The Strength of Team

One Word for 2026

Thu, 08 Jan 2026 16:56:08 GMT

"I have learned that choosing a word isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress."

My One Word for 2026

For the past seven years, I have chosen a word to help guide my decisions and mindset. It is a practice I have found helpful. Last year, my word was sagacity—the quality of being wise and showing good judgment. I kept that word in front of me throughout the year, but to be honest, there were many occasions where I fell short of acting with wisdom. I made decisions too quickly at times, allowed urgency to override discernment, and missed opportunities to pause and reflect.

But I have learned that choosing a word isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress. Sagacity reminded me to slow down and think, even if I didn’t always get it right. That experience is shaping my approach to 2026For 2026, the word I have selected is purposeful, because wisdom and purpose go hand in hand.

To me, being purposeful means that my thoughts, actions, and activities are intentional and aligned with what truly matters—both professionally and personally.

Professionally: Purpose at Medworks

At Medworks, our “why” has always been clear: to support surgeons, surgical staff, and ultimately patients. We do this by providing logistical support that makes surgical cases run smoothly and efficiently, with fewer delays. This year, I want us to dial in even more on that purpose. Every decision, every process improvement, every interaction should reinforce our commitment to making surgeries seamless and stress-free for the people who depend on us.

Personally: Living with Intention

Outside of work, I want to be more mindful of how I spend my time. Life moves fast, and it’s easy to get caught up in distractions. This year, I’m focusing on making good choices—whether it’s learning something new, helping others, or spending quality time with family. I want to be aware of what I’m doing in my waking hours and ensure those hours are invested in things that bring meaning and joy.

Why “Purposeful”?

Because purpose gives direction. It turns routine into meaning and effort into impact. My hope is that by living and working purposefully, I’ll not only achieve more but also feel more fulfilled in the process.

If you choose a word for the year, I’d love to hear what it is—and why.

-Darrell Shires, President & CEO

Megan Pillis returns to Guatemala with "Dare for More"

Thu, 30 Oct 2025 13:32:45 GMT

Having a heart for global missions, Service Rep Megan Pillis travels to Guatemala for a return visit.

Megan Pillis , Medworks' Service Representative in Southwestern VA, has returned to Guatemala through the ministry, "Dare for More." Serving the needs of women and children in crisis on a global scale is at the heart of what Megan is all about. On this most recent trip, she is pleased to report that the community work is expanding and resources are growing.

Megan shares this report:

"Dare for More has made even more strides for women and children in Guatemala during the 14 months since I last visited. The sewing training center will soon expand into additional space below their current operations. As a team, we shopped for and distributed food baskets to families in crisis. Additionally, it was good to see some familiar faces while doing upgrades to a safe house, as well as during trauma-informed therapy.

"Two tiny houses are under construction and will be move-in ready by spring 2026. The future residents of these homes are victims of domestic violence whose abusers are now in prison. These residential accommodations will become home for women and children who currently have nowhere to go. Another safe house is in the works about three hours away.

"DFM also took over operations of a closing medical clinic that services three different Mayan communities. Our team visited the facility on prenatal day to assist with a craft and serve the women food while they waited for free medical care.

"I can’t wait to see more progress the next time I visit."

Check out the work of DFM here: https://www.dareformore.org/dfm-guatemala/

Project Medwoof

Thu, 16 Oct 2025 15:55:06 GMT

Whether they woof, meow, or quack, Project Medwoof provided a fun way to show off our faithful companions while representing a great cause.

“Happiness is a warm puppy”

– Charles Schulz

The summer of ’25 saw Medworks sponsoring a companywide outreach that promoted support for animal shelters throughout our various regions. In the process, we had some fun introducing our own pets by sharing with each other photos of our beloved furry family members. We called this outreach "Project Medwoof" and delighted in seeing picture after picture of the sweet and most adored pets of Medworks, many that were acquired through rescues. It was made clear that the Medworks team not only cares about the people it serves but is also a pet friendly community with a huge heart for the pups, kitties, and feathered companions among us. This was a fun way to get to know one another a little bit better while supporting a great cause! In August, at the close of this outreach, Medworks made a sizeable donation to the Richmond SPCA.

Volunteerism Makes a Difference in Coeur d' Alene, ID

Fri, 11 Jul 2025 18:34:59 GMT

In July, Danny Foxx, Medworks Client Support Representative, donated a week of time to a local food bank.

"My recent community give-back project was fulfilling as ever. As a frequent volunteer of the food bank here in my hometown of Coeur d'Alene, Idaho. I enjoy giving back often with my son and friends alike. This specific week was a special one as it provided over 100 meals for local families and people in need of services. I was able to secure meals to be delivered to a local grocery store and then donated to families in need. Additionally, tasks of organization, cleaning, and sanitation services of refrigeration equipment were accomplished. With this being the week before the 4th of July, it was very busy, donations were frequent, and it allowed the community to bind together during a holiday celebration.

"Working at a food bank serves me with multiple levels of nostalgia and fulfillment. When I was an active-duty Sailor in the US Navy, it was quite common to contribute to food kitchens and many other forms of food assistance. Every single day, people go hungry and need sustenance to live. Alike, when I was a young boy in Colombia, our family was very poor in the area of the city we lived in, so we often found ourselves gathering food to survive at food banks, local restaurants at day's end, and friends alike.

"I feel blessed and fortunate to be able to give back, and foster the relationship with myself son, utilizing my past, for the future, in the present."

Making the Community Better through Education

Wed, 28 May 2025 15:53:51 GMT

As an accomplished musician, Josh Murrell, Medworks Corporate Trainer, shares his gifts with high school students.

"For the last few years, I have been involved with my high school alma mater’s music and arts department which has had a long tradition in music performance. It was the first school in Virginia to start a traveling performance choir and is one of the longest running programs of its kind in the country. When the pandemic struck in 2020 many programs were put on hold and the organizations struggled to keep students engaged in an activity that could not function behind a computer screen. Fortunately, this year the program has seen one of the largest groups of students in its history.

As the band director I get to lead and teach an all-student accompaniment group that supports three different travel shows with the school. Along with directing the group I help write and produce the shows with two other great educators, both of which are also alumni of the program. The program offers students music and education opportunities that they would not receive in their normal band or orchestra classes, and creates a supportive network of people that is welcoming to all".

"In the previous years, our groups have performed at Carnegie Hall in NYC, America Gardens Theater in Epcot Disney World, and last year at the Grand Ol Opry in Nashville. While performing these shows they have access to clinics and lessons with some of the best musicians and entertainers in the country.

This year in March ’25, the school hosted our 45th invitational, The Koste Classic, the largest event of its kind in the state, with over 50 groups attending that weekend. Featured guest clinicians included local collegiate educators, an acclaimed Broadway actress, a nationally recognized choreographer and the Director of Entertainment for Six Flags America.

This program and the community that supports it was vitally important to me when I was young, and it continues to be a positive impact on the current generation. It is very rewarding to see the students develop their skills and confidence as they go through the program and I am so glad that I get to be a part of such an impactful organization in my community".

Making a Difference in Corozal Belize

Tue, 13 May 2025 18:36:12 GMT

Latequa Hyman, Medworks Surgical Technologist, joined Global Surgical Expedition to "Make the Community Better" in Belize.

Early in 2025, Latequa Hyman, Medworks 'North Caroling Surgical Technologist, spent a week in Belize on a medical mission trip with Global Surgical Expedition. It was a time of giving and receiving, relationship building and teamwork, community outpouring and gratitude. Here, Latequa shares her heartfelt story.

"Deciding to become a healthcare provider has been the best decision I could have ever made. The thought of helping others is a simple and thoughtless action that comes naturally to me. Helping in an area where healthcare is available and accessible is the norm that I have always known, but I never experienced it in an area that did not have the options easily available to them. As a Surgical Technologist, I've heard the stories from other health professionals who either completed missions or were looking to join a team. Working in the hospitals, time off was limited, and did not allow much flexibility to join a team, but that all changed when I joined Medworks. Medworks opened the doors of opportunity, and I am truly looking forward to many more.

I was invited to join the Global Surgical Expedition team back in February, and I have since asked to be a returning member for future missions.

The people of Belize were beyond special and grateful for just being seen and having someone to help, whether it was in conversation, medical advice, surgery, or preparation for a future team that was coming in the following months for different surgical procedures. I connected with so many people who have left a major impact on my life and the way I see life with options and healthcare. Many families prayed for us, cooked for us, and even stopped to thank us while we were out having dinner. Truly unreal..

To be able to offer a small gesture of service for a community of kind-hearted individuals, and some of the nicest people I have ever encountered, I am forever grateful to them for the experience and opportunity to have been part of their lives."

One Word for 2025

Tue, 25 Feb 2025 17:47:27 GMT

Darrell Shires, Medworks' President, continues his annual practice of selecting a word to guide him through the new year.

February 13, 2025

Every year around this time, I take a moment to reflect on the past year from both personal and professional perspectives. I ask myself: What events shaped the year’s themes? What went well, and where are there opportunities for improvement?

For the past seven years, I’ve embraced a practice that has profoundly impacted my life: choosing a word to focus on for the year. This simple yet powerful habit helps me grow in areas where growth is needed. By selecting a single word, I channel my energy and intentions toward a specific area of development. Last year, my word was “engage.” While I didn’t always keep it at the forefront of my mind, I still believe in the value of this practice and plan to do better with my word for 2025.

Several years ago, Susan Cochran, our Inventory Specialist at Medworks, began choosing her own word to live by each year. I recently spoke with her about the impact this practice has had on her life. For 2025, Susan has chosen two words: “Joy” and “Light.” She hopes this year’s choices will inspire her and remind her to embody them. I’m excited to see how these words influence Susan throughout the year.

As for me, I’ve chosen the word “Sagacity” for 2025. I opted for this word instead of “Wisdom” because it’s less commonly used and may serve as a stronger reminder of my intention. I’m aware of my tendencies toward quick judgments, lack of deliberation, and impatience. I want to become the kind of person I can admire. Often, I find myself silently praying for wisdom during my commutes to and from the office.

This year, I plan to post my word in visible places to keep it top of mind, even when daily routines take over. I encourage you to consider choosing a word for yourself as well.

Outreach in Guatemala

Tue, 18 Feb 2025 16:42:11 GMT

Megan Pillis, Medworks' Service Rep in Southwest VA, blends her love of travel and her heart for helping others through "Dare for More."

Megan Pillis , Medworks' Service Representative in Southwestern VA, is actively involved in several outreach efforts, some within her local community and others on a global scale. She blends her love of travel with her heart for helping others by participating in a ministry organization called "Dare for More." https://www.dareformore.org/dfm-guatemala/

Here, she explains some of the work being accomplished in Guatemala:

"Dare for More is an organization that strives to heal & empower women living in abuse and/or poverty in Guatemala. They do this in several different ways. Firstly, there are training programs to help women learn a trade to provide for themselves & their children. In the first few days, we buy groceries & distribute food baskets to those in crisis in surrounding villages. The women that work in the training centers make these suggestions & follow up after we depart. In the safe house, we assist with trauma-informed therapy. This involves playing with the children & letting their mothers see them smile. Most of these women & children are in hiding but will eventually find a place to live out their lives in peace - sometimes in a different area of the country (depending on the danger from their former partners)."

Thanks, Megan, for "Making the World Better" by serving the needs of these women and children in such significant ways. We look forward to hearing about more experiences as you revisit Guatemala in the months to come.

Thanksgiving Outreach

Tue, 03 Dec 2024 18:11:46 GMT

During Thanksgiving week, Susan Cochran, Medworks Inventory Specialist, took time off work to deliver holiday meals to grateful recipients

Susan Cochran, Medworks Inventory Specialist, has a big heart for the older residents of her community, always being sensitive to volunteer opportunities designed to meet their needs. During Thanksgiving week, Susan took time off from Medworks to deliver joy and delicious holiday meals to some mighty grateful recipients. In her own words she tells the story:

“I am so thankful Medworks allows me the opportunity to volunteer with On Faith Ministries. My mother taught her children that food is love, and On Faith carries that belief into the community. Nourishing bodies is fundamental to meeting the everyday needs of those without. It is with great joy I can participate in this vital mission. To see the gratitude and joy on the faces of the recipients of these Thanksgiving meal bags made this volunteer day more rewarding than I could have possibly imagined.”

Thank you, Susan, for your dedicated service and for leading by example. We appreciate you!

To learn more about On Faith Ministries, click here:

https://onfaithofm.weebly.com/?

Fostering Success Summit 2024

Fri, 30 Aug 2024 16:56:12 GMT

Fostering Success Summit 2024 is sponsored by:
Anthem Healthkeepers Plus

Young adults who age out of foster care without a strong family or network of support face significant barriers as they start their adult journey. How can we make this journey more successful? What resources exist or need to be created?

On September 26, the first Fostering Success Summit will take place on the campus of the United Methodist Family Services in Richmond, VA. It will be a day of networking with opportunities to learn more about the foster care crisis as it relates to the over 500 young adults in Virginia aging out of the foster care system with limited support each year.

Topics addressed will encompass the range of challenges experienced by these young adults along with the available solutions to include:

Completing education goals
Finding meaningful work with a living wage
Affordable housing
Healthcare

The speakers and panel guests will be comprised of practitioners from diverse backgrounds who work with impacted youth including relevant healthcare providers, local and state government agency staff, human services organizations and other stakeholders. Discussion topics will center around our community, culture, sustainability, and how we can support these young adults as they exit the foster care system and Independent Living programs.

The Fostering Success Summit is made possible through support from its signature sponsor, Anthem Healthkeepers Plus. Additionally, the organizing committee is comprised of representatives from partnering sponsors including The Success Foundation, Virginia’s Kids Belong, UMFS, and Project LIFE. Donna Shires, Medworks' Outreach Coordinator and representative of TSF, is a member of the organizing committee.

This event is intended to elevate the issues experienced by youth ‘aging out’ of Virginia’s foster care system with the hope that together, we can better support and find solutions to this crisis.

For more information of each of the partnering, please click on the respeactive logos below:

Community Giveback In North Idaho

Thu, 08 Aug 2024 18:48:34 GMT

From July 29th to August 1, Medworks’ Montana Region Client Support Representative, Danny Foxx, volunteered at the Ronald Mcdonald association in North Idaho.

I have worked with the Ronald McDonald association intermittently for the last 8 to 9 years across many states and wanted to tap back in to my own community now that I am around one locally. It is a local medical housing facility that houses families, youth and adults who are receiving medical care at Kootenai hospital. Oftentimes times when these patients are here for oncology, rehabilitation, and therapy treatments they are displaced from their own homes and communities ad they can be located in rural parts of the state or pacific northwest. These facilities provide an often low or no cost option for them to receive quality care, and a clean, safe, place to stay locally. These facilities are usually run by volunteers and donation based.

From Monday through Thursday I trained with the front desk duties as well as the house and grounds upkeeping. I learned to coordinate donation drop offs, the community pantry and linens upkeep. Taking the rooms apart, and remaking the beds as well as laundering the linens, shower curtains, and organizing supply rooms. I also spent a good amount of time working with local businesses and restaurants in coordinating drop offs of pop tabs, and item donations, and am working to develop partnerships with ongoing donations to improve funding and item inventory for the North Idaho chapter.

- Danny Foxx

D-URS and Optica TFL – A Powerful Pair

Wed, 10 Jul 2024 17:45:39 GMT

This combination of the DURS and the Optica TFL, both provided by Medworks, is a game-changer in the field of endourology, offering patients a minimally invasive, highly effective solution for the treatment of urinary tract stones.

The DURS from Richard Wolf Medical is a truly unique disposable ureteroscope that combines the best features of both flexible and rigid scopes. With its rigid shaft and flexible tip, the DURS offers unparalleled maneuverability and access to even the most challenging areas of the urinary tract. But what really sets the DURS apart is its dedicated backflow channel, which makes it the ideal companion to the Optica Thulium Fiber Laser made by Convergent Laser Technologies.

The Thulium Fiber Laser is renowned for its ability to dust kidney stones into fragments smaller than 1000 microns, allowing for easy passage and minimizing the risk of complications. When used in conjunction with the DURS, this powerful laser system becomes an unstoppable force against urinary tract stones. The DURS's two working channels provide ample space for both the laser fiber and irrigation, while the backflow channel ensures efficient stone fragment removal.

With 300 degrees of bidirectional deflection, the DURS offers unmatched flexibility and control, allowing clinicians to navigate even the most tortuous anatomy with ease. This combination of the DURS and the Optica TFL, both provided by Medworks, is a game-changer in the field of endourology, offering patients a minimally invasive, highly effective solution for the treatment of urinary tract stones.

Global Surgical Expedition Returns to Belize

Tue, 02 Jul 2024 14:23:12 GMT

Global Surgical Expedition Returns to Belize

Once again, Global Surgical Expedition (GSE) returned to Belize, this time covering 10 days during the month of June. GSE is a medical charity whose mission is to provide surgical care for people in need, sending surgical teams to underserved nations around the world delivering surgeries and changing lives. Medworks VP of Business Development, Will Reynolds, has been volunteering with GSE for several years. He joined up with this Belize effort from June 1st - 4th.

This trip’s accomplishments include:

In Corozal the GSE urology team collaborated with local surgeons, providing urological care to people in need.
In Orange Walk, Dr. Carne (General Surgeon from Oregon State) instructed a local general surgeon on the lap chole procedure. GSE provided most of the equipment and the education. This was a new venture with 16 lap chole cases being completed in 4 days.
Throughout the time, a total of 36 cases were completed in three specialties: URO/GYN, Urology, and General Surgery.

Going forward, GSE plans to visit Belize cyclically every spring and fall. The combination of providing both surgeries and training are changing lives and “making the world better”! Thanks, Will, for your participation in this great mission.

Volunteer Day! by Greta Holm

Wed, 01 May 2024 19:07:54 GMT

Medworks’ Central VA Service Rep, Greta Holm tells of her outreach experience at Belmont Community Resource Services in Richmond, VA

In mid-April, I volunteered with Belmont Community Resource Services. BCRS partners with Feed More, central Virginia’s core hunger relief organization, to provide groceries and clothing free of charge to families in need. Every Thursday, food pantry volunteers help prepare carts full of enough groceries to last families of up to 10 people for at least one week. This involves sorting through massive amounts of produce outdoors in all types of weather.

Families come to collect the food on Fridays. During the pickup window, volunteers greet and direct the families, load vehicles, and assist with Feed More registration. Families are also able to collect donated clothing during this time. Since nearly half of all families cannot speak English, I have often served as a Spanish interpreter.

Volunteering with BCRS is a rewarding experience, and it is a pleasure working with genuinely kind individuals who are proud to serve the community. This organization is celebrating its 20-year anniversary, and they have never missed a week of Friday distribution! It is a vital community resource that ensures that the nearly 1,600 families who come each month will have adequate food and clothing. The volunteers are what make this possible, so I encourage anyone who might be interested to join us in helping to keep this program going!

Medworks CEO Attends EOS Visionary Masterclass

Wed, 01 May 2024 14:46:32 GMT

Explore the power of the Visionary-Integrator model

Darrell Shires, CEO of Medworks, recently attended a Visionary Masterclass in San Diego, CA. This all-day class, led by Mark Winters, the co-author of the acclaimed book Rocket Fuel , brought together 65 visionaries from around the country to explore the power of the Visionary-Integrator model.

So, what is the Visionary-Integrator model? It is a proven framework that enables businesses to thrive, with its core premise being:

Visionaries excel at working “On” the business;

Integrators excel at working “In” the business.

By embracing this dynamic, organizations can unlock unprecedented levels of growth and efficiency. This concept is derived from the Entrepreneurial Operating System (EOS) and Traction , works written by Gino Wickham. The practical tools extracted from these resources help companies to clarify, simplify, and achieve their vision.

At the Visionary Masterclass, Darrell and his fellow attendees delved into the nuances of this model, uncovering new strategies and insights. From refining their strategic vision, to streamlining operational execution, the class provided a comprehensive toolkit to help these visionaries embrace their role and drive their businesses to new heights.

Southeastern Section AUA meeting

Wed, 03 Apr 2024 14:56:03 GMT

Medworks introduces its innovative service offerings to surgeons from North Carolina

At the Southeastern Section AUA urology meeting last month in Austin, TX, Medworks introduced its innovative service offerings to surgeons from North Carolina. This marked the first time that Medworks exhibited at such a major event, showcasing its commitment to revolutionizing surgical support practices.

We took this opportunity to focus on our key offerings: Third Assist, Scrub Assist, and our Laser Rentals that include a Third Assist technician. This event allowed us to highlight our aim of minimizing delays in surgeries by providing expert technicians who are trained to ensure that all necessary equipment and supplies are readily available in the operating room at the right time.

Will Reynolds and Darrell Shires represented Medworks at the event, engaging with surgeons and demonstrating how our services can streamline surgical procedures and enhance efficiency in the operating room. The positive reception from attendees underscores the value that Medworks brings to the medical field through its cutting-edge solutions.

As we continue to expand our presence within the healthcare industry, we remain dedicated to delivering concierge-level services that empower surgeons and medical professionals to focus on providing optimal patient care. Stay tuned for more updates on how Medworks is shaping the future of surgical assistance.

Customer vs Client

Mon, 01 Apr 2024 17:33:19 GMT

What's the Difference?

In clarifying our position concerning those whom we serve, Medworks has come to realize that it doesn’t simply have customers. We have clients . That represents an important distinction. Why?

While the words can be used interchangeably, client carries with it the added emphasis of relationship. Here are some comparisons:

Customer - often involves a tangible product
It could be a hamburger or a new car.
Client - involves services.
Some examples might include legal services, cleaning services, interior design services, etc.
Customer - does not require relationship
You can buy a hamburger or a vacuum cleaner without establishing a relationship with the vendor.
Client - involves and requires relationship
With service-oriented business transactions, there is a need for parties to get to know one another in order to provide or receive services at a high level.
Client - often implies an ongoing relationship.
Consider a lawyer to client relationship where business might be conducted over years of time.
Customer - is oftentimes a “one and done” relationship.
As well, you may be a repeat customer with no relationship between purchases.
It is true that while corporations might have customers, they may also have clients.
A shipping company will have individual customers while also providing clients with global services and solutions.

So why would Medworks change its terminology from Customer to Client ?

Because relationships are important to us and we have come to know that the better the relationship, the better the communication, which leads to better service outcomes. Getting to know our clients is a privilege we take very seriously, and our business model revolves around the relationships we build. Baked into that model is a high level of respect and appreciation between us and those we serve.

So, Customer vs Client ?

We believe words do matter and it’s one more way Medworks makes the room better!

Leveling Up - A Letter to the Team

Tue, 05 Mar 2024 17:58:34 GMT

Let’s Level-Up, Medworks

Growth begins with a mindset. Each day we are given the opportunity to expand our skills and understanding of our roles as it relates to our daily experiences and challenges. We have all been asked to ‘level up’. Seems clear enough, simple enough, but also subjective enough. What are the expectations and what does it look like to level up? How can we possibly know if we are indeed rising to this challenge?

Here's my take….

To level up literally means to go to the next level. As an ideology or concept, it represents forward progress, improvement, or advancement. Most assuredly, this can be felt as increased difficulties, stepping out of our comfort zone, facing new challenges and changes to the way things have always been done. Nothing changes if….well, if nothing changes, and Medworks is on a trajectory of great change and growth. Moving to the next level, so to speak.

To level up requires us all to practice and improve our communications. We must all be clear and ‘close the loop’, finish what is started so there is little room for misinterpretation to our intended audience. Be brave enough to objectively evaluate your performance and be willing to make meaningful adjustments. Go above and beyond expectation for our clients, it is our service to them that sets us apart. Become selfless and recognize we are all part of the same team, with the same goals – give the credit where it is due. Be sincere with your appreciation and practice humility in acceptance of it. Learn to have those ‘difficult’ conversations, and understand they need to happen at times. Transparent communication is not always easy or well received, learn to navigate constructive coaching as it is intended. Take a moment to understand how your actions, or lack of actions, will affect your teammates.

Regardless of our position or title at Medworks, we are all important to its success. We all serve a vital role. The cart does not move forward being pulled in opposing directions. Again, I challenge you all to level up. Work to understand the bigger picture, work to understand another’s role and its importance. Take initiative and stay resilient in the face of challenges.

In supporting each other and striving for excellence, there is truly no limit to what we can achieve. Thank you all for your continued dedication and hard work.

Let’s level up, together.

Julie Amos

VP of Operations

What it Means to Provide Concierge-Level Support

Tue, 27 Feb 2024 16:51:26 GMT

When it comes to supporting the operating room for urologic cases, Medworks Concierge takes top-level OR logistics support to new heights. The term "concierge" in this context implies a tailored and personalized service that focuses on understanding physician preferences, ensuring that everything needed for a successful procedure is readily available.

