Eighteen individuals and five groups will be honored for their exceptional leadership and commitment to healthcare technology and patient safety during the AAMI 2017 Conference & Expo.
AAMI, which is celebrating its 50th anniversary this year, is made up of a diverse community of approximately 7,000 clinical and biomedical engineers and technicians, physicians, nurses, hospital administrators, educators, scientists, manufacturers, distributors, government regulators, and others with an interest in medical devices and technology.
Each year, the association recognizes leaders and innovators whose efforts have moved the industry forward, standards developers who have devoted themselves to the creation and revision of national and international standards, healthcare technology students who have demonstrated academic excellence, and experts who have submitted outstanding articles and papers to AAMI’s peer-reviewed journal, BI&T.
AAMI President Robert Jensen offered his congratulations to all of the award winners, adding that meeting them would be a personal highlight at the conference, which will take place June 9-12.
“It will be my honor to shake hands with these individuals at my first AAMI Annual Conference,” said Jensen, who joined the association this past November. “They represent the best and the brightest in healthcare technology, helping to make it safer and more effective. In doing so, they serve as professional role models. It’s our pleasure to recognize them and offer our thanks for all of the incredible work they have done.”
The winners will be formally recognized during a ceremony in Austin, Texas, on Saturday, June 10 at 6 p.m. CT.
AAMI AWARD WINNERS
The AAMI Foundation’s Laufman-Greatbatch Award
The late Victoria Hitchins, research microbiologist for the Food and Drug Administration’s (FDA’s) Center for Devices and Radiological Health.
AAMI’s most prestigious award is named after two pioneers in the field – Harold Laufman, M.D., and Wilson Greatbatch, Ph.D. It honors an individual or group that has made a unique and significant contribution to the advancement of healthcare technology and systems, service, patient care, or patient safety. This year’s award will be presented posthumously to Victoria Hitchins, who was killed in a car crash last summer. During her more than 35 years at the FDA, Hitchins helped to improve the regulation of medical devices – specifically in the areas of sterilization, reprocessing, and reuse – through her research. And as a longtime participant in AAMI’s standards program, co-chair of the AAMI Sterilization Standards Committee, and leader of the U.S. delegation to ISO/TC 198, which focuses on the sterilization of health care products, Hitchins was a trailblazer for medical device standardization and harmonization worldwide.
The AAMI Foundation & ACCE’s Robert L. Morris Humanitarian Award
Adriana Velazquez Berumen, senior advisor on medical devices for the Policy, Access, and Use Unit of the World Health Organization (WHO)
This award – honoring the late Robert Morris, a longtime AAMI member, co-founder of the American College of Clinical Engineering (ACCE), and humanitarian – recognizes an individual or organization who has leveraged healthcare technology to improve global human conditions. This year’s winner, Adriana Velazquez Berumen, has spent her 30-year career developing and leading projects to promote clinical engineering education and professional development throughout the world so more people have access to safe, high-quality health care. She focuses on regions where resources and opportunities are limited. During her tenure at the WHO, Berumen created a global model for clinical engineering practice and established the first and second WHO Global Forums on Medical Devices.
AAMI’s HTM Leadership Award
Matt Baretich, president of Baretich Engineering
This award, which honors individual excellence, achievement, and leadership in the healthcare technology management (HTM) field, will be presented to Matt Baretich for his leadership in developing practical approaches to meeting HTM challenges, including regulatory compliance and benchmarking. Baretich, who helped develop AAMI’s HTM Levels Guide and ACCE’s certification in clinical engineering (CCE) prep course, regularly contributes to AAMI and other industry publications to disseminate his expert advice. He also serves as a member of AAMI’s Reliability-Centered Maintenance Committee and the BI&T Editorial Board. He is the founder of his own consulting company based in Fort Collins, Colorado.
AAMI & GE Healthcare’s BMET of the Year Award
Scott Hall, supervisory biomedical equipment support specialist for U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs Lexington VA Medical Center in Kentucky
This award is given to a biomedical equipment technician (BMET) to recognize his or her dedication, achievement, and excellence in the HTM field. Scott Hall, who has been a certified BMET for more than 25 years, has led the biomedical engineering department at the Lexington VA for the past decade. During this time, he has supported front-line technicians, managed the medical equipment management plan and medical device protection program, and interfaced with stakeholders at all levels of the organization. Throughout his career, Hall has mentored young HTM professionals, encouraging their growth, and has prioritized his own continuing education.
AAMI’s Young Professional Award
Priyanka Upendra, clinical engineering compliance manager for Intermountain Healthcare in Midvale, Utah
This award is presented to a healthcare technology professional under the age of 35 who has a history of exemplary accomplishments and a strong commitment to the field. This year’s winner, Priyanka Upendra, has assumed a major leadership role within the HTM community with regard to medical device cybersecurity. In the last year, she has led two cybersecurity workshops and presented at multiple events, including the AAMI 2017 Conference & Expo. Upendra also is a member of AAMI’s medical equipment management standards committee, a contributor to BI&T, and an incoming member of its Editorial Board. Colleagues hold up Upendra’s professionalism, intelligence, and hard-working nature as an example for other young professionals.
The Spirit of AAMI Award
Vickie Snyder, healthcare technology management consultant at Booz Allen Hamilton
Vickie Snyder has been selected to receive the Spirit of AAMI award in recognition of her outstanding volunteer contributions and her tireless encouragement of young HTM professionals. Synder was one of the founding members of AAMI’s Technology Management Committee. Additionally, she served on the AAMI Board of Directors from 2008 to 2014 and the AAMI Foundation’s Board of Directors from 2001 to 2015. Snyder is a vocal advocate for the benefits of connecting with colleagues through local HTM associations and through participation in AAMI, inspiring those she works with to get involved and further their careers.
AAMI HTM Association of the Year Award
Indiana Biomedical Society
This new award recognizes an HTM association that distinguishes itself through outstanding society operations and meetings, as well as a commitment to elevating the HTM profession at a local level. The first recipient of this honor, the Indiana Biomedical Society, promotes the education and development of its more than 300 members through bimonthly training sessions, quarterly meetings, and workshops, as well as its long-running annual conference. The society also is dedicated to the development of the field’s future leaders, offering scholarships and hosting career fairs for local students.
For a complete list of AAMI award winners, list the AAMI website.