With free individual membership among its perks, a new regional association aims to provide “an avenue for professional development for medical and imaging equipment personnel” in the state of Georgia. Launched this week, the new Healthcare Technology Management Association for the state, HTMA-GA, is headed by president Ben Lewis of University Hospital, Augusta, Ga.

Ben Lewis, HTMA-GA President

Ben Lewis, HTMA-GA President

In an announcement, Lewis stated that members will have voting privileges, “which means you will be able to influence the direction and goals of the organization.” In addition, he wrote, the group will emphasize financial accountability: “Full financial details of our credits and expenditures are available to all individual and corporate members, as well as the general public, on our Financial Accountability tab located on our website.”

Lewis explained in the announcement that the association will be funded by corporate memberships at a rate of $300 per year. In exchange for their support, corporate members will be allowed to send individual members one email per year. Both individual and corporate members may join via the group’s website.

Other key officers of the new group include Secretary Bruce Verneau, of Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital, Albany, Ga, and Treasurer Patrick Lynch, of Global Medical Imaging, Charlotte, NC.

HTMA-GA is at least the second regional HTM association based in Georgia, joining the existing Georgia Biomedical Instrumentation Society.