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Danny Leblanc, manager of Medical Device Reprocessing (MDR) for the Western Zone (Annapolis Valley, South Shore, and South West), is adding to his career accomplishments and advocacy for the profession, as the incoming president of the Canadian Association for Medical Device Reprocessing (CAMDR), which was celebrated at the association’s annual conference in Calgary, earlier this month.
“As a former president of our provincial association, the Medical Device Reprocessing Association of Nova Scotia (MDRANS), it was a natural progression to become a part of the CAMDR executive and bring a voice to the national stage.”
With over 30 years of MDR experience, Leblanc has complemented his career as a long-time member of CAMDR and as the Nova Scotia CAMDR Provincial Advisor.
“I started with CAMDR as a member with its inception 10 years ago and am proud to be taking on this new leadership role,” says Leblanc.
His career began in 1992 at the old Halifax Infirmary in the operating room, and then as a MDR technician at Victoria General Hospital before stepping into a leadership role as an MDR Supervisor at the Halifax Infirmary. Since 2018 he has been the manager overseeing MDR teams servicing Valley Regional Hospital, South Shore Regional Hospital, Yarmouth Regional Hospital, and Soldiers Memorial Hospital, along with primary care clinics in the area.
Though his work with NSH, MDRANS and CAMDR, Leblanc has made a lifelong commitment to supporting excellence in medical device reprocessing, facilitating career development for the next generation of MDR technicians, and continuing to support safe, quality care for patients. This work now includes a new focus on cooperative education opportunities.
Through NSH, job placement opportunities are available to high school students to consider careers in healthcare and enable them to explore and acquire skills for a future career. Student placements with medical device reprocessing teams have already commenced at Dartmouth General Hospital and this month Leblanc will be welcoming a student from Horton High School to the Valley Regional Hospital MDR department. This student will have the opportunity to gain experience through on-the-job training over the next 10 weeks.
“These placements can show students that there are many great opportunities for them in healthcare. We hope it will help them recognize that MDR technicians hold very dynamic positions that are part of the backbone for safe surgical care and more.”
“We used to say that the MDR departments are always behind the scenes, but I hope to continue to elevate and highlight the integral role my MDR colleagues play in healthcare across the province and country.”
Medical Device Reprocessing Technicians work in medical device reprocessing areas at hospitals across Nova Scotia, ensuring that our healthcare teams have the equipment they need to deliver care to Nova Scotians. These technicians have detailed knowledge of reprocessing standards and quality assurance measures and are responsible for the decontamination, inspection, assembly, packaging, sterilization, storage and distribution of reusable medical devices used to support surgeries, as well as the care delivered in emergency departments, ambulatory service areas, primary care clinics, long term care facilities and more.
Learn more about the path to becoming and MDR technician.