The active membership of the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) now exceeds 10,000 healthcare technology professionals, according to association officials.
“After 54 years of working to improve patient safety, AAMI has reached an incredible milestone,” says John Sloan, vice president of membership at AAMI. “Ten-thousand dedicated professionals from all sectors of health technology now have this one thing in common: They are AAMI members. We are so proud to share that our member community has grown, and in celebration of this historic moment, there is really only one thing to say: Thank you!”
AAMI was founded in 1967 by representatives hailing from technology, regulatory, and industry corners looking to create “an international forum for introducing and improving medical instrumentation,” according to a 1966 New York Times report on plans to establish the organization. Among the first members were Paul Dudley White, MD, known as the father of preventive cardiology; Michael Debakey, MD, a pioneer in vascular surgical grafts; Adrian Kantrowitz, MD, an inventor of devices including the implantable pacemaker; and William H. Steward, MD, then the U.S. Surgeon General.
By AAMI’s 50th anniversary in 2017, membership exceeded 7,000 professionals. In just four years, the organization has gained more than 3,000 additional active members, according to the association.
The growth of AAMI’s membership is paced by the expanding scope and relevance of the association’s mission, says Steve Campbell, acting president and CEO of AAMI. Today, AAMI provides guidance and resources, mentorship opportunities, training and certification, and events and networking opportunities. Members include those who develop health technology as well as those who use and maintain it, including professionals working in healthcare technology management, cybersecurity, healthcare-based AI, sterile processing, medical device manufacturing, and standards and regulations.
AAMI also offers opportunities for members to participate in ongoing discussions, including those occurring within HTM leadership committees. Similarly, task forces made up of volunteers from industry, academia, healthcare providers, and regulatory bodies continue their work toward standardizing the best practices and professional consensus for medical device development, use, and processing.
“AAMI is centered around and built upon the work of our members,” Campbell says. “To our corporate and hospital members for their partnership on critical standards and ongoing support of AAMI, thank you. To supporters of the AAMI Foundation who are helping us nourish the next generation of leaders, thank you. To our exhibitors and sponsors who deliver innovative, emerging solutions to our community, thank you. To our individual members who invest in themselves as champions of patient safety, thank you for being an essential part of the AAMI family.”
