinpoint one person
Do you see them evolving also,or do you see them resisting
change in your opinion?
Maggie Berkey (40:18):
In my opinion, I would say most technicians are
embracing the change and maybeI've been accused of being an
optimist and seeing you know thebright side more than anything.
But I'm thinking back to mybeginning days with Fairview,
(40:41):
and there was only onetechnician that really I don't
think cared to know much orthink much about what's coming
down the pike.
I would say most of us werejust really excited to be part
(41:01):
of something that was so, I wantto say, exclusive.
I mean, we really are such aniche little group of people
that that's kind of exciting insome ways.
(41:22):
But without each other it wouldbe a lot scarier than it is.
And I think if you are involvedwith your local society or with
the Amy and national you knowsocieties that there's so much
opportunity to be involved inthen you see that here today,
(41:48):
gone tomorrow, everything'schanging.
I mean Vital Signs machinesreally haven't changed that much
in essence.
You know that there's somebasic parameters and now maybe
they can interface with thenetwork.
But it's not that the VitalSigns monitor has changed so
(42:13):
much, it's just the importanceof it being ready and the way it
needs to interface, the way itneeds to be ready and how we can
really impact it, beingavailable and safer our patients
(42:39):
.
I just don't see a lot oftechnicians that are limiting
themselves, thinking, well, youknow, that's somebody else's job
and that's somebody else'sproblem.
I think most technicians thatI've been fortunate to know are
(43:04):
bigger thinkers.
They're trying to think outsidethe box.
They're trying to solveproblems and really add value.
That at least the good ones.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (43:18):
Yeah, and that's a good point about the
Vital Signs monitors.
They just got a lot cuter touchscreen.
You can plug that in.
Maggie Berkey (43:26):
Maybe a little smaller.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (43:28):
Yeah, but smaller and smaller, some
fragile, some robust.
But, like you said, in the testequipment that's the one thing
I noticed like the ESU analyzersI mean the new ones you really
have to read that manual.
Yeah, I mean, it's challenging,it's different and it's
(43:48):
different, but it does a lot oftesting that is required for
these new ESU units.
So you can't use the old testeron it because it's not going to
give you a full PM, so you haveto get the latest test
equipment.
And I think a lot of olderbio-meds get challenged at with
(44:08):
this new technology and they get, I guess, nervous instead of
just saying embracing it.
Some of them shy away from itand that's what I noticed
because we was laughing in theshop when they talking about
documentation.
It's like when I came to theindustry it was no EMR system,
(44:30):
so every piece of equipment hada vanilla folder.
So when you went to the flooryou had to bring that folder
with you with the history in it,and then they eventually came
up with electronic systems.
But that was the first sevenyears.
I'm like man, I had to practicemy penmanship, I had to make
sure I didn't bring the foldershome, and there's a lot of stuff
(44:53):
that's advanced.
And I tell the kids, you can doyour work now from your cell
phone.
That's right and you can go downthe floor and you can actually
close the work order.
And it's just how times arechanging.
Like you said, you have tochange with them.
Well, maggie, I enjoy talkingwith you, but I want you to
(45:17):
share one more thing with theaudience.
I want you to give some,because you gave a lot of wisdom
for females, but I want you togive some encouragement to all
HTM professionals, male andfemale, young and old.
What could you share with them?
Maggie Berkey (45:35):
as far as Well, thank you for giving me the
opportunity to really at leasttry to give some encouragement
to all of my human counterparts,because you were talking about
the seasoned technicians thatsometimes might tend to shy away
(45:59):
from some of the newertechnology.
But I can tell you that I wantto be arm in arm with my
seasoned technician as we go inand look at some of these
systems that they know insideand out and year after year,
even though the face might havechanged, that the internal
(46:25):
system really hasn't changedmuch.
What I love about the seasonedfolks is that they can kind of
show us where we've been so thatwe can make a better trip
forward.
Instead of trying to recreatethe wheel, we can really work on
(46:50):
getting it to spin a littlenicer just because we have that
historic perspective.
I think the saddest part aboutthis retirement exodus that
we've got going on right now isthat we are not sure that we're
getting all of that wealth ofknowledge to be passed on to the
(47:14):
next generation.
I would like to encourage us toinvite any of these retirees to
continue to speak at ourengagements and help bring in
people from their community.
They still have all thatknowledge.
(47:36):
Mentor, make videos, interviewon these podcasts, just so that
some of that information won'tbe lost.
At the end of the day, we areall humans.
We have certain needs and thatis so important to keep us kind
(48:02):
of grounded and not putourselves above or below anyone
else.
But it's those uniqueexperiences that none of us
share that makes us so muchricher when we come together and
(48:23):
we try to problem solve.
There's also so muchinformation and so many people
that care so much about justmaking sure that you and I and
everybody in this field have thetools we need to really be
(48:44):
great.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (48:46):
Well said, well said, and that's.
You said a great point aboutthe season season technicians.
You know working on with themand always tease the guys in the
shop.
They'll be like man, you'vebeen doing this 30 years.
