Submitted by Mason General Hospital & Family of Clinics
The medical equipment in a hospital system needs constant maintenance to ensure there are no disruptions in service. Harold Kropaczewski, biomed technician for MGH&FC, is responsible for maintaining and troubleshooting any issues that arise with medical equipment that does not require an outside contract. A vital part of the Hospital and Clinic infrastructure, Harold was named MGH&FC’s Employee of the Month for August by his peers.
“Harold is always helpful, knowledgeable and timely with this help,” said his nominator. “He is a kind and professional go-to guy who has given us over 20 years of loyal service, and for that reason I had to nominate him.”
Harold joined the maintenance staff at MGH in 1998, after serving 20 years as a Hospital Corpsman in the U.S. Navy. He was at first a Fleet Marine Corpsman during sea duty, and then a Biomed Technician during shore duty, where he obtained a degree in Biomedical Technology from Regis University in Denver, CO.
“I’ve always wanted to work in a small community where you can make good, close friends,” Harold said. “MGH is a great place that fulfills that for me.”
Harold called himself a ‘military brat,’ born on base in Hanau, Germany (just outside of Frankfurt), where his father was stationed. Growing up with a military family background was second nature to Harold. He joined the Navy and following his sea duty was stationed at the Naval Hospital in Bremerton working as a biomed technician. He later moved off-base to the Shelton area, and in 1998 he decided to take his skills to a civilian health care setting and applied for work at Mason General Hospital.
Harold is a busy, single guy very much involved with Navy outdoor recreational activities. He spends much of his personal time working as an outdoor recreation guide for the Navy’s Morale, Welfare and Recreation Department, taking Defense Dept. personnel and their families on river excursions by raft and kayak. His Navy training included an ACA (American Canoe Assoc.) course, Swift Water Rescue, Wilderness First Aid and Wilderness First Responder training, making him a well-qualified river tour guide. When not busy maintaining the equipment at the Hospital and Clinics, you may find Harold on a Washington river guiding a boat tour or kayaking on Puget Sound.
MGH&FC is approved by the Joint Commission and is a licensed and accredited acute care hospital with a level four emergency trauma designation. MGH&FC now offers Virtual Care ‒ 24/7. For more information on Virtual Care or to find a health care provider, go to www.MasonGeneral.com.