At Medworks, concierge level support means going beyond just having disposables and instruments ready. It involves anticipating the needs of the surgeon, monitoring equipment (troubleshooting as needed), and ensuring that the operating room is optimized for efficiency. One key element of concierge support is to have all necessary components in place before the procedure begins. By doing so, Medworks helps eliminate intra-operative delays and allows physicians to focus on providing optimal patient care.

In alignment with physician preferences, comprehensive support at-the-ready is the essence of Medworks Concierge Operating Room Support

ONE WORD for 2024

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 20:21:20 GMT

Medworks President, Darrell Shires,

reveals his "One Word" focus for 2024

January 22, 2024

Every year around this time, I spend some moments reflecting on the previous year from a personal and professional perspective. What were the events that helped shape the themes of the year? What went well and what are opportunities for improvement? One practice that I have now embraced for the last six years, is choosing a word to focus on that, if fully embraced, will cause me to grow in areas where growth is needed. This simple yet powerful practice has had a profound impact on my life. By selecting a single word, I have focused my energy and intentions towards a specific area of growth and development. Last year, I focused on the word “expectation”. I posted the word beside my computer at work, in my car, and near my bathroom sink. I also sent myself a weekly reminder to spend a few minutes reviewing the meaning of the word and measuring its impact on me.

Several years ago, Susan Cochran, Inventory Specialist at Medworks, began choosing her own word to live by each year. I spoke with her about the impact this practice has had in her experience.

Last year, Susan's chosen word was "renew." By embracing this word, she sought to rejuvenate different aspects of her life, whether it be in relationships, career, or personal development. She expressed that this was her favorite word of the year so far. So much that she is keeping the word close by to continue providing encouragement and challenge.

For 2024, Susan has selected the word "Inspiration". She aims to inspire both herself and others around her through various creative outlets such as scrapbooking and journaling. By incorporating more inspirational elements into her daily life, Susan hopes to uplift spirits, encourage personal growth, and spread positivity.

For me, as I embark on a new year with the intention of continuing my personal journey of self-improvement, I have chosen the word "Engage". To me, this word encapsulates the essence of connection, attentiveness, and progress. Just like engaging with the teeth of a gear to gain momentum, I aim to actively participate in every aspect of my life. Engage serves as an aspirational reminder for me to be fully present in my interactions with others, to actively listen and connect with them on a deeper level.

Moreover, "Engage" motivates me not only in personal relationships but also in professional endeavors. It encourages me to take initiative and move things forward with purpose and determination. With this word as my compass, I am confident that it will lead me towards meaningful growth and improvement throughout the year.

In conclusion, choosing one word each year is more than just a mere exercise; it is a transformative practice that helps me stay focused on improving an area of my life. This year's word "Engage" holds immense potential for connection and progress both personally and professionally. As I embrace this concept wholeheartedly, I am excited about the positive impact it will have on every aspect of my journey ahead.

Medworks Holds Its Annual Meeting

Wed, 31 Jan 2024 20:10:28 GMT

Reflecting on the Achievements of 2023

& Setting New Goals for 2024

Medworks recently held its highly anticipated annual company meeting on Saturday, January 20th. The event was attended by team members from various locations including Virginia, Maryland, DC, North Carolina, Montana, and Washington.

During the meeting, the company took the opportunity to reflect on the achievements and milestones of 2023. It provided a platform for team members to discuss their individual and collective goals for the upcoming year. This collaborative approach ensures that everyone is aligned with the company’s vision and objectives.

Additionally, Medworks used this occasion to extend a warm welcome to new team members who have joined the organization. This allowed them to integrate into the Medworks community seamlessly and foster a sense of camaraderie among all employees.

The annual company meeting serves as an invaluable opportunity for Medworks to strengthen internal communication channels and reinforce its commitment towards growth and success. By reviewing past accomplishments, setting future goals, and embracing new team members, Medworks demonstrates its dedication to fostering a positive work environment that drives innovation and collaboration within the organization.

Medworks Leadership and Celebrated Team Members (from Left to Right):

Julie Amos, Josh Murrell, Jason Holley, Will Reynolds, Aaron Kaye (Grittiest of the Year), Darrell Shires, Addison Tuttle (Rookie of the Year), and Adrianne Shelton

Preference Cards

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 21:24:22 GMT

By keeping these preferences on file, we can ensure that each procedure is carried out according to the surgeon’s specifications.

At Medworks, the implementation of preference cards is an important aspect of our services for surgeon clients. These preference cards serve as a valuable tool in ensuring that the surgical team has access to specific preferences and requirements for each individual surgeon.

Preference card interviews are conducted with all new surgeon clients to gather detailed information regarding their preferences. This includes laser settings, disposables, room setup, and more. By keeping these preferences on file, we can streamline the surgical process and ensure that each procedure is carried out according to the surgeon’s specifications.

The use of preference cards offers several benefits. Firstly, it promotes efficiency by eliminating the need for surgeons to repeatedly communicate their preferences before each procedure. Secondly, it helps in reducing errors or misunderstandings during surgery by providing clear instructions to the surgical team.

By implementing preference cards, Medworks aims to enhance patient safety and satisfaction while also improving overall operational efficiency in healthcare facilities.

A New Year’s Letter from our President

Mon, 08 Jan 2024 21:09:10 GMT

Medworks 2024 Letter

As we welcome in this new year, I want to take a moment to reflect on some of Medworks’ highlights from 2023. While I am very excited about what is in store for this year, the accomplishments of last year have laid a strong foundation for what is to come.

Highlights

I am happy to say that the greatest challenges of 2023 were centered around supporting tremendous growth without compromising excellence in service. This goal could not have been accomplished without the committed, driven, and highly competent individuals that comprise the Medworks team. These attributes describe well those who daily make the room better. Because of their efforts, Medworks achieved another record year, once again experiencing double-digit growth.

Strengthening our support structure was a key focus in 2023. We accomplished this by hiring a Vice President of Operations (Julie Amos), a Surgical Scheduling Lead (Shannon Brown), a Human Resources Manager (TBA), a Maintenance Technician (Ronnie Reams), a Clinical Educator (Wendi Straub), a Surgical Technologist (TBA) and six Service Representatives (Briana Gregory, Erik Justice, Zach Paxton, John Hudson). Additionally, we restructured our leadership team, promoting Adrianne Shelton to Chief Operating Office and Will Reynolds to Vice President of Business Development.

Our Third Assist® program, introduced in 2022, has proven to be successful with healthy growth evidenced in 2023. This product allows us to assist our clients in cases where our equipment rental option may not be needed, but logistical room support, or operating facility-owned equipment may be required.

2023 also saw the birth of Scrub Assist™, a new option that provides clients with a qualified urology scrub technician on a per-procedure request.

2024

This year we are planning to build on the foundations that are now in place, continuing to improve processes that support our clients. In addition to Virginia and Montana where we serve numerous facilities, we are planning for more growth in North Carolina and Washington State.

We will continue to recruit, hire, and train talented people with a passion for improving support in surgical procedures. We are currently looking for outstanding individuals in all areas where we serve.

Outreach

At Medworks, we strongly believe in the importance of corporate responsibility and giving back to the community. One of the ways we fulfill this commitment is through our outreach efforts. We understand that there are vulnerable populations in need of support, and one segment that holds a special place in our hearts is that of foster children.

We recognize the challenges faced by foster children, especially as they transition into adulthood and face the daunting prospect of aging out of the system. This critical phase often leaves them without stable support structures or resources to navigate their way into independence.

To address this issue, Medworks has made it a priority to actively support foster programs. Our Director of Outreach, Donna Shires, plays an instrumental role in connecting with multiple organizations, both governmental and private, that work tirelessly to improve the lives of these young individuals.

By partnering with these organizations and lending our support, we aim to make a positive impact on the lives of foster children as they journey into adult life. We firmly believe that by providing them with essential resources, guidance, and opportunities for personal growth, we can help them overcome obstacles and achieve their full potential.

Medworks also offers our team members an opportunity to give back through our “Make the Community Better” program. This provides them with five days of PTO to participate in a charitable endeavor of their choosing.

Thank you

Finally, we are grateful to our clients, the healthcare professionals who compassionately care for patients each and every day. Your work is vitally important and we at Medworks are honored to be able to play a small part in it.

Likewise, we appreciate our manufacturers and suppliers that continue to produce world-class products to help us serve our clients.

I thank every Medworks team member for their dedication to our mission and I look forward to a productive and exciting 2024.

Darrell Shires

President, Medworks, Inc.

Scrub Assist - A New Standard of Efficiency in Urology Procedures

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 17:44:46 GMT

Now delivering Concierge Service with a Certified Scrub Tech specifically trained in urology.

Introducing Scrub Assist, the game-changing solution for urologists seeking a seamless and efficient operating room experience. With Scrub Assist, you can say goodbye to unnecessary intraoperative delays and hello to a certified scrub technician who is specifically trained in urology procedures.

At Medworks, we believe in going above and beyond to deliver a concierge level of service to our valued urologists. Our highly skilled scrub technicians are meticulously trained the Medworks way, ensuring they possess the expertise and knowledge needed to support your surgical procedures with precision and efficiency.

But that’s not all - we know that success in the operating room extends beyond just having skilled personnel. That’s why we offer Third Assist logistics support, providing non-sterile assistance that complements our Scrub Assist service. From equipment management to supply coordination, our logistics support team ensures that everything runs smoothly behind the scenes so you can focus on what you do best - delivering exceptional care to your patients.

With Scrub Assist and Third Assist by your side, you’ll experience firsthand The Medworks Difference. Our commitment to excellence means fewer intraoperative delays, streamlined workflows, and an unparalleled level of support throughout every step of your procedures. Don’t settle for less when it comes to your surgical team. Scrub Assist is available now, ready to revolutionize your operating room experience.

Medworks Surgical Assist Program

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 17:11:43 GMT

Wendi Straub, Medworks Clinical Educator, explains the role of a Surgical Technologist within our Scrub Assist Program.

In this article, Wendi Straub, Medworks Clinical Educator, explains the scope of our Scrub Assist Program. Not only is Wendi a qualified Medworks Service Representative, but she is also a Certified Surgical Technologist and Trainer. Read more as she breaks down the role of a surgical technologist.

The Medworks terminology, surgical assist, is also known as surgical technologist. This means that an operating room department practitioner/professional is working as part of a surgical team delivering care to patients.

What is within the scope of practice for a surgical technologist?

It involves duties to prepare operating rooms, help with patient preparation for surgery, as well as having knowledge of cases to assist surgeons during and after surgery.

What training is involved?

Requirements include 18 to 22 months of classroom instruction along with an internship in an operating room setting. This training culminates with a certification exam. In order to practice in the state of Virginia one is required to be credentialed with a certification, as well as obtaining licensure through the Virginia Board of Medicine.

Scrub assist is an asset to Medworks because it brings us one step closer to making the room better. The possession of knowledge of the procedures performed, including the items needed, proves to be priceless. It helps to serve the surgeon more efficiently and is more cost effective due to not waiting for surgical items, minimizing delays in surgery. Our program serves as a benefit to the surgeon and staff simply because we have a driven focus on urology, working closely with physicians to learn their preferences. Our knowledge and ability to go above and beyond in our practices make this role invaluable as it dovetails with the other services we provide.

In conclusion, all members of the surgical team have a specific role and being a surgical technologist goes beyond standing at a table passing instruments to the surgeon. They are relied upon to bring knowledge and expertise in technique to the case, often serving as a partner to the surgeon. Reliability and professionalism are crucial to the success of every procedure attended.

Where in the World is Will Reynolds?

Tue, 28 Nov 2023 16:54:45 GMT

In November, Will Reynolds, Medworks VP of Business Development, traveled to Belize to work on a five-day mission project.

It’s no secret that Medworks VP of Business Development, Will Reynolds, has a love of travel. Likewise, he has a deep interest in outreach work. So when his desires for travel and outreach converge, you never know where on the globe he might land.

This story finds Will back in Belize at the start of November, this time on a five-day mission working with a group of likeminded people who teamed up to paint and repair a building that had been left unfinished back in 2016. The building is used as a regional Bible school for pastors and a hub for the surrounding communities to gather and learn. This phase of the project was sponsored by West End Assembly of God in Richmond, VA, and Will reports that it was a rewarding time not only because of successfully completing the required work, but also in building relationships, working alongside team members who were there for the first time.

The localities in the region are oftentimes isolated mining communities making travel between them a true challenge. Common modes of transportation include walking, riding mopeds, or using busses to visit neighboring villages or attend events. Having this educational facility available to the region helps elevate connectivity, providing a common ground and point of connection. There is already talk about the next trip designed for the purpose of completing an outdoor kitchen on the grounds. Thank you, Will, for your commitment to “Making the Community (and the world) Better!

Football, Family, Food, and Outreach

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 16:22:27 GMT

During high school football season, Medworks' VP of Operations, Julie Amos, heads to New Kent to support her favorite coach!

By this particular autumn afternoon on Friday, October 6th, the 2023 high school football season was well underway. It was game day and the New Kent Trojans were ready to go to work against Smithfield High. It was that same afternoon, when Medworks VP of Operations, Julie Amos, was leaving work to head to the field where her son, Vince Farulli, would be coaching the team. Vince is the Defensive Coordinator and Julie is his biggest fan. You see, in support of her son and the team, Julie takes time to volunteer for the high school, bringing dinner to the team once a month during the season. She is their best cheerleader and is passionate about this outreach, being present for the team and her son. The idea was a natural flow of all those years being mom to an athletic child, always at the games, supporting with her presence, snacks, and meals! Dovetailing it with Medworks' "Make the Community Better" program, Julie was able to do just that! What a fun way to show support for the school as well as the community. Extending the sense of family, Julie's dad is a huge Vince supporter, getting to the field whenever possible.

So, did they win? Well, no, but they took it into overtime! Go Trojans!

Medworks Monthy Office Staff Luncheon

Tue, 31 Oct 2023 14:10:21 GMT

It's lively conversation and delicious food for the Medworks office staff every second Friday of the month. Bon appétit!

At the Medworks headquarters in Richmond, VA, most days are filled from morning to evening with busy team members focused on their work. But then there comes the second Friday of every month when all of the office staff converge in the conference room for lively conversation and delicious food! As you can imagine, there's tons of laughter, but also personal stories, advice shared, and fun conversations about work that wouldn't otherwise be had. Over the months, we have been graced with a "tour" of global cuisines covering Thai, Indian, Mexican, Greek, Southwest, Italian, American, and more. There's talk of upcoming delectables from the cuisines of Ethiopia and Jamaica. It's always fun to have a relaxed time with our coworkers. What a fabulous bunch! And hey, if anyone else happens to be in the building, they are welcome to join us at the table. Overall, it's just a great time being together. We look forward to it every month. Regarding our October luncheon, Susan Cochran, Medworks' Inventory Specialist, had this to say:

"Again, please know how grateful I am for our monthly office lunches. This time together is priceless. I heard the words “team, togetherness and fellowship” all mentioned to describe the experience. Getting to know each of you during a meal is like no other times we have in the office. Our conversations never disappoint! Medworks providing all the delicious meals we have eaten is another great benefit. Thank you to Rachael (Jarrells) for planning and ordering. You are appreciated!"

Thank you, Susan. You speak for us all!

Medworks Growth Update

Fri, 06 Oct 2023 15:30:48 GMT

New structural reinforcements will provide a better foundation to support our expanding customer base and ensure operational excellence.

by Darrell Shires

In past newsletters we have mentioned the rapid growth phase Medworks is currently experiencing. This month's newsletter gives us the opportunity to update you on measures that are taking place in the background designed to support our expanding footprint. As Medworks continues this growth, it has become essential to reinforce the structure of our operations. These changes will provide us with a better foundation to support our expanding customer base and ensure operational excellence.

In line with this objective, we are pleased to announce the promotion of Adrianne Shelton to the position of Chief Operating Officer (COO). Adrianne has consistently demonstrated exceptional leadership skills and a deep understanding of our business operations. Her promotion will enable us to leverage her expertise and efficiency in implementing strategic initiatives.

Additionally, we have recently recruited Julie Amos as our new vice president of operations. Julie brings a wealth of experience in streamlining processes and optimizing performance within high growth organizations. With her guidance, we are confident that we will further enhance our operational capabilities.

This restructuring not only strengthens our leadership team but also opens up new opportunities for other key individuals within the organization. As we continue to grow, we are committed to recognizing and leveraging the talents of our team members by moving them into more effective roles where they can contribute their expertise and drive further success.

We believe that by reinforcing our structure and providing opportunities for growth, we are positioning ourselves for continued success in meeting the evolving needs of our customers while maintaining excellence within our operations.

Foster Parent Night Out

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 19:52:39 GMT

Last month, Medworks learned of a community need through the Hanover Foster Care Network.

Recently, Medworks was made aware of a community need through the Hanover Foster Care Network.* Becoming aware of needs presents us with opportunities, and we believe it's always good news when we are able to help others and make the community better!

Because of the quick turnaround and timing of this event, we called this outreach effort a "Flash Drive," and Medworks team members rose to the occasion by successfully collecting gift cards and monetary donations in support Foster Parent Night Out.*

So, what is Foster Parent Night Out? FPNO is an event designed to give foster parents a much-needed break (and a dinner date!) while their fosters are cared for in a safe and fun-filled environment. September's event included activities for all ages and was held in a local area church space. The gift cards were given out primarily to teens as encouragements and prizes for participation in fun challenges, games, and activities. The monetary donations were used to help defray costs of materials (craft supplies and games) as well as acquiring dinner gift cards for the foster parents. Dinner for the foster children was donated by a local area business. This event was entirely funded by donations and manned by a volunteer staff. It takes a lot of planning, preparation, and manpower to successfully coordinate an event of this nature. Well done to all involved!

*Hanover Foster Care Network is a network of churches, nonprofits, businesses and individuals who are committed to addressing the foster care crisis in Hanover County, VA.

*FPNOs are conducted in various counties to help support the work of area local Departments of Social Services.

A Unique Disposable Ureteroscope from Richard Wolf

Thu, 05 Oct 2023 19:41:14 GMT

This cutting-edge device offers the perfect blend of a semi-rigid scope feel and flexible capabilities.

Medworks is now offering a revolutionary disposable ureteroscope that combines the best of both worlds. Introducing the DURS. Developed by Richard Wolf Medical Instruments, this cutting-edge device offers the perfect blend of a semi-rigid scope feel and flexible capabilities, ensuring efficient and effective treatment.

One of the standout features of the DURS is its ergonomic design, providing comfort and ease of use for the urologist. The device boasts an excellent image quality, allowing for clear visualization during procedures. This allows for accurate diagnosis and precise treatment.

Equipped with three channels, including an instrument channel, laser fiber channel, and back flush channel, the DURS offers versatility for various urological procedures. Whether it's stone removal or diagnostic treatment, this innovative tool provides all the necessary functionalities to streamline the process.

With the DURS, users have flexibility in their positioning as they can choose to sit or stand during procedures. This adaptability ensures maximum comfort during lengthy treatments while maintaining optimal control.

Richard Wolf’s DURS represents a significant advancement in urological technology. By combining a semi-rigid scope feel with flexible capabilities and incorporating ergonomic design elements, this disposable ureteroscope ensures efficient treatment while prioritizing user comfort and patient safety. Experience the best of both worlds with the DURS.

To read more about the DURS equipment, click the link to Richard Wolf's cite: RIWO D-URS

North Carolina Progress

Thu, 31 Aug 2023 20:19:01 GMT

Medworks is now offering all of its services to facilities across the state of North Carolina. Here's a progress report!

North Carolina Progress

by Darrell Shires

As you may know, Medworks is now offering all of its services to hospitals, surgery centers, and surgeons across the state of North Carolina. It is with excitement that I share the progress we have made so far in this new venture. The process of implementing a strong support system in the state is well under way. This support structure is imperative for ensuring that our services and offerings match the same level of excellence we provide in Virginia, Washington, Montana, and all other areas with existing coverage. Already we are witnessing a significant increase in traction and use of our technologies.

One of our flagship offerings is the ProTouch. This 100-watt, 1470-wavelength laser is specifically designed for prostate enucleation. With excellent hemostatic capabilities, coupled with the Richard Wolf Piranha morcellator and instrumentation, it provides an amazing set of tools for the enucleation procedure. Several surgeons in the area are now using this combination. But, not to worry. If you have been trained using high-powered holmium for this procedure, we have you covered. Providing a variety of holmium lasers, Medworks is ready to accommodate your specific needs.

Additionally, we are seeing increased usage of our Optica Thulium Fiber laser, which is excellent for dusting stones, as well as the LiteTouch 1470 laser for treating tumors in the urinary system. Finally, we are offering room support, including scrub techs, on a per-procedure basis through our Third Assist and Scrub Assist programs.

As we move forward, Medworks remains dedicated to pushing boundaries and setting new standards. We are excited about what lies ahead as more surgeons embrace our technologies and experience our expertise firsthand. If you would like to learn more, please visit our website at www.medworkssurgical.com.

Making the World Better

Fri, 04 Aug 2023 14:14:03 GMT

In mid-July, father and son duo, Will and Rowen Reynolds, traveled the globe to work and play in Ahmedabad, India.

It is not uncommon for Will Reynolds to spend time traveling across the county performing his duties as Medworks Director of Sales. While his home base is in Richmond, VA, he is often found in our western US territories, especially Montana. But in mid-July, Will took a leap across the globe that led him to Ahmedabad, India*. He and his son, Rowen, launched out on a unique trip that gave them a great opportunity to spend quality one on one time together as well as lend a hand toward making improvements to the soccer grounds there.

Rowen, who is 14 years old, is a superb soccer player with a heart to help. He and his dad learned of this opportunity through his local team, FC Richmond. Will then approached Medworks about this outreach being a candidate for the "Making the Community Better" project. With a resounding YES from leadership, Will and Rowen began preparing for their journey to immerse themselves in a new culture while partnering in a project of shared interest. Among other tasks, Rowen and his dad cleaned up the soccer grounds, primed and painted picnic tables, helped coach U7 and U8 soccer teams, and provided encouragement to the American team living there in-residence. It was not all work though. Rowen had the unforgettable experience of playing in a tournament with the U-14 team!

It's interesting to note that this father and son duo enjoyed the fun of exploring Indian culture together, especially in a place where foreigners are uncommon. As it turns out, this trip was not only a unique opportunity for the Reynolds guys, but apparently for those they were visiting as well. As a result, Rowen was the subject of many photos, often unsolicited! It seems that everyone wanted a pic of this young American in India!

Thanks, Will and Rowen, for "Making the World Better!"

*Ahmedabad, in western India, is the largest city in the state of Gujarat. The Sabarmati River runs through its center. On the western bank is the Gandhi Ashram at Sabarmati, which displays the spiritual leader's living quarters and artifacts. (Source: Google Maps)

The Long Commute

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 18:46:42 GMT

Medworks is rapidly growing its presence on the west coast. Learn how we're "going the distance" to meet the growth with GRIT!

Medworks is quickly growing its presence on the west coast. That equates to more scheduled cases in more facilities with an increase in day-to-day involvement. This uptick in activity means that Medworks GRIT (Growth, Readiness, Integrity, and Team) is increasingly making its appearance in a big way!

Toward the end of May, Medworks saw a jump in growth that sounded the call for GRIT. That call was enthusiastically answered by two of our team members! Ready to make the long commute from East Coast to West were Alexis Gregory and Brittney Popelier. Alexis is Medworks Service Rep in the Tidewater region of VA. She answered the call to "commute" to Bozeman MT, covering our account at Bozeman Health. About her adventure, Alexis commented, "This trip was so much more than a work trip for me!"

Brittney Popelier, Sales Rep in Northern VA took the lead in going the distance to Seattle WA to cover cases at Seattle Children's Hospital. From her vantage point, Brittney had this to say, "Seattle was beautiful! I’m extremely grateful to Medworks to be entrusted to handle a case outside of my own territory and represent us in Medworks fashion." This degree of readiness allows Medworks to bring a high level of integrity to its customers. Our customers can count on us because we can count on our people.

At the time of this writing, new reps are being trained to dispatch GRIT throughout our western territory. Growing our business with integrity is one of the key characteristics of The Medworks Difference! ...Making the Room Better!

Working with Meaning and Purpose

Thu, 06 Jul 2023 16:38:56 GMT

While widespread employee shortages are evident in many industries, Darrell Shires shares thoughts and a theory on the issue!

Since the COVID-19 pandemic of 2020, widespread accounts of employee shortages have been, and continue to be, reported in nearly every industry. As consumers, we daily feel the impact of the perplexing issue of chronic understaffing. In many businesses such as restaurants and stores of all kinds, you can see and experience its effects in the form of long waits, poor service, and often, stressed-out employees. Some establishments even post notices on their doors about their inability to provide the level of service normally expected.

