By Keri Forsythe-Stephens

As members of the HTM field, you’ve likely been called one of healthcare’s “unsung heroes.” After all, it’s often the doctors and nurses who get recognized for their roles in the care continuum. But they—as all who are in-the-know—realize that without your work they couldn’t effectively do theirs. Patient facing or not, HTM professionals are integral members of the healthcare team—and should be recognized as such.

AAMI is seeking to do just that through its annual Healthcare Technology Management (HTM) Week. Taking place from May 16-23, 2021, HTM Week “promotes awareness of—and appreciation for—the critical work of professionals who manage and maintain the vast assortment of health technology found in healthcare delivery organizations,” according to AAMI literature.

Suffice it to say that this work became even more critical over the past year as hospitals contended with COVID-19. One HTM professional, in particular—Travis Horstman, biomedical account manager and cybersecurity advisor at oneSOURCE Document Management Services—praised his colleagues for rising to the unique challenges presented by the pandemic.

“[COVID-19] stressed our medical treatment facilities’ capacity, leading HTMs to implement transformational changes that will likely be long-lasting,” Horstman tells 24×7 Magazine.

In addition to overcoming ventilator repair challenges, HTM professionals were tasked with facilitating patient triage areas and maintaining an abundance of medical equipment. What’s even more impressive, Horstman maintains, is how they accomplished this while experiencing staffing and PPE shortages.

“This pandemic has propelled innovation and our industry’s ability to adapt and provide the best possible care in these difficult times,” Horstman says. “Medical community staff members stepped up to battle this pandemic rigorously without regard for their own safety.” Personally, he says, “I’m proud to work with so many dedicated healthcare professionals.”

And we’re proud to honor them. At 24×7, we regularly highlight facilities and HTM professionals who go above and beyond the call of duty in our “A Day in the Life” and “Heroes of HTM” columns.

Do you have any colleagues whose efforts deserve to be recognized in 24×7? E-mail me at [email protected] and let me know.

Keri Forsythe-Stephens is chief editor of 24×7 Magazine.