"I work mainly with medical equipment, and I know that when I get it right, it can actually save a life, or when it’s used, it can help someone have a better quality of life”
Christopher Calingao
With a background in electrical engineering, Chris Calingao began at Getz Healthcare in July 2011 as a field service engineer in the Service Engineering Team. “I’m one of the team members who provide technical support for all the captive capital equipment that we sell, whether it’s maintenance or repair or upgrades,” explains Chris.
Chris joined the team at Getz Healthcare following his background in electrical engineering and broad experience working on technical equipment and machinery. “I completed a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering, and I also did a TAFE course for electricians,” shares Chris. “After graduating, I worked with the Australian Institute of Sports. They have a technical division for equipment that measures the performance of the athletes. I was there for quite a number of years. After that, I was a service engineer for an aesthetics company that sold a lot of laser hair removal equipment. When Getz Healthcare popped up, I took the opportunity to apply for it.”
The huge range of medical equipment and machines that Getz Healthcare distributes means any given day looks quite different for Chris. “It just all depends on the equipment that we’re working with because Getz Healthcare sells a lot of different capital equipment. If it’s a big machine, we go to sites. If it’s something that can be hand-carried, we can pick it up or they could deliver it to us, and we do the repair here.”
So, what does a typical day look like? “Usually, I’m out in the field because we distribute a lot of machines. There’s a lot of planning involved with the type of work that I’m in. As part of our workflow, we’ve got a list of things to do that are a matter of priority. Who’s first in line, who’s more urgent? Will you be going to a hospital site, or will you be going to a private clinic? I may be at Canberra one day, and then Albury the next.”
Within the Service Engineering Team, Chris explains that collaboration and openly sharing knowledge are absolutely key to their success. “Each individual has their own strengths. For myself, I’m the lead laser person. So, for the laser devices that we distribute for Getz Healthcare, if there are any hard laser questions, I’m the first point of contact and I’ll take the lead on that. There are others who are really good at networking stuff or really good with the X-ray machines that we distribute.”
Commenting on his absolute favourite part of working at Getz Healthcare over the years, Chris shares, “I work mainly with medical equipment, and I know that when I get it right, it can actually save a life, or when it’s used, it can help someone have a better quality of life if that makes sense. So, I do like that aspect. At Getz Healthcare, there are a lot of dedicated people around who actually want to help people. I like that. I like that they are dedicated to helping, whether it’s the hospital or an individual.”
How would you describe Getz Healthcare in three words? “They’re fairly flexible, so, I like that aspect. I do like their drive, too, because Getz Healthcare, from the time that I’ve been with them, there’s been a lot of changes. I like how they’ve been able to persevere through a lot of obstacles. And I also like that they aim high. They’re ambitious.”