Recently, I was in a conversation about Medworks and I proudly stated, “This is the best team we have ever had.” The reply to that was, “Why do you think that’s the case at a time when finding good employees is so difficult?” It is a great question and while I do not have all the answers, I do have a theory. Many people are drawn to work that has purpose and meaning; a place where they can learn, grow, and contribute to something important. The work we do at Medworks includes all of that. And while our role in the operating room is not focused explicitly on the patient, our purpose is aimed at providing a high level of support to the surgeon and other healthcare professionals. By our logistical management of elements such as deep knowledge of equipment, instruments, disposables, and procedures, the OR staff can concentrate more of its focus on the direct care of the patient. At the end of the day, our collective work is all about better outcomes for the patient.

The team members at Medworks believe in what they do every day. It shows in their commitment, attitude, and desire to grow in mastery of their work. I don’t know how this is achieved in other industries, but I believe purpose and meaning can be found in any line of work if the ultimate focus is on contributing to something greater than oneself.

Because of our rapid growth, we are constantly recruiting individuals that desire purpose and meaning in work; future team members who can commit to our core values of GRIT - Growth, Readiness, Integrity, and Team.

Taking Outreach to the Schools!

Thu, 01 Jun 2023 16:04:50 GMT

Treysi Knox, Medworks' Customer Care Coordinator, stepped up to serve the schools where her children attend. Here she shares the story of her experience.

Each year, Medworks offers its team members five days of PTO for the purpose of providing outreach to the community in both local and global settings. We call this effort "Making the Community Better, Making the World Better." Recently, Treysi Knox, Medworks' Customer Care Coordinator, stepped up to serve the schools where her children attend. Here she shares the story of her experience.

This year during my "Making the Community Better" outreach, I volunteered in my son and daughter's classrooms. The larger portion of my focus time was spent on daughter Tatum's 4th grade class at John B. Cary Elementary. They had abruptly lost their beloved teacher in the middle of the year! The school's administration needed a few weeks to find a long-term replacement so in the meantime, many of us parents stepped in to volunteer. We helped with daily classroom tasks as well as assisting on field trips. This gave me an opportunity to not only lend a hand with the daily run of the classroom but also to go to Jamestown with my daughter's class. Many of these 4th graders began their school careers together back in Kindergarten, so I had met a good number of them throughout the years. It was so fun to see how much they had grown and a true joy to spend time with them outside of the classroom. As well, I had a chance to help with Field Day both at Blackwell Preschool for my son, Maddox, and again at John B. Cary with Tatum. Maddox's school had lost a principal and was experiencing serious understaffing issues. So even though the extenuating circumstances were difficult, I was able to reap the benefit of enjoying a special opportunity to hang with the little PreK children and have a fun day of play!

Being a Success Foundation Mentor

Thu, 04 May 2023 18:06:46 GMT

Our Project Specialist, Rachael Jarrells, writes about mentoring young adults who have aged out of the foster care system.

According to the Virginia Department of Social Services (VDSS), twenty percent (20%) of the teenagers aged out of Virginia’s foster care system are at greater risk of homelessness, unemployment, and incarceration. This statistic grows in numbers because once these youths reach the age of 18, they no longer have the support of the foster care system. Many are left to figure out life by themselves. I don’t know about you, but when I was 18, I can tell you that I had no idea how to live fully independently and survive – and these young adults have no choice! Many nonprofit organizations have been established to help make a better start to these young adults’ lives. Fostering Acadia is one of the many independent living arrangements to aid 18 to 20-year-olds in learning how to survive autonomously and to help them reach both their education and career goals. These types of programs are extremely helpful but overloaded because many of these young people still need to learn about and develop their own career, financial, and life goals. The Success Foundation (TSF) is another nonprofit organization partnered with Fostering Acadia to mentor and prepare a select group of young adults, who have shown they are ready to take the next positive step for their future, to develop these much-needed independent goals.

Volunteering with TSF has been both a wonderful and educational experience. Working alongside one of the young adults, I have learned many unexpected things. For instance, when it comes to hard and soft skills within the workplace, those skills typically come naturally since we witnessed them throughout our childhood. Unfortunately for these young adults, this is not the case. Many have yet to develop these skills because of a lack of demonstration when they were growing up. It is humbling to work alongside these individuals, teaching them skills that are typically second nature to us and will help them grow professionally. Another great experience from TSF is being present when the young adult is learning more about themselves: what they are passionate about, what skills and topics intrigue them, and areas in their life that they are great at completing but are not interested in the subject. Dwindling career paths of what they are truly captivated by, witnessing when they realize what they want to do as a profession, and working out the education behind the occupation, is immensely remarkable. Seeing them know that they have a purpose and can accomplish their goals is what being a mentor is all about.

If you are passionate about helping others become better versions of themselves, want to help change our rising generation for the better, and see a change in Virginia’s current process in the aging-out of its foster care system, I implore you to check out The Success Foundation’s website: successva.org . You will receive more information about TSF and how to volunteer to change people’s lives.

April Is National Volunteer Month!

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 17:35:49 GMT

Volunteering is quite rewarding for both the givers and the receivers. Medworks offers opportunities for all of our team members to give back through Making the Community Better.

What is the purpose of National Volunteer Month? National Volunteer Month recognizes the importance of volunteer work and its impact when people dedicate their skills and resources to a noble cause.

At Medworks, we have a saying that is often heard, “Make the Room Better!” That’s it, plain and simple. Truth is, that phrase is our mission statement and we apply it to every aspect of Medworks life. Yes, this applies to the OR…we always want to bring our best to the OR, making it better by the work we do and leaving it better than we found it because of that same work.

So what does “work” have to do with volunteering? Medworks encourages the giving of time, talents, and essentials, all within the confines of the “work” experience. The way we accomplish this is by offering each of our team members the opportunity to take five PTO days annually and spend that time making the community better. This has been done in a variety of ways throughout the years. Here are a few examples:

Delivering food to homebound folks through Meals on Wheels (Feed More)
Collecting items for members of our community who are without shelter
Traveling to third world countries on medical missions
Helping set up websites and photo directories for churches
Giving rides to people who lack transportation to necessary medical appointments
Preparing meals for inbound folks through Feed More
Mentoring youth in the foster “age out” population
Collecting comfort care items to be distributed among children in foster group-homes
Assisting with organic farming tasks for food distribution
Volunteering at a local Boys and Girls Club of America
Educating high school students about medical sales and service as a career path

Volunteering is a rewarding endeavor. Oftentimes it’s hard to know who benefits more, the givers or the receivers! Nevertheless, it is a joy to give. By making the ROOM better, we truly make the COMMUNITY better and ultimately make the WORLD a better place. We applaud those of you who devote time to volunteering, and we encourage everyone to participate in some way. Every small effort can make a big difference!

Montana, Museums, and Mermaids

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 16:04:24 GMT

In March '23, Medworks' Service Rep, Greta Holm traveled from Virginia to Montana to cover cases. Read about her adventures out West.

Day 1: Giant Springs State Park and Benton Lake NWR

My trip began with a visit to Giant Springs State Park, located in Great Falls. As I drove along the Missouri River, I spotted the Black Eagle Falls and Dam, one of the town’s namesake attractions, and stopped to capture some photos. Visiting this site was the perfect way to start my journey, as I would soon learn of its historical significance to Great Falls.

Giant Springs is one of the largest freshwater springs in the United States. I greatly enjoyed walking through the park along the Missouri River in the fresh Montana air. One of the features of this park which I found to be most fascinating was that it serves as the junction between the country’s shortest river, the Roe River, and its longest river, the Missouri.

I decided that seeing a sunset at the Benton Lake National Wildlife Refuge would be the perfect way to end my first day in Montana. From the Information Center I was able to see the vast extent of the plains, and I observed a beautiful sunset.

Day 2: Great Falls Hospital, C.M. Russell Museum, Sip n’ Dip Lounge

The staff at Great Falls Hospital were very nice and thankful that I was there. The surgery was successful and there were no problems. During the case, Dr. Fukuda and I discussed Montana and Virginia history. It turns out Dr. Fukuda participated in the Gettysburg 150th Pickett’s Charge Civil War Reenactment! The reenactment can be watched here: Gettysburg 150th - Pickett's Charge (Civil War Reenactment)

Dr. Fukuda suggested I explore the C.M. Russell Museum before my departure, and it was well worth the visit. Charles Marion Russell was an artist and Native American rights advocate who resided in Montana from 1882 until his death in 1926. He is known as the “cowboy artist” and is somewhat of a folk hero to the residents of Great Falls. His original home and art studio remain behind the museum and are open to the public.

Russell’s paintings gave me a glimpse into the American Old West. I spent so long admiring his work that I was only able to see half the museum! I look forward to seeing the other half the next time I am in Great Falls.

I ended my second day in Great Falls with dinner at the famous Sip n’ Dip Lounge where one can view mermaids swimming behind the bar. Interacting with the mermaids was a lot of fun. One even played “rock, paper, scissors” with me!

Day 3: Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center

My final destination before my flight home was the Lewis & Clark Interpretive Center. It being a Tuesday morning, I fortunately had the museum to myself. I was given a personal tour from a nice, knowledgeable man named Russ. Russ was in his 90’s, and had lived in Montana his entire life. He told me he could still remember seeing native Americans in traditional clothing fishing with spears in the Missouri River!

I had enough time to watch two films about the last leg of the L ewis and Clark expedition, and made it through the entire museum. The exhibits were arranged chronologically from the time the explorers landed in Great Falls, to their arrival at the Pacific Ocean. When Lewis and Clark arrived in Great Falls, they expected that they would need to traverse one waterfall, but were confronted with five! This meant that they had to drag their canoes over the plains surrounding the Missouri River, an excursion that took over two weeks. I was surprised to learn about how often the exhibition was nearly terminated, only to be saved by sheer luck. For example, if Lewis and Clark had not convinced the Shoshone to give them horses, they never would have been able to cross the Rockies. The Shoshone chief just so happened to be Sacagawea’s brother, so their request was granted.

In conclusion, my visit to Montana was both educating and rejuvenating. I look forward to representing Medworks out west sometime in the near future!

THIRD ASSIST - A Solution For OR Staffing

Wed, 05 Apr 2023 15:14:45 GMT

Medwork's offers a unique OR staffing solution specifically for urologic, ENT, and gynecologic surgery.

At a time when demands on health care services are rising, the medical industry finds itself challenged with the pressing issue of surgical staffing shortages. With the reduction of the number of healthcare professionals in the workforce, it has become increasingly more difficult to fill necessary positions with qualified personnel. Simply put, there are more jobs than there are available skilled professionals, creating a shift in hiring practices that entails new ways of thinking regarding staffing the OR. One of these alternative hiring solutions involves outsourcing. This multifaceted solution is being utilized in many healthcare organizations. Two big advantages of outsourcing for OR teams include:

Providing access to qualified personnel with specialized skill sets.
Helping reduce facility costs associated with recruiting and training new employees.

The Third Assist™️ program is a novel staffing solution offered by Medworks specifically for urologic, ENT, and gynecologic surgery. Reps are expertly trained and understand the flow of procedures, surgeon’s preferences, and can troubleshoot many equipment and instrument issues when they arise. Minimizing intraoperative delays is a Medworks priority. Our reps work with OR staff members to ensure that all needed disposables and instruments are in the room and ready to go. This allows surgeons and nurses fewer disruptions resulting in a greater focus on the patient. In addition, Medworks also offers an array of lasers and equipment that can be brought in on a case-by-case basis. To get started:

Schedule an evaluation with us by emailing info@medworkssurgical.com or calling (888)863-3967 option 2
Let us help you build a custom plan. Whether you are a teaching hospital or a surgery center, we can find a fit for your endoscopic surgical team. We offer Third Assist™️ on an hourly, block time, or per-procedure basis to meet the needs of your caseload. During the planning stage, we work directly with you to determine how to best serve you and your staff.
Experience the Medworks Difference!

Outreach with Boys and Girls Clubs of America

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 17:54:15 GMT

In January 2023, Medworks team member, Alexis Gregory, volunteered at a local Boys and Girls Club of America. Here is her story.

January 2023, I had the opportunity to assist with a local volunteer at the Boys and Girls Club of America.

The Task: Collect Hygiene products for our local youths and educate them on the importance of good hygiene.

Behind the scenes: We had four car groups of two pick up donations from friends, family, businesses and more. We then put together shower caddies filled with tooth paste, tooth brushes, mouthwash, shower gel, deodorant, bath bombs, expanding wash cloths, and so much more!

Facing the Youths: At the Boys and Girls Club we were greeted with big beautiful smiles by children the ages of 7-12. Ms. Tree, as they called her, then explain the use of the products in their very own shower caddies. The children of course thought this was funny, laughing at our demonstration of how to apply deodorant and how much toothpaste to use.

End of the day: By the end of the day all of our local volunteers debriefed by exchanging stories of the different personalities we encountered. The highlight and most fulfilling moment of our day was hearing the children yelling and singing “thank you” to us at the end.

Appreciation: I personally have great gratitude for the opportunity Medworks allows to make the community better.

Thank you, Alexis, for volunteering for a great cause!

Medworks is proud to support our team members to go and Make the Community Better.

For more information on Boys and Girls Clubs of America and how to volunteer, please visit their website: https://www.bgca.org/get-involved/volunteer

Best Laser Option for Your Situation

Thu, 02 Mar 2023 17:53:36 GMT

Finding the right stone laser for your needs can be a difficult task.

With so many different models on the market, it's hard to know which one is best suited for your situation. This short article will discuss the advantages and disadvantages of using a 30-watt holmium laser, a high-powered holmium laser, and a thulium fiber laser. We'll look at their features, pros and cons, and potential uses in order to help you decide which stone laser is right for you.

A 30-watt holmium laser is often all that is needed for a routine urinary tract stone. These lasers are generally smaller than their high-powered counterparts and have a smaller footprint. Many of these can be used in most any room with a 120V outlet. While they are not the best choice for serious stone dusters, they can dust or fragment adequately. One word of caution though, not all lower wattage lasers are created equal.

The high-powered holmium is generally better and faster than the 30-watt with stones that are larger or more dense . While they require a 240V outlet and can weigh over 600 pounds, they can be quite effective. Generally, a 60 watt laser has plenty of power for any stone, while the 100+ watt lasers are preferred for tissue procedures such as prostate enucleation.

More recently, the introduction of the Thulium Fiber Lasers (TFL) has caused a bit of a shakeup in stone surgery approaches. These lasers are generally small table-top models, have 60 watts of power, and can be used with a 120V outlet. They are excellent at dusting stones because of the very high frequency capabilities (up to 2500 hz).

Finally, any of these lasers will operate most effectively and efficiently when supported by a laser representative that is knowledgeable about the technologies, their strengths, and limitations. At Medworks, we offer all varieties of stone lasers to suit the needs and preferences of the surgeon. You choose the tool, and we will provide it along with the expertise you can always count on!

One Word for 2023

Wed, 18 Jan 2023 17:20:38 GMT

As an annual tradition, Medworks President, Darrell Shires, chooses one word for focus throughout the year.

It sounds cliché, but I am once again surprised at how quickly another year has passed. It feels as though I was just writing my “one-word” blog for 2022. The year seemed to fly by, with numerous events happening in my personal world, the Medworks world, and the actual world.

As an exercise intended for self-improvement, I choose one word each year that sets the tone for my personal growth. Daily life serves as the backdrop for this practice. It is an aspirational goal that establishes a point of focus to live by throughout the months ahead. This, of course, is not an original idea. There are plenty of blogs and articles about this topic. Last year, I chose the word “True.” The reason I chose that word was because I wanted to improve my ability to have straightforward conversations, giving helpful and honest feedback while remaining true to my values. If I were to grade myself on this, I would probably get a C+ (or maybe a B-…that sounds better!). Candidly speaking, it is genuinely hard for me to give difficult, but truthful feedback to people. But, at the same time, it is one of the most important and helpful things I can do as a leader of a growing company. I feel as if I am just breaking ground with “True,” so I intend to continue working on it as I enter this new year.

Heading into 2023, I gave a lot of thought to my choice, producing several good potential options.

Ultimately, there was one word that combined the essence of a couple of others, capturing an area that would allow me to continue working on “true” while adding new dimensions of meaning. I can’t take credit for the final word. As I was riffing several of these words to my wife, she, being good at word searching on Google (Googler?), found the word that I believe fits. So, for 2023 the word I have chosen is “Expectation.” This word is loaded with potential and possibility. The definitions of expectation from the Merriam-Webster dictionary include anticipation, expected (I expected this from you), and assurance (an expectation of success). I have keyed in on the meaning that aligns closely with accountability (expected), having an expectation of my own accountability and that of others.

Last year I tried to hold the intention of the word “true” in my mind, but because I did not give myself visual reminders, I at times, forgot my word! So, this year I am going to write it down and keep it in various and obvious places where I can’t ignore it. As well, I am going to set a weekly reminder of my word. That should prompt me to do a quick evaluation. Next year, I will update you on the effectiveness of these new tools.

Over the years, several people have shared that they have joined me in picking their own “word to live by.” I invite you to consider engaging in this exercise as well. If you do, I would love to hear from you and learn about your word and why you chose it.

Being mostly an optimist, I like the idea of anticipation as a meaning for my word. I have great expectations for an effective and productive 2023!

Medworks Annual Letter for 2023

Tue, 03 Jan 2023 18:27:54 GMT

In his annual letter, Medworks' President, Darrell Shires, wraps up 2022 and shines a beacon on the new year ahead.

2023

This year, as we continue our rapid growth, we will hire and train more field service representatives in our core markets as well as some new areas. Fostering a culture of excellence, we will continue to teach our 21 Steps to CCE as well as seek even more ways to minimize delays in surgery. Our purpose is to make the room better by providing the best possible logistical support for surgery, so healthcare professionals can focus on patients.

Through our “Make the Community Better” program, we are renewing our commitment to providing our team members with five days of PTO to participate in a charitable endeavor of their choosing.

Gratitude

Finally, we are grateful to our customers, the healthcare professionals that selflessly care for patients with compassion. Your work is vitally important, and we at Medworks are honored to be able to play a role alongside you.

We appreciate our manufacturers and suppliers that continue to produce world-class products to help us serve our customers.

I thank every Medworks team member for their dedication to our mission and I look forward to an exciting 2023.

Darrell Shires

President, Medworks, Inc.

Internships at Medworks

Tue, 22 Nov 2022 19:57:00 GMT

Internships are often a great starting point for gaining experience in the workforce. Here's a look at what Medworks offers.

It has been observed that many young adults who are aging out of the foster care system lack job training and experience. This oftentimes leads to difficulty in maintaining steady employment.

The Medworks Work/Life Lab is a paid internship program designed to give these young adults an opportunity to work in a job setting that allows for accountability-training on job-readiness and job-etiquette skills. Candidates are vetted by the Independent Living Arrangement in which the youth resides. After being considered for the program, the candidate applies for the position by presenting a resume, completing an in-person interview, and submitting to onboarding screening.

The program's duration is twelve weeks. During that time, the intern is guided by an internal mentor who uses a weekly rating system to evaluate performance in the categories of Attendance, Behavior, and Competency. Once an intern successfully completes the program, the potential opportunity exists for becoming a permanent employee of Medworks. If no position is available, the intern has the knowledge, equipping, and experience to enter into the workforce with confidence and greater potential for successful employment outcomes.

Medworks in Belize

Thu, 27 Oct 2022 14:25:17 GMT

In October, a crew from Medworks participated in a medical mission project with Global Surgical Expeditions.

It's a wrap...at least until next time! Early in October, a crew from Medworks headed down to Belize to participate in a mission project in association with Global Surgical Expedition.

Sales team members, Will Reynolds, Lindsey Tuck, and Danny Foxx made their way to Belize to transport medical equipment, build out a climate-controlled room to house temperature-sensitive instruments, re-crate and organize existing equipment that had previously been stored in cardboard boxes, and improve the storage area by building new shelving. While all of the work was not completed 100%, a large portion was accomplished...a work in progress!

Adding to the crew were two of Will's children, Rowen and Andi Kate. What a great opportunity for them to participate in mission work on a global scale at such an early age! Reflecting on the experience, Will had this to say,

"It was so rewarding to work alongside my Medworks teammates, connecting, relating, and giving in a totally different setting. Plus, having my kids on the crew gave me a unique window to introduce them to international mission work. Definitely a win!"

Making the room better...making the world better!

https://www.globalsurgicalexpedition.org/

Danny & the Van

Tue, 04 Oct 2022 17:28:48 GMT

Danny and the Medworks Van – The Journey from Coast to Coast

This is a travelogue (remember those?) of how our Customer Support Rep, Danny Foxx, traversed from the East Coast to the West, driving a Medworks van all the way across country. Danny serves Medworks in our Western Territory of northern Idaho, Montana, Washington State, and Alaska. He calls Coeur d'Alene, ID home, but as you can imagine, his job involves a lot of driving. Hauling lasers across these western states requires a specially equipped van, which is exactly what Danny flew out to Virginia to retrieve. Now the adventure begins!

Danny and the van left Virginia on Danny's birthday, Saturday, August 20th. Six hundred miles later, they arrived in Nashville, TN for some great music and food. Taking in

the sights of downtown Nashville led to a drive by of the beautiful Nissan Stadium, home of the Tennessee Titans.

The next day the journey continued as they made their way to St. Louis, MO. There, they visited both the Gateway Arch and the major league stadiums. Having lived in Texas, Danny was compelled to try some famous St. Louis BBQ. It did not disappoint!

By Monday, it was on to Rapid City, SD for some much-needed rest and recovery. But many miles and a surprise change of plans lay ahead for Danny and the van. After traveling to Bozeman, MT, and then on to Coeur d'Alene, ID (home base). Danny received a call to duty from Will Reynolds, the Director of Sales. Will had learned that Medworks' equipment was needed for upcoming surgeries in Seattle, WA, and Port Angeles, WA (very near the Canadian border) resulting in an unexpected eight-hour detour. Finally on Thursday, August 24th, the sun set on Danny's adventure as he made his way back home to Coeur d'Arlene.

During this adventure, Danny and the Medworks van traveled through 11 states, for a total of 3,546 miles in 56 hours. Well done, Danny!

Medworks' 2022 Summer Outreach

Tue, 23 Aug 2022 14:42:15 GMT

During the summer, Medworks participated in an outreach project designed to bring encouragement to teens in transitional housing.

While the summer months were winding down, Medworks participated in a collections project designed to bring comfort and encouragement to teens who are in transitional housing and group homes. In collaboration with Richmond’s Caring Clothes Closet, our project was called “A Comfort Collection for Teens.” Our team members donated 30 Plush Blankets, 84 Squishy/Stress toys, 50 Stuffed Animals, and 50 pillowcases in a variety of designs. The pillowcases will be used as “wrapping” for the gifts. Through Caring Clothes Closet, these items will be distributed to youth residing at UMFS ( United Methodist Family Services ).

About Caring Clothes Closet

The Caring Clothes Closet is a local all volunteer non-profit organization designed to address the immediate needs of people in the Richmond, Virginia Metro Area. CCC provides free clothing to families experiencing financial difficulties or crisis, allowing them to dress with dignity at no cost. With a heart to help people build a better quality of life that leads to security, independence, and peer acceptance by providing free, high-quality clothing in a supportive setting, their vision is this: Empowering people to live their lives with dignity and confidence.

In 2008 when Caring Clothes Closet’s founder Sara Fender was volunteering with the United Methodist Family Services (UMFS) Charterhouse School, she saw many children overwhelmed by the adjustments they had to make, whether entering foster care or starting a new school in the wake of a family crisis, such as domestic violence, fire, or other disaster. More often than not, the children arrived at the UMFS with little more than the clothes on their backs. Sara saw how gifts of clothing and other items helped these kids feel hopeful again. Since its founding, CCC has grown from its roots at UMFS to having over 55 partners who help collect or distribute clothing, care bags and other items to clients in the Richmond area.

We hope that by partnering with CCC, we can make those difficult transitions a little easier.

Please read more about The Caring Clothes Closet .

Strength of Team - Service

Mon, 01 Aug 2022 22:05:21 GMT

Aaron's Story

In July we discussed how multiple layers of teamwork impact the Medworks’ Administration Team. This month it is our pleasure to highlight the many ways our Service Team works collaboratively with other Medworks teams to achieve high-performance levels.

Aaron Kaye’s experience as a Medworks Certified Trainer and Service Representative provides insight to understanding the daily teamwork that is required.

Aaron states that “without teamwork, my job wouldn’t work.” Teamwork is a foundational component of the Service department. Our representatives must be in the right place with the right equipment at the right time. Supporting surgeons and facilities requires precise logistical communication followed by skillful readiness of the service team.

Aaron stresses the importance of the Administration Team in relation to Service. Several essential tasks are performed by Admin, including scheduling, confirming, and updating cases. As we experienced during the height of COVID, rapid case changes can be challenging, so Admin keeps the field informed of case changes through constant communication. Admin also facilitates the process of picking up and delivering repairs for customers as well as coordinating inventory issues. Furthermore, Admin assists reps in setting up and maintaining their credentials, essential for hospital access.

The dynamic between Sales and Service needs to be fluid. Service reps help gauge customer satisfaction along with providing feedback to Sales. During times of high-case volumes, sales reps assist by being an additional field service resource. “The constant communication and teamwork between the two departments are key to success!”

