The Gadgets I Can’t Live Without: Joseph Dechow

Joseph Dechow
Manager, IS Infrastructure, Munson Healthcare, Traverse City, MIch.
As a lifelong resident of Northern Michigan, Joe got his education at Northwestern Michigan College. He has 30+ years of healthcare experience in clinical engineering, telecommunications, and IT support. He works for a hospital system that has been in the top 100 nationally every year for 13 years, and it gives him a great feeling of doing something good for his community. Joe is married with four grown children.


On My Desk
Analog telephone
Yeah, I am a telecom dinosaur with that thing. For a short while I only had an IP phone, and when the network died a couple years ago my phone guys had quite a chuckle when I told them to bring me a “real telephone.” I wasn’t laughing, though.


Oldest Gadget
Motorola Text Pager
Well, favorite isn’t a very good word here…and soon it will go into the tech museum that my techs and I keep, right next to the bag-phone and my Sony Watchman TV.




Entertainment
Sirius Satellite Radio
I move it to the car, truck, two boats, farm tractor, hunting cabin, ice-fishing shanty, camper, home. Oh, and the office, too. Never thought I’d like sat radio as much as I do, but the variety is great and reception is good. Most folks get a laugh out of me connecting it on the tractor or in the ice-fishing shanty.




Strictly Business
Polycom Desktop Video + Logitech camera + Blue Snowflake
Microphone
I like to meet with remote staff over video and see how they are doing. Nothing is worse than a conference call where people can mentally wander off.   




Indispensible Travel Tool
iPhone 4 + Jabra Bluetooth speakerphone
I am big on cell phone safety in cars, and it connects the iPhone to the stereo for cell calls. I travel to our affiliated hospitals and get lots done with it.