While attending the AAMI conference in Washington, DC, this past June, I had the pleasure of meeting Robert Pagett, founder and president of the humanitarian organization Assist International, and winner of this year’s AAMI Foundation/ACCE Robert L. Morris Humanitarian Award. Pagett said that biomeds who take their expertise to a third world country lift hospitals to a new level of health care. He said that in helping others, we move from success to significance.

Biomeds help others every day in the work they do, although it may not always be as evident as when on a medical mission. Extending the profession’s reach closer to home—whether through a biomed association or having a special week proclaimed that honors the profession—increases awareness of the profession, which opens the door to growth and gives people the opportunity to discover an industry they may not have known about. Every time biomeds reach out to their communities they make their expertise available on a larger scale. In doing so they help others and definitely move from simply success to significance.

Conveying factual, reliable information plays a significant role in the success of 24x7. Since March of this year, 24x7 has been fortunate to have Dennis Minsent, MSBE, CCE, CBET, on board as our “Tech Talk” columnist. Minsent has consistently given readers guidelines and valuable information they can use to improve relationships with IT departments. Minsent was instrumental in getting our “Tech Talk” department off the ground, but due to time constraints he will not be able to continue writing the column. The 24x7 staff greatly appreciate his dedication and expertise and thank him for his important contribution these past months. We wish him well in all of his endeavors.

Taking this department forward will be Ken Olbrish, MSBE, an enterprise imaging system administrator in the Information Services Department for the Main Line Health System, Philadelphia, whose first column appears on page 30 of this month’s issue. Olbrish has facilitated sessions covering the challenges facing both departments, and those of you who attended the AAMI conference this past June may have heard him speak. I’m sure you will find that his practical strategies will contribute significantly to the success of your department.