I said, yeah, but the stuff Iworked on 30 years ago is not in
the hospital right now.
So you got to stay goingbecause you might be in it 30
(49:10):
years.
But what's some of the stuff?
Maybe I take that back.
You might find a striker tablehere or two.
That's 30 years old.
That's probably yeah.
Maggie Berkey (49:19):
Yeah, but some of those dopplers those are the
dopplers are still around andyou know, and that the young
people to just bring so muchenergy and vibrance and you know
, and great ideas, differentperspectives than and that tech
savviness that you were talkingabout I just I am so encouraged.
(49:41):
I used to coach robotics whenwe lived in Minnesota and I know
that the future is bright whenyou look and see some of these
kids that can program a robot todo really things that would be
difficult for a lot of people todo, and you know these guys
(50:05):
were in grade school and middleschool doing this stuff.
So we've we don't have anythingto worry about as long as we
put our priorities in the rightplace, and I think that children
and education need to be highpriorities, absolutely.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (50:25):
I agree with you 1000%, like this staffing
issue.
I tell everybody these youngpeople can fix that this.
We just got to let them dotheir thing.
Don't stop.
We got to turn them loose andthey go.
They don't fix it because theysee it from a different angle
than we see it.
We see it the way they'relooking at it from another
(50:47):
perspective and all you need isa little guidance and that's
where we help them and they canturn them loose and I'm telling
you it's going to be likeunbelievable and I look forward
to it.
Maggie, I appreciate you comingon.
You welcome back anytime.
Can't wait to see you again.
Thank you, and we can talk andfeel like I know a lot more
(51:10):
about you now than I did before.
So I appreciate the time youspent with us and I wish you
nothing but much love andsuccess and keep that family
bond growing, because that's thekey to Maggie's success in the
HTM industry and we need you inthe HTM industry.
So keep doing what you're doing, maggie.
Maggie Berkey (51:30):
Well, thank you for all your kind words, and I
will be at the Amy Exchange inJune doing a presentation on
documentation, something that wedon't have a lot of resources
for, but we all know it impactsour daily life.
(51:52):
So I hope to run into you andso many other of our HTM
colleagues there and really talkabout this stuff, because it's
not.
It is the squeaky wheel thatgets the grease.
Anybody Biomed knows that's thetruth.
So be the squeaky wheel.
That's what I want to encourageall your listeners.
(52:14):
Be the squeaky wheel, that's it.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (52:16):
That's it.
Great Thanks, Maggie.
Thank you for tuning in to HTMon the line podcast for more
engaging content, includingpodcasts, HTM motivational
videos, blogs and monthlynewsletters, Be sure to visit us
at HTM on the linecom.
Don't forget to share thesevaluable resources with your
(52:41):
fellow HTM professionals To meetagain.
Thank you and take care.
Hello everyone, Welcome to HTM on the
line podcast, the podcast thatis for HTM by HTM.
I'm your host, Bryant Hawkinssenior.
Have you ever considered howsomeone's career trajectory can
shift dramatically due to anational tragedy like 9 11?
(00:23):
Our guest, Mackie Burkey fromKearney, Nebraska, experienced
just that, leading her fromladies electronics to the heart
of health care technologymanagement.
Maggie's involvement incommunities, project management
and equipment maintenancereveals the complexities of HTM
(00:44):
and underscores the criticalrole it plays in patient care.
The episode culminates in aforward looking discussion on
the necessity of adaptabilityand the spirit of continuous
learning within HTM.
We close with a nod to thefuture, emphasizing the
importance of nurturing the nextgeneration skills in robotics
(01:06):
and programming to meet theindustry's evolving demands.
So settle in and immerseyourself in this captivating and
enlightening podcast experience.
Maggie, welcome to HTM on theline.
How are you doing today?
Maggie Berkey (01:26):
I'm doing great.
How are you doing?
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (01:28):
Bryant, I'm doing well.
I'm glad you took a little timeout your business schedule to
come hang out with me thisevening.
Hopefully we can have a goodtime talking with each other.
Maggie Berkey (01:38):
Yes, sir, I'm looking forward to it.
Thank you for inviting me andfor what you're doing for the
field, sir.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (01:46):
What inspired you to enter the HTM
industry?
What got you on this journey?
I'm curious.
Maggie Berkey (01:53):
Honestly, it was my mom.
She had seen a posting in thelocal newspaper that there was a
laser electronics programstarting at my alma mater and
encouraged me to give it a try.
She thought it would be more ofa man's field and said that it
(02:21):
would be something I could doand would help me get some job
security and fast forward.
I went to two years electronicsequivalent and graduated from
the laser program, startedworking in that field and 9-11
(02:45):
came along and shut down a lotof the jobs that were in that
industry.
So that pushed me into workingas a home health aide and that's
where I found out how hardnursing professionals work and I
(03:05):
really loved taking care ofpeople, but I also loved to fix
problems.
And so fast forward a few moreyears and I got married and
started having babies and myhusband said well, why are we
(03:28):
paying for this education thatyou're not using?
