After spending 15 years as regional bio-medical engineering director for a national health care corporation, Robert H. Ward was looking for a change. Having been responsible for four acute care medical centers in the New Orleans area, Ward began investigating bio-medical maintenance management program ideas tailored for smaller medical facilities that didn't have their own bio-medical departments.

The result was the formation of Innovative Service Solutions in 2004, although Ward still remained with his health care company while he was getting ISS off the ground. Then, everything changed when Hurricane Katrina hit.


"My tenure as regional bio-medical engineering director along with many other professionals, was brought to a catastrophic end when Hurricane Katrina slammed ashore on the Louisiana and Mississippi coast in August 2005," Ward said. "As the days and weeks after Hurricane Katrina turned to months, it became painfully obvious the region and the medical facilities supporting it had a long rebuilding process ahead of them. I was still employed with the same corporation and although I was up for the challenge, I wanted to see my hometown, family, friends and citizens recover from this catastrophic event. I had to acknowledge the instability of the region and long-term employment. With that thought Plan B went into effect, I tendered my resignation with my employer and began working full time with ISS."

Over the past five years, ISS has become a leader in providing support to the health care community and has been signified as a DOTmed 100 user.

"We believe ISS stands apart from other ISOs by limiting our customer base and focusing on their tailored and individual needs," said Ward, president of the company. "With that said, ISS is engaged in offering our medical equipment management service program to ambulatory surgery centers, long-term acute care facilities, physicians offices, EMS units, fire and rescue departments, etc. throughout, Louisiana, Mississippi, and Alabama."

Among the many services they offer are: medical equipment repair, scheduled equipment inspections and preventive maintenance, depot repair/inspection programs, electrical safety inspection programs, medical equipment management plans, facility medical equipment inventories, equipment acquisitions (new and pre-owned), manufacturer representation, hazard notification and recalls, in-service training programs, incident investigations, Joint Commission consultations and reports.

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