Aaron praises Medworks’ leadership for their teamwork; “Any time a service rep or a sales rep needs vital information, the Leadership Team is there to help provide those answers.”

As Aaron points out, Medworks reflects the image of solid teamwork! “Coming from a sports background where a team is everything, I would say from the top down, Medworks understands what it is to be a great team.”

The Strength of Team

Wed, 29 Jun 2022 15:40:22 GMT

Treysi’s Story

We often speak about GRIT when it comes to the Medworks Difference. GRIT represents our four core values: Growth, Readiness, Integrity, and Team. “Teamwork makes the dream work” as the overused phrase states, but that is exactly what happens in our company – the strength of our team powers the Medworks way.

The intriguing aspect of a team is that the action does not have to look the same for everyone. For a team to achieve a common goal, each member executes their own designated job in a coordinated fashion. For Medworks, the Sales, Services, and Administration departments all have separate responsibilities that must coordinate
with one focus: the Medworks Difference.

Treysi Knox, our Customer Care Coordinator, is part of our Administration department. Treysi is the wonderful personality you will meet when scheduling laser rental services with Medworks.

When asked how teamwork impacts her job, Treysi responds by saying that the checks and balances woven into the scheduling process undergird her accuracy and give her confidence. There is a great deal of communication between the Admin, Service, and Sales Teams when it comes to scheduling. Additionally, Treysi can call on fellow Admin Team members to help when needed. There are several members within the admin department who are trained to take calls and perform scheduling responsibilities, so when Treysi needs to be away from her desk, she can call on other team members to pitch in. Service and sales team members are available to clarify specifics such as case types, lasers and instrumentation requested, surgeon’s preferences, and other items pertaining to logistics and facilities. Treysi says. “It’s incredibly important that we are all in communication with each other about any changes that happen.”

To sum it up, Treysi asserts that through teamwork we uphold our core values. In her words, “We are a very tight team running a very tight ship.”

Global Surgical Expedition

Tue, 21 Jun 2022 14:37:00 GMT

Medworks' Director of Sales, Will Reynolds, is involved in a medical charity that supports urological surgical procedures in Belize.

Medworks Director of Sales, Will Reynolds, has a big heart for missions with a long history of being involved in outreach both locally and globally. Recently, Will went to Belize to assist in a medical charity centered around urological surgical procedures. He is partnering with Global Surgical Expedition whose mission is to deliver surgical care to those in need. GSE sends surgical teams to underserved nations around the world to deliver surgeries and change lives. They are currently positioned in Belize, Rwanda, and Botswana with discussions of expanding to other countries around the world.

Will's recent two-day trip to Belize found him sorting through and cleaning surgical equipment, assessing GSE's storage facility, and evaluating needs for improving and streamlining the surgical process. Currently, GSE uses local surgical facilities, but the need to bring in equipment and instrumentation requires coordination, better storage, as well as process structures. Will is working to streamline these areas to better equip the surgeons who will be offering their time and abilities to serving this population.

We are proud that Medworks can be a part of this endeavor and hope that future trips will involve additional Medworks team members. Read more about Global Surgical Expedition and the wonderful work they do: https://www.globalsurgicalexpedition.org/

Handling Repairs – The Medworks Way

Wed, 01 Jun 2022 17:20:17 GMT

At Medworks, we enjoy going above and beyond for the facilities we serve, and this is absolutely true when it comes to repairs!

Medworks’ inventory specialist, Susan Cochran, oversees the entire repair process for you, the customer, ensuring that all repairs and exchanges are handled professionally and efficiently. Referred to as “The Medworks Difference for Repairs,” our signature comprehensive support benefits you by saving time in managing the repair process, minimizing downtime, and eliminating third party repairs. As Susan says, “we’re doing everything for our customers so that they don’t have to!”

How do we do this?

First, facilities inform us of a needed repair by sending us the repair item number and serial number. We handle the rest! Upon receiving your PO, we initiate the return, customize the solution, and provide loaners when needed. We will pick up your repair as well as cover all packaging and shipping costs for returning the equipment to the manufacturer.

Can’t wait for the return?

No worries, we have you covered! According to Susan, "We will provide you with loaners if you need them." There is no rental fee for any loaner equipment.

Our whole team is here to help!

The hassle of requesting a Return Authorization, waiting for it to arrive, and then printing copies would take a considerable amount of time. You do not have to worry about tracking your shipment since there is no need for you to ship anything. When your equipment breaks down, you do not have to take it to a shipping point - it can stay there until it is picked up by one of our reps, reducing the potential for equipment loss. In addition, there is no worry about the rising cost of shipping since you do not have to return it to the manufacturer for repair.

So that's it! Handling repairs the Medworks way. Making the Room Better IS the Medworks Difference!

The Optica XT Thulium Fiber Laser Video

Wed, 27 Apr 2022 13:57:54 GMT

Introducing the new Optica XT Thulium Fiber Laser from Convergent Laser Technologies by Lead Engineer and CEO, Anh Hoang.

Is Your Rep Fully Charged?

Tue, 29 Mar 2022 14:50:29 GMT

We all know that little twinge of panic when we pick up our cell phones only to discover that the battery has a 0% charge! Ugh, that's definitely going to slow you down, cause some delays and put you on edge until you know you're back at full capacity.

As a health care professional, have you ever been in a case when you were not confident in your rep, feeling like their battery was low? At Medworks, we like to make the analogy regarding our reps that we come in fully charged, ready to work! We not only enter into the sacred space of your OR to operate surgical lasers, we're also ready to assist with OR setup, to troubleshoot surgical equipment, and to retrieve disposables for the circulator.

By being rigorously trained and consistently prepared, our reps have knowledge of the procedures along with surgeons' preferences on equipment. Providing an extra set of eyes and ears in the OR, we support multiple technologies and stay focused on every aspect of the case.

Medworks reps fulfill our vision of Making the Room Better.

That is The Medworks Difference!

Convergent's Optica XT Laser

Fri, 11 Mar 2022 19:41:19 GMT

Introducing the Optica XT laser from Convergent Laser Technologies

For the last several years there has been a fair amount of chatter and even a buzz about Thulium Fiber laser technology. The first laser of that type commercially available for medical use in the US was the Soltive laser distributed by Olympus. Until now, that has been the only option in the US. Today, I am excited to announce that Medworks has received the first Optica XT thulium fiber laser from Convergent Laser Technologies.

Convergent is best known for the ProTouch, a 1470nm laser that offers excellent hemostatic capabilities and is used primarily for the treatment of BPH (Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia). Medworks currently offers Convergent’s ProTouch, LiteTouch, and Odyssey lasers, and we are pleased to be adding the Optica XT to our fleet.

The Optica is a 1940nm wavelength laser that has the capabilities of effectively dusting and breaking stones as well as treating tissue with enough power to do prostate enucleations. All of this is in a box that weighs 95 pounds, can be placed on a tabletop, and uses a standard 110 VAC outlet.

The Optica XT has settings of up to 1kHz which will make it potentially one of the most effective stone dusting lasers available in the world. Because Convergent is primarily a medical laser manufacturer, they have incorporated pre-programmed settings that have been created with a meticulous emphasis on safety.

These settings are specifically tuned for the following:

• Treatment of stones in the bladder

• Treatment of stones in the Ureter

• Treatment of BPH

• Treatment of tumors

Soon, we will be scheduling demonstrations and evaluations with this new technology. If you are interested in seeing or trying the Optica XT, please contact your local Medworks representative.

Darrell Shires , President & CEO, Medworks, Inc.

Beer, Ireland, and Making the World Better

Tue, 01 Mar 2022 17:27:54 GMT

When I think of St. Patrick’s Day, my mind conjures up images of leprechauns, green shamrocks, possibly getting pinched for not wearing green… and beer. This blog is about beer. Well, not exactly just about beer. When I go down the thought trail of St. Patrick’s Day, and beer, I am led straight to Guinness, the most famous of Irish brews. And while a short blog on the tastiness of nitrogen injected stout beer sounds like fun, there is a deeper and more interesting story about the Guinness family and how they affected their country and the world. This brief article will not do justice to all the things the Guinness family did to positively impact the people of Ireland, but I would like to mention a few highlights for your consideration.

In 1759, Arthur Guinness founded the Guinness brewery in Dublin by signing a lease for the famous property at St. James Gate. This lease gave him property rights for 9,000 years!

Arthur Guinness founded the first Sunday schools in Ireland, fought against dueling, and chaired the board of a hospital for the poor.

One of the good things that Guinness beer did for the people of Ireland was to provide a refreshing drink that was low in alcohol compared to other alcoholic drinks.

A Guinness worker in the 1920’s enjoyed full medical and dental care, massage services, reading rooms, subsidized meals, a company-funded pension, subsidies for funeral expenses, educational benefits, sports facilities, free concerts, lectures, and entertainment, and a guaranteed two pints of Guinness beer each day.

A Guinness chief medical officer, Dr. John Lumsden, personally visited thousands of Dublin homes in 1900 and used what he learned to help the company fight disease, squalor, and ignorance. These efforts also let to the establishment of the Irish version of the Red Cross, for which Dr. Lumsden was knighted by King George V.

There are many other remarkable contributions the Guinness family made toward the betterment of Ireland and beyond. It inspires me to think that when businesses put their hearts and souls toward making a difference, great things can be accomplished.

If you are interested in knowing more about the Guinness story, I would suggest you read the book “The Search for God and Guinness” by Stephen Mans field.

Darrell Shires , President & CEO, Medworks, Inc.

The Medworks Difference - Scope of Business, Urology

Fri, 04 Feb 2022 16:47:05 GMT

There are many facets to The Medworks Difference, but one clear definer of that difference can be found by looking at our Urology Scope of Business .

The Medworks Difference for Urology offers these three unique qualities:

• 1. We are people-focused

• 2. We are the missing team member in the OR.

• 3. We increase efficiency by minimizing delays in surgery

How do we accomplish this?

Through our THIRD ASSIST™ program, Medworks gives your team the support you need to keep the case flow moving and equipment in working order.

Our experts assist the surgical team with:

• Room setup

• Equipment troubleshooting

• Case logistics tailored to the individual needs of our customers.

Medworks offers endoscopic equipment and an array of lasers on a

per-procedure basis.

OUR LASERS:

Convergent Laser Technologies

The ProTouch and LiteTouch are the Go-To tissue lasers for maximum hemostasis. Both are Diode lasers with 1470 nm wavelengths. With 100 watts of power, the ProTouch is ideal for prostate enucleation or vaporization while the LiteTouch is well suited to treat tumors because of its small caliber 200 micron laser fiber capabilities.

Convergent also offers the Odyssey 30 watt holmium laser which because of its high peak power can effectively and efficiently treat large and difficult stones.

The Optical is Convergent's thulium fiber laser. The Optica is a 1940nm wavelength laser capable of dusting stones at very high repetition rates and with enough power to perform prostate enucleations. All of this is in a 95-pound box.

Quanta Laser –

The Litho 60 watt high-powered holmium laser is ideal for larger, harder stones, and particularly for dusting stones while minimizing retropulsion (pushing the stone away).

Dornier –

The Dornier Medilas H100 is an excellent choice for surgeons that prefer to enucleate with holmium. This laser is effective for both tissue and stone procedures.

Laser Engineering –

Our long-arm 40 watt CO2 laser with fiber capabilities is used for condylomas and other open and laparoscopic procedures.

OUR EQUIPMENT

Richard Wolf –

Instruments

The Richard Wolf urology instruments are world-class quality products. From their steel and glass instrumentation to their highly technical digital scopes, unsurpassed German engineering is apparent. Optically superior and smooth, integrated instruments make these perhaps the best urology instruments in the world.

Video

To complement the finest optics, the 4K video systems offered by Richard Wolf are beautifully designed to work with their scopes and are ideal for urologic procedures.

Bard –

Endourology Disposables

Bard offers a full line of disposables for endourology procedures that are both high quality and cost-effective. This includes stents, wires, baskets, access sheaths, and balloon and mechanical dilators.

Kyra –

Patient Positioning

Kyra has taken patient positioning for urological procedures to a new level. Their precise and easy to use stirrups are durable and cost-effective.

Medworks is THE in-room logistics and equipment expert for your endoscopic surgical team. If you care about the efficiency of your OR, we MAKE THE ROOM BETTER, and you can count on it!

One Word for 2022

Tue, 18 Jan 2022 20:20:08 GMT

It is interesting to me that each time the earth makes another trip around the sun, we tend to reflect on our lives as if there is something magical about the restart of a new cycle.

I am, as much as anyone, affected by this phenomenon. I don’t make New Year’s resolutions anymore. I used to, but rarely kept them past January. Instead of resolutions, I have found a practice that I enjoy, and one that has been helpful in my daily life. Each January for the last few years I have chosen a word to try to live by throughout the year. This is not an original idea. I heard about it from my wife, Donna, and since then have read numerous articles on the subject. I simply choose a word each year that represents an area that I want (or more accurately, need) to focus on. I then keep that word close in my mind so I can be intentional about improving in that area of my life. In the past, I have chosen words such as “discipline” and “listen.” I actually chose the word “listen” two years in a row because, with all of the Covid distractions, I realized I had not given the word proper attention and focus

For 2022, I have chosen the word “true”. It’s a word that has different meanings, such as factual or accurate. But another area of meaning, which is more in line with my potential opportunity for growth includes the ideas of genuine, authentic, honest, trustworthy, and forthright. While I do try to be all these things, I find it sometimes difficult to have conversations where I need to give someone hard news. As a leader, I feel an obligation to help my team members grow in their respective jobs and roles. This sometimes requires correction, which is an area where I need to make improvements. It is my goal to become better at telling people what I believe they need to hear rather than what I think they want to hear. Of course, this is a two-way street. I will need to accept constructive advice so that I, too, will become better at my job and in life.

Now before you start thinking I am going to be looking for opportunities to criticize or come down on people, let me be clear that that is not at all what I am talking about. All of us, however, can benefit from people in our lives who genuinely care enough about our development to help us see what we can’t see. I know this requires great skill and courage, which brings me back to the reason “true” is my word for 2022.

If you want to join me in picking a word for yourself this year, please let me know what word you choose. Let’s encourage each other to become better versions of ourselves in 2022!

Darrell Shires , President & CEO, Medworks, Inc.

Access Sheath Use in Ureteroscopies

Tue, 16 Nov 2021 17:43:19 GMT

Access sheaths are often used in ureteroscopies where a scope may be introduced and removed multiple times during the procedure.

While there are a variety of sheaths and scopes available (see fig.3), it is generally accepted that smaller sizes of sheaths and scopes are preferable when possible. There are also choices to be made between standard fiber optic scopes, digital scopes, and disposable digital scopes. Standard fiber optic ureteroscopes are readily available in most hospitals. In recent times, however, digital ureteroscopes have become increasingly popular due to their superior optical qualities.

As of this writing, the smallest outer diameter access sheath available is the Cook Medical 9.5/11.5 fr., with the Richard Wolf Boa being the only high-definition digital scope on the market that can pass through it. The Boa has an 8.7 Fr diameter, 6.6 Fr distal tip, and a 3.6 Fr working channel. With clear optics and reduced dilation of the ureter, the Boa accomplishes a less invasive way of getting access to the kidney. The enhanced optics allows a surgeon to better focus on all intricacies of ureteroscopy. Although there are other ureteroscopes that accommodate the Cook 9.5/11.5 access sheath, those are not high-definition scopes.

To summarize, the Richard Wolf Boa offers a two-part advantage:

The Boa’s enhanced optics makes it a superior choice over any fiber optic ureteroscope.
While offering superior optics, the Boa is still capable of fitting through tight ureters and access sheaths.

If you are looking for a scope that can fit through the smallest access sheaths while not compromising image quality, look no further than the Richard Wolf Boa.

References

Sener et al. (2015, September). (PDF) can we provide low intrarenal pressures with good ... Retrieved October 18, 2021, from https://www.researchgate.net/publication/282044057_Can_We_Provide_Low_Intrarenal_Pressures_with_Good_Irrigation_Flow_by_Decreasing_the_Size_of_Ureteral_Access_Sheaths .

Medworks would like to thank David Rawls for this contribution to this article.

Medworks Out West: Family Road Trip

Mon, 11 Oct 2021 21:02:49 GMT

We can hardly believe a year has passed since Medworks began it's journey to expand out west.

Here is a behind-the-scenes look of the Reynolds' family road trip.

Prostate Enucleation: ProLEP versus HoLEP

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 19:56:17 GMT

Prostate Enucleation

ProLEP vs HoLEP

While the ProLEP (ProTouch Laser Enucleation of the Prostate) and the HoLEP (Holmium Laser Enucleation of the Prostate) procedures share similarities and a common purpose, there are a few differences that set them apart. The following article addresses some of the questions that arise when discussing Prostate Enucleation.

Dr. Charles Seabury of Virginia Urology pictured above.

What is prostate enucleation?

Prostate enucleation is a minimally invasive approach to treating Benign Prostatic Hyperplasia (BPH) by following the anatomical planes of the prostatic capsule to remove all adenoma, similar to a simple prostatectomy. 

What are the similarities between ProLEP and HoLEP?

Both methods involve using a laser to make incisions in the prostate to remove all adenoma while controlling bleeding. A morcellator is used to remove the tissue. 

What are the differences?

Some differences in technique are utilized due to the percussive nature of the pulsed holmium energy. Both procedures generally require a good amount of blunt dissection with the laser being used as a scalpel to separate the adenoma from the capsule, but the holmium blows the tissues apart whereas the ProTouch cleanly vaporizes the tissues and tethers while sealing vessels as it goes. 

Why choose one over the other?

Previous training on the enucleation procedure is a key factor in choosing either ProLEP or HoLEP. The holmium lasers are well documented and are the standard tool for prostate enucleations. However, using the ProTouch provides the surgeon with an additional benefit of being able to control larger vessels without having to switch to another instrument for hemostasis. Additionally, there is flexibility in being able to easily switch to a side firing fiber and simply vaporize the BPH tissues if desired. 

Why would ProLEP be a better choice for surgeons with less experience doing enucleation?

The added flexibility of using different fiber orientations and ability to better control hemostasis can act as a safety net for surgeons as they become more experienced with the procedure. Also, by allowing surgeons clear visibility in order to focus on their next moves, the ProLEP allows them to work with more confidence to perfect their techniques. 

We hope this article answers a few of the basic questions concerning the difference between ProLEP and HoLEP.

If you have any questions and would like to further discuss the procedure and instrumentation, please contact us at info@medworksksurgical.com to schedule a consultation.

We are defined by the Medworks Difference:

“Making it as easy as possible for you

to do business with us so you can do what you do best.”

The Benefits of One-On-Ones Video

Tue, 06 Jul 2021 16:03:41 GMT

Our President & CEO, Darrell Shires, discusses the importance of team member one-on-ones.

Watch as he describes how they can be maximized for best practices and productivity.

The Medworks Difference

Thu, 27 May 2021 16:46:59 GMT

This is how Medworks Makes the Room Better

At Medworks, we believe the operating room is a sacred space. When unexpected interruptions occur in surgery, they can impact OR efficiency, causing frustrations and added expense. To help minimize these occurrences, Medworks focuses on equipment and instrumentation, so surgical professionals can focus on patient care.

Forging the relationship between technology and the human experience allows us to provide the room with a person of expertise. Medworks supports the room with video, laser, instruments and disposables, fluid management, and patient positioning equipment. We reinforce all aspects of urological procedures. Assisting physicians and staff while providing a unique dynamic to patient care fulfills our mission to Make the Room Better .

Our Unique Approach

Our unique approach is The Medworks Difference . When Medworks is in the room, our techs not only operate surgical lasers, but they also:

Are able to assist with OR Room Setup
Are able to retrieve Disposables for the Circulator
Are able to Troubleshoot Surgical Devices
Have knowledge of Physician Equipment Preferences by Case Type
Have Procedural Knowledge
Have Knowledge of and Ability to Support Multiple Technologies in the OR
Provide Consistency of Service
Engage in Every Aspect of the Case

Medworks Laser Services provides the OR with an additional member to the surgical team. You don’t get that level of service anywhere else.

Medworks : Always striving to Make the Room Bette r!

The Benefits of One-on-Ones

Wed, 19 May 2021 17:39:11 GMT

It has become commonplace in corporate settings to conduct "one-on-one" meetings as a regular part of employee/employer communications. But what exactly are they and what is their purpose?

In this article, we will discuss the importance of one-on-ones and how they can be maximized for best practices and productivity.

What is their purpose?

The purpose of a one-on-one can vary depending on the need and frequency. For this discussion, we will focus on the weekly one-on-one as a check-in between a team member and team leader. The purpose of the meetings is to report on the progress of goals, and to revise or set new ones. As a regularly scheduled weekly meeting, this allotted time allows for any issues to be addressed with adjustments and/or corrections to be made, preventing delayed and potentially difficult conversations down the road.

Although there are many templates available online, a typical Medworks agenda follows these questions for assessing weekly goals:

What were your highlights for the week? (Could include personal as well as business)
Did you have any incidents?
Are you getting what you need from your leader? (This is a good question to turn around and ask if your leader is getting everything needed from you)
What would you like for your company to stop, start, or keep doing?
Did you discern any new opportunities or threats to business?
Is there anything else you'd like to talk about?

How to prepare for a One-on-One

We are bombarded daily with massive amounts of information, oftentimes causing distractions and disruptions. In this climate, it's easy for details to slip, so having a strategy for organizing a productive one-on-one is paramount. In his book The Checklist Manifesto , Atul Gawande makes these remarks about the overwhelming amounts of information coming to us in the 21st Century,

"Knowledge has both saved us and burdened us. That means we need a different strategy for overcoming failure ... And there is such a strategy — though it will seem almost ridiculous in its simplicity ...

It is a checklist. "

To underscore this sentiment, Maurie Backman, writing for The Motley Fool , says this in her article How to Make the Most of Weekly One on Ones with Your Boss ,

“… if you are going to hold these meetings, do your best to make them productive.

Come prepared with a list of questions and talking points and ask your employees to do the same.”

Preparing for a one-on-one is as important as the meeting itself. Preparation helps everyone maximize this opportunity. This is where checklists come in. During the work week, there are natural opportunities to create helpful lists. Combining these lists can produce a comprehensive record of your week's activities and "hold the memory" for you.

For a personal application, here are the three resources I utilize to prepare for my one-on-one:

At the end of each meeting, my leader emails a summary with concise answers to my meeting questions as well as any discussion that may have arisen from our conversation. This gives me a running record of my accomplished goals as well as a new checklist for new tasks and new goals.
In addition, our marketing team conducts a weekly catch-up which also produces a checklist of to-dos for each member. As Marketing Administrator, this is a helpful list to apply to my one-on-one planning because it serves as a reminder and record keeper of the items I need to present to my leader.
Lastly, I refer to my personal calendar/journal which contains not only meeting references, but also notes on my activities and new ideas acquired since my previous one-on-one. For sales team members, a quick reference to your Salesforce calendar can serve as a valuable tool.

Combined, these three resources are the structures I use to create a comprehensive checklist when preparing for my one-on-one. I am now ready to report complaints or issues, receive support and advice, and gain clarity on my projected goals.

Who benefits?

Remember that this time is set aside for you to have your leader's full attention. Take full advantage of it. By being prepared, you can maximize this time and make it a valuable tool for you, your leader, your team, and your company. By bringing any concerns to a weekly meeting, you prevent unresolved issues from developing into more complicated situations in the future. On the upside, you can discuss progress of your projects, get insights and direction, and be better prepared for your week ahead. You can also use this opportunity to bring new ideas, discuss their validity and timing, brainstorm with your leader, and receive advice as to how to move forward.

Another benefit to one-on-ones is that they replace performance reviews at the six month or annual marker. It is much better to keep communication current than to wait for the dreaded periodic review.

Furthermore, there is the added positive result from being accountable in real time. Our company's leaders set quarterly goals for all employees, including themselves. With weekly reporting of your progress, there's a much less likelihood of procrastinating until the last minute to complete a quarterly goal. This is where you and the company as a whole benefit because personal quarterly goals are determined in conjunction with the company's overall goals. Everyone is an important cog in the wheel. When functioning properly, the organization runs smoothly, and company goals can be uniformly achieved.

So, in a snapshot, here's how to be better prepared for your one-on-one:

Look at previous notes from your leader
Look at your notes/lists from your week's meetings and agendas
Look at your journal and personal to-do checklists
Add items that you want to discuss

By combining these readily available resources, you can achieve a smooth and effective one-on-one! Can you think of other applications where one-on-ones could benefit you?

If you viewed the Medworks video , How the West was Won , you might remember Lindsey Reynolds' comment in the closing remarks when she states that the Reynolds' bustling household has adopted a one-on-one strategy to their weekly routine. What a great idea! Now you know what she was referring to!

M edworks thanks Donna Shires for contributing to this post.

