Rodney Beckner Named Porter Regional Hospital’s Associate of the Year

Rodney-Beckner-3Each year Porter Regional Hospital takes time to recognize some of its associates that go above and beyond the normal expectations of their job requirements. This year, the associate being recognized for reliability and a high sense of ownership is Rodney Beckner.

Rodney Beckner has been a Porter Regional Hospital associate for 17 years. He was hired on April 21, 1997 as a Biomedical Engineering Technician.

Beckner's responsiveness to the changes in biomedical technology and his timely approach to ensuring that the biomedical equipment is running smoothly and efficiently provides another valuable resource in medical excellence and patient-centered care at Porter Regional Hospital.

Beckner said, "People know that when they call me to work on something the work will get done and I will take care of all the issues. I am prompt and I follow up on the issues and close the loop so nothing is left hanging."

Rodney-Beckner-1Intensive Care Unit Supervisor Lisa Nomanson spoke of Beckner, "If our equipment isn't working we know we can call on Rodney and he's there. He rounds our area checking our equipment regularly and he does a good job. He got recognized for Employee of the Year for a reason: he's awesome!"

Nomanson added, "Our equipment has to function at 100%. If it doesn't we can't do our jobs."

Beckner performs critical preventive maintenance, which means checking certain pieces of equipment every month and calibrating them to manufacturer standards. He also performs corrective maintenance, fixing pieces of equipment that break down. Corrective maintenance allows for troubleshooting and to work with his team to make any repairs that may be needed. He also performs safety testing, inspections, and installations.

Beckner said of his years on the job, "I find my job very satisfying. I get to interact with co-workers, the leadership team, and senior management. Everyone has always supported me and treated me with respect. This job keeps me coming back because I love my job, I love what I do, and I perceive myself retiring with Porter."

Rodney-Beckner-2One thing for sure, as with any job a person may hold for several years, is the job is always changing and advancing. Nothing can be truer than the constant changes and advancement in biomedical technology and equipment. Beckner has faced those challenges many times over the years but says he loves learning and loves reading the newest technology information out there.

Beckner said, "Technology changes and you have to keep up with it. I am always learning and I love learning. Everything is different about this job from when I first started. Things were not so IT (information technology) and now everything is IT. Keeping up with the technology keeps my brain working and my mind fresh."

Ensuring that the biomedical equipment is functioning properly definitely enhances patient-centered care. With properly functioning equipment, doctors and nurses can focus more on the patient.

Beckner said, "Our job is to provide functioning equipment that doctors and nurses can trust and to make sure that it stays that way. It is satisfying to know that if one of these machines was used in the process of safeguarding a life and it makes me happy to know that a family will still have their loved one in their lives."

When Beckner was told that he was named Associate of the Year, he said, "I felt honored to be recognized out of so many stellar employees that work at Porter Regional Hospital."

Jayna Lasky, Facilities Manager, Engineering Services said, "We are so fortunate to have Rodney at Porter. Rodney has been with us for 17 years and he is one of the most dedicated, hard-working and patient-centered associates there are. In a time of rapidly evolving healthcare technology, healthcare facilities must keep pace by providing quality, well-trained professionals who understand the complexity of medical equipment operation and applications. The Porter Biomedical Department serves an important role in this regard. Rodney will research, recommend, install, inspect, and repair medical devices and other complicated medical systems. He will also advise and train others about the safe and effective use of medical devices, thereby improving patient safety and controlling healthcare costs."

Rodney Beckner is truly deserving of the Associate of the Year title for his dedication and determination to continue to keep advancing with the newest in biomedical technology and for his diligence in keeping current biomedical systems fully functioning, which helps to provide medical excellence and patient-centered care.