Enjoy these stories from heroes in our industry and learn about how medical technology has impacted their lives.
Greg has always been super interested in using robots to enhance patient care. From home health care applications to surgical interventions, he’s inspired by the potential for robotics to elevate medical technology. Perhaps even more exciting, he thinks is the fact that anyone can find a role in the medtech industry regardless of their background. If they enjoy technology, working with amazing people and helping others, there is a place for them.
Natalie is inspired to work for a medical device company that cares not just for patients, but also for its people. After hearing a speaker at Olympus talk about her battle with colon cancer and reminded that with Olympus insurance the preventative screening was covered in full, Natalie was prompted to get a colonoscopy, regardless of that fact she was only in her 30s with no family history of the disease. That ahead-of-schedule screening may have proved lifesaving, as precancerous polyps were found.
With a father who was a mechanical engineer, Sammy was exposed to that world growing up, but it wasn’t until college he learned it could be applied to healthcare. Motivated by helping to make a positive change, he put his skills to use by co-founding a quickly growing medical device start-up where he is responsible for leading the technology vision and teams to bring it to life.
Having a brother who was born prematurely, Catherine saw firsthand the importance of research and innovation on quality of life and outcomes. That exposure, paired with an interest in helping others, set her down the path of pursuing a career as a pediatrician. When her father was diagnosed with progressive supranuclear palsy, she changed her course of study to communication in order to finish earlier to help at home. With that degree she entered corporate America but after many successful but demanding years, she found herself burnt out and sought a more rewarding opportunity. Marrying her love for research with her natural relationship skills, today she is thankful to make a meaningful impact on a daily basis in the medtech industry.
Kerri was always interested in technology and medicine but was unsure how she could help others if she wasn’t a nurse. Because of her love of connecting with people, she found her passion in healthcare sales where she provides solutions for her customers’ challenges. After her daughter was born with an undetected heart defect, she experienced the impact of medtech firsthand through her daughter’s heart surgery at age four. Inspired daily to build meaningful relationships, Kerri knows she is in the “right place at the right time” to access innovative solutions for her daughter.
Ami didn’t find medtech. Medtech found her. Working to develop software to help with clinical trials, she never thought she would be a patient herself. But in 2014 she was diagnosed with breast cancer and underwent a double mastectomy with reconstruction. Then again five years later, she found out she had a brain tumor and through the use of over 1,000 medical devices and a 26-hour surgery, her life was saved yet again. Today, she dedicates her life to the industry that saved hers and strives to help other patients like her.
We have all been impacted by the medical device technology industry in different ways. We want to hear from you about how it has improved your quality of life – or even saved your life or that of a loved one. Work in the medtech industry? Your story matters! Share what drives you and you’ll help create awareness of the industry you love.