So we were back where by SiouxFalls, south Dakota, where my
alma mater is, and I went andtook a look at what there was
and they had a one year bio medtrack that as long as you had
(03:49):
the two years of electronicsequivalent, you could get that
degree.
And so I went for it and allthe doors just seemed to open
and it all flowed really easy.
So I kind of knew it was what Ishould be doing and after
(04:11):
graduating I probably put out atleast 80 applications and sat
for probably seven interviewsand Vicki Snyder at the
University of Minnesota MedicalCenter took a chance on me and I
(04:33):
.
It's kind of history from there.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (04:38):
Wow.
Now every time I ask someone,how did they get into the HTM
industry?
Everyone has a different story,but I've never had no one tell
me they mother introduced themto the industry.
So it keeps the list keepsgetting longer and that's pretty
awesome.
I mean, how did you feel whenyour mom was like what?
(05:00):
You trying to work on lasers?
Did that kind of make you say,what is this about?
Maggie Berkey (05:05):
I mean, you got to understand, my mom was a
truck driver.
Okay, she just a strong, caring, fearless woman and you know
she had eight kids and so shedidn't have any downtime and but
she really just the smartestwoman that I know and really
(05:30):
just knowing that she supportedme in it, it gave me the
confidence to even try.
She was ahead of her time, Ithink is just a real forward
thinker and somebody who knewthat it didn't matter what your
gender was.
You could do anything if youput your mind to it.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (05:54):
Definitely, definitely Now.
Can you describe your currentrole at the moment At the
hospital?
What is your current role?
What is your mainresponsibilities?
Maggie Berkey (06:06):
So you name it, and I'm probably been working on
it in the last several months.
I work at an award winningcritical access hospital in
rural Nebraska.
I'm one of a handful of inhouse programmed for.
(06:26):
I work for an independentservice organization called
bioelectronics.
They're centered in Lincoln butI report to this hospital in
Holdridge, Nebraska, every dayand I'll tell you I've got a lot
of hats.
(06:47):
I'm part of the maintenanceteam but I sit on the safety and
environmental care committee,capital planning committee.
I have had lots of newequipment come in in the years
(07:07):
since I started, so severalprojects along with just
supporting the nurses and doingPMs and repairs, and I
contribute to the success ofboth my ISO and my little
(07:29):
community hospital.
So I really get a little tasteof everything in a day.
And that's really what I lovethe most.
Probably about HTM is thatthere's no two days alike and
you get to kind of see where theday takes you.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (07:48):
Absolutely no.
Two days, no two hourssometimes.
Maggie Berkey (07:51):
That's so true, so true.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (07:54):
Especially, I remember I went to this small
hospital in a city called Gratit, michigan, and the facilities,
guys, was also slash security,also slash housekeeping.
I mean they did it all exceptby a man and at one guy did that
.
But everybody was like allhands on deck every day.
(08:16):
So I kind of can visualize whatyou're saying there.
That's great.
Now you mentioned projects.
What can you, I guess, sharewith us one of your most proud
projects or accomplishments thatyou have accomplished in your
(08:37):
HTM journey?
Can you share one with us?
Maggie Berkey (08:41):
It's hard to narrow it down to one, honestly.
Oh, two, three.
I'll tell you the first bigproject I was on at the
University of Minnesota.
I thought, wow, they're reallytrusting me with something
humongous here, and it was theintensive care unit turning over
(09:06):
their monitors.
But when I went to theschoolhouse in St Cloud Tech, st
Cloud, minnesota, that was apretty cool project, I would say
.
We partnered up with thenursing program at the college
(09:28):
and so the students in theBiomed program got to do the
Biomed job for the nursingprogram at the college.
So that was pretty cool littleproject and we ended up getting
an article published in theJournal of Clinical Engineering.
(09:53):
Creating a mock environment forthe real world, I think, is what
that was called, and it wasjust something that was evidence
that we can take down some ofthese silos and really work
(10:14):
together so everybody wins.
Of course there's theapprenticeship that I obviously
didn't invent the idea of anapprenticeship, but I had heard
people talking in the field fora number of years about how we
(10:37):
need people and how theworkforce is aging and what can
we do to solve this problem.
And one day my boss's boss cameto the shop and said there's
this big old mess.
How are we going to clean upthis mess?
And it just hit me If you hiresomebody, we can not only clean
(11:02):
up the mess, but I can build youa Biomed.
I know I've taught this stuff,so why wouldn't we?
And that kind of rolled intosomething way bigger than I had
imagined it would.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (11:18):
Yeah, that's good, that's all standing.
So you, part of the brainsbehind this apprenticeship
programs that's sweeping theUnited States right now with a
lot of ISOs are involved withthis program.
So congrats, thank you.
Thank you, you have a printthis program when you're trying
(11:40):
to become a plumber, so I guessyou can apply the same thing,
and it's funny how you oh sorry,go ahead.
Maggie Berkey (11:48):
I was just going to say most of the stuff I know
I learned on the job and youknow you can learn a little bit
about electronics from a bookand you can memorize your
medical terminology, but it'sreally when the boots are on the
ground that the real learningbegins.
