Biomedical and Patient Care Technicians Deliver Their Best

Your dialysis center is staffed by caring employees who do all they can to keep treatments, procedures, and equipment running smoothly and safely. Some staff may be very familiar to you, and others you may not see much at all—but all of them contribute to your care.

Care team members you see at every visit—and the ones who may know you best—are your patient care technicians (PCTs). They clean and prepare your station, check your weight and vitals, keep tabs on your progress, and monitor you throughout treatment. They may also chat with you about your favorite TV shows, friends, and family.

Staff members you may not see as often are your biomedical technicians (biomeds). These behind-the-scenes heroes maintain and troubleshoot the devices and systems that enable your treatments and keep you safe and comfortable while dialyzing. They work on everything from dialysis machines and water treatment systems, to heating and air conditioning, to scales and TVs.

PCTs and biomeds have specific roles and responsibilities that differ greatly, but everything they do has the same ultimate purpose—improving safety and enhancing quality-of-life for every patient, every day.

Being a PCT or a biomed takes dedication, to both the work and the people who benefit from it. Knowing they are making a difference for you and others with end stage renal disease (ESRD) is a major reason they do what they do.

“I feel being a biomedical technician is one of the first lines of defense in helping patients,” says Jennifer M. Will, biomedical technician III. “It is a nice feeling to go home at the end of every day knowing that I’ve had a hand in saving lives. I truly love what I do.”

Tiffanie Aubuchon, also a biomedical technician III, has the same outlook as her colleague, and says she enjoys the opportunity to provide safe, comfortable spaces at her center.

“Being a biomed means making sure our patients have the best treatment they can in a well-maintained environment with minimal interruptions,” says Aubuchon. “It also means making sure all our equipment is maintained to the Fresenius Medical Care standard and only having equipment in the field that we’d have our own family members use.”

Sometimes, delivering the best care means your PCTs or biomeds are learning new skills and practices that can help them help you.

Shelba Jones, a PCT and Fresenius Kidney Care employee for 37 years, was recently certified to care for people on home dialysis. As a home dialysis technician, she’s able to help more people with ESRD. “I've learned about all the dialysis modalities, which allows me to better serve our patients,” she explains. “They benefit from my knowledge and perspective working across all different types of dialysis treatments.”

Biomedical Technician Ill Vickie Sams says the variety of work she does is what makes her job rewarding.

“Being a biomed is so much more than what most people think,” says Sams. “Our priority is maintaining dialysis machines and water treatment systems, but we’re also in charge of the patients' environment. We make sure the chairs are comfortable, and the air, heat, and TVs are working, and we like to educate patients about what their machine is doing, when the opportunity arises.”