In a new online comic strip titled “Bella the Biomed’s X-Ray Adventure,” superhero Bella uses her talent to diagnose and fix an X-ray machine in a children’s hospital. She also mentors Mia, a young girl inspired to become a biomedical technician.   

Bella the BMET is just one of a handful of creative ventures by Jennifer Chester, a Crothall Healthcare Technology Solutions division biomedical equipment technician. Based largely on her experience as a BMET II at the Harris Health System in Houston, Chester is building a multi-media presence for her character. In addition to creating her comic strip, Chester has developed a coloring and activity book and a new hardcover book. She sees Bella and her story as a way to educate children about what a BMET does and inspire them to succeed by tapping into their curiosity about life.    

“Bella’s story isn’t just about fixing machines,” she says. “It’s about inspiring the next generation. Bella shows us that any problem can be solved with persistence and knowledge. And she encourages Mia that girls can indeed do anything.” 

Finding a Career in Healthcare Technology  

Chester joined Crothall in March 2022 and is part of a five-person team covering 26+ medical clinics and one CentralFill pharmacy. She maintains and repairs various medical devices, including heart and blood pressure monitors, infusion pumps, X-ray machines, sterilization systems, etc.  

She learned to work on sophisticated electronic equipment as an avionics technician in the US Air Force from 2010 through 2016. During this period, she maintained and repaired parts on some of the nation’s largest military transport airplanes, such as the Lockheed C-130 Hercules and the Lockheed C-5 Galaxy planes.  

 “I was very fortunate to develop a sophisticated knowledge of electronics during my six years in the US Air Force,” says Chester. “It was fulfilling to know I was part of a team maintaining our nation’s most important aircraft.”  

Shortly after leaving military service, she landed a biomedical technician position with DaVita. Chester was able to apply many of the skills she learned in the Air Force and finds healthcare a rewarding career.  

 “I find it rewarding to go to different healthcare facilities every day and use my skills to maintain and repair critical medical devices,” she says. “Working with a group of people at Crothall with like-minded goals makes the job even more satisfying.”  

 Getting Young Children Interested in Science and Technology  

The COVID-19 pandemic presented an opportunity for Chester to teach her young children about science and engineering. She developed specific science projects they could complete at home during the pandemic. When her friends learned about these projects, they encouraged her to start a Zoom class for other children.  

Jennifer soon began teaching online classes to a handful of children ages 5-8. As part of her instruction, she would send boxes to their homes that provided items needed for lessons and experiments. For example, she would teach them about electricity by sending them a kit with instructions on building circuits.  

Sensing an increasing demand for her content, she began creating YouTube videos on these topics. She later decided to start NextJenn TechMom, a nonprofit organization designed to develop an interest in science, math, engineering, art, and technology for children ages 3-16.  

On Chester’s website, https://www.nextjenntechmom.org/, parents can book a date for the organization’s Mobile Discovery Museum to come to a child’s house, a school, or a community center to build a rocket, create a hoverboard or similar activities involving math and science.   

As word of her organization has spread, Chester often receives invitations from educators and community groups. For example, The Woodlands Township Parks and Recreation Department in Woodlands County, Texas, recruited her to teach in-person classes.  

She also dedicates her own time to fulfilling her mission, teaching 20 children in an after-school robotics club at her children’s elementary school for kindergarten through third-grade students. The class includes a robotics showcase at year-end where children write the computer code that powers the robots.  

Chester says many children turn away from science and engineering because they view them as boring or lack confidence in their skills and abilities. She says the key to reaching children is to make learning fun.  

“I’ve heard many stories, especially from women that later wish they had persuaded careers in science or engineering. They need to regain confidence in attacking the topics they lost somewhere along the way. If they enjoy solving problems, making these subjects fun and engaging is easy, and hopefully, they realize they can make HTM a viable career option.”  

Using Bella the BMET to Spread Her Message  

After recently speaking at the MD Expo, Chester launched Bella the Biomed. She wanted to use her childhood experiences to inspire young women.  

“Bella’s character has similar interests to mine as a child,” says Chester. “When I was a little girl, I loved gadgets, taking things apart and building them again. I want Bella to be a character readers can fall in love with and pursue a career in science, math, technology, or engineering.”  

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