I would argue that most of ushave been apprenticing since we
(12:14):
got into the field.
We just it wasn't formal.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (12:18):
Definitely, definitely.
Because, like I remember youprobably too when you was in
school, when you got to thatinternship, that's when all the
lights cut off, you're like, oh,okay, now it makes sense.
And that's a point you madejust made me think we've said
that we probably all arecontinuing with apprentice
because you kind of have to,because the way the industry is
(12:41):
changing it used to be, I guess,it was changing every 10 years,
15 hours, like every two tothree years.
Technology is changing andsince we're talking about that,
do you notice any type of trendsthat's been shaping the future
(13:01):
of HTO?
Do you see anything out there?
Maggie Berkey (13:07):
I think we all see that AI is going to turn our
heads around and round.
It's already started to impactsome things like news and photos
, and it's only going tocontinue to creep out there and
(13:30):
change the way we think and thework we do.
The pandemic pushed a fewpeople to office out of their
homes.
I don't know that Biomeds willever get the luxury of spending
too much time, but I do think itwill be interesting to see how
(13:59):
the next generation oftechnology shapes the future of
HTM.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (14:07):
We're already being impacted by things
like AI though you mentioned AI, I was fortunate enough to
attend the RSNA conference andGE had AI on the CT system With
the system would do.
It would adjust the tableheight up down back forward all
(14:31):
from a little big brother cameraabove the table To fact that's
helping the end user.
Most likely it's going to havesome effect on the service part
too.
Ai start having defectssomething like that it's
definitely going to be in thefuture.
As HTM professionals, we'regoing to have to get with the
(14:55):
chareons.
Some people might not want toget with that trend, but it's
coming.
Maggie Berkey (15:03):
Absolutely.
I know a lot of people when Istarted didn't really care too
much about computers or thenetwork and pointed the finger
over to the IT department andsaid that's trouble for them.
I think we all know that we doour patients and our clinical
(15:30):
staff and injustice if we don'tknow at least the basics of some
of these systems and understandkind of that behind the wall,
what's going on with thatinfrastructure.
It just helps us solve theproblems more quickly.
(15:50):
When I first started in Biomedthere were a lot fewer computers
in medical devices, but todayalmost all the equipment has
some kind of a chip in it andit's getting smarter and smarter
.
Good news, I think, for thefield is that we still, with AI
(16:15):
and with all these revolutionsin technology, we still have
plenty of opportunities.
You tell me a computer thatyou've ever met that didn't
glitch and it just doesn'thappen.
We've got stuff to do.
It might just look a littledifferent how we do it.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (16:37):
Absolutely these young people.
They know how to work thecomputers and tablets, the VR
headsets, I mean that's a lot ofthings that the older ones like
myself.
I have to adjust to it.
We have to get with the times.
Because you mentioned remoteworkers, you probably deal with
(17:01):
it too.
Whenever I have an issue withmy telemetry system, we call
tech support.
Someone remote hand takes overthe internet.
You couldn't do that back inthe day because you didn't have
a server.
You had to come in on site toget.
Now you can access it remotely.
That person can probably workfrom home.
(17:22):
In that aspect, certain thingslike that might have opportunity
for HTM professionals to workfrom home, because I see it with
imaging also, they're remotethen and they'll watch your cat
lab for you and let you knowwhen they see certain trends
coming up and they'll alert you.
It's a lot of things that'shappening.
(17:43):
I think it's going to be veryintriguing, I should say.
Maggie Berkey (17:50):
Great points.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (17:51):
Now, you're a female in the industry.
I don't know how many femalesdo you have in your work within
your company?
Just out of curiosity.
Maggie Berkey (18:02):
Let's see.
I think there's just twotechnicians that are female.
What's the total?
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (18:08):
What's the total?
Maggie Berkey (18:08):
techs you have.
I think there's 25 technicianstotal.
We have some support staff atthe main office that are female,
but I think there's five or sixof us total that are working
for the company.
Only two of us are technicians.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (18:33):
So what that is?
That's a 1.10%, that's aboutthe 8%, 8% is not bad.
Maggie Berkey (18:47):
I can say, though , when I started at the
University of Minnesota, we hadthree of the 10 technicians were
female, so I was a little bitspoiled that way and.
I've met a lot of awesomefemale technicians and I really
just want to give a shout out toall of them, because it is a
(19:09):
bit of a challenge to beconfident and just know that it
doesn't matter.
Some of those things reallydon't matter.
Just like my mom helped mebelieve, there's nothing that
will hold you back except what'sbetween your two ears.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (19:33):
That's it.
Now are we talking about thesefemales in the industry?
Now, what advice can you giveto a young woman aspiring to
enter into the HTM industry?
Like you had to say, you had ahigh school career day and a
young lady just comes up to youand say I want to do this.
(19:54):
After hearing your spell aboutit, what would you tell them to
encourage them to continue tojoin?
Maggie Berkey (20:03):
I would say here's my number.
How can I help get involved?