The Thulium Fiber Laser

Wed, 05 May 2021 15:41:13 GMT

Treatment of urinary tract stones with the holmium laser has been the standard for more than forty years.

The first laser emission obtained from the holmium-doped YAG crystal at 2.1 µm was obtained at liquid nitrogen temperature in 1962 ( Johnson and Soden , 1962). There have been many advances in holmium laser technology to better accommodate surgeon preferences, but the core elements, holmium ion and 2. µm have remained constant. Recently, the thulium fiber laser has been introduced for medical use. This laser has been cleared for the treatment of stones and soft tissue. In this article, we will briefly describe the technology, discuss its unique capabilities and features, what is currently available, and what is coming on the near-term horizon.

The Technology & Current Availability

The thulium fiber laser wavelength is approximately 1.9 µm. The current models are offered at 35 watts and 60 watts. Frequencies range from 1 Hz – 2,400 Hz. These devices are table-top and weigh under 90 lbs. The thulium fiber laser is a diode laser that uses a thulium-doped fiber. Currently, there is only one brand available for use in the United States, which is the Soltive laser, manufactured by IPG Photonics for Olympus Corporation.

Unique Capabilities and Features

In the treatment of stones, many surgeons prefer to “dust” rather than crack the stones. To do this requires higher repetition (Hz) rates. This is an area where the thulium fiber excels. Most high-powered holmium lasers have a maximum rate of 60 Hz whereas the thulium fiber is capable of 2,400 Hz. This offers more flexibility in settings, but there is also the potential to have settings that are unsafe in the urinary tract (high heat, less control). Another differentiating feature of the thulium fiber laser is size and weight. High-powered holmium lasers are large and heavy, some weighing 650 lbs. or more. The air-cooled thulium fiber lasers can be much more compact and lighter. Although there is not a lot of experience currently, the thulium fiber laser also has potential in the treatment of BPH. The combination of an effective stone and soft tissue laser has created quite a lot of buzz in the urologic community.

On the Near-Term Horizon

If you are considering purchasing or renting a thulium fiber laser, you may want to wait a few months as there are several new offerings on the near-term horizon. Word is that Lisa Laser (Omniguide), Quanta, and Convergent all have models being introduced before the end of 2021. From what we are hearing, there are a number of feature and price improvements in the works with these new lasers. This technology is new and exciting and offers a lot of promise in the future treatment in urologic and other surgical applications.

***UPDATE***

The Optica, Convergent's thulium fiber laser is here and now available for purchase or rental! The Optica is a 1940nm wavelength laser capable of dusting stones at very high repetition rates and with enough power to perform prostate enucleations. All of this is in a 95-pound box. Contact us today to get a first-hand look at this awesome new technology

Medworks thanks Darrell Shires for his contribution to this article.

Reference

https://www.sciencedirect.com/topics/nursing-and-health-professions/holmium

Reusable vs Disposable Laser Fibers Video

Wed, 28 Apr 2021 13:45:37 GMT

Watch to learn more about the Pros and Cons of Reusable vs Disposable Laser Fibers from our Corporate Trainer, Jason Holley.

Pros and Cons - Reusable vs Disposable Laser Fibers

Tue, 20 Apr 2021 20:46:59 GMT

Laser fibers are the delivery system for transmitting laser energy to a surgical site. For this article, we will discuss the differences between disposable and reusable fibers as well as the cost factors that separate the two.

Let's begin by answering some common questions:

What is the main difference between disposable and reusable fibers?

While variables occur in the quality of materials used in construction, these fiber types are essentially identical in structure. According to Medworks ' Corporate Trainer, Jason Holley , the main difference lies in the addition of a chip imbedded in reusable fibers which recognizes the number of times the fiber has been connected to a laser, counting its uses. This is noted on the laser readout as use 3 of 10, 4 of 10, etc. Multiple use fibers are programmed for 5 to 10 uses. The chip in single use fibers only allows for one use. Some older model laser fibers did not have that capability built into them and essentially could be used an infinite number of times. The American National Standards Institute ( ANSI ) has established that after 10 uses, a laser fiber should be discarded.

What are the differences between the cost of these two types of fibers?

The cost differential between reusable and disposable fibers, all things being equal on construction and materials, is this: the fiber programed for multiple uses will be two to four times more expensive than the single use fiber. If the disposable fiber costs $350, there's a chance that a comparable multi-use fiber could cost around $1000.

Using these figures, a reusable fiber that may be used up to 10 times, results in the cost per procedure being $100, versus $350 for the same fiber programmed for single use. Up front, the cost is significantly higher for multi-use, but over time, the per-case cost decreases. However, once you factor in reprocessing and add the potential for scope damage, those reusables can sometimes fall well short of their initial value.

What is involved in the handling of reusable fibers that can negatively affect their value?

Multi-use fibers require sterilization between uses. While some facilities re-sterilize their own fibers, it is important to note that this requires fibers to be out of circulation during sterilization, recleaving, and reprocessing. Initially, it may appear that the facility is saving money per case considering the fiber's purchase price and its potential for multiple uses, but there is a wait time before that fiber can be used for another procedure, potentially diminishing its value.

What are other factors creating hidden costs that may not be calculated into the per case cost?

A reusable fiber is only as good as the care given to it during and after the case, as well as during reprocessing and repackaging. If at any point the fiber is coiled too tightly, micro fractures can develop within the core of the fiber causing laser energy scatter. For example, as energy is trying to pass through the fiber, it starts to reflect and bounce. With the presence of micro fractures, energy leaks can occur along the way resulting in less energy being delivered at the tip of the fiber. Furthermore, if leakage through the cladding occurs while the fiber is inside a flexible ureteroscope, there is potential for that energy to burn the working channel, or possibly damage actual components of the scope. The damage could result in expensive scope repairs or even scope replacement.

Damage can also happen in the OR. If during a procedure a single-use fiber is accidently damaged, the facility's loss is approximately $350 for that fiber, but the procedure can continue by opening a new fiber. Comparatively, if a multi-use fiber is damaged during its first use, there is a potential loss of $1000. In short, there are many points of vulnerability that exist between the OR and processing which can expose a multi-use fiber to potential damage, creating hidden costs.

What about fiber exclusivity?

The chip not only reads and counts the fiber uses, but also reads the branding. This makes fibers exclusive even though they are essentially constructed the same. To clarify, lasers are not going to require exclusivity in regard to single-use vs multi-use, but rather, because of their branding. The read-out will say invalid fiber because the communication disables the off brand fiber. If the laser were an open system, and the machine had not been locked down by the manufacturer, the (other brand) fiber would work normally. In recent time, manufacturers are more commonly closing their systems so that they will only work with an approved fiber that is generally produced or distributed by that manufacturer.

Let's break it down into Pros & Cons:

Reusable Fibers – Pros

While being more expensive up front, there is the potential for substantial savings, bringing costs down over time.

Reusable Fibers – Cons

There is a risk of damage to a flexible scope resulting in expensive repair and/or replacement costs. Processing, while required, does increase the likelihood of those expenses.
Reprocessing time and associated central sterile costs present variable cost factors.
Risk of not getting all its uses.
Central Sterile must keep proper accounting/inventory of the fiber, making sure the fiber gets back to the OR and doesn't get lost.
To track timely reorders, inventory requires additional monitoring regarding how many times the fiber has been used, a step that can easily be overlooked.

Disposable Fibers – Pros

As soon as energy passes through a laser fiber, it is never going to be new again. A fresh fiber every time is a good reason to choose single-use.
Easier to manage inventory. Fewer steps saves the facility time.
Safer on equipment when utilizing single-use versus multi-use.
Greater efficiency because no reprocessing is needed.
The item(s) can be specifically billed to a patient’s insurance which results in a facility reimbursement and therefore a financial incentive for utilizing disposable fibers.
Generally, the consensus is that single use is the better choice. Majority of facilities now use disposables fibers.
Minimal risk of cross contamination between surgeries.

Disposable Fibers – Cons

The recurring cost of the fiber.

Research substantiates that single-use laser fibers are ultimately more cost effective. Cited on the website, PubMed.gov , a comparative study published in the May 2014 issue of Urology on the topic of single-use laser fiber cost analysis drew this conclusion,

"On the basis of our data, it is more cost-effective to use a disposable laser fiber, as it prevents scope damage, which can happen because of microfractures with repeated laser use. Moreover, this will also save time and/or resource required with sterilization."

For our last question, let's discuss, "Who makes the final purchase decision?"

Generally, the decision on what type of fiber is purchased comes from Materials Management. Oftentimes, a purchasing department will do an analysis of costs trying to achieve a more budget friendly outcome. Therefore, a tight budget may be a factor in choosing multi-use fibers for the potential of per case and long term savings. It remains, however, that there is no guarantee that all of the fiber's uses will be realized.

Medworks thanks Jason Holley for his contribution to this article.

References

Chapman RA, Somani BK, Robertson A, Healy S, Kata SG. Decreasing cost of flexible ureterorenoscopy: single-use laser fiber cost analysis. Urology. 2014 May;83(5):1003-5. doi: 10.1016/j.urology.2013.12.019. Epub 2014 Feb 12. PMID: 24529588.

March-Meals-Madness comes to Medworks!

Mon, 19 Apr 2021 14:49:20 GMT

Partnering with Feed More RVA, Medworks kicked off its "2021 Year of Outreach" in a powerful way.

At Medworks , we strive to #MakeTheRoomBetter and we also want to make our surrounding communities a better place! During the month of March, our team pulled together and participated in a food drive for Feed More , Central Virginia’s hunger-relief organization.

Of course, we had to make it extra fun with a little competition. Dividing into three teams, Sales, Service, and Admin, we raced to see which could gather the highest number of canned goods by month’s end. It was our own kind of March Madness! The rivalry was intense, and every tactic was used: posting videos on social media, asking neighbors to participate, donating our own time and resources, even soliciting help from our local stores.

Although we had a blast with our competitive spirits running high, the main joy and excitement came in seeing the outpouring of canned goods that streamed through our office doors! By March 31st, our front reception area was packed with mountains of donated food! Our winning team, the Admin team, gathered a total of 2,538 food items. As a company, we donated 4,770 food items, which weighed in at 3,177 pounds!

Our passion as an organization is to help others in the best way we can, and we could not have asked for a better way to help our Richmond community than by partnering with Feed More to kick off our first outreach for 2021! While many folks are still fighting through the effects of this pandemic, it was an honor to help families worry less about an important yet basic need such as getting nutritious food on their tables. We are confident that many families will continue to benefit through Feed More’s programs and agency network.

Check our our pictures and posts throughout the competition on our Facebook page: https://www.facebook.com/MedworksSurgical

For more information on Feed More and how you can help, please visit their website at https://feedmore.org/ .

Thank you to our own Rachael Jarrells for contributing to this post.

Infection Control Video

Wed, 24 Mar 2021 13:30:44 GMT

Wondering how to control infection in the operating room? Watch our Corporate Trainer, Jason Holley discuss this further.

Endometriosis: The Most Common Disease No One Has Heard Of

Mon, 15 Mar 2021 16:14:27 GMT

by Kenneth Barron, MD, Obstetrics & Gynecology

The Most Common Disease No One Has Heard Of

“At two in the afternoon, I’m home in bed. I have three heating pads plugged in; one for my stomach, one for my lower back and hips, and one for my mid back, where the pain often just sits. My body is literally wrapped in heat, and still … the pain makes it difficult to focus.” (1)

Daily fatigue. Intermittent nausea without specific food triggers. Constipation, then diarrhea. Deep, stabbing pain with intercourse. And knowing that every month you will end up in bed, curled into a ball, pounding ibuprofen for three days. Every day I hear patients who have been living with undiagnosed or untreated endometriosis describe symptoms like these.

Many of my patients have had debilitating periods since they were teenagers and were told their symptoms were normal—that they just had “bad periods.” In fact, studies have shown that 70% of teenagers with severe menstrual pain ultimately are diagnosed with endometriosis. (2) In many cases, birth control pills can make their symptoms manageable until their 20s, when they stop taking birth control in order to try to get pregnant, or the pills simply lose effectiveness in alleviating symptoms.

Remarkably, endometriosis is actually as prevalent as asthma, affecting an estimated 6-10% of women. (3,4) And the real-life impacts of the condition are highly significant: Women affected by the disease lose an average of 11 hours of productivity per week, and the estimated burden on society is $119 billion per year, based upon lost wages, lost productivity and medical costs. (5) So why does everyone know about asthma, but not endometriosis?

A DIFFICULT DIAGNOSIS

Endometriosis is most commonly described as the presence of endometrium, which normally lines the uterine cavity, outside of the uterus. However, endometriosis actually would be better described as mutated endometrium, given that its biochemical makeup and hormone receptor profile is much different from those of normal endometrium. It is best thought of as an estrogen-dependent chronic inflammatory disease that often starts with dysmenorrhea but can later progress to persistent pain affecting more than just the female reproductive organs. It can mimic interstitial cystitis/painful bladder syndrome, irritable bowel syndrome, and pelvic floor muscular spasm and myalgia. Since women are often told their symptoms are “normal” in their teens and then develop such a wide variety of symptoms from other organs, it’s no wonder the average patient in the United States suffers for 7-12 years before getting a diagnosis. (5)

Part of the diagnostic challenge is that endometriosis is often not visible on ultrasound, CT or MRI, and isn’t detectable by any reliable blood work. As a result, patients are often sent on a round-robin of evaluations by various specialists. Unfortunately, by the time of diagnosis, endometriosis often will have transformed from a disease once limited to painful menses, into a chronic pain condition affecting multiple body systems.

MEDICAL MANAGEMENT

Guidelines have been developed by various consortia on the treatment of endometriosis, but controversy and uncertainty remain over best practices. Medical management, rather than surgery, has been the recommended first-line therapy for many years. And while it is commonly taught that close to 75% of patients with dysmenorrhea — including endometriosis — will have relief from pain with a birth control pill, a closer review of the literature finds little quality evidence to support this. (6)

Injectable GnRH agonists (e.g., leuprolide acetate and danazol) have been reserved for recalcitrant symptoms due to a greater risk of more serious side effects. These agents are now mostly being replaced by a growing number of GnRH antagonists (e.g., elagolix/Orilissa) that can be taken orally and have better side effect profiles. These medications, however, have drawbacks. Their duration of use is limited due to the long-term effects of estrogen suppression on bone mineral density. Moreover, no medication — from combined birth control pills to GnRH antagonists — has been shown to destroy or eliminate endometriosis or improve pregnancy rates. (7) Some endometriosis is simply resistant to medical treatments, due to progesterone resistance and aromatization of testosterone to estrogen by endometriosis lesions themselves. (8)

THE LapEX APPROACH

For those patients who fail medical therapy, there is evidence to support surgical treatment of endometriosis, a method that is endorsed by major gynecologic societies across the world. Surgical treatment has been shown to decrease pain compared with diagnostic laparoscopy, and to improve spontaneous pregnancy rates in infertile patients with endometriosis. (8,9) The LapEX (laparoscopic excision of endometriosis) approach is a minimally invasive technique centered on the concept that endometriosis, like cancer, should be removed as fully as possible at time of surgery to decrease the risk of recurrence.

Until recently, the majority of endometriosis surgeries attempted to destroy endometriosis lesions by means of surface ablation/fulguration, rather than by complete removal. Published rates of recurrence with this technique, which are as high as 60-80% at two years, have been attributed to so-called “invisible endometriosis” that could not be seen, or to development of new endometriosis. Many experts, however, argue that there is no such thing as invisible endometriosis (10) and believe the high recurrence rates are due to inadequate surgical treatment and lack of recognition of more subtle peritoneal changes. Atypical peritoneum not classified as classic endometriosis lesions has been shown to have endometriosis in as many as 50% of specimens. (11) Additionally, recurrence on repeat surgery is most commonly found at the same sites as initial treatment or on the border of initial treatment sites, suggesting incomplete initial treatment. (12) Long-term follow-up on patients who have undergone excision surgery with uterine and ovarian preservation have lower reoperation rates (20-50%) at five years, with even lower rates of pathologic confirmed endometriosis on reoperation. (13)

Treatment of endometriosis by excision also provides pathological evidence of the disease and allows the surgeon to remove disease over vital structures such as blood vessels, the ureters and the bowel. It also allows the surgeon to assess whether a lesion is superficial ( Figure 1 ), moderately deep ( Figure 2 ) or deeply infiltrating ( Figure 3 ), so technique can be adjusted to decrease the chance of leaving disease behind.

Why isn’t all endometriosis treated with excision? Compared to other techniques, excision is more difficult, takes longer and carries more risk of surgical complication due to the more aggressive approach. For these reasons, patients may only be offered ablation/fulguration or complete hysterectomy and castration (removal of ovaries) to eliminate the source of estrogen that stimulates the disease. While total hysterectomy and castration are effective, I would argue that they are often not necessary, and carry the long-term risks associated with early menopause: osteoporosis, heart disease, shorter lifespan, and risk of venous thromboembolism and breast cancer with hormone replacement therapy. (14)

In trained, skilled hands, organ-preserving surgery with excision of the disease — rather than the removal of the uterus and ovaries — can alleviate pain and suffering for many years. I prefer to use a free-beam carbon dioxide laser for tissue cutting because it allows for precise control of cutting depth with no thermal spread to damage adjacent tissue. This allows the laser to cut tissue right over structures such as the ureter, blood vessels and intestine, which cannot be done as safely with other energy sources.

MULTIDISCIPLINARY CARE AT SENTARA MARTHA JEFFERSON HOSPITAL

When lesions invade more deeply, they can involve other pelvic organs such as the intestine, ureters or bladder, and these patients may require more extensive surgery to remove the disease and eliminate the source of pain. Studies of a condition called deep infiltrating endometriosis ( Figure 3 ) show long-lasting improvement in pain and organ dysfunction with excision techniques, which can include segmental resection or shaving disease from the involved organs. Recurrence rates for bowel excision of endometriosis range from 0-9% at 5 years. (15)

Surgical management of these challenging cases of endometriosis is very much a team effort. In addition to the surgeon, operating with a carbon dioxide laser requires a laser technician, a skilled surgical assistant, a top-notch surgical tech and a knowledgeable circulating room nurse. Additionally, this type of complex surgery often requires a multidisciplinary surgical team. Sentara colorectal surgeon Zachary Gregg, MD, is often involved in cases where bowel involvement is suspected preoperatively. Endometriosis in the thoracic cavity — on the lung, diaphragm or pleura — is present in about 1% of endometriosis patients. In these cases, Sentara thoracic surgeon Christopher Willms, MD, collaborates for combined laparoscopy and video-assisted thoracoscopy (VATS) exploration.

THE FUTURE

Research continues to focus on finding better noninvasive testing methods that can detect disease without surgery. Candidates include serum testing of a combination of serum markers (CA125, endocan, YKL-40 and copeptin) and measurement of circulating micro-RNA sequences. (16) The promise of earlier diagnostic certainty could allow for earlier referral to endometriosis centers of expertise before unnecessary or incomplete surgery is performed. Perhaps the most important achievement in recent years, however, has been patient-driven advocacy, which has led to increased awareness through social media and school nurse education programs by organizations such as EndoWhat? ( www.endowhat.org ) and EndoFound ( www.endofound.org) .

CONCLUSIONS

Endometriosis, an estrogen-dependent chronic inflammatory disease that is difficult to diagnose without laparoscopy, can cause infertility, painful intercourse and menses, and multiorgan chronic pain and dysfunction. Medical therapy is often successful in suppressing symptoms, but a fair number of patients require surgery. Laparoscopic excision of endometriosis is the optimal surgical method of treatment.

This article was originally posted in Sentara Martha Jefferson Magazine .

REFERENCES

1. Campbell, Leah. (March 3, 2020) What it’s like living with endometriosis. Accessed Oct 21, 2020. https://www.leahcampbellwrites.com/2020/03/03/what-its-like-living-with-endometriosis

2. Janssen E, Rijkers A, Hoppenbrouwers K, Meuleman C et al. Prevalence of endometriosis diagnosed by laparoscopy in adolescents with dysmenorrhea or chronic pelvic pain: A systematic review. Human Reproduction Update 2013; 19:570-582.

3. CDC.gov. (2020). CDC - Asthma. [online] Available at: https://www.cdc.gov/asthma/default.htm [Accessed Oct 21, 2020].

4. Giudice, L. C. Clinical practice. Endometriosis. N. Engl. J. Med. 362, 2389–2398 (2010).

5. Nnoaham KE, Hummelshoj L, Webster P, d’Hooghe T et al. World Endometriosis Research Foundation Global Study of Women’s Health consortium. Impact of endometriosis on quality of life and work productivity: a multicenter study across ten countries. Fertil Steril. 2011 Aug;96(2):366-373.e8.

6. Vercellini P, Cortesi I, Crosignani PG. Progestins for symptomatic endometriosis: a critical analysis of the evidence. Fertil Steril 1997;68:393–401.

7. Hughes E, Brown J, Collins JJ, Farquhar C et al. Ovulation suppression for endometriosis for women with subfertility. Cochrane Database Syst Rev 2007:CD000155.

8. Practice bulletin no. 114: management of endometriosis. Obstet Gynecol. 2010 Jul;116(1):223-36.

9. Dunselman GA, Vermeulen N, Becker C, Calhaz-Jorge et al. European Society of Human Reproduction and Embryology. ESHRE guideline: management of women with endometriosis. Hum Reprod. 2014 Mar;29(3):400-12.

10. Redwine DB. ‘Invisible’ microscopic endometriosis: a review. Gynecol Obstet Invest. 2003;55(2):63-7.

11. Albee RB Jr., Sinervo K, Fisher D. Laparoscopic excision of lesions suggestive of endometriosis or otherwise atypical in appearance: relationship between visual findings and final histologic diagnosis. J Minim Invasive Gynecol. 2008;15(1):32–37.

12. Taylor E, Williams C. Surgical treatment of endometriosis: location and patterns of disease at reoperation. Fertil Steril. 2010 Jan;93(1):57-61.

13. Shakiba K, Bena JF, McGill KM, Minger J et al. Surgical treatment of endometriosis: a 7-year follow-up on the requirement for further surgery. Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Jun;111(6):1285-92. Erratum in: Obstet Gynecol. 2008 Sep;112(3):710.

14. Rodriguez M, Shoupe D. Surgical Menopause. Endocrinol Metab Clin North Am. 2015 Sep;44(3):531-42.

15. Roman H, Tuech JJ, Huet E, Bridoux V et al. Excision versus colorectal resection in deep endometriosis infiltrating the rectum: 5-year follow-up of patients enrolled in a randomized controlled trial. Hum Reprod. 2019 Dec.

16. Ahn SH, Singh V, Tayade C. Biomarkers in endometriosis: challenges and opportunities. Fertil Steril. 2017 Mar;107(3):523-532.

Medworks Moves West!

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 13:00:03 GMT

An announcement from our President, Darrell Shires:

After three years of planning and identifying the right opportunity, it gives me great pleasure to announce the launch of Medworks West, an expansion of our business model to Washington, Alaska, Northern Idaho, and Montana. Operations actually beg an on October 1st of 2020.

Currently, we have exclusive agreements with Richard Wolf , Convergent Laser Technologies , Kyra Medical and Bard Endourology . Our plan is to establish ourselves in the area and begin to create our “ Make the Room Better ” model by offering our same services and products there that we have in Virginia. Our first West Team Member, Nathan Blackham, joined us in the fall of 2020. He lives in Spokane, Washington and is our Territory Manager for Eastern Washington State, Northern Idaho, and Montana. Ashly Berg came onboard in late 2020 and serves as Territory Manager for the western part of Washington State, and Alaska.

To establish the new territories, Medworks sent its Director of Sales, Will Reynolds , across the country to work with new reps and uncover new accounts. To accomplish this feat, Will, along with his wife, Lindsey and their three children, took a cross country road trip during the months of November and December and had the adventure of a lifetime! From a business perspective, this was a hugely successful endeavor. But just as successful was an amazing family adventure that encompassed virtual schooling, holiday celebrations, and incredible fieldtrips, all in an undertaking of Herculean proportions! Watch Will and Lindsey's journey in our "How the West was Won" video .

We are challenged, but very excited for these new opportunities!

Darrell Shires, President & CEO

How the West was Won Video

Fri, 19 Feb 2021 13:00:02 GMT

After three years of planning and identifying the right opportunity, Medworks is proud to announce Medworks West, an expansion of our business model to Washington, Alaska, Northern Idaho, and Montana.

Watch to learn more about our latest adventure!

Medworks 2021 Letter

Mon, 15 Feb 2021 15:07:32 GMT

2020. Wow! That is all.

Seriously, 2020 was a very challenging year for Medworks, as it was for almost everyone. COVID-19 has impacted every area of our lives. Fear, uncertainty, isolation, drastic changes in routine are a few of the things we have had to cope with. Even with its challenges, the year produced many positive highlights, and a lot of foundational work was accomplished that will position us for a strong 2021.

In July, we moved into our new spacious office. This beautiful facility will provide us plenty of room for our future growth. The simulated operating-room space is ideally suited for training, as well as creating training and educational videos.

