TSTC alums flourish with Houston-based biomedical equipment service company

HARLINGEN — When repairs are needed for biomedical equipment in the Houston area, Rene Torres and Javier Valdez are ready to answer the call.

Graduates of Texas State Technical College’s Biomedical Equipment Technology program, they founded iServe Biomedical in 2016.

The equipment that iServe Biomedical services is used to diagnose, prevent and treat diseases and illnesses.

“Our company’s service supports hospitals by performing equipment repairs, preventative maintenance, and we offer biomedical equipment staffing support,” Valdez said.

Torres earned an Associate of Applied Science degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology at TSTC’s Harlingen campus in 2006, and Valdez earned the same degree in 2013. They first met when they worked together at US Med-Equip in 2013.

They know the service that their company provides is critical to health care providers and patients alike.

“We work with the medical equipment as if it would be used for a family member or a loved one,” Valdez said.

Part of the company’s success can be attributed to its work culture.

“We treat our employees with respect and how we want to be treated,” Valdez said. “Our family-oriented environment ensures that we hire individuals who are committed to care, every day, in every way.”

Torres and Valdez are grateful for the training that they received at TSTC.

“There was a great deal of anatomy and physiology, and I enjoyed the hands-on training,” Torres said. “The program taught me the importance of testing the medical equipment and performing preventative maintenance.”

“I enjoyed when we took apart medical equipment, putting it back together and understanding the impact that the unit will have when it’s used on a patient,” Valdez said.

He added that iServe Biomedical offers TSTC students a chance to get hands-on experience as interns at the company.

“We give back to TSTC by having a paid internship program for the Biomedical Equipment Technology students,” he said. “We introduce them to the hospital environment and the on-site repair services in our facility. Their knowledge of biomedical theory makes it easier for us to show them the work that needs to be done.”

Ray Longoria is TSTC’s Biomedical Equipment Technology program director.

“Their efforts to hire current (TSTC) students create a sense of community and continuity within the program,” he said. “This has helped students and alumni feel more connected, which creates a supportive network beyond graduation.”

TSTC offers an Associate of Applied Science degree in Biomedical Equipment Technology and an occupational skills achievement award in Biomedical Equipment and Diagnostics at its Harlingen and Waco campuses, as well as an Associate of Applied Science degree in Medical Imaging Systems Technology Specialization at the Waco campus.

According to onetonline.org, the average annual salary for medical equipment repairers is $47,720 in Texas, where the number of jobs in that field was forecast to increase 18% between 2020 and 2030.

Registration for the fall semester is underway. For more information, visit tstc.edu.