This is the best kept secret.
You will never regret it, youwill be rewarded in ways that
you can't even imagine, andthere's something for everyone
(20:26):
in HTM Reach.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (20:27):
Amen, sister .
Okay, that's good for the youngones.
What about this female who'sbeen in the industry for about
the 10 years and they just seemto be stagnated.
What advice would you give tothem?
Maggie Berkey (20:48):
If you're not reaching out to me, reach out to
another female leader in theindustry.
We have a growing network offemales that all we want to do
is help elevate each other andmake sure that other females get
(21:12):
that boost that they need toknow that they are in the right
place and their contributionsare important we have.
You know, unfortunately,sometimes females don't push
(21:35):
each other up, and that is onething that I think as a society
we could do better.
But there's a lot of women,especially in this field, that
really want to embrace the nextgeneration, be it male or female
(21:59):
, and help them grow thepotential that we have.
First and foremost, we got toget the word out about what is
HTM.
Where are we, who are we, whatdo we do?
And from there we really justhave so many opportunities.
(22:23):
There's so many little jewelsin this industry.
You can do just about anything.
Just the number of employersyou know.
You can be an expert atsomething, work for the
manufacturer, you can work foran ISO or OEM and travel every
(22:49):
day.
You can report to a criticalaccess hospital or a huge
thousand bed metropolitanhospital, and every one of those
scenarios is going to lead youinto so many different avenues
and so many differentopportunities that you never
(23:12):
knew you were missing until yougot started.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (23:16):
Yes, yes.
Now you touched on somethingthat's near and dear to me.
Also.
This industry is like a secretsociety or something.
In your opinion, how can wespread the word?
What could we do to improve onmaking awareness, Because the
podcast might not do enough, butwhat else can we do to make
(23:38):
awareness besides going to theschools?
What else do you think that wecan do?
Maggie Berkey (23:45):
I really think that we don't take enough
opportunities to kind of rubelbows with the C suite and make
sure that even in our ownfacilities that everybody knows
who we are and the value that weadd to the facility.
(24:06):
I think a lot of things startright at home, right within your
reach, and if you put yourpassion out every single day and
show people why the work you dois meaningful and don't be
(24:30):
afraid to toot your horn once ina while, so people will really
understand that what you do isimportant and it does impact
patient safety, it does impactstaff satisfaction, it does
impact the whole shebang, thenthat's a start.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (24:54):
Yeah, definitely.
I mean, you are absolutelyright about what did the
hospital?
You would be surprised how manypeople don't know what BioMed
is and you're working in thehospital with them.
But I was always thinking likeI don't know how many people we
have in the United States that'sBioMed.
(25:14):
Just say it's 10,000.
And I always wondered if the10,000 technicians each person
was to say I'm going to tellfour people about the industry,
I could be 40,000 people that'shearing about it and you are so
spot on.
Maggie Berkey (25:34):
I actually did collaborate with a female
colleague a couple years ago todo a session at Amy Fueled the
Thrive in HTM, and that was thecall, the challenge that we gave
, because just tell two peoplein your network and those waves
(26:01):
will continue out.
And if people see how muchreward and satisfaction that I
get from this, it's going tomake them think.
It's going to make them thinkabout who in my neighborhood or
(26:25):
who in my network is looking forsomething.
And I go to a lot of thesestudents what do they call them?
The, the holidays, healthcare,and yes and speak and say if you
(26:47):
know somebody who likes totinker and wants to help people
and has some communicationskills and isn't afraid, has
that need for some excitement intheir life, and send them my
way, tell them about Biomed.
(27:09):
And even if it's not you thatthis sounds appealing to, if you
know somebody, could you justdo my favor and tell them about
this really cool career field?
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (27:22):
Absolutely, I know of two people that I was
just telling them.
They just asked about my sonand I told him he's a Biomed and
they told their nephew hedidn't want to do it but the
other cousin did, so he finishedthe program and he's doing
Biomed.
And that simply came from asimple conversation.
(27:45):
And the point I tell a lot ofpeople when you join this
industry, you have a career.
It's not a job.
It's not like you just went toschool and took a trade.
You can do so much in thisindustry to where you can start
off as a B-Met one and then fiveyears you can be a specialist
(28:07):
and making a good living and notbeing entirely in a lot of debt
from school.
So that's one of the best parts.
The return on investment forbecoming a B-Met is unbelievable
.
Maggie Berkey (28:21):
It's huge.
It's huge.
And with the apprenticeship youknow you have no student debt
and you really are.
Even if you have a two-yeardegree, you really are getting a
huge return on the investment.
And you know, if you startworking in a hospital and see,
(28:42):
oh my goodness, look at theirdoing these really futuristic
cases in the cath lab, or youknow, I'm just I didn't realize
that I love the water sport ofdialysis, you know that just
trickles into the next phase ofyour career, but you'll never
(29:07):
get bored in biomed becausethey're so, it's so big and
there's so many differentopportunities.
It's funny you mentioneddialysis.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (29:15):
I did dialysis for seven years and
it's amazing how you have theelectrical flow pad and then you
have a fluid flow pad.