We expanded our coverage to the West Coast, and are now serving customers in Washington, Alaska, northern Idaho, and Montana. We welcomed to the Medworks’ sales team, Nathan Blackham and Ashly Berg. We negotiated contracts with Richard Wolf, Bard Endourology, Kyra Medical, and Convergent Laser Technologies for the western territory. We have already begun doing service cases in Montana and Seattle, Washington. Will Reynolds completed several trips to the West Coast to get things going. He and his family spent one and a half months there during November and December.

With Richard Wolf, an important partner that manufactures world class instrumentation for urology, gynecology, general surgery, and ENT, we once again had the highest sales of any US entity.

Speaking of the website, another exciting development in 2020 was the revamping of the Medworks website. The new site is much more interactive than ever before, including. Our goal is to make it an extensive informational resource for our customers, while remaining user friendly. We have already added quite a lot of new content that we hope you will find useful.

Continually, Medworks encourages its employees to engage in charitable works...works that bring them meaning and fulfillment. It is my joy to allow paid time off for these endeavors. Medworks gives back so that they can give back, and I am proud to have a team that is motivated to help others. Together, we can make the room, and the world a better place. So, while COVID was the cause of some cancelled outreach opportunities, other opportunities arose and were embraced. Will Reynolds was able to complete a mission's trip to Belize. Lindsey Tuck and Neika Hart worked together to get a full gym setup for a mission in Nicaragua, Neika’s homeland. The two of them plan to go there this year when they get the green light to travel. Jonaye Barnum volunteered a week through WWOOF (World Wide Opportunities on Organic Farms). She stayed on the farm located in the mountains of Churchville, VA assisting with flower and vegetable gardening preps, as well as tending the chicken coop.

With the help of Zoom, Medworks was able to have productive conversations with the dedicated folks at The Success Foundation, bringing to the table our learned experience from employing a youth in the “aged out” foster care population. Our observations were vital to the TSF as they crafted a youth program combining assessments, counseling, mentoring, and job skills training. Youths from Independent Living (IL) programs are now screened for enrollment and will emerge job ready with better outcomes for both employee and employer.

Through "socially distanced" outreach, Medworks was able to complete two large projects that involved nearly every member of our team. This was accomplished by helping support a young man out of foster care who was faced with the overwhelming task of filling 100 hygiene bags for the homeless community. It was his assignment for complying with required community service hours. While he was able to fill and deliver the bags, he didn't have the funds or means to acquire the items. Medworks rose to the occasion and provided every item he needed!

As the holidays approached, Medworks adopted an "at risk" family with four young children to provide an abundant Christmas for them and their very grateful mom. Well done, team!

For the last few years, I have chosen “one word” to use as a guide for self-improvement. I have found it helpful to keep that word at the front of my mind. In past years, I chose “Discipline”, “Present”, and last year was “Listen”. With all the unexpected developments in 2020, I must admit that I did a poor job of keeping my focus on the word I chose. Because of that, I have decided to stay with the word “Listen” for 2021. I even just finished reading a book called You’re Not Listening by Kate Murphy. This year, I am committed to becoming a better listener. If you are up for it, I encourage you to choose a word to live by in 2021.

As I close this letter, I wish to thank our manufacturing partners for providing world class products and great customer service, and a sincere thank you to our customers for their continued loyalty year in and year out. I am truly grateful to all of you.

I also want to thank the Medworks team for the amazing GRIT they have shown in the last year. Their versatility in abilities and willingness to take on new challenges causes me to be very optimistic and excited about all the things we will accomplish in 2021. We got this!

Minimizing the Number of Reps in the Operating Room

Tue, 02 Feb 2021 00:31:47 GMT

The Importance of Infection Control

No doubt, COVID has presented a multitude of challenges and stresses for hospitals and other healthcare facilities. Numerous measures and policies have been put into place in efforts to keep patients, personnel, and visitors safe. During the early phases of the pandemic, with respect to the operating room, hospitals found themselves deploying physicians and nurses into new roles. When COVID cases surged in March of 2020, elective surgeries were postponed following federal and state-mandated orders. The process of reinstituting elective surgeries has been a tedious one as was reported back in the 3rd Quarter of 2020.

“At LifePoint, surgeries are slowly being phased back in based on the COVID-19 situation at each hospital,” says Chief Nursing Officer Michelle Watson, RN, MSN. “It’s very controlled,” she says. “It’s not something that just opens all at once.”

The Source , Q3 2020, Strategizing During a Pandemic, https://healthtrustpg.com/wp-content/uploads/2020/08/TheSource-Q3-2020-digital-1.pdf

While at the time of this writing most facilities are allowing elective surgeries again, there is still a high degree of caution, with patients being closely observed during the days leading up to their procedures. There are also stringent protocols in place for all hospital workers.

So, what does this mean for sales and service representatives who need to access the OR in order to do their jobs? It has been understood for quite some time prior to COVID-19 that selling activities in the OR were prohibited. In many facilities, sales reps are only allowed to be in the OR when supporting a product being used in a particular case. The situation is different for service representatives. Service reps who are called into cases are there to support the equipment (such as lasers) that they are trained to operate. Medworks’ Corporate Trainer, Jason Holley states, “Simply put, service reps are invited while sales reps need permission.” In either situation, there are specific do's and don'ts, areas that are prohibited, and activities that are monitored by facilities. However, the biggest risk, especially during a pandemic is infection control.

Prior to the pandemic, infection control was mostly limited to the OR. Now it starts at the front door. It remains, however, that anyone coming into the OR presents a potential risk of introducing contamination to the area. In general, two reps in the room would be considered the maximum. But in addition to the potential for increased contaminants, the presence of more bodies creates the possibility for error and distractions, as well as an increased risk of exposure. Considering these factors, it is easy to see that “less is more,” providing a better environment for the patient.

Facilities are doing their part to protect their patients by requiring masks, social distancing, and COVID testing. In most situations, PPE is provided although there are some differences in requirements among facilities. Some call for N-95 masks while others do not. Now that the vaccine is approved, facilities are making it available to healthcare representatives. Turning over rooms between cases is taking high priority with some facilities using UV light machines that kill bacteria and viruses, such as COVID. Testing requirements for the virus change as the reported number of cases fluctuate, but negative test results have been an ongoing requirement although becoming less frequent.

Here are some questions to consider regarding service and sales representatives in the OR:

Other than being trained on the equipment and services being rendered, what is required for reps to enter the OR?

All reps, both sales and service, should be certified on Bloodborne Pathogens, OR Protocol, HIPPA Training, Aseptic Techniques, Electrical Safety Training, Fire Safety Training, Radiation Safety Training, as well as keeping immunizations updated. Individual facility policies, which are frequently updated, must be read and acknowledged.

Is there a good reason to have more reps in the room?

Yes, predominantly for training purposes. This activity was suspended during the height of the pandemic, but some facilities are allowing it again.

How can the number of reps in the OR be minimized?

Service and sales representatives that are thoroughly trained on multiple product lines and procedures have the ability to offer a broader spectrum of support in the OR than for just one product. This reduces the need for multiple representatives in the room, ultimately minimizing the number of reps required to support a case.

In conclusion , it’s easy to see that when less staff is present in the OR, there is less chance for additional risks in infection and entry of contamination into a sterile environment. In a normal urological surgery, the number of staff involved in a procedure would be five to six personnel. This would include the surgeon, anesthesiologist, circulator (RN), surgical assistant, and the number of sales and service reps needed to support products and equipment. With service reps qualified and ready to perform multiple functions during a procedure, therein lies a viable solution to limiting the OR staff for the betterment of patient safety and improved efficiency in procedure support.

Holmium Laser Pricing Video

Thu, 28 Jan 2021 20:33:59 GMT

Wondering what holmium laser services would cost your facility?

Watch our Territory Manager, Scout Simes, discuss pricing factors.

Making the Room Better

Wed, 13 Jan 2021 15:09:19 GMT

At Medworks, we believe the operating room is a sacred space.

Watch our video on how we make the room better.

ProTouch Laser Prostate Resection Video

justin@rivercityconsulting.com (Justin Ellett) — Fri, 08 Jan 2021 19:16:29 GMT

Dr. Charles Seabury of Virginia Urology in Richmond, VA shares his expertise in working with Convergent's ProTouch 1470 laser, using Richard Wolf instruments.

In this video, he discusses ProTouch prostate resection.

ProTouch Laser Prostate Enucleation Video

Fri, 08 Jan 2021 19:13:37 GMT

In this video, Dr. Jason Szobota, a surgeon at Virginia Urology in Richmond, VA, discusses the prostate enucleation procedure using Convergent's ProTouch 1470 diode laser along with Richard Wolf instrumentation.

Watch as he describes the process and performs the procedure.

9 Factors That Influence Holmium Laser Pricing

Mon, 04 Jan 2021 20:10:19 GMT

Wondering what holmium laser services would cost your facility?

We are here to help.

One of the most frequent questions we are asked is, “what does it cost to have holmium laser services in my hospital?” The answer is not simple as there are many factors that affect the cost. We hope this article will clarify some details as you search for the perfect fit for your operating room.

Nine Factors that can Influence Cost

1. Wattage of the Laser

For most stones, a good 30-Watt laser works well. But larger, harder stones may require a more powerful laser. Prostate enucleations also require a higher wattage laser.

2. Fiber Quality

Some companies utilize reusable fibers or generic, off-brand fibers. Other companies use only disposable fibers from the laser manufacturer. On one hand, using disposable fibers results in a higher service cost, but on the other hand, it lowers the cost of scope repairs and offers fewer surgical delays due to fiber breakage.

3. Fiber Size

Generally, the fibers 400 micron or smaller cost less than the 800 – 1000-micron fibers that are predominately used for bladder stones.

4. Service Quality

The knowledge base and experience of the service representative is a major consideration in the cost of service. Both the length and quality of a procedure are greatly enhanced when a service rep is fully knowledgeable of the laser's capabilities and the settings required to meet the surgeon's needs. More experienced reps provide eyes and ears to ensure there are no delays in surgery. An observant rep will troubleshoot instrumentation while being watchful of irrigation fluids, as well as making certain that commonly used disposables are in the room and ready when the surgeon needs them.

5. Procedure Volume

Having multiple back-to-back procedures is more cost effective than a single procedure.

6. Location

The location of the facility is also a cost factor for providing laser services. Some laser service companies charge a travel fee for hospitals in remote locations.

7. Case Time

After-hours charges are often applicable if cases start after 6:00 p.m. These charges can range from $50 to $150 per procedure.

8. Hidden Charges

It is important to ask your laser company about all potential charges. Hidden fees can skew cost comparisons with other companies. These costs might include equipment delivery fees and extended case charges, if a case goes longer than expected.

9. Standby Charges

Most laser service companies charge a standby fee when the laser is brought in for a procedure and not used. These fees can range from $250 to $500 or more per procedure. As standby fees are not charged uniformly across all companies, it is important to understand the policy of your laser service provider.

So, what is the price per procedure?

Given all the above factors, holmium laser service pricing ranges from around $700 - $850 for a standard 30-35-Watt laser and $900-$1100 for a high wattage laser. There can certainly be additional charges if ancillary equipment, such as instrumentation, is provided. This pricing does not include standbys, travel, or after-hours fees as not all companies charge for these additional services.

We hope this helps you in making a better-informed decision and assists you in determining the best questions to ask your laser service provider.

For more information, contact us at info@medworkssurgical.com

12 Rules For Life; An Antidote To Chaos by Jordan B. Peterson, Rule 2

Thu, 23 Jul 2020 20:26:00 GMT

Treat yourself like someone you are responsible for helping

Why do people often take better care of their pets than they do themselves? Some people go to a doctor, have medications prescribed and then promptly neglect to take them as directed. Sometimes, they never even have the prescriptions filled. Many of these same people take their pets to the vet and would never even consider not following the advice they are given. Why would someone take better care of their pet than themselves?

When I first read this book, I was struck by the depth Peterson goes into explaining each of these rules. Sometimes, as in this chapter, the road of explanation and enlightenment is long and winding. I find it fascinating that every chapter includes references to the Bible. In rule number 2, he refers to the stories of Genesis chapters 1 and 2. These chapters are about the creation of the universe, the beginnings of man and woman, and then the fall and banishment from paradise. He also goes into the fundamental elements of life; chaos and order. Through these examples, stories, and metaphors, we are led to the conclusion that as descendants of Adam, we are naked, ugly, ashamed, frightened, worthless, cowardly, resentful, defensive, and accusatory. Why should anyone take care of someone like that? Even if that something is yourself?

Getting back to the question of caring for a pet better than one’s self, there is a fundamental difference between humans and all other creatures on earth. Only humans are capable of reason. While all other animals act out of instinct, humans are capable of hating, scheming, plotting, and torturing other beings. Only humans will inflict suffering for the sake of suffering.

Certainly, this does not apply to everyone. Many people have a good and healthy self-image and do take good care of themselves. Most people believe that others should not suffer and will work to help alleviate it.

Taking good care of yourself is not a selfish trait. You are important to other people and this morally obliges you to treat yourself the way you would treat someone you love. Think about the possibilities if you do this. You could become more helpful and productive, which would enhance the lives of others and all of society. So, it is not just about you.

He closes the chapter with a quote from Friedrich Nietzsche. “He whose life has a why can bear almost any how”. Treat yourself as if you were someone you are responsible for helping.

12 Rules For Life; An Antidote To Chaos, by Jordan B. Peterson, Rule 1

Mon, 01 Jun 2020 15:20:00 GMT

Recently, I read a book titled “12 Rules For Life: An Antidote To Chaos”, by Jordan B. Peterson. I found it to be a deep, insightful book that requires a slow, thoughtful read, and then a re-read. If you have seen my previous blogs, you are aware that I have a voracious appetite for good non-fiction books. In my opinion, this is one of the better titles in my library. So, I thought I would begin a series of each of the 12 rules, starting with the first, and provide a short summary.

Stand up straight with your shoulders back.

This chapter is a lot about lobsters and birds. Yes, you read that right. Rule one discusses how most animals, from crustaceans to humans, have a natural hierarchy system that is built into their DNA. Lobsters are territorial. They make residence in areas that can provide food and shelter. But what happens when more than one lobster wants to occupy the same territory? This is where hierarchy and dominance enter. There are specific actions and levels of aggression that take place when one lobster challenges another. Once a lobster achieves dominance, its serotonin levels increase, and octopamine decreases. The opposite happens to the loser. These changes, over time, affect the way the lobster carries itself, and are easily observable. When a defeated lobster finally dares to fight again, it is more likely to lose while the previous winner is likely to keep winning.

These same attributes also apply to humans, including the chemical changes in the brain. Defeated humans often assume a posture that matches their hierarchical position. Winners tend to keep winning and losers continue losing. Those who have are likely to have more while those without are likely to continue without.

The writer encourages us to “stand up straight with your shoulders back”, both physically and metaphysically. There is something to be said about simply standing taller and straighter. Speak your mind. Put your desires forward. You are likely to begin to feel more confident as the serotonin flows.

In my own experience of observing other people, I have seen the way a person’s self-image can be reflected, even in their posture. Someone who has been beaten down by life’s difficult circumstances can often be identified by their slumped, defeated stance. Sometimes simply changing the way one carries him or herself can make a difference. This is not in any way meant to encourage arrogance or the suppression of others to gain the upper hand. But each of us, no matter the background or life circumstances, has a purpose and value, which is deserving of respect. So, stand straight with your shoulders back and face life with more confidence. As you do, that confidence is likely to grow and flourish.

My COVID-19 Experience: Sheetal Lodha

Tue, 19 May 2020 18:20:00 GMT

Let me start this way, I’ve been surrounded by 3 boys 24/7 and have definitely developed a lot of patience. I have taken this time to go within myself and meditate more and learn about chakras. Not ordering food from restaurants has made my cooking skills get better. I’ve started cooking cuisines and desserts which I had never thought about. I’ve tried different types of workouts to keep myself fit and have been working on lawn mowing and planting some vegetables so I can cook more. I’ve started reading more books and teaching my kids a new language to read, write and speak. Teaching is not that easy but the kids have gotten excellent in it. I got in touch with all my cousins and school friends back in India which was a lot of fun.

This may not be a good time for everyone, but I think I am taking it as a blessed time to do things which I would have not done and to get better at them, and enjoy every moment of it.

My COVID-19 Experience: Susan Cochran

Wed, 29 Apr 2020 15:19:00 GMT

The COVID-19 virus has certainly affected the way I look at most everything. At the beginning, I felt fear of the unknown and frankly of death. But in week two of the stay home recommendations, the pastors of my church began a nightly Facebook Live prayer meeting, and my perspective took a much different turn. I went from a place of fear to where I am today, a place of hope and longing for a “new normal.”

Through my faith I am finding God’s plan and purpose for my life. This is a time in which God and the church fit! People are longing for something to hold onto. And those of us looking for our purpose are seeing how we can use social media to spread our beliefs as well as find ways we can help our neighbors in need.

I started 2020 with “heart” as the word I wanted to live by through the year. My word has become my focus and the lead word for the purpose I believe God has for my life. Never could I have imagined the magnitude my word would take on. There is so much need, and those of us who are fortunate enough to have our jobs are in a prime place to help those who are not as fortunate.

I look to the end of COVID-19 as an opportunity to find the new normal my life has needed for a long time, a life where the heart of each of us focuses on being the hands and feet of Jesus. By investing our hearts in the needs of our neighbors, we grow in a faith and love deeper than anything we have ever known.

Time and COVID-19

Thu, 09 Apr 2020 16:29:00 GMT

On a personal level, I am focusing on improving several things I am interested in. For example, I am spending time each day on strength training, something I was neglecting when things in the world were routine. I had a daily workout regiment, but it was entirely about cardio fitness. Now, I am doing core strength exercises. I expect to reap a lasting benefit from this small change in my life. Being a musician, I am spending more time doing intentional practice on my instrument. Finally, I am reading more than usual, mostly books on business.

Darrell Shires, President & CEO

Book Review: The Power of Bad

Tue, 03 Mar 2020 22:20:00 GMT

The Power of Bad: How the Negativity Effect Rules Us

and How We Can Rule It

by John Tierney and Roy F. Baumeister

This past January, at the annual Medworks kickoff meeting, I challenged every team member to choose a book, read it, and then offer a short review of their choice. For my book, I chose “The Power of Bad”. Realizing the book title sounded a bit negative, I was still intrigued and thought it was worth the read. I found it to be quite helpful and, in many ways, very positive.

The essence of the book is that bad things tend to have more effect on us than good things do. The meaning of the Negativity Effect is “the universal tendency for negative events and emotions to affect us more strongly than positive ones”. Bad first impressions make a bigger impact than a good first impression. A financial loss looms larger than a corresponding financial gain.

The book touches on reasons why even though our lives continue to improve vastly over time, we tend to think the opposite, that things are getting worse. Much of this is because special interests, politicians, and mass media feed us a constant diet of crisis, disasters, and injustices that create a false reality.

The Power of Bad also prevents us from taking prudent risks for fear of losing. An example from the book is about how few football coaches dare to go for it on fourth down and short. Even though statistics show that there is a 66% chance of succeeding, the power of bad (disapproval of the fans) causes them to punt instead, missing potential scoring opportunities.

There are many other principles and tools in this book including “The Rule of Four” (it takes four positive events to outweigh one negative), or the “Negative Golden Rule” (It’s what you don’t do to others that matters most). If you are looking for ways to stay positive and want to learn more about the pitfalls that can sink us into negativism, this book may be for you.

One Word

Thu, 30 Jan 2020 22:15:00 GMT

A couple of years ago my wife, Donna, told me about an idea she had heard. It was a very simple practice, but one that resonated with me immediately. Many of us are famous for making New Year’s resolutions, only to have forgotten them by February (or sooner). The idea she mentioned was simply to choose one word to live by for the entire year. I thought, “this is something I believe I can do, successfully”. Unlike “get a gym membership and work out five times a week” or “read fifty books a year”, this idea is aspirational. You just thoughtfully choose a word and then keep it in view as a reminder. This practice has proven to be helpful in my life.

The first year I chose the word “Discipline”. I knew this was an area I needed to work on in order to stay focused and organized in all my daily tasks. I put reminders on my phone and other devices so that at various times throughout the day the words “Be Disciplined” would pop up to encourage me. This concentrated effort has helped me develop some habits that I have continued to this day. It even helped me get into a consistent workout regimen!

Last year, my word was “Present”. It had been brought to my attention that I was not fully present or engaged with people all the time. I acknowledged this flaw, realizing that I was distracted, half-listening while thinking about the ten other tasks in front of me. So, by keeping this word close at hand, I believe I successfully had many high-quality conversations that probably would not have happened without the “One Word” reminder. By the way, I still have a long way to go before mastering the “Present” word, which brings me to my word for 2020.

For some reason, it has been more difficult choosing a word this year. I considered a couple of options and came very close to choosing until just yesterday, when another simple word occurred to me. It is related to, but different than “Present”. The word I have chosen for 2020 is “Listen”. In order to listen, one must be fully present, so I get to continue working on that word as well. I come from the world of sales. In sales, one of the most valued skills to acquire is intentional listening. By that I mean doing far more listening than talking. There is much to be gained by it.

In 2020, I hope to improve my ability to listen; to customers, team members, friends, family, and other leaders. But most importantly, I hope to quiet myself at times in such a way as to listen to the “still small voice” that is easily drowned out when I am busy or distracted.

I always enjoy hearing words that others have chosen. If you are willing, please share with me a word that you would like to live by in 2020.

The post One Word appeared first on Medworks Surgical .

Medworks 2020 Letter

Tue, 28 Jan 2020 16:11:00 GMT

It is over halfway through January and I am just now getting around to writing this letter, a task that I very much enjoy each year. It is such a privilege and honor to get to work with so many amazing people. From our team members, to our suppliers, and our customers, I am truly blessed to have my life touched by yours. The work that we do is both humbling and deeply satisfying, especially considering the notion that the operating room is a sacred space. This notion is more real to me today than at any time in my career in healthcare.

2019 was a challenging year in several ways. We continued experiencing growth and increased market share, which is awesome. However, with this kind of growth, we have found the need to simplify and clarify throughout the organization in order to focus on the things that truly matter. I am grateful to our leadership team for helping keep me stay sane (somewhat) through the day to day opportunities and obstacles. Overall, I am satisfied with our progress in 2019 and super excited about 2020.

This year we will fully implement an integrated software system that will allow us to scale the business. We have restructured our sales and support teams in such a way to provide excellent customer service while freeing up our leaders to develop the team and improve our systems and practices. In May, we will begin transitioning to a new office facility as we have far outgrown our current space.

This year, for the first time, Medworks will have a booth at the American Urological Association meeting, which will be held in Washington, DC. Our partners, Richard Wolf, Bard, and Convergent will also have booths there. All of this is to allow us an opportunity to make more urologists aware of our vision to “Make the Room Better”, through providing comprehensive support of not just the laser, but the instrumentation and disposables as well.

We have begun our entry into CO2 lasers for urology, gynecology, and ENT. We are introducing new lasers that include fiber capability and may be used in numerous types of procedures. This is an exciting new venture for Medworks and we look forward to rolling it out in 2020.

In the summer of 2019, we were able to provide hundreds of “care bags” for the Caring Clothes Closet. We did this with the participation of almost every Medworks team member. We also continued work with Fostering Hope, Fostering Acadia, and Virginia’s Kids Belong. These three organizations focus on solving specific parts of the fostering crisis in Virginia (finding enough foster parents, permanency, the aging out population). At Christmas this year, we supported a wonderful organization called Connor’s Heroes. They focus on helping provide comfort and support for children undergoing cancer treatment. We were able to focus on the teenage group and provided many needed items they can use daily to improve their hospital experience. In addition, several of our team members volunteered time inside and outside of the USA, giving time to their causes of choice.

In our mission to “Make the Room Better”, we often talk about making any room better. We can do that by bringing our best attitude, our best attention, and our best selves to wherever we go. In 2020, I trust that we will all work to make the room better, make our communities better, and make the world better. Here’s to an incredible journey in 2020!

Darrell Shires
President, Medworks

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How To Meditate

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 19:39:00 GMT

There are two components to meditation – relaxation followed by meditation. Relaxation is not required but helps you get into meditation mode. To get the full benefit of this meditation, we recommend having a Heartfulness Instructor conduct the relaxation and meditation initially if that is an option although it can be done on your own using the following steps:

Guided Relaxation

1. Gently close your eyes. Take a deep breath and relax. Do this 2-3 times.

2. Imagine that the energy from earth is filling up your feet and ankles relaxing them.

3. Now let this energy move up to fill up your entire leg relaxing it

4. As energy moves up, let this energy fill up the hips and stomach and relax them

5. Now let energy wrap around to fill up the back and relax it. If there is any tension, just release it.

6. Let the energy now wrap around to fill up the chest and shoulders. Let your shoulders completely melt away.

7. Feel the energy now fill up your arms and relax them completely.

8. Now let this energy fill up your neck and face relaxing them.

9. As energy moves up, let it relax the top and back of your head.

10. Now gently bring your attention to the heart and move to meditation

Simple Meditation:

1. Gently close your eyes

2. Breathe and relax

3. Move your attention to the heart

4. Give a suggestion that source of light is in your heart and is pulling your attention inwards

5. No need to see this light as it is a suggestion and not imagination. Rather, feel your heart illuminated from within.

6. Rest in the feeling

7. If the mind wanders away from the heart – gently bring your attention back to the heart

8. Rest and relax

9. Once done with the meditation, stay with yourself and try to read the condition. Initially, it might not mean a whole lot but as you practice, the answers will start coming from within.

