Behind the Scenes: Equipping healthcare facilities to meet clinicians' daily tech needs

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In our Behind the Scenes: HealthTech series, we shine the spotlight on the unsung heroes and heroines – the healthtechies – who work behind the spotlight, at times round the clock to keep Singapore’s healthcare IT systems running. Due to their nature of work, from deploying new tech and systems at healthcare facilities, to diagnosing issues, running urgent security patches and regular maintenance, their important contributions are often more felt than seen. Explore how our tech specialists ensure the health of tech, so that doctors, nurses and clinicians can focus on delivering high quality public healthcare for their patients.

“I hope to be more confident about myself and not underestimate my abilities,” shares Karina Rizfia, describing a personal aspiration as she grows into a new polyclinic project as an Assistant Systems Engineer.

A member of the End-User Computing (EUC) team in Synapxe’s Infrastructure Services department, Karina helps to ensure that end-users, such as healthcare professionals – including doctors and nurses – and administrators enjoy a seamless experience when using the various healthcare applications and IT equipment.

Working closely with the end-users, IT specialists and deployment engineers, Karina supports and coordinates the launch of the IT infrastructure and equipment, as well as new features and enhancements – sometimes through her weekends.

Having joined Synapxe as an intern, Karina is now a full-time staff who continues to thrive in her area of expertise. Read on to find out more about how Karina is committed to making a difference in HealthTech!

Surrounded by a sea of end-user computing devices, Karina stays on top of deployments.

What are your key responsibilities?

When there are IT requests relating to the set-up of new healthcare facilities or relocation of existing sites, the EUC team would be activated – to ensure that the healthcare facilities get equipped with sufficient hardware to support the systems that will be deployed.

Contrary to what outsiders may think, our role in IT infrastructure is not just about deploying PCs and monitors.

As part of the EUC team supporting the SingHealth cluster, some of my responsibilities include overseeing EUC projects from initiation to delivery and ensuring the efficient use of resources across the healthcare facilities.

At the project initiation stage, I coordinate the overall project timeline and work closely with the end users to evaluate the technical requirements and obtain and assess quotations for hardware equipment. As part of the planning, I would also perform risk management to enable the efficient use of resources – for example, when preparing for a new facility that would launch only in a few years’ time, we need to make sure the equipment we acquire are future-proof and has higher probability of being compatible with the systems of the future.

During the project delivery stage, I manage the set-up of hardware and devices, prepare for system readiness and provide support for the go-live or launch of new system features or enhancements. I also prepare user guides to support users on raising “tickets” whenever they face any technical issues or have new requests.

For the go-live activities, which are sometimes held on weekends, I need to ensure that the computers, monitors and printers are deployed correctly and resolve any on-ground issues.

Are users able to connect to the intranet and internet to access the healthcare systems? Are the printers able to print medical labels, certificates, and so on, from the integrated applications? These are some of the questions I keep at the top of my mind, as part of our go-live checklist. Any disruptions to the systems or equipment would affect the patient experience, resulting in situations such as longer waiting time at the wards or inaccessible medical records by clinicians.

With clinicians at a Computer on Wheel (COW).

Which part of your work do you find challenging and fulfilling?

Oftentimes, we have to balance our back-end tasks with the end users’ schedule in mind to avoid disruptions to the actual hospital operations. For example, when conducting equipment replacement for the Computer on Wheel (COW), I can only do so after 5pm or when the hospital wards are less busy, and when the equipment are not in use by the nurses. This usually means the project takes a longer period to complete and that the team will be required to work after-hours to complete the tasks. With experience, I am able to take these factors into consideration to ensure that I plan realistic timelines.

Having to travel from one site to another for different projects and repeat the process of familiarising myself with a new environment, can also prove to be a challenge. On average, I would be changing site locations every few weeks as I manage multiple projects at the same time. It struck me that there is so much going on behind the scenes to keep our healthcare tech systems running. I therefore find it fulfilling to see my projects bear fruit whenever there is a successful go-live, especially when I am able to seamlessly perform the transfer and set-up of equipment to the new wards without critical issues coming up. Furthermore, seeing the nurses smile at us and thank us for our help gives me a sense of accomplishment.

What is your most impactful moment at work?

On one of my first site visits to the hospital when I was an intern, I headed to the ward as part of our deployment. I was caught by surprise when I saw burn victims in the wards! It was a moment that left a deep impression on me as it was not a sight I was expecting to see. From this, I realised the importance of my role in supporting public healthcare operations, which impacts real-life patients. Now that I am also managing interns, I make sure to share with them the possible sights in a hospital setting when I bring them for site visits.

Are you currently working on any interesting project?

I am currently assisting on a project for the new Pasir Ris Polyclinic, where the focus is high accessibility. It is situated next to a retail mall with an integrated condo, surrounded by housing estates and close to the MRT station and bus interchange – which means we expect a high volume of patients. The scale of this project would be much larger than what I’ve handled previously.

This project would be my biggest to date as it is a brand-new healthcare facility, unlike my previous projects where I assisted with the relocation of existing sites, ward renovation and polyclinic site expansion matters. Contrary to what outsiders may think, our role in IT infrastructure is not just about deploying PCs and monitors. For the new polyclinic, I would have greater responsibilities – starting a project from scratch to evaluate the user requirements of clinicians, then plan, assess and manage the procurement of equipment, and understand the pre-planning requirements to ensure that the equipment we acquire are future-proof for a site that is yet to be completed.

What inspired you to join Synapxe? Any tips for individuals considering a career in HealthTech?

My motivation stems from the opportunity to make a tangible impact on people's lives by leveraging technology, which is my area of expertise. I would encourage individuals who are considering a career in HealthTech to stay curious, embrace interdisciplinary learning and understand the unique challenges and opportunities at the intersection of healthcare and technology. Networking with professionals in the field by participating in industry events will also help you to get a deeper glimpse into HealthTech. Of course, as a techie, you should not forget to continuously refine your technical and soft skills to thrive in this dynamic industry.

How has Synapxe helped you grow professionally and personally?

During my internship at Synapxe, I assisted on projects that allowed me to experience how EUC work is managed and learn the ropes of working with multiple stakeholders. I had the opportunity to work with vendors, a new experience for me that also came with its set of challenges in the areas of communication and vendor management. I learned that treating vendors as collaborators instead of having a vendor-client status helped to build a better bond, and it boosted my confidence when working with different stakeholders. Having such exposure was advantageous to my development, and I was able to apply the internship experience directly after I transitioned to a full-time role. Additionally, I was offered opportunities to collaborate with colleagues from different departments, which helped broaden my perspectives and improve my teamwork and communication skills.

At Synapxe, the national HealthTech agency, it’s more than just a job – it’s a fulfilling journey that allows you to shape your career while building HealthTech for public good. If you have a passion to shape the future of HealthTech in Singapore, find out more at https://www.synapxe.sg/careers.