So both of those are rightinside the machine, and that's
not even counting the RO systemor something like that.
But it's just amazing how thatpiece of equipment is saving
(29:39):
that patient's life.
Without that equipment thatpatient can't live.
So when you're working on this,literally when you're working
on the equipment in the hospital, I don't think we realize that,
because we see so much in theshop that everything we touch is
making someone's life betterand that's something that gives
(30:01):
you the return.
Also, you're putting somethingin you saving lives and don't
even realize it.
It's just-.
Maggie Berkey (30:09):
Absolutely.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (30:10):
it's very fulfilling that's the world
looking for a fulfilling.
That's it.
You hit it on the head.
Now you mentioned that you havea husband and some little
kiddos.
I know they're small kids still, how old are you kids?
Maggie Berkey (30:21):
Hi, they actually range from.
My daughter is turning 13 thismonth and my youngest my oldest
just turned 30 last month.
Spectrum there and I've got ahandful of few boys in between.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (30:41):
Okay so my question to you is how do you
manage a work-life balance?
And especially, you mentionedhow you were in a hospital where
you wear a number of hats.
How do you balance thatwork-life balance?
Because that's a lot of that'sa good amount.
Maggie Berkey (30:58):
I would say my.
I had a great mentor, my mom,remember.
She had eight children and shemade it look effortless.
She really was, and is to thisday, my rock star mama.
You know, for me, honestly, abig part of it is my faith.
(31:20):
I have been blessed beyond anydream that I my dreams were way
too small and my creator said,oh look, watch this.
And I have a great network offemale and male colleagues.
And my husband he's justamazing.
(31:45):
I can't.
I mean, he definitely drives mecrazy because I'm married to
him and I have to live with him.
But he's also a great rock thathas pushed me to jump in
whenever I could and has alwaysbeen a great person and I think
(32:07):
that's a great thing Whenever Icould and has always encouraged.
You know, when I got my firstleadership job in Biomed, he was
the first to point out you knowyou're not really qualified for
this, but he was also the firstto recognize that.
(32:29):
I worked my tail off to makesure that I nailed it.
And it really is a lot aboutbalance.
You know, I try to take care ofmyself today, try to get enough
rest.
I never miss an opportunity tohang out with my grandsons or my
(32:53):
kids.
We prioritize time together andjust really.
I try to be very mindful aboutwhat's important and I would say
that family is number one andGod is my family, so he's right
(33:18):
in there.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (33:18):
That's it, and I mean the whole key to the
thing.
I tell everyone you work tolive, you don't live to work.
And people get that twisted, youknow, and you got to go home
and cut it off.
I mean, it might be hard butyou have to.
And it's amazing how they haveto say that behind every great
man is a great woman.
(33:38):
So I guess in your situation,behind every great woman is a
great man.
You know, because you hit it onthe head, you can't do it
without that support.
I don't care how good you are,if you don't have that support
at home, you're not going to beable to come up with the idea
about the apprenticeship program, you're not going to be able to
go to work and do what you dounless you have that support.
(34:01):
And that's very encouraging tohear and I think that's
encouraging for those who may belistening to know that you have
to put your family first.
I mean, people say it, but dopeople really do it?
It's the key, you know, becauseyou have to.
If you're not putting yourfamily first, what are you doing
?
Maggie Berkey (34:22):
I couldn't agree more and I asked my kids to make
sure and call me out if I amgetting off balance.
But I really do try to maketime for, you know, my daughter,
the youngest.
She likes to go out for littlecruises and just to chat my ear
(34:45):
off and listen to music and it'ssome of the most enjoyable time
that I have these days.
My boys they challenge me withsome other fun stuff, but they
all keep me on my toes and itreally is.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (35:04):
I wouldn't want to spend life any other way
and I know when I used to be ona challenging job.
If I'm having a challenging day, I used to keep my kids on my
desk and I just look at thepicture you know, like this is
why I'm here.
Maggie Berkey (35:20):
Keep that before you.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (35:21):
this is why I'm here, so you got to keep
your calm.
Okay, tell that nurse what youmight be thinking, or you can't
tell that coworker who's.
You have to stay focused,because what you do on a job
affects what happens at home.
So I used to keep my kids rightin front of me just to keep me
motivated.
You know, because you need thatmotivation, you need that
(35:44):
inspiration, and most of thetime, family is the inspiration
and motivation for 90, probably100% of people that's working,
unless you don't have one.
But that's my motivation and itsounded like that's yours also,
and that's good.
I mean, if you have a goodfamily, then it will show on
(36:06):
your work and it's somethingthat you definitely can continue
to grow in.
Now let me ask you thisquestion as far as
professionally, how do you stayupdated with the different
things going on in the HTMindustry?
How do you continue to growprofessionally?
(36:26):
What do you do?
Maggie Berkey (36:29):
I say my network helps a lot with that.
I'm very involved with my localHTM society and they help.
You know the quarterly meetingsand the annual symposium.