Having thoughts during meditation is normal. Just ignore them and bring your attention back to the heart. The goal of meditation is not to become thoughtless but to be aware and let go of your thoughts as they come and not entangled in them. Be gentle with yourself if you have thoughts. Open your eyes if a thought is too strong to reset and go back into meditation.

Once you have given the thought about starting meditation, you have subconsciously started meditating and now just need to train your conscious mind to cooperate. It is not just what happens during meditation but how you feel afterwards and what you take with you throughout your day.

As the decade ends, we hope you use these simple steps to begin your own meditation journey.

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What Is Meditation

Tue, 17 Dec 2019 19:38:00 GMT

Meditation is the art of effortless focus to be in the now. It is a mind practice that has been used for centuries to connect to our inner self and has overall improvements in lifestyle. There are several styles of meditation from mindfulness, transcendental, heartfulness and variations thereof.

There has been a significant body of research amassed on meditation over the past few years suggesting several benefits. Meditation has shown to increase cortical thickness in the hippocampus, which governs learning and memory, and in certain areas of the brain that play roles in emotion regulation and self-referential processing. Meditation has also been linked to decreasing brain cell volume in the amygdala, which is responsible for fear, anxiety and stress. A mindful practice decreases activity in the default mode network (DMN), the brain network responsible for mind-wandering and self-referential thoughts – a.k.a., “monkey mind.” This helps with happiness and productivity.

Meditation can have positive effects in the work-place including improved focus and productivity, enhanced creativity, improved listening and problem-solving skills, reduced stress and even aids in creating a positive and healthy culture. Some of the highly successful people who meditate – Oprah Winfrey, Bill Ford, Jerry Seinfeld, Will Smith, Bill Gates, and Steve Jobs.

In our next post, we’ll be sharing simple steps for those beginning their journey on meditation.

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Checklists: Your Backup Plan When There’s a Snake in Your Car

Mon, 07 Oct 2019 19:52:00 GMT

Let’s talk checklists. I know what you’re thinking – ‘checklists, that item that strikes boredom in the hearts of all,’ but give me a chance here. I mean, Santa Claus uses one and seems to have his job down, so there must be something to it, right?

In my position as operations team leader at Medworks, I find myself constantly trying to refine our processes to make our team untouchable in terms of service quality. We have an amazing, intelligent team of people that together can solve pretty much any problem we come across. That group knowledge, experience, and willingness to work as a team is a huge factor in our success. So where do checklists come in? I’m glad you asked.

At Medworks we offer a multitude of services to hospital operating rooms, including but not limited to equipment rental and laser operation for urological procedures. All of our reps are trained on every piece of equipment we provide, including how each piece functions, the best way to transport it, and what equipment is necessary based on the type of procedure. Ninety-nine percent of the time, all of these tasks are done flawlessly and everything goes off without a hitch. But what about that morning that you stop at Sheetz and end up spending an hour trying to get a snake out of your car? Yes, that actually happened to me this past week. Can we just say it’s possible that I may have been distracted when I got to my next stop of the day? Seriously, I’d give myself a ninety-nine percent chance of forgetting something that I would normally never miss.

So checklists. Honestly, they make it easier for me to sleep at night. With a checklist, the only thing you have to remember is to actually complete the checklist. Is all equipment functioning properly? Is every piece accounted for? Has it been checked into the hospital? Is the inventory accurate?

“the volume and complexity of what we know has exceeded our individual ability to deliver its benefits correctly, safely, or reliably.”
― Atul Gawande, The Checklist Manifesto: How to Get Things Right

When we deliver equipment for cases, all of our reps are required to stop and acknowledge the steps that need to be taken to complete the delivery. When preparing for a surgery you can imagine how one tiny missed step can become a very big deal. If going through a checklist reveals that something is incorrect or missing for a successful procedure, then that checklist quite possibly has saved the day. There is a wealth of knowledge within every organization, and how you use it can make or break your performance as a whole.

So if there’s a takeaway here, I would say it is to give checklists a try. The time put in to ensuring accuracy on the front end of a task is well worth the final result and peace of mind. So give it a chance or don’t, I’ll just be over here sleeping like a baby.

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Getting Uncomfortable

Tue, 01 Oct 2019 17:30:00 GMT

We have a saying around Medworks that we take very seriously. It simply goes like this: Make the Room Better . It’s an easy stretch to relate this to the operating room being as our business revolves around surgery. But more broadly, it could refer to any room, any where, whether we’re on the clock or not.

Perhaps this saying implies a lifestyle, or maybe a principle that has the potential to radiate like concentric circles touching the communities that surround us…and without exaggeration, the world. So, what if we could attune ourselves towards being aware of the room around us, leaving it better than we found it…and is there a way to embed this mindset into the culture of our businesses?

I believe it’s quite true that more of us would do something if we just knew what to do, but because so often we don’t know where to start, we don’t do anything at all. Which brings me to Medworks’ saying #2, in the form of a challenge: Get Uncomfortable! We know well that reaching out to others can require discomfort, especially if it’s to someone who might look different from us, act different, sound different, live different lifestyles, or have cultural differences. We’re humans. We like familiar, comfort, and predictability. Getting uncomfortable in this way means thinking differently, doing a 180, stretching, reaching, learning, understanding…and most importantly, doing .

Fortunately, Medworks is comprised of givers who are “gritty” to their core. They accept the challenge to Make the Room Better and they do it by getting uncomfortable. What if these folks joined together and created a “giving force” that well exceeded their individual capacity for giving? Is there a way to do business better while looking outside of our selves, beyond our own needs?

We think so. We have learned that we don’t have to reinvent the wheel, but rather we can partner with folks who are knowledgeable about hard issues and are actively engaged in addressing the problems. With that thought in mind, our individual and corporate response to outreach has become exponentially less overwhelming and our offerings more effective.

As a company we were challenged to get uncomfortable by something researcher, Angela Duckworth, said in her book entitled GRIT . She presents this intriguing insight:

Further, Duckworth expresses concern about the income-based disparity in access to participation in extracurricular activities.

Being challenged by this, Medworks has located organizations, both governmental and faith based, that are actively addressing this problem. Additionally we are seeing the beginnings of businesses lending support financially as well as tangibly. We are being led on a journey of learning from others while stepping into the stream. Some of the support we offer is so very simple, as in offering transportation to and from extracurricular activities or providing meals to foster families. Other endeavors have involved collecting items to fill comfort bags for kids who are transitioning into foster care from crisis situations. And we now have one employee who lived 8 years in the foster system and is currently in what is called the “aged out” population (age 18 and older). We may think we’re teaching him, mentoring and providing him a great opportunity, but in actuality, he is teaching us. We are out of our comfort zone. It’s the best place to learn.

If you are moved by the news of kids being separated from their parents at the border, or kids who become refugees, kids who are in the margins and are at great risk due to no fault of their own, AND if you are reading this and your heart is saying I want to do something about it, then check out the websites below and make an inquiry. There are kids in crisis right here in our very own neighborhoods, and there are big and small things you can do about it right now!

Caring Clothes Closet – https://www.caringclothescloset.org
Fostering Acadia – https://www.fosteringacadia.org
VA Kids Belong – https://www.vakidsbelong.org
Fostering Hope – https://hopecentral.com/fosteringhope/
Or email Medworks – info@medworkssurgical.com

Get uncomfortable. Make the Room Better. You don’t have to know where it’s going to lead. Our minds were not designed to know the future, but our hearts were designed to love. Just be willing to start.

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PALS Programs

justin@rivercityconsulting.com (Justin Ellett) — Wed, 14 Aug 2019 19:46:00 GMT

In the first week of August, Medworks team member, Samantha Conigliaro, traveled to Wildwood, NJ to be part of the growth of PALS Programs’ first ever 25 and over adult program for young adults with Down Syndrome. The PALS Wildwood program is actively involved in shaping the future of inclusion in adulthood through an open-structured, fun, and welcoming environment for adults with and without Down Syndrome to thrive in a culture of independence and friendship. A dolphin cruise, kayaking, paddle boarding, Morey’s pier, Cape May Winery, beach days, and a night out at Sea Port Pier were a few of the wonderful activities the participants were able to enjoy together.

When asked about her favorite part of the trip, Samantha said, “being surrounded by all of your best friends as well as new friends with the independence to decide what you wanted to do together and watching this new concept unravel was exhilarating.” She added, “this was just like every other beach week I’ve ever been on with my friends in the past, except now I was surrounded by the beauty of PALS in the mix of it all. It was an extraordinary bridge to the future and a sight of how we will always be connected and none of us will ever age out of these experiences.”

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Recent Reads

Wed, 17 Jul 2019 15:18:00 GMT

I love reading!

Most of the time I read non-fiction, business books and biographies. As for business knowledge, much of what I’ve learned, especially in regard to working in a growing business, has been gained from reading books. There is a vast amount of insight and information available on the subject and there are some incredible writers that masterfully simplify complex issues and processes.

Back in January of 2018, I published a blog about some influential books that I have read. Since that time, I have read quite a few more and thought I would share some of them with you. Here are three:

1. Principles by Ray Dalio

Ray Dalio, the author of Principles, started Bridgewater Associates out of his two-bedroom home when he was 26 years old. Over the next 42 years, he built the investment firm into one of the most important private companies in the US. As the title suggests, Dalio shares principles for life and business that he learned over the span of his career. He operated his company using decision trees, complex software, and a culture of the idea meritocracy” to better inform all the decision making within the organization.

This is a somewhat lengthy book and some of the principles are difficult to grasp on first read (I am going back and re-reading the entire book). Elegantly written with an aesthetically pleasing appearance, this is a book I would recommend to business leaders everywhere.

2. The Checklist Manifesto by Atul Gawande

As a student of business processes, I found this book to be quite helpful. A well-constructed, simple checklist can dramatically improve processes, minimize mistakes, and even save lives. The book is written by Dr. Atul Gawande, a general surgeon at the Brigham and Women’s Hospital in Boston. He researched checklists from the construction of skyscrapers, to the aviation industry, and, of course, the operating room. Dr. Gawande worked with the World Health Organization and was involved in developing the process that in the OR is called “The Timeout”. Whatever industry you are in, you will probably find this book helpful to improving processes and minimizing errors.

3. Measure What Matters by John Doerr

This is another book I’m going to need to read again. It is, as the title implies, a book about measuring activities and focusing on the things that truly matter. John Doerr worked at Intel for Andy Grove, the father of Objectives and Key Results (OKR’s). An objective is the direction, while the key results are specific measurable tasks that, when carried out, culminate to help achieve the objective.

In Measure What Matters, Doerr discusses how OKR’s supercharged results for Google, Gono, and Bill Gates. Many of the principles from this insightful book will be implemented at Medworks.

Darrell Shires , Medworks President & CEO

A Medworks Legend is Retiring

Thu, 27 Jun 2019 16:50:00 GMT

It was the winter of 2015. Medworks was in it’s second year providing laser services. Business processes had been pretty simple up to that point. We had only a handful of team members and our office was a small building next to my house. Since the business started in 2005, Donna Shires had taken care of our administrative functions while I and others worked in the field. Near the end of 2015, Donna, realizing that our admin needs were growing, suggested we bring on someone with bookkeeping expertise. I went to my good friend Mike Bridges and asked him if he could recommend someone who could work part-time doing bookkeeping work. Mike had recently retired from a successful career in IT. A couple of days later, Mike called me to say, “Hey, how about I do it”? I was surprised, but thrilled that someone of his knowledge and experience would be willing to help us.

Fast forward to 2019. We have now outgrown our small office in Rockville, almost tripled in volume, and have over 25 team members. Much of the credit for creating, developing and implementing our processes belongs to Mike Bridges. Mike has been willing to tackle hundreds of tedious tasks that have made us more productive and efficient. He is a man of the highest integrity and a great role model for our team members.

At the end of May, Mike will be retiring from Medworks. He wants to spend more time traveling and helping take care of friends and family. I thank Mike for his incredible contributions to Medworks and wish him much happiness in retirement.

Darrell Shires
President, Medworks

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Thinking About What you Think About

justin@rivercityconsulting.com (Justin Ellett) — Tue, 04 Jun 2019 19:12:00 GMT

Recently, I listened to a sermon (Source: David Dwight, Hope Church, Richmond, VA) where the following question was asked: Do you ever think about what you think about? Since then, that question has popped into my mind several times. The truth is, I haven’t really intentionally spent time thinking about what I think about. But it is a truly relevant question. The things we think about can have a dramatic effect on our attitude, our mood, and even our actions. Therefore, it seems that devoting some time to what we think about is a worthy endeavor.

When I finally took the time to evaluate my daily thoughts, I was surprised at how many negative thoughts went through mind. I consider myself to be a positive person, but I now realize I need to be better tuned in and more aware of the thoughts that are “streaming” in my mind.

It has been estimated that an average brain has anywhere from 25,000 – 50,000 thoughts a day and 70% of them are negative (Source: Psychology Today). That is a lot of negative thinking and it must take a toll on our psyche. Given this, it is no wonder that many of us deal with anxiety, stress, depression, sleeping disorders, and other debilitating conditions. So, what can we do about this?

I hope you will find this helpful and will take the time today to think about what you think about. Please feel free to write back any thoughts or ideas you have about this.

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Good News

Mon, 29 Apr 2019 20:17:00 GMT

Every day, many of us wake up and are inundated with bad news almost as soon as the alarm goes off. If you listen to the radio, watch tv, read a newspaper, or get on social media, you are likely hearing stories of trouble and even tragedy. One must wonder how this affects the psyche and sets the tone for the rest of the day.

On the other hand, receiving or sharing good news and gratitude requires intentionality. Taking the time to listen to someone’s good news can be mutually beneficial. The same is true for thinking of your own good news or gratitude and sharing it with others. There are many studies that have shown a connection between shared good news and sustained feelings of happiness.

At times, I will challenge a friend or family member to exchange three “gratitudes” every day, sometimes continuing the practice for as long as a month. We will try to not repeat the same ones every day, but instead, look for new things to be grateful for. I try to think of something spiritual or from nature, something relational, and something personal or perhaps even material. It is a practice I find to be emotionally uplifting, and highly recommend it especially during difficult times.

Each weekday, all Medworks employees participate in a morning huddle conference call. Its purpose is for each team member to announce where they will be working throughout the day. This quick early morning communication gets us off to a good start and reduces the number of communications that would otherwise be necessary during the day. But, as a part of the call, we always make space for encouraging anyone to share good news, either business or personal. Often, it is a team member giving a “shout out” to another teammate. I believe this part of the call is helpful, even subconsciously, in getting us off to a good and positive start.

Feel free to share your thoughts, or even better, share your good news.

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The GRIT Award

Wed, 17 Apr 2019 16:49:00 GMT

Medworks places a high degree of emphasis on our foundational and organizational values.

We seek energetic, upbeat, enthusiastic, and creative team members determined to achieve our purpose and goals — Team members who possess GRIT: Growth, Readiness, Integrity, and Team.

GRIT is the heart and soul of our company. At Medworks , our work directly impacts the quality of service we provide to surgical professionals. Through product support and a personal touch, we strive to be solution-oriented and relationship-focused.

In 2019, Medworks implemented a quarterly recognition called the GRIT Award . The award identifies team members who exemplify our values and demonstrate GRIT.

All team members have the opportunity to nominate and vote for another member of our team. Nominations include a description of how the team member displays each value and exemplifies extraordinary GRIT! An outstanding customer success story is encouraged in support of the nomination.

To determine the quarterly winner, our leaders review the nominations and votes cast. At the end of the year, the team votes once again to select one of the four quarterly winners to be awarded the GRIT Award of the Year!

If you would like to stay up-to-date on our quarterly GRIT winners, follow us on our Facebook page or our Linkedin page.

Medworks 2019 Letter

Tue, 08 Jan 2019 21:19:00 GMT

We have come to the end of another year and I find myself, once again, reflecting on the accomplishments, setbacks, and surprises encountered along the way. For Medworks, it was another year of aggressive growth, both in size and in refinement of our processes. I am extremely proud of our team members as they weathered these challenges with great poise, stamina, and GRIT. Their efforts have positioned us for further expansion and growth in 2019 and beyond.

To our suppliers and companies that trust us to represent them, I am very grateful to each of you. Your excellent products allow us to fulfill our mission of providing healthcare professionals with the highest quality products and services available.

Thank you to all the healthcare providers that continue to allow us to play a role in the great care you give your patients. Paradoxically, we are both humbled and proud to be a part of an industry focused on the treatment and healing of patients.

Medworks has plans in 2019 to further define our portfolio of sales and service products to the Virginia, DC, and Maryland areas. We are expecting to continue gaining market share by finding new ways to support surgeons and healthcare providers in the operating room. Our goal is to provide the room with a person of expertise who can support all aspects of urological procedures including knowledge of lasers (Convergent, Quanta), endoscopic cameras and instrumentation (Richard Wolf Medical), patient positioning equipment (Allen Medical), and disposables (Bard Endourology). We believe this to be a powerful combination of skills, holding the potential to greatly enhance physician and staff support in these procedures while bringing a positive new dynamic to the OR.

In 2018, we fully staffed our specialty sales group. These representatives are focused on non-urology products including gynecology, ENT, and general surgery. With our product and service offerings, we are well positioned to further develop our presence in these specialties.

Medworks is continuing to look for ways to make an impact in our local community and beyond. Our hearts are drawn toward marginalized young people, those whose situations place them at great risk. Unfortunately these kids are often forgotten. Our goal is to give, not only in material ways but also in support of extracurricular activities, educational opportunities, family support, mentoring, etc. We have already connected with Fostering Hope, Virginia Kids Belong, and The Caring Clothes Closet, all organizations that support the foster care system. It is our plan to increase our involvement in supporting these children while building awareness of the need throughout our sphere of influence.

I am excited as I anticipate a new year full of more opportunity for personal and professional growth.
Let’s make an impact in 2019!

Darrell Shires
President, Medworks

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Medworks in the Community

Thu, 27 Dec 2018 18:29:00 GMT

During this holiday season, I want to express my gratitude to the many people I am connected to because of Medworks. From the healthcare professionals I have the pleasure of working with, to the talented and hard-working employees that have found a home here. Any successes we have achieved have come about because of you. Thank you!

As an extension of our core values, we as an organization have pledged to reach outside ourselves to help the local community and beyond through charitable giving and direct involvement in projects to help those in need. I want to highlight some of these projects and non-profits to create awareness in case you haven’t already heard about them.

One area of our focus is on helping to fund and provide transportation for children to participate in extracurricular activities. This passion was inspired by the Angela Duckworth book, “Grit”, where she cites evidence that consistent involvement in an extracurricular activity (two years or more) vastly increases that child’s chances of future success in school and career. We have just started this project, but so far, we have supported a dirt biking camp, boxing lessons, and are currently working on a basketball sponsorship and piano lessons. Most of our work has been with foster children.

Caring Clothes Closet

Currently, Medworks is involved in a project to provide pajamas and small stuffed animals for children through an organization called “Caring Clothes Closet”. CCC is a local Richmond group that provides clothes and comfort bags to at risk children. These bags include items such as brushes, combs, toothbrushes, blankets, colored pencils, markers, and stuffed animals. You can learn more about Caring Clothes Closet at www.caringclothescloset.org .

Fostering Hope

Another group we work with is Fostering Hope. This organization is focused on life and career coaching for foster children that are aging out of the system. They also provide care packages, meals, and offer “parents night out” for parents of foster children as well as other types of support for foster children and their caregivers. Earlier this year, Medworks was privileged to assist in providing child care and restaurant gift cards to allow some appreciative foster parents a date night. Learn more about Fostering Hope at www.fosteringhopeva.org .

Virginia Kids Belong

This organization has a mission to provide permanency and belonging for every child. They actively recruit foster and adoptive parents as well as peripheral support for foster and adoptive families. You can find out more about Virginia Kids Belong by going to www.vakidsbelong.org .

Medworks strongly encourages its’ employees to do charity work they are interested in and several employees participated in both domestic and international projects in 2018. “To whom much is given, much is required”. It is my hope that each of you will find opportunities to live outside of yourselves and reach out. There are many needs.

Darrell Shires, Medworks President & CEO

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Anh Hoang visits Medworks!

Fri, 27 Jul 2018 20:06:00 GMT

Anh Hoang, CEO of Convergent Laser Technologies, dropped in to the Medworks office for a visit. We love being able to meet up with representatives from the companies we work with. Anh in particular always has amazing stories to share, so we took the opportunity to talk to him more about his history, as well as the history of Convergent Laser Technologies .

Anh was born in Vietnam at a time when it was separated as North and South Vietnam He lived there through the Vietnam War. After graduating in South Vietnam from the University of Saigon with a B.S. in Oceanography, he fled Vietnam in 1981 along with many other “boat people,” and arrived in the United States in 1982.

B eing unfamiliar with the US, but knowing that “Oklahoma is OK,” he settled there and began working at an industrial bakery plant in Oklahoma City. He told us that he quickly became a“professional at perfecting donuts in bulk quantities,” and that laser development never crossed his mind at this time. However, after a year and a half, he returned to studying physics at Oklahoma City University, and then graduate school at the University of California in Santa Barbara.

In the late 1980s, he began his career in laser development with Laser Sonics, Milpitas, CA where he began working with Nd:YAG and CO2 lasers researching laser-tissue interaction. Pursuing an interest in light and tissue interactions, he joined Xintec (now Convergent Laser Technologies ) in Alameda, CA in the early 1990s.

In May 2016, Dr. Marilyn M. Chou, Ph.D., CEO, retired, making Anh the CEO of Convergent Laser Technologies . Speaking of this transition, Anh noted “I never expected to become CEO of Convergent, but the opportunity to engage in a new challenge at a company whose works that I really believe in is a major factor in accepting the responsibility.”

Convergent continues to invest in product R&D and clinical applications, specifically laser wavelengths and sensors which provide surgeons with an effective tool to achieve speedy procedures and the best patient outcomes. Convergent has since expanded internationally with plans for continued growth in the future, and Medworks is proud to be a part of that growth.

Check out Convergent’s cutting edge technology and more on our products and services page .

Medworks Own, Lindsey Tuck in Nicaragua

Fri, 29 Jun 2018 17:35:00 GMT

reapgranada.com

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Why does Medworks have Core Values?

Mon, 25 Jun 2018 15:34:00 GMT

When the leaders at Medworks set out to define the company’s core values, we had no idea how mentally challenging the task was going to be. Frankly, it was tedious and fatiguing as we invested hours upon hours of our valuable time. Through numerous brainstorming sessions, we examined ideas and ideals, along with the words and language that accurately expressed them. Natalie, our fractional marketing director who is a world class white-boarder, kept us on task, focused and organized. She expertly wrote on the board, connecting lines, drawing circles, erasing this and replacing it with that. At times, it really seemed like we were spinning our wheels. But there finally was a tipping point when things began falling into place. Tedium and fatigue were suddenly replaced by energy, excitement, and satisfaction.

The Medworks core values are GROWTH, READINESS, INTEGRITY, and TEAM. This can be summed up in its acronym, “GRIT” (reference the book with that title by Angela Duckworth). Some people might say, “You are a small company. Why take the time and energy to do this?” It is true that many small companies (and some large ones) do not give much thought to core values. For me, it was essential that we as an organization knew WHO we were and WHY we were. Unearthing our core values helped us tremendously in the search to define our culture and our reason for being. Today, we measure almost everything we do by the standard of these core values. For example, to team members working independently, these core values function as a leadership voice readily delivering guidance, policy and answers. As a result, the “GRIT” model serves as a blueprint or conscience to help us consistently do the right thing for our customers and their patients.

Did we get it 100% right? Time will tell, and re-evaluation will be necessary periodically. The important thing is that we believe in the values we chose and use them as a moral compass.

Lately I have been thinking it might be useful to define my own personal core values. It’s not that I don’t know what I believe in or stand for, but there is something clarifying about reducing those values down to a few important words that represent the “core” beliefs. I posted a blog at the end of last year called “One Word”. In it, I chose a word theme to try to live by in 2018, and I challenged readers to do the same. The word I chose was discipline. Having that word has most definitely impacted my actions so far this year. This makes me think that going even deeper could help keep me focused on staying true to myself, and guided toward what is important and valuable.

Would you consider exploring your own core values? I would love to hear your thoughts.

