A parting letter to the HTM profession from Mary Logan, JD, CAE, retiring president/CEO of AAMI
By Mary Logan, JD, CAE
When I joined AAMI eight years ago as CEO, I had a general idea about the work of biomedical equipment technicians and clinical engineers in health care. The reality, though, was that I had no idea of the complexity of the role or the range of the incredible technical skills in the health care technology management (HTM) community. You all were eager to help me learn, and I quickly began to understand and appreciate your critical roles in health care.
In my first year, I attended more than 50 external meetings and events, interviewed more than 100 individuals, and met hundreds more at events and meetings. I had the “best seat in the house” for understanding the profession, because I was coming in as an outsider, with no pre-formed opinions or blind spots, and with a keen ear to listen and absorb everything. What I learned was that HTM professionals are the true unsung heroes in health care.
Now as I embark on retirement, it’s gratifying to look back and see how far AAMI has come to build bridges and elevate the HTM profession, thanks to the work of our great volunteers and your colleagues, whose service in AAMI leadership roles was born out of a strong commitment to elevate the stature, visibility, and credibility of your profession. Many impressive projects have been gone from ideas to completion (and this is just a sampling): career guides, standardized job descriptions, promotion of the field, EQ89, a new certification for HTM managers, and supportability.
The landing page on aami.org now includes a visual depiction of AAMI’s HTM activities. I would encourage all of you to visit aami.org and “click” on each of the elements in that visual depiction. From “I am HTM” resources to core competencies to the HTM levels guide, there is an impressive array of material that belongs to you: the members of this profession.
We know we have a long way to go, and this work is very important to the AAMI Board of Directors. One of the key pillars of AAMI’s strategic plan is focused on HTM, and we have excellent HTM leaders on AAMI’s Technology Management Council and board who will continue to lead the way.
Thank you for everything you do each and every day to make health care delivery safer for the patients you serve. My final words of wisdom to each one of you are to get out of your comfort zone to show how indispensable you are to your organization! Learn something new each day, network, get involved with AAMI, and know how much we appreciate what you do. Thank you again for the privilege of working with you, learning from you, challenging you, and being inspired by what you do. It has been a great ride.
Mary Logan, JD, CAE, is the retiring president/CEO of AAMI.