I asked for things, you know,when we got new ultrasounds I
(36:54):
asked if I could go to trainingand you know they said yes.
So just speaking up for myself,just saying you know I don't
really feel comfortable workingon that sophisticated dev
equipment without some kind oftraining.
(37:15):
But I read, you know I still getpaper copies of a lot of our
Biomed-focused magazines.
I listen to podcasts and thankyou for having podcasts to
listen to.
I listen to people like JustinBarber on YouTube and of course
(37:39):
the bearded Biomed, just to tryto keep my fingers and as many
pies as possible and just reallytry to be at least somewhat in
the loop on what's coming downthe pike.
And really, because I'm justkind of a nerd that way, I'm
(38:01):
interested in a lot of thosethings.
So I just want to know.
I don't maybe read to thedeepest level, but I try to
brief myself on a lot of stuff,just so I kind of know and then
if I'm interested in somethingor something really intrigues me
(38:21):
, then I'll dig a little deeper.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (38:24):
You did.
That's some information layingthere with the different
podcasts and I try to.
I get motivated from all ofthose people and you also mean
you may not think you encourageand motivate people, but you do
and I tell people all the timeyou don't have to have a podcast
to be inspirational,motivational.
(38:44):
Just coming to work and doingeverything the right way is
motivational, is inspirational.
And sharing your wisdom withothers, sharing your wisdom with
Amy, creating, coming up withthe apprentice, I mean that's
inspirational.
You can share something andthen someone can build on that.
(39:05):
You know, like I said, youmight not make the fire, but you
can do the spark.
That turns into how that quotegoes.
But you have that in you, whichis why I wanted to bring you on
, because I think people shouldknow about Maggie B.
But thank you.
Well, let me ask you anotherquestion, and sure, as far as
(39:30):
how long you've been in theindustry now.
Maggie Berkey (39:31):
Just, it's about 14 years, 14 years.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (39:37):
Wow, there you go, man.
And do you see let's just sayyou've been doing this 14 years
have it changed a lot in youropinion?
Not the technology, of course,that has changed, but as far as
the technician because you mayhave some involvement, ht and
(39:57):
professionals trying to say thattoo, you may have some that
refuse to change have younoticed the technicians in your
area evolving?
I'll say in the industry we'renot going to pinpoint one person
Do you see them evolving also,or do you see them resisting
change in your opinion?
Maggie Berkey (40:18):
In my opinion, I would say most technicians are
embracing the change and maybeI've been accused of being an
optimist and seeing you know thebright side more than anything.
But I'm thinking back to mybeginning days with Fairview,
(40:41):
and there was only onetechnician that really I don't
think cared to know much orthink much about what's coming
down the pike.
I would say most of us werejust really excited to be part
(41:01):
of something that was so, I wantto say, exclusive.
I mean, we really are such aniche little group of people
that that's kind of exciting insome ways.
(41:22):
But without each other it wouldbe a lot scarier than it is.
And I think if you are involvedwith your local society or with
the Amy and national you knowsocieties that there's so much
opportunity to be involved inthen you see that here today,
(41:48):
gone tomorrow, everything'schanging.
I mean Vital Signs machinesreally haven't changed that much
in essence.
You know that there's somebasic parameters and now maybe
they can interface with thenetwork.
But it's not that the VitalSigns monitor has changed so
(42:13):
much, it's just the importanceof it being ready and the way it
needs to interface, the way itneeds to be ready and how we can
really impact it, beingavailable and safer our patients
(42:39):
.
I just don't see a lot oftechnicians that are limiting
themselves, thinking, well, youknow, that's somebody else's job
and that's somebody else'sproblem.
I think most technicians thatI've been fortunate to know are
(43:04):
bigger thinkers.
They're trying to think outsidethe box.
They're trying to solveproblems and really add value.
That at least the good ones.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (43:18):
Yeah, and that's a good point about the
Vital Signs monitors.
They just got a lot cuter touchscreen.
You can plug that in.
Maggie Berkey (43:26):
Maybe a little smaller.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (43:28):
Yeah, but smaller and smaller, some
fragile, some robust.
But, like you said, in the testequipment that's the one thing
I noticed like the ESU analyzersI mean the new ones you really
have to read that manual.
Yeah, I mean, it's challenging,it's different and it's
(43:48):
different, but it does a lot oftesting that is required for
these new ESU units.
So you can't use the old testeron it because it's not going to
give you a full PM, so you haveto get the latest test
equipment.
And I think a lot of olderbio-meds get challenged at with
(44:08):
this new technology and they get, I guess, nervous instead of
just saying embracing it.
Some of them shy away from itand that's what I noticed
because we was laughing in theshop when they talking about
documentation.
It's like when I came to theindustry it was no EMR system,
(44:30):
so every piece of equipment hada vanilla folder.
So when you went to the flooryou had to bring that folder
with you with the history in it,and then they eventually came
up with electronic systems.
But that was the first sevenyears.
I'm like man, I had to practicemy penmanship, I had to make
sure I didn't bring the foldershome, and there's a lot of stuff
(44:53):
that's advanced.
