Biomedtalk's Top Posters: The Faces Behind the Postings

When Douglas D. Back passed away in June, the outpouring of condolences that appeared on the Biomedtalk listserve underlined his importance to the biomed community. Mickey Couvertier, a frequent poster, said that when Back died, he felt like he had lost a close colleague. Although they had never met in person, through the Biomedtalk list-serve Couvertier and dozens of others had come to rely on Back's advice.A knowledgeable and helpful biomed to many through his frequent postings on the listserve, Back lived in Chipley, FL, where he worked as the owner of Medical Concepts, a company that sells, repairs, and buys medical equipment. Back's passing and the response to it highlights the important role that Biomedtalk now plays in the biomed community, and the extent that others rely on “frequent posters” to the listserve.Who are the faces behind those who are most active on the listserve, and why do they post so often? With help from Mike Kauffman, founder of the Biomedtalk listserve, BI&T recently caught up with some of the top posters to find out why and how they use the service.Many of the frequent posters do so because they believe they have expertise to share with colleagues. Patrick Lynch, CBET, CCE, of Global Medical Imaging in Charlotte, NC, says, “I post so often because I have seen lots of biomed problems in my 34 years in the profession. I believe it is my duty to share when possible.” On the flip side, he says, “I have also discovered that there is a tremendous amount I do not know. And Biomedtalk is the place to meet people, hear concerns, and also hear solutions that I can use.”William Hyman, professor of biomedical engineering at Texas A&M University, posts when he believes he has something useful to add. “I have broad interest in the overarching topics,” he says. He frequently does research before posting. “It takes a little longer if I have to look something up, and I do try to provide citations where appropriate. Looking things up educates me as well.”At the other end of the spectrum, Michael Barragan, biomedical manager at Brotman Medical Center, Culver City, CA, uses the listserve to support his own work within his facility. “My resources are scarce; I inherited this position with few service manuals. Mostly everything was outsourced, I am understaffed and most of my postings are made out of necessity.”Of course, most posters come seeking information, to ask questions and to “tap into the knowledge of thousands of biomeds around the world,” says Couvertier, a biomed with Ministry Health Care in Wisconsin. He has found that the more helpful he is to posters, the faster he gets responses himself when he needs help. “I have also found that camaraderie is built through recognition; and I have made many mentors, friends, references, and contacts through the list.”Brian Lefler, director of biomed services with FirstHealth of Carolinas, Pinehurst, NC, puts it well: “I don't know everything,” he says, “But I am smart enough to know where to get the information I need. Other subscribers have been very helpful over the years and I have learned an awful lot by listening.”Such “listening” can pay off for posters and their colleagues. Mindy Gonzales, CBET, a BMET at Southwest Washington Medical Center, Vancouver, WA, and teacher at a local community college, uses the listserve to inform her students of “hot topics” currently being discussed.Hyman typically reads Biomedtalk while he's having his morning coffee at home. Barragan reads during his lunch hour. Gonzales even finds herself reading the postings in waiting rooms during personal appointments or while waiting for equipment to warm up or calibrate.Lefler reports that keeping up with the listserve does not take a lot of time. “I read the subject line and delete if it doesn't interest me. If you choose to read every message in its entirety, it would be too burdensome.”Hyman also makes a good point: “Posting is also part of the social contract. If everyone only read, there would be nothing to read,” he says.Couvertier reports that he has often been able to cut his troubleshooting time in half by following advice from the listserve. “If I run across a problem that many others have encountered, others might direct me to the best source for a part. I have even gotten service manuals from list members. Access to hundreds of biomed shops around the country multiplies those benefits exponentially.”Saving time often equates to saving money, and doing a job in-house rather than outsourcing also saves money. Barragan reports that he's often been able to get the job done without having to incur the cost of outside service by following listserve advice. “These cost savings are very critical at this point in time for this hospital,” he says.Gonzales believes that the listserve plays a key role in helping the clinical engineering field evolve. “I think it is important to be an active contributor in the progression of a career I love as opposed to a bystander. As our community evolves, the listserve is a great stage to present innovative thoughts for feedback from passionate stakeholders in the future of the clinical/biomedical engineering field.”In the end, though, the feeling of camaraderie and support highlighted by the sentiments expressed upon Douglas Back's death might be one of the greatest benefits of the online community. As Lynch says, “Biomedtalk and the friends I know there are as dear to me as my co-workers—you guys are like my family.”

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