I recently had the pleasure of attending the Indiana Biomedical Society (IBS) annual conference, which took place in Indianapolis from January 27-28. (Click here to see some snapshots from the event.) In addition to catching up with readers and clients, I enjoyed learning about how IBS members are making a difference in their field.
Keri Forsythe-Stephens, Chief Editor
Case in point: The IBS recently hosted a one-day workshop on medical device cybersecurity—an issue that is of particular interest to the association. So much so, in fact, that the IBS tapped Dr. Dale Nordenberg of the Medical Device Innovation, Safety and Security Consortium, to present the keynote address. (Needless to say, it was one for the books!)
During the IBS conference, I also had the opportunity to meet with 24×7 Magazine editorial board member Pat Lynch and pick his brain about the status of the industry. And like the fire-engine red “Make HTM Great Again” hat that he wore throughout the conference, Pat’s opinions were bold. Chief among them was the industry’s need for a national HTM association—an idea he lays out in this month’s The LynchPin column.
“We have a lot of very good state biomedical associations,” Lynch says. “One thing they are all lacking, however, is a national presence to make major changes that affect our entire industry.”
A national HTM association would also create standards that could positively impact the delivery of care, he maintains. “The lack of a national standard for the comparison of HTM operations leaves us at the risk of others, who can impose whatever metrics they wish upon us since we have none of our own,” Lynch says.
Since 24×7 Magazine is a digital-first publication, March’s The LynchPin column has been online for a few weeks—and it has certainly caused a stir. Most readers have praised Pat’s initiative—with one respondent writing: “It’s time to unite and raise the quality of our industry under one roof.” Another quipped: “I applaud and support any movement that organizes the power of the lowly biomed technician.” Still, some respondents questioned whether such an organization should be an extension of AAMI.
One reader, Phil Englert noted, “As a proponent and early adopter of HTM, AAMI is uniquely poised with [the] infrastructure and resources to fill this need. No need to recreate the wheel when one lies ready to be repurposed.”
So what do the rest of you think? Is a national biomedical association the way to go? Shoot me an email at [email protected] and share your thoughts.