And I tell the kids, you can doyour work now from your cell
phone.
That's right and you can go downthe floor and you can actually
close the work order.
And it's just how times arechanging.
Like you said, you have tochange with them.
Well, maggie, I enjoy talkingwith you, but I want you to
(45:17):
share one more thing with theaudience.
I want you to give some,because you gave a lot of wisdom
for females, but I want you togive some encouragement to all
HTM professionals, male andfemale, young and old.
What could you share with them?
Maggie Berkey (45:35):
as far as Well, thank you for giving me the
opportunity to really at leasttry to give some encouragement
to all of my human counterparts,because you were talking about
the seasoned technicians thatsometimes might tend to shy away
(45:59):
from some of the newertechnology.
But I can tell you that I wantto be arm in arm with my
seasoned technician as we go inand look at some of these
systems that they know insideand out and year after year,
even though the face might havechanged, that the internal
(46:25):
system really hasn't changedmuch.
What I love about the seasonedfolks is that they can kind of
show us where we've been so thatwe can make a better trip
forward.
Instead of trying to recreatethe wheel, we can really work on
(46:50):
getting it to spin a littlenicer just because we have that
historic perspective.
I think the saddest part aboutthis retirement exodus that
we've got going on right now isthat we are not sure that we're
getting all of that wealth ofknowledge to be passed on to the
(47:14):
next generation.
I would like to encourage us toinvite any of these retirees to
continue to speak at ourengagements and help bring in
people from their community.
They still have all thatknowledge.
(47:36):
Mentor, make videos, interviewon these podcasts, just so that
some of that information won'tbe lost.
At the end of the day, we areall humans.
We have certain needs and thatis so important to keep us kind
(48:02):
of grounded and not putourselves above or below anyone
else.
But it's those uniqueexperiences that none of us
share that makes us so muchricher when we come together and
(48:23):
we try to problem solve.
There's also so muchinformation and so many people
that care so much about justmaking sure that you and I and
everybody in this field have thetools we need to really be
(48:44):
great.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (48:46):
Well said, well said, and that's.
You said a great point aboutthe season season technicians.
You know working on with themand always tease the guys in the
shop.
They'll be like man, you'vebeen doing this 30 years.
I said, yeah, but the stuff Iworked on 30 years ago is not in
the hospital right now.
So you got to stay goingbecause you might be in it 30
(49:10):
years.
But what's some of the stuff?
Maybe I take that back.
You might find a striker tablehere or two.
That's 30 years old.
That's probably yeah.
Maggie Berkey (49:19):
Yeah, but some of those dopplers those are the
dopplers are still around andyou know, and that the young
people to just bring so muchenergy and vibrance and you know
, and great ideas, differentperspectives than and that tech
savviness that you were talkingabout I just I am so encouraged.
(49:41):
I used to coach robotics whenwe lived in Minnesota and I know
that the future is bright whenyou look and see some of these
kids that can program a robot todo really things that would be
difficult for a lot of people todo, and you know these guys
(50:05):
were in grade school and middleschool doing this stuff.
So we've we don't have anythingto worry about as long as we
put our priorities in the rightplace, and I think that children
and education need to be highpriorities, absolutely.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (50:25):
I agree with you 1000%, like this staffing
issue.
I tell everybody these youngpeople can fix that this.
We just got to let them dotheir thing.
Don't stop.
We got to turn them loose andthey go.
They don't fix it because theysee it from a different angle
than we see it.
We see it the way they'relooking at it from another
(50:47):
perspective and all you need isa little guidance and that's
where we help them and they canturn them loose and I'm telling
you it's going to be likeunbelievable and I look forward
to it.
Maggie, I appreciate you comingon.
You welcome back anytime.
Can't wait to see you again.
Thank you, and we can talk andfeel like I know a lot more
(51:10):
about you now than I did before.
So I appreciate the time youspent with us and I wish you
nothing but much love andsuccess and keep that family
bond growing, because that's thekey to Maggie's success in the
HTM industry and we need you inthe HTM industry.
So keep doing what you're doing, maggie.
Maggie Berkey (51:30):
Well, thank you for all your kind words, and I
will be at the Amy Exchange inJune doing a presentation on
documentation, something that wedon't have a lot of resources
for, but we all know it impactsour daily life.
(51:52):
So I hope to run into you andso many other of our HTM
colleagues there and really talkabout this stuff, because it's
not.
It is the squeaky wheel thatgets the grease.
Anybody Biomed knows that's thetruth.
So be the squeaky wheel.
That's what I want to encourageall your listeners.
(52:14):
Be the squeaky wheel, that's it.
Bryant Hawkins Sr. (52:16):
That's it.
Great Thanks, Maggie.
Thank you for tuning in to HTMon the line podcast for more
engaging content, includingpodcasts, HTM motivational
videos, blogs and monthlynewsletters, Be sure to visit us
at HTM on the linecom.
Don't forget to share thesevaluable resources with your
(52:41):
fellow HTM professionals To meetagain.
Thank you and take care.
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