Bill has been inducted into the Clinical Engineering Hall of Fame in recognition of his significant contributions to the advancement of the profession in several key areas: He has had a long, impactful career as a clinical engineer for over 50 years, selflessly contributing to and influencing the profession at the local, national, and international levels. Bill obtained his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Toronto in Biomedical Engineering. Following graduation, he started up the Biomedical Engineering department at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as the Director of Biomedical Engineering. For 29 years, he pioneered the engineers’ interface with in-hospital medical technology, forging the path for others to follow.
Bill has been a force to reckon with even in retirement, where his passion for innovation, influence and reach has benefited Canada at most and overall, the world in Clinical Engineering. He has applied his knowledge in many low resource countries, including Mongolia, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Kosovo and Ghana. His consulting work as vice president of BT Medical Technology Consulting in Toronto, Ontario Canada, relates primarily to equipment planning for hospitals, policy development and incident investigations in which medical equipment is involved. Bill is one of the co-authors of the original “Clinical Engineering Standards of Practice for Canada". He has worked as a consulting engineer, on coroner reports and as an expert witness, lending his expertise in this niche area of engineering.
Bill's passion and dedication for both humanitarian and clinical engineering (CE) efforts around the world is innovative. He has been the leader of the CMBES's “Tools for Techs" project since 2017, which has provided crowdsourced cash grants to frontline HTM professionals in Ghana, Mongolia, Tanzania, and Rwanda to purchase badly needed tools so they can be more effective in their roles. He also has administered the INFRATECH International Email Discussion Group on CE/HTM sponsored by the World Health Organization and the Pan-American Health Organization for nearly 20 years. He also co-founded Ontario Surplus Hospital Equipment Network (OSHEN) which provides a platform designed to connect healthcare organizations with verified charities or not-for-profit organizations who are looking for usable hospital equipment for donation.
Education:
- Ph.D., University of Toronto, Biomedical Engineering, 1974
- M.A.Sc., University of Toronto, Biomedical Engineering, l969
- B.A.Sc., University of Toronto, Engineering Science, l967
Certification, Registration and Peer Recognition:
- American College of Clinical Engineering, Antonio Hernandez International Healthcare Technology Management Award, 2012
- AAMI Foundation & ACCE Robert Morris Humanitarian Award, 2019
- Fellow, Canadian Medical and Biological Engineering Society, 2008
- Outstanding Biomedical Engineer of the year award, Canadian Medical & Biological Engineering Society, 1999
- Registered Professional Engineer, Province of Ontario, 1972
- Certified Clinical Engineer, Canada, 2011
- Fellow, Canadian Medical and Biological Engineering Society, 2009
Summary of Career:
Bill has been inducted into the Clinical Engineering Hall of Fame in recognition of his significant contributions to the advancement of the profession in several key areas: He has had a long, impactful career as a clinical engineer for over 50 years, selflessly contributing to and influencing the profession at the local, national, and international levels. Bill obtained his Doctor of Philosophy from the University of Toronto in Biomedical Engineering. Following graduation, he started up the Biomedical Engineering department at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Ontario, Canada as the Director of Biomedical Engineering. For 29 years, he pioneered the engineers’ interface with in-hospital medical technology, forging the path for others to follow.
During his time as Director of Biomedical Engineering at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre in Toronto, Bill established a number of innovative programs that greatly benefitted the hospital, such as the establishment of a managed small equipment pool for infusion pumps and many other portable devices, thus avoiding the problems associated with lost or hoarded small items of equipment. This service was much appreciated by the clinical teams, who could count on appropriate equipment being available on demand.
Bill Gentles has been a force to reckon with even in retirement, where his passion for innovation, influence and reach has benefited Canada at most and over all the world in Clinical Engineering. He has applied his knowledge in many low resource countries, including Mongolia, Nicaragua, Ecuador, Kosovo and Ghana. His consulting work as vice president of BT Medical Technology Consulting in Toronto, Ontario Canada, relates primarily to equipment planning for hospitals, policy development and incident investigations in which medical equipment is involved. Bill is one of the co-authors of the original “Clinical Engineering Standards of Practice for Canada". He has worked as a consulting engineer, on coroner reports and as an expert witness, lending his expertise in this niche area of engineering.
Bill's passion and dedication for both humanitarian and clinical engineering (CE) efforts around the world is innovative. He has been the leader of the CMBES's “Tools for Techs" project since 2017, which has provided crowdsourced cash grants to frontline HTM professionals in Ghana, Mongolia, Tanzania, and Rwanda to purchase badly needed tools so they can be more effective in their roles.
As the chair of the CMBES International Outreach committee and president of the Clinical Engineering Society of Ontario (CESO) he has also set up grants to support international outreach mission for clinical engineers and biomedical technologists. He also has administered the INFRATECH International Email Discussion Group on CE/HTM sponsored by the World Health Organization and the Pan-American Health Organization for nearly 20 years. He also co-founded Ontario Surplus Hospital Equipment Network (OSHEN) which provides a platform designed to connect healthcare organizations with verified charities or not-for-profit organizations who are looking for usable hospital equipment for donation.
Bill uses also his influence and reach to mold the next generation of clinical engineers (CE) and biomedical engineer technologists (BMET). As president of CESO where the mission is to represent, advocate and provide educational and networking opportunities for CEs and BMETs in the Province of Ontario, he organizes annual conferences where students and professional get to network and exchange valuable information.
Bill served as President of Canadian Medical and Biological Engineering Society (CMBES) from 2004 - 2008. He is currently chair of the International Outreach committee of the CMBES and a fellow of CMBES.
Below are some extracts from the material provided for his nomination:
"The Clinical Engineering Society of Ontario (CESO) is a provincial organization that seeks to define needs in Ontario. Bill has worked tirelessly to forge links between Ontario practitioners, host annual conferences, monthly (virtual meetings) and create the Ontario Surplus Hospital Equipment Network (OSHEN) a vital link between donations and need. He endorsed my suggestion having our Ottawa Clinical Engineering Masters Candidates present their capstone work at the CESO conference in front of a panel of peers. He has been president for an impressive 20 years!"
"Dr. William M. Gentles has made a tremendous impact in the profession of Clinical Engineering and his legacy spans decades working with hospitals, universities, professional boards and his influence has international reach."
"Bill Gentles uses also his influence and reach to mold the next generation of clinical engineers (CE) and biomedical engineer technologists (BMET). As president of CESO where the mission is to represent, advocate and provide educational and networking opportunities for CEs and BMETs in the Province of Ontario, he organizes annual conferences where students and professional get to network and exchange valuable information."
"Bill is an exemplary leader in Canada and abroad in the profession of clinical engineering. His body of work has advanced the reach of the clinical engineering field locally, nationally and internationally. I believed personally that Dr. Bill Gentles merits this induction into the ACCE CE-HOF because he represents a great example of what one person can contribute in clinical engineer during their career as an employee and post retirement. He embodies a life of service to the advancement of the profession of clinical engineering."
"Bill has devoted his career to the support of clinical engineering activities, both at home in Canada and around the world. He has made exceptional contributions in many areas and is held in the highest regard in our profession. He has initiated a number of novel projects that have fundamentally impacted our field for the better …"
"I have had the pleasure of working with Bill on a variety of different projects and have always found it an exciting and rewarding experience. His quiet determination to see a project through is impressive and has shown clear results throughout his career."
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Bill teaching Health Technology Management in Ghana, 2019
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