Posted by “Part of my job focuses on ensuring new medical device purchases meet regulatory requirements, meet the needs of the IWK, and are safe for patients and staff,” McEvoy says. I am also responsible for incident investigations, hazard alerts/recalls administration, laser safety, and more.”
Like everything everywhere, since COVID19, Clinical Engineering has had to adapt to the way they do things. “Our team was involved in ensuring the new areas, Pandemic Assessment Centre and Pandemic Response Unit, had the medical equipment staff needed to function during this pandemic,” McEvoy explains. “We continue to support these new areas as they evolve and their needs change.”
He talks about things he misses in the “pre-pandemic work environment in Clinical Engineering. “We are a social group; we take breaks and lunches together and see who can beat Gary at crossword puzzles,” McEvoy says. “However, since personal distancing was put in place, our social time has been put on hold.”
Like many people, McEvoy has a personal connection with the IWK, which provides him with even more resolve to keep working during these difficult times.
“My youngest daughter was admitted to the IWK when she was a week old. My family is very grateful the IWK was there to provide their amazing support and care she needed at that time,” McEvoy says. “The need for the IWK hasn’t changed with the Pandemic. That’s why we need to be here for the patients and their families during this time.”
He says he’s managed to find some positives out of the pandemic, like valuing the additional time he gets to spend with my family while they ‘Stay the Blazes Home’. “I do this by taking walks around the neighborhood with each daughter separately,” McEvoy says. “It is interesting how they open up and talk during these walks together. I had a 20 min conversation with one of my daughters about hair dye! I’m going to keep doing this even after this all ends.”