Our major education initiative is AAMI University, which we will be launching in early June. We’re really excited about this new online platform that will initially host our industry training programs and as we build it out, will host education and training opportunities for the HTM community. Stay tuned!

HCBN: As far as the upcoming show goes, is there a particular reason that Philadelphia was chosen for the conference location this year?

ML: The location of this year’s meeting in Philadelphia is great because there are so many hospitals within 200 miles, making it accessible for a lot more folks. The AAMI conference educational sessions keep getting better and better each year, and this year we have changed the look and feel of the show to create a much stronger sense of community for attendees, with more interactive sessions.



HCBN: What can attendees expect at this year’s conference?

ML: Experts will be providing up-to-date practical guidance on virtually every major issue facing the field. For example, there will be sessions on wireless issues, imaging, and batteries, as well as device connectivity and alarm management. We’ve recruited some incredible experts to present guidance and we are really stressing the importance of interaction this year. And, of course, hearing what’s important from George Mills from The Joint Commission is always a “must not miss” session. Finally, where else can you go to interact with some 200 vendors all in one place?

For anyone who might be in the market for a job, or just thinking about it, the Career Center is a fantastic networking spot with recruiters. We’ve also enhanced the educational sessions to include a track specifically focused on career advancement. There’s one session, for example, called — Movin’ On Up: AAMI’s New Career
Ladder Shows the Way.

Bottom line — and I can’t stress this enough — this conference is designed as a “must attend” event for clinical engineers, biomedical equipment technicians, IT professionals with responsibility for medical devices, and other technology-oriented professionals. We want attendees to leave Philadelphia with meaningful tips, best practices, and practical guidance. It’s sure to be a fun and rewarding experience.

HCBN: I see you have a session on the unique device identifier (UDI) — how will that be an important issue for attendees this year and going forward?

ML: It’s important for the health care technology management community to learn and plan for the implementation of the UDI rule, so this education session is a jumpstart on that. If I were working in health care technology management in a hospital, I would see the UDI as a great opportunity to showcase our department’s value beyond repair and preventive maintenance, because HTMs are ideally suited to “own” the UDI for all of the devices that HTMs manage.

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