The post Why does Medworks have Core Values? appeared first on Medworks Surgical .

Work Life Balance

Fri, 04 May 2018 16:54:00 GMT

Growing up in the 1960’s and 70’s, I don’t ever remember the term “work- life balance” being used. Though there were exceptions, I think most people worked their hours and then, for the most part, left their work at the workplace. There were distinct natural separation points which made taking the work away from the workplace difficult.

Technology has completely blurred the lines of separation. For many of us (me included), work can go almost anywhere we go. And while that opens new opportunities, it can also result in an unhealthy lifestyle. Given this, how can we find that illusive “work – life balance”?

I have heard it said and I tend to agree, there is really no such thing as work – life balance. By definition, work is a part of our life. Not just a part, a really big part! Maybe what we need is simply a balanced approach to life. So, if that is the objective, how can we achieve it?

For simplicity, let’s compartmentalize our lives into three categories:

• Personal – Time that we spend doing things for ourselves. Eating well, working out, engaging in hobbies, resting, sleeping.
• Family – Spending time taking care of our most important relationships with family (and close friends).
• Work – The time we spend at work or doing work related activities.

Too much emphasis on any one of these areas can make a person feel off balance. This feeling can cause undue stress no matter which area of life is commanding the best of us. But for most, work is the area that can pull us into its vortex if we are not intentionally careful. When work tilts us off center, the things that suffer can be devastating to productivity, relationships, health, energy and our attitude.

So, what can we do about it?

1. Author Stephen Covey in his book “The seven habits of highly effective people” said “The main thing is keeping the main thing the main thing” . It is easy to get distracted by all the “noise” in our work day. Often, the busy work takes a lot of our time with little gain. I encourage you to try to identify and then focus on your “main thing”, that work that is critical to success in your job. You may find that you have more available time than you think.

2. Learn to say no. People will line up to hand off their work to you if you allow for it. Often, workers trying to get ahead and be liked will take on work that is not their own in order to gain acceptance. The most productive people learn to say no so they can focus on their important work.

3. Give your phone a time out. Just put it away for a while. We are addicted to our phones and they may be one of the biggest time-wasting distractions ever!

4. Don’t neglect your health. According to psychology professor Stanley Coren in his book “Sleep Thieves”, when you are sleep deprived you actually lose IQ points? And when you put junk food in your body or fail to get exercise, you may be losing productivity. Both exercise and healthy eating can increase metabolism and provide extra energy. So, if you think “powering through” is the answer, you are fooling yourself.

5. Taking work home. Many of us, myself included, take work home. The important thing is to not let it become an uncontrolled habit. Put boundaries around your personal, social, and family time, understanding that those parts of your life are critical to your well being.

There is a lot more to be said about this subject so don’t be surprised if there is a sequel. Hopefully, something in this blog will resonate and motivate you to work on your life balance. I would love to hear your thoughts!

The post Work – Life Balance appeared first on Medworks Surgical .

Medworks Core Values

Wed, 18 Apr 2018 19:15:00 GMT

During much of 2017, the Medworks’ leadership team spent several months diligently working to articulate its true core values. This was a tedious and time-consuming task. Clarifying these standards was essential not only for lending guidance to our daily operations, but also in giving direction for our future.

Medworks now solidly stands on these four values, GROWTH , READINESS , INTEGRITY , and TEAM . Using the first letter of each of these words we are reminded of a key principle and important strength: GRIT!

We asked some of our team members what GRIT means to them and how it affects them individually. To Ryan Buckley, GRIT is “what I see in my colleagues, and what I hope they see in me. A group of hard working individuals who dedicate everything they have to be better, for themselves and the ones they love. When this group of individuals unite, their potential is limitless.”

“G” – Growth. For Susan Cochran , “Growth means I will work independently to increase my knowledge and awareness and that I will work collectively with everyone at Medworks to realize goals and bring forth abundance.”

“R” – Readiness. Adrianne Shelton believes Readiness means “always staying one step ahead of the game – thinking through various ways a situation can play out, and learning the habits of our clients so we can predict what they may need from us.”

“I” – Integrity. To Mark Maddux, Integrity means “always following through on your word when you say you will do something. Also, being honest and forthright even when no one knows or the option to do the opposite is available.”

“T” – Team. For Jason Holley , Team means “working together to be a part of something that is greater than yourself.”

People with GRIT are driven to improve, motivated to achieve long-term goals, and committed to a purpose. These are qualities we look for in all our team members and we are pleased to have such a gritty bunch going above and beyond each day at Medworks.

Small Things are How Big Things are Made

Thu, 29 Mar 2018 20:41:00 GMT

Let’s be honest. Have you ever wanted to tackle something big, like learning a language or musical instrument? Or maybe you started a DIY remodeling job at home?

How about getting in shape or losing weight? Did it work out or did the task eventually become too overwhelming? There are many things we consider doing and sometimes start, only to give up because the size of the task is seemingly insurmountable.

Building a business is another example of a big task. Medworks has been around for over thirteen years and faces more challenges now than when it first began. But if you want to accomplish something significant, it will most likely first appear as a colossal challenge made up of many smaller pieces. Pieces? That’s the key! By systematically tackling the smaller challenges, big things get accomplished. The late coach John Wooden said, “It’s the little details that are vital. Little things make big things happen”.

Let’s break down a large goal, say working out regularly. Start with why . Maybe the motivation is to feel better, look better, live a healthier lifestyle or lose weight. Whatever the reason, make sure you understand it and feel it deeply.

I want to encourage you to go for the big goal that fear of failure has prevented you from attempting in the past. Start small and go big! Look for a future blog on the fear of failure.

Two Impacts on Professional Development

Wed, 31 Jan 2018 17:46:00 GMT

During my career as a sales rep and entrepreneur, two things have been the most impactful in my professional development:

1. Experience: there is no substitute

2. Reading: an unlimited knowledge pool awaits through articles and books

Mostly, I like to read non-fiction books, though occasionally I enjoy a good novel. As Medworks has grown and the business has become more complex, I have at times found myself swimming in deep waters, unsure of the right decisions. The reading of business books has been a wonderful source of information and advice and has often guided me through those uncertainties. All of this said, I would like to highlight just three books that I have read in the last year.

Good to Great by Jim Collins

In 1994, Jim Collins and Jerry Porras coauthored a book called Built to Last, an excellent book well worth the read. That book uses a research driven approach to uncover the successful habits of visionary companies. Using the same approach, Collins and his team spent five years analyzing data to understand why some mediocre companies become great while others never make the leap. For every good to great company, there is a comparison to a similar company that did not achieve greatness. These entities, once they made the leap from good to great, sustained market shattering returns for fifteen straight years. The book uncovers specific characteristics that set the great companies apart from their comparison companies. Good to Great contains valuable principles that can be modeled by other business entities.

The Five Dysfunctions of a Team by Patrick Lencioni

Written as a fable, this book is a story about a startup technology company, Decision Tech. Decision Tech is quickly running out of money. Kathryn Peterson is brought in as CEO to turn things around. While she is a bit older and has no background in tech, she is masterful at building teams. On arrival, she discovers a very dysfunctional team of leaders, each having their own agenda. Kathryn organizes a retreat for the team where she introduces the five dysfunctions. This book is relevant to any situation where teams and meetings are involved. I encourage every person on my leadership team to read this book. It is an easy read that I would highly recommend.

Called to Create by Jordan Raynor

Called to Create is a book about entrepreneurship written from a Christian perspective. In it, the reader is challenged to appreciate the deeper purpose and meaning of their work, and the good that can be accomplished by entrepreneurs and companies that consider their work a calling. Examples in the book include TOMS shoes, Chick-Fil-A, In-N-Out Burger, Guinness, and others. These companies have all strived for excellence in quality and service. They serve their employees, communities, customers, and participate in many charitable endeavors. At Medworks, we try to be “intentionally excellent” as we serve our healthcare community and share our resources with those in need through our charity work.

Do you have a good book or two to share? I would love to hear from you!

Looking Back to the Future in BPH Surgical Management

Fri, 19 Jan 2018 20:49:00 GMT

By Frazier Fortenberry, MD Urologist, Sentara Martha Jefferson Hospital

AS LONG AS THERE HAVE BEEN MEN OVER THE AGE OF 50, there likely have been problems with benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH), as well as its symptoms and complications. The history of this malady is recorded back to ancient times, but the first person credited with attempting to correct the problem surgically was LaFaye, who in 1756 used a lance-shaped stylette to blindly open a patient’s prostatic channel. Poor patient!

Many others have followed with their own unique methods for attempting to relieve obstruction—with some intimidating and downright horrifying instruments. True advancement of the technique, however, really required the development of the cystoscope, which originated in the early 20th century. In the late 19th century, surgeons including Belfield (1887), Fuller and Freyer (1890s), and Bentley Squier (1911) developed the modern-day suprapubic (open) prostatectomy, which involves surgically separating the entire prostatic overgrowth from the attenuated outer peripheral prostate (hence the term “enucleation”). This operation contrasted to the simultaneous development of the transurethral resection of prostate (TURP) procedure in the early 1900s, which culminated in a urological electrosurgical resectoscope (Stern-McCarthy, 1929).

Over the next 90 years, further developments in both procedures evolved. However, the TURP has been traditionally favored over the open procedure for multiple reasons, most importantly avoiding an open procedure with an abdominal incision. The exception to this day has been large prostate volume, which is better managed with an open surgical technique. The accumulation of bleeding surface area developing with TURP resection or vaporization of prostatic parenchyma favors the open technique with larger-volume BPH.

In the late 1980s through the 1990s, several new medical alternatives became available, including alpha-blocker therapy with drugs such as Hytrin and Flomax, as well as 5-alpha reductase inhibitors like Proscar and Avodart. New medications, along with published negative surgical outcome data by Mebust in 1989, supplanted many procedures. TURP, once one of the most commonly performed hospital procedures, became infrequent.

Throughout the 1990s, surgical management of BPH went in numerous and often disappointing directions, ultimately returning to the traditional TURP and open prostatectomy. The popularity of BPH treatment techniques, such as radiofrequency transurethral needle ablation, Indigo laser thermoablation, prostatic dilation, microwave thermoablation, Nd:YAG and unipolar vaporization—among many others—waxed and waned. By 2000, urologists shifted back to TURP, improved by the bipolar technology, allowing use of isotonic saline rather than glycine for resection, thereby making the operation safer with diminished blood loss risk. Open prostatectomy remained the standard for BPH tissue in excess of 100 gm estimated resectable volume.

Although we were looking for minimal invasiveness, the trade-off always seemed to be loss of efficacy and limited durability. Even many TURP procedures eventually failed due to the incomplete resection of BPH tissue.

Gilling and Fraundorfer in New Zealand recognized these limitations. They were investigating use of the 2100 nm holmium laser, which was commonly used for ureteral stones. Using this higher-power (80-100 watts) laser, they sought to perform the same enucleation procedure with the scope that Squier—without laser technology—had originally described in 1911. Complete prostatic enucleation with an open technique could be adapted to an endoscopic approach and thus be minimally invasive. The question of what to do with the large chunks of enucleated prostatic tissue released into the bladder following enucleation was resolved with the innovative use of an existing morcellator technology. This operation, first described in 1999, became known as holmium laser enucleation of the prostate (HoLEP).

HoLEP has grown more rapidly in Europe than in the United States. Several reasons for such slow growth in this country include lack of availability of expensive laser technology, laser resectoscopes, and competing presently used bipolar resection/vaporization and Green-Light PVP. Additionally, a steep learning curve for surgeons has limited this procedure largely to academic centers.

After pioneering the development of the 1470 nm, 100-watt diode laser, Convergent Laser partnered with urological instrumentation company Richard Wolf to offer laser enucleation of the prostate (LEP). Combining these two exceptional technologies, which included far superior hemostatic control using the 1470 nm laser combined with a more intuitive laser resectoscope, enabled the community urologist to transfer already existing TURP skills into this innovative, minimally invasive, complete enucleation procedure.

The prostatic dissection is the same as HoLEP and achieved the same result as open prostatic enucleation, leaving only the peripheral prostate remaining. The laser fiber is identical to HoLEP (600 μ), has end-fire function and variable power settings, and is controlled through a laser resectoscope that is very similar to a TURP resectoscope. The risks with HoLEP or LEP regarding long-term stress incontinence are 1-2 percent, which is comparable to TURP. Short-term leakage (3 months) with LEP/HoLEP is reported as high as 20 percent due to complete elimination of BPH.

Morcellation with the Richard Wolf offset nephroscope 4.9 mm probe is the state of the art. Some concerns have been raised recently regarding tissue morcellation, including in a March 18, 2016, Wall Street Journal article. In this article, the concern was related to morcellation of presumed benign resected uterine tissue inside the abdominal cavity. The controversy regards potential for transmission of occult tumor cells from the morcellated uterine tissue into the peritoneal cavity. This does not have any relationship to the morcellation technique utilized within the bladder for the benign prostate overgrowth. Even if there were prostate cancer cells present, it must be remembered that even with channel TURP resection of prostate cancer, there is a minimal risk of tumor implantation onto the bladder mucosal surface. Indeed, it is commonplace for bladder cancer to be resected within the bladder, with these tumor cells floating within the bladder during the procedure. Morcellation does not create any risk to spread of potential prostatic cancer cells when utilized within the bladder in this manner.

Since performance of this procedure is associated with much lower risk of blood loss both during and after surgery, the patient usually can be discharged the same day of surgery, thereby avoiding the need for overnight stays typically required for TURP and even HoLEP. The procedure can be performed safely in individuals who are on low-dose aspirin or even anticoagulated on Coumadin. Bleeding risk on continuous heparin drip, Lovenox or the newer Eliquis-type anticoagulant meds have not been well established as safe.

Finally, just in the last couple of years we have seen three new procedure offerings with promises of comparable symptom relief, excellent durability (usually studied and published for two to three years of follow-up), and preservation of optimal urinary and sexual function. Most recent technologies include Urolift, Rezum and PAE (prostatic arterial embolization). None of these technologies eliminate the entire obstructing prostate tissue, and therefore durability for more than 5-10 years remains in doubt.

I think our “urological founding fathers” would be gratified to know that during the 100 years since their original descriptions, we have found our way right back to where they began (with a little help from technology).

In 2013, Sentara Martha Jefferson was the first hospital in Virginia to purchase the laser resectoscope equipment and morcellator . Since that time, we have performed about 150 laser enucleation procedures, giving us the distinction of having the largest body of experience for this procedure in the state.

View Sentara Martha Jefferson's Original Article

2017: A breakthrough year for Medworks!

Thu, 04 Jan 2018 16:53:00 GMT

Dear employees, suppliers, and clients,

I am truly grateful for all that you have done and continue to do that has allowed Medworks to enjoy a tremendously successful 2017. As with any story such as this, it is the commitment, determination, and hard work done in the trenches that make it happen. At Medworks, we call this GRIT. To our employees and independent consultants, thank you for the GRIT you have displayed throughout the year! To our suppliers, I thank you for trusting Medworks with your “best in class” products. Your day-to-day support is highly valued and much appreciated. To our clients, thank you for choosing to let us serve you. We know you have many choices. We are humbled that you allow us to assist you as you treat and heal patients.

2017 was a breakthrough year for Medworks. We started the year with 10 employees and 2 independent consultants (1 of whom was hired in December 2016). In 2017, we added 3 new employees, a marketing consultant, and are in the process of hiring for 2 new positions. Early in the year, with the help of our marketing consultant, Natalie Toalson McNamara, we uncovered our core values and clearly defined our mission. In June, we moved into an office location in Rockville, VA. We introduced a new logo and launched a completely revamped website. Both our sales and services segments showed healthy growth in 2017. We have increased revenue almost 40% year over year for the last 2 years in a row.

Finally, Medworks will expand its charitable outreach, giving back to our communities. We will continue to look for new opportunities for giving and participating towards the betterment of others. We believe that by doing this, we will constantly be reminded of how fortunate we all are. If we do what we can for others, our world will begin to change for the better.

I look forward to sharing 2018 with all of you!

Darrell Shires
President and CEO, Medworks

Merry and Bright!

Thu, 28 Dec 2017 22:50:00 GMT

At Medworks Surgical , we know that every year there are many families who struggle to make Christmas happen for their little ones. As a company and as individuals, the Medworks team was blessed with the opportunity and the means to sponsor a family from a local elementary school this Christmas season.

We had so much fun shopping for three children and their family, and we hope their Christmas is Merry and Bright!

Revised Logo

Thu, 28 Dec 2017 19:46:00 GMT

Since the beginning of 2005, Medworks has been operating as an independent sales force representing manufacturers of high quality medical and surgical devices throughout the state of Virginia, North Carolina, D.C., extending on into Maryland. Medworks has grown and evolved over the past 12 years, and in 2014 introduced a laser rental program as a new service to its customers. As competition increased in the marketplace, Medworks stood ready to define itself as an industry leader offering best-in-class products along with unsurpassed service.

Throughout 2017, the leadership team worked strategically to define the Medworks culture by succinctly determining its core values. With the help of our marketing team, a new logo was developed and in October, we celebrated its unveiling. This logo includes our mark, which has become our readily identifiable symbol. Within the mark you can see the merged M and W of our name but beyond that, the symbolism is significant. The overall shape of the Medworks mark represents a waveform, giving a nod to our laser program. The mark’s predominant blue symbolizes integrity, knowledge, dependability and trust while the variant shades of color depict the movement of overlapping yet fluid energy, defining the Medworks organization.

Check it out and tell us what you think !

One Word

Thu, 14 Dec 2017 08:00:00 GMT

The end of another year is upon us. Around this time, I begin to reflect on what I have done and left undone. Inevitably, I am tempted to make yet another New Years resolution. These resolutions are usually things such as losing weight, working out more, working harder, working less, spending more time with family, reading, you name it. I don’t know about you, but my resolutions rarely survive January. Yet, here I am once again just feeling another soon to be broken resolution coming on.

The other day my wife, Donna, mentioned an idea to me that she had heard about. I think this idea has been around for quite some time, but it was new to me. The idea is to identify one word and focus on it as a way of improving your life. I really like the idea and decided to go for it. Since the word is meant to help make positive and lasting changes, it is very important to spend time thinking about what that one word should be. After giving it a lot of thought, I have decided my word for 2018 will be DISCIPLINE. My plan is to keep that word in front of me so I am constantly aware and challenged to be more disciplined in all aspects of my life.

Do you think one word might help you supercharge your life in 2018? I challenge you to join me in trying this exercise. Let’s make an intentional effort to improve an area of our lives and hold each other accountable. What will be your word? If you are up to the challenge, email me at info@medworkssurgical.com and share your word.

L et’s do this, Darrell Shires

Medworks Outreach: Peru

Thu, 07 Dec 2017 21:34:00 GMT

Territory Manager joins Bon Secours St. Mary's Team on Medical Outreach Trip

In October, our team member, Lindsey Tuck, had the opportunity to join the Bon Secours team from St. Mary’s Hospital on a medical mission trip to Trujillo, Peru. Dr. Nathan Guerette from the Female Pelvic Medicine Institute , a local Richmond urogynecologist, flew down with the team to the Clinica Madre de Christo to tend to the local patients who needed help.

Medworks partnered with manufacturers we represent to provide necessary equipment for procedures in Peru, including grafts, slings, fixation tools, open instruments, and endoscopes. We are so grateful to NeoMedic , Novo Instruments , Tissue Regenix , and Adler Instrument Company for their contributions to this wonderful mission.

When Lindsey heard about the trip, she immediately knew she wanted to help. When asked why she wanted to join the team, she replied “because my passion is mission work and I found an opportunity where I could use my current job and put it towards something good.” While in Peru, Lindsey was surprised how quickly everyone was able to work together even through a language barrier, and how welcoming the people were. She said, “they probably have the biggest hearts of anyone I’ve ever seen.”

Her favorite part? “Working with the team and being able to build relationships with the Peruvian OR staff to all work together to do something good!”

Check out some of the pictures from the trip!

The Strength of Team

One Word for 2026

"I have learned that choosing a word isn’t about perfection—it’s about progress."

Megan Pillis returns to Guatemala with "Dare for More"

Having a heart for global missions, Service Rep Megan Pillis travels to Guatemala for a return visit.

Project Medwoof

Whether they woof, meow, or quack, Project Medwoof provided a fun way to show off our faithful companions while representing a great cause.

Volunteerism Makes a Difference in Coeur d' Alene, ID

In July, Danny Foxx, Medworks Client Support Representative, donated a week of time to a local food bank.

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Making the Community Better through Education

As an accomplished musician, Josh Murrell, Medworks Corporate Trainer, shares his gifts with high school students.

Making a Difference in Corozal Belize

Latequa Hyman, Medworks Surgical Technologist, joined Global Surgical Expedition to "Make the Community Better" in Belize. ﻿

One Word for 2025

Darrell Shires, Medworks' President, continues his annual practice of selecting a word to guide him through the new year.

Outreach in Guatemala

Megan Pillis, Medworks' Service Rep in Southwest VA, blends her love of travel and her heart for helping others through "Dare for More."

Thanksgiving Outreach

During Thanksgiving week, Susan Cochran, Medworks Inventory Specialist, took time off work to deliver holiday meals to grateful recipients

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Fostering Success Summit 2024

Fostering Success Summit 2024 is sponsored by: Anthem Healthkeepers Plus

Community Giveback In North Idaho

From July 29th to August 1, Medworks’ Montana Region Client Support Representative, Danny Foxx, volunteered at the Ronald Mcdonald association in North Idaho.

D-URS and Optica TFL – A Powerful Pair

This combination of the DURS and the Optica TFL, both provided by Medworks, is a game-changer in the field of endourology, offering patients a minimally invasive, highly effective solution for the treatment of urinary tract stones.

Global Surgical Expedition Returns to Belize

Global Surgical Expedition Returns to Belize

Volunteer Day! by Greta Holm

Medworks’ Central VA Service Rep, Greta Holm tells of her outreach experience at Belmont Community Resource Services in Richmond, VA

Medworks CEO Attends EOS Visionary Masterclass

Explore the power of the Visionary-Integrator model

Southeastern Section AUA meeting

Medworks introduces its innovative service offerings to surgeons from North Carolina

Customer vs Client

What's the Difference?

Leveling Up - A Letter to the Team

Let’s Level-Up, Medworks

What it Means to Provide Concierge-Level Support

ONE WORD for 2024

Medworks President, Darrell Shires,

reveals his "One Word" focus for 2024

Medworks Holds Its Annual Meeting

Reflecting on the Achievements of 2023

﻿ & Setting New Goals for 2024

Preference Cards

By keeping these preferences on file, we can ensure that each procedure is carried out according to the surgeon’s specifications.

A New Year’s Letter from our President

Medworks 2024 Letter

Scrub Assist - A New Standard of Efficiency in Urology Procedures

Now delivering Concierge Service with a Certified Scrub Tech specifically trained in urology.

Medworks Surgical Assist Program

Wendi Straub, Medworks Clinical Educator, explains the role of a Surgical Technologist within our Scrub Assist Program.

Where in the World is Will Reynolds?

In November, Will Reynolds, Medworks VP of Business Development, traveled to Belize to work on a five-day mission project.

Football, Family, Food, and Outreach

During high school football season, Medworks' VP of Operations, Julie Amos, heads to New Kent to support her favorite coach!

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Medworks Monthy Office Staff Luncheon

It's lively conversation and delicious food for the Medworks office staff every second Friday of the month. Bon appétit!

Medworks Growth Update

New structural reinforcements will provide a better foundation to support our expanding customer base and ensure operational excellence.

Foster Parent Night Out

Last month, Medworks learned of a community need through the Hanover Foster Care Network.

A Unique Disposable Ureteroscope from Richard Wolf

This cutting-edge device offers the perfect blend of a semi-rigid scope feel and flexible capabilities.

North Carolina Progress

Medworks is now offering all of its services to facilities across the state of North Carolina. Here's a progress report!

Making the World Better

In mid-July, father and son duo, Will and Rowen Reynolds, traveled the globe to work and play in Ahmedabad, India.

The Long Commute

Medworks is rapidly growing its presence on the west coast. Learn how we're "going the distance" to meet the growth with GRIT!

Working with Meaning and Purpose

While widespread employee shortages are evident in many industries, Darrell Shires shares thoughts and a theory on the issue!

Taking Outreach to the Schools!

Treysi Knox, Medworks' Customer Care Coordinator, stepped up to serve the schools where her children attend. Here she shares the story of her experience.

Being a Success Foundation Mentor

Our Project Specialist, Rachael Jarrells, writes about mentoring young adults who have aged out of the foster care system.

April Is National Volunteer Month!

Latequa Hyman, Medworks Surgical Technologist, joined Global Surgical Expedition to "Make the Community Better" in Belize.

Fostering Success Summit 2024 is sponsored by:
Anthem Healthkeepers Plus

& Setting New Goals for 2024

So that's it! Handling repairs the Medworks way. Making the Room Better IS the Medworks Difference!