JULY 20– We were proud to interview MedTechVet Program Mentor, Bryan Stewart. Bryan is the Founder and CEO of HDO Health and the Director at Victory Strategies.
After transitioning out of the military, he has had a successful 20-year career in health care. At HDO Health, he is working hard to commercialize a specialty junctional tourniquet, the HDO Health Journiquet™, to help prevent people from bleeding to death from traumatic junctional wounds.
“I have always been passionate about mentoring and “paying it forward”. I like to say that I want to be the person I never had when I was earlier in my life and career journey.”
What led you to obtain a role within the MedTech space?
I was very fortunate when I was transitioning out of the military to end up in the health care industry. My first role out of the military was with Humana (a large health insurance company). After my stint at Humana, I joined Abbott Laboratories in a sales role serving in their Diagnostics Division. And after that, I’ve been blessed to serve in several great health care companies over the last 20 plus years including Ventana Medical Systems (eventually acquired by Roche), AmeriPath (acquired by Quest Diagnostics), Medtronic, Biomet (eventually acquired by Zimmer), Healogics, Sage Growth Partners, and PracticeWise before joining Victory Strategies and then founding HDO Health.
What led you to become a mentor for MedTechVets?
I have always been passionate about mentoring and “paying it forward”. I like to say that I want to be the person I never had when I was earlier in my life and career journey. Because of this, I have mentored in several veteran communities and found MedTechVets to be a great fit for my background in healthcare and passion for coaching and mentoring.
“. “Sometimes you may find that once you separate from the military that you miss the network, the camaraderie, the routine, and you may even find that you you’ve lost your sense of identity or purpose. So, it is critical to plug-in right away not only with the community but also in finding a new career that suits you and gives you fulfillment intellectually, financially, spiritually, and enables you to honor your family and others in the next chapter of life.”
What has your mentorship journey with MedTechVets been like?
I have enjoyed it tremendously, both as a one-on-one mentor and participating in some of the curriculum sessions and facilitating the capstone event. It has been educational, enlightening, and fun. Additionally, I always learn something from every mentee and connection that I interact with and the team at MedTechVets are great to work with as well. Overall, it has been an awesome experience.
Any advice for veterans?
If you are transitioning out of the military don’t wait to being your transition planning. As soon as you have an idea or know that you’re transitioning, approach it strategically. Begin your transition planning just as you would any other military operation. Take advantage of all the resources and networks that exist in organizations like MedTech Vets, Veterati, Warrior Rising, and many of the other great organizations that exist to help veterans with their career transitions and passions.
The other main piece of advice is just don’t go it alone. Sometimes you may find that once you separate from the military that you miss the network, the camaraderie, the routine, and you may even find that you you’ve lost your sense of identity or purpose. So, it is critical to plug-in right away not only with the community but also in finding a new career that suits you and gives you fulfillment intellectually, financially, spiritually, and enables you to honor your family and others in the next chapter of life.
“Being a great mentor means sharing lessons learned and hard-earned battle scars earned from your own mistakes, your own leadership and life journey, and your successes. It is also important to be willing and able to open and share your network.”
What are your key takeaways from being a mentor?
Firstly, you must be humble. Being a mentor doesn’t mean you have all the answers or that you’ve got everything figured out. What it does mean is that you’re open and you’re transparent and you’re willing to share and learn from your mentee as much or more than them learning from you. Being a great mentor means sharing lessons learned and hard-earned battle scars earned from your own mistakes, your own leadership and life journey, and your successes. It is also important to be willing and able to open and share your network.
What does the future look like for you? Do you have any exciting trips planned?
It is currently a very exciting time at HDO health. We are working hard commercializing a specialty junctional tourniquet, the HDO Health Journiquet™ to help prevent people from bleeding to death from traumatic junctional wounds. Over the next few months, we are wrapping up manufacturing and testing in preparation for the submission of our FDA 510(k) to bring this life saving device to the world. In terms of exciting trips, I do have plans to take my wife Erin on a two-week journey through wine country in South America (Chile and Argentina) in the summer of 2024.
Anything else you’d like to share?
I just encourage folks who are reading this to pay it forward, whether it’s through a platform like MedTechVets or your local church or your alumni association. Plug in and find a way to serve others and share your knowledge experiences, resources and networks to help someone else.
Interested in connecting with Bryan?
Connect with him on LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/in/bjstewart/
About MedTechVets
MedTechVets is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit serving Veterans during career transition and beyond. Our Vision is to build a bridge to help Veterans find meaningful employment in the Medical Technology Industry.
We bridge the gap for Veterans by providing personalized career transition services, mentorship, and career development guidance. We serve Veterans who plan to enter the MedTech, Life Sciences, Pharmaceutical, or Medical Device industries.
MedTechVets is proud to be endorsed by Advanced Medical Technology Association (AdvaMed).
When a Veteran’s military skills and experiences are translated to civilian language, recruiting managers see the benefits of hiring a qualified Veteran. Veterans are able to see the roles within the MedTech, Medical Device, Life Sciences, and Pharmaceutical industries that would best suit their skill set and career aspirations.
MedTechVets Foundational Program is a specialized program that provides more than generic advice about transitioning into medical-related career fields.
If you would like to learn more information about MedTechVets, please go to our page https://mvpvets2014dev.wpengine.com/contact-us/.
