Atlas Medical Technologies, a turnkey provider of pre-owned CT, PET and MRI equipment, announced the appointment of Richard Walters to national service manager. Walters was promoted to the role. Before joining Atlas, he worked for GE, Lockheed Martin and Jabil Circuit. Walters spoke with DOTmed News about the industry, his new position, and making companies more self-sufficient.

DMN: How would you describe your new job?
RW: It's exciting and challenges me every day to use my experience and background to help grow a team that is consistently focused on superb customer service and expanding our reach into the medical imaging marketplace. My immediate goal is to help drive processes and operating standards, which develop our resources and streamline our operations so that we're striving to exceed the needs of our customers every time we come in contact with them.

DMN: How did you get started in the industry?
RW: To be honest, racing sailboats. I race sailboats with one of Atlas's lead field service engineers who mentioned to the owner that he knew an engineer with a lot of experience who might be an asset to the company. Ron Brewer spoke with me about being able to develop an in-house repair capability -- something he had been trying to accomplish for years but didn't run into a person he thought could make it happen. For the first two years of being with Atlas, I broke the secret behind many assemblies through reverse engineering and using my design background and now a fair amount of assemblies the company would have to purchase from the open market are now repaired internally saving the company expense and the ability to be self-sufficient. We have a lot of sailors in the company, so it feels like home to me.

DMN: How long have you been working in the industry?
RW: I started developing medical production test equipment while with Jabil Circuit in Saint Petersburg. I was a project manager overseeing the development of this equipment for Psysio Control for their Automated External Defibrillator (AED) medical equipment. I've been an electronic design engineer for many years first with General Electric in Navy Submarine work, followed with Lockheed Martin for military airborne equipment, and also helped design an underwater Remotely Operated Vehicle (ROV) while at the University of South Florida College of Marine Science for the Office of Naval Research (ONR).

DMN: How does your background play a direct role in what you bring to this new position?
RW: It started in the Air Force while stationed with the 1st Special Operations Wing at Hurlburt Field FL, an elite unit whose motto was "Anytime Anyplace". Protecting American freedom around the world helped instill a keen sense of duty that has permeated throughout my career as an electrical engineer. After becoming a civilian again, this work ethic followed into every position I undertook. The sense of detail and expecting only the best that I could do was paramount in my work ethic. I feel you lead by example and your integrity means everything, so that is what I bring to Atlas Medical Technologies.

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