More than 10 years ago, our family moved from the Boston area to Atlanta. I still remember the warm welcome we were given by our new neighbors, even though we were “Yankees.” It was with great sadness that we left this verdant city of down-home courtesy and moved to California.

So it was with great pleasure that I returned to the South in December to attend the North Carolina Biomedical Association’s (NCBA) annual symposium and vendor’s exhibition. Sure enough, we received a warm southern greeting. Attendees were generous with their praise of 24x7 and seemed delighted to meet us.

But there was more to it than warm, fuzzy feelings. These folks know how to put on a conference. If there were glitches, they were not noticeable. Dinners, receptions, and educational sessions flowed seamlessly. The symposia were rigorous—some lasting a full day. The presenters, experts from all over the United States, were committed to furthering the knowledge of class attendees.

From pulse oximeters to PACS, technologies that BMETs must be familiar with were explained in detail. I attended as many sessions as possible and was overwhelmed by what you all need to know.

In addition to the educational sessions, NCBA also held their annual business meeting and elected new board members. We also had an opportunity to meet vendors, many of whom advertise in 24x7, during an evening social hour in the exhibit hall. During this event, booths were open and we had time to relax and socialize as we visited them.

Your local associations have conferences and symposia, also, and we welcome news about your group’s “doings.” Meanwhile, I am going to the California Medical Instrumentation Association meeting soon. You can read about it next month.

Be sure to check out the photos—courtesy of Glenn Scales—from the NCBA conference in Browser.

Also in the South, albeit on a sadder note, a long-time biomed from Northside Hospital in Atlanta died from cancer on December 22. Ben Ethridge’s colleagues have set up a trust fund for his 8-year-old daughter, Staci. Anyone wishing to make a contribution for her future can send a check to:

SouthTrust Bank
5705 Highway 9
Cumming, GA 30004

Instruct them to deposit it into the savings account of Staci Ethridge.

mbenjamin@medpubs.com