Harrington receives AAMI award; ACCE plans for the future; ACCE Technology Foundation meets; and more.

ACCE Plans for the Future
The American College of Clinical Engineering (ACCE) has a dilemma. Its opportunities for outreach have exceeded its size and funds—not the worst crisis the emerging 250-member organization could face.

ACCE President Izabella Gieras with George I. Johnston.

Past President Ray Zambuto discussed this dilemma of sorts at the college’s annual board meeting at the Wyndham Harbour Island Hotel in Tampa, Fla, on May 15. To an audience of approximately 60 ACCE members, Zambuto also announced during his Strategic Development Committee presentation that while the ACCE has achieved financial

stability, it needs to push that into “intellectual capital.” To do so, the Strategic Development Committee has developed a number of short-term goals for the ACCE. Some of those goals, according to Zambuto, were to encourage international membership, create a more interactive membership application process (1-year goal), grow membership to 350 (3-year goal), and reach out to non-clinical engineering/biomed communities to spread public awareness.

Also at the lively meeting, ACCE President Izabella Gieras unveiled to members a re-designed ACCE Web site—to launch publicly soon—and bestowed an ACCE lifetime achievement award to George I. Johnston, MS, PE, CCE, for his continued efforts to advance the clinical engineering field worldwide. Other advocacy awards conferred during the meeting were the DEVTEQ Patient Safety Award to Bryanne Patail, ACCE Challenge Award to Carolyn Mahoney and John Reis, the ACCE Thomas O’Dea Advocacy Award to Joseph Dyro, the ACCE Professional Achievement in Technology Award to Steve Grimes, and the ACCE Professional Achievement in Management Award to Emanuel Furst.

Fluke Introduces Priority Gold CarePlan
In an effort to reduce downtime for equipment repairs, Fluke Corp (Carson City, Nev) has developed its Priority Gold CarePlan, a calibration and support plan that ensures that laboratory-class calibrators receive regularly scheduled service and priority handling, even for equipment that is past its warranty.

The Priority Gold CarePlan includes one annual calibration with a guaranteed 3-day, in-house turnaround. The plan also includes automatic calibration-due notification, free repairs, and prepaid priority second-day freight on return of the instrument. Special Priority Gold members also receive assistance via phone or Web site, as well as free preventive maintenance and product updates, and discounts on product enhancements and training. Plans are available for calibrators as old as 7 years with no preinspection required to join. One-, 3-, and 5-year plans are available.

For more information, call (888) 308-5277 or visit www.fluke.com.

Technology Foundation Nears $100,000 Mark
Board members of the American College of Clinical Engineering’s Healthcare Technology Foundation (Plymouth Meeting, Pa) had reason to celebrate in April at the foundation’s first independent board meeting in Houston.

“The annual meeting in Houston was a major success. Not only were we able to debate and implement our foundation’s strategy, but we also had great fun and learning,” said Yadin David, PhD, president of the foundation. “We started with a tour of NASA space research facilities conducted by five-time astronaut Bonnie J. Dunbar, PhD, and ended with a Houston Rockets basketball game. We watched a victory for the Rockets and for the foundation as it approaches the $100,000 contribution mark in its very short existence.”

A nonprofit charitable organization, the foundation enables those in the clinical engineering field to cultivate and actively lead fund-raising initiatives for the benefit of the public and patient safety.

The meeting provided a venue for members to discuss the organization’s strategy for the future.

The foundation seeks to “[improve] health care delivery by promoting the development and application of safe and effective health care technologies through the global advancement of clinical engineering research, education, practice, and their related activities.”

For additional information on the foundation, visit www.acce-htf.org.   24x7