K. Richard Douglas
The Colorado Association of Biomedical Equipment Technicians (CABMET) has a rich history dating back to 1974. The group is one of the premier biomed associations in the country and has been integral to the development and training of other groups and biomeds far outside its home state.
CABMET’s leadership team includes President Barbara Shuff, Vice President Jake Urben, Treasurer Robert Smothers, Secretary Stephen Zeien, Public Information Officer Eric Massey and webmaster Logan Zeien.
“The organization was created by instructors at the USAMEOS school – the old Army/Navy biomed school,” Shuff says.
She says that the founding members were a group of civilian instructors at the former Fitzsimons Army Medical Center that included: Jim O’Brian, Jon Fink, Gene Bacon, Archie Hopkins, George Luttkus and K.C. Rock.
“As far back as one can search on the Internet, it is apparent that CABMET has been about the business of encouraging a free exchange of information between BMETs, hospitals and vendors with the goal of improving patient care through the advancement of biomedical equipment technology,” Shuff says.
CABMET celebrated many firsts after its 1974 inception. Some of those included its first annual golf tournament in the year 2000, the first annual symposium in 2002, the formation of the CABMET Study Group in 2004 for CBET exam preparation and it was the recipient of the TechNation Association of the Year Award in 2010.
Dave Scott was the study group’s organizer. Scott was CABMET president in 2004. During the 15 years CABMET ran the study group, over 2,000 technicians became certified.
In 2019, CABMET was awarded AAMI’s association of the year honor. It also sold the CABMET Study Group to AAMI in 2019.
The group benefits many stakeholders in a variety of ways within HTM and healthcare.
“While CABMET connects trainers with those seeking training, its role extends well beyond that. We bring together companies offering products and services with the professionals who need them, and we create opportunities for employers to connect with prospective employees. The association also fosters an open exchange of information among BMETs, hospitals and vendors – all with the ultimate goal of advancing biomedical equipment technology and improving patient care,” Shuff says.
The organization has a scholarship program that typically awards $1,000 to at least one recipient annually.
What qualities are sought in a candidate for the scholarship?
“[The] student should attend one CABMET function – meetings, volunteer workdays, etc. – during the prior 12 months and must be present at the awards ceremony to receive the award. The student must have attended school for at least six credit hours during one semester of the past 12 months with at least a 2.0 GPA on the 4.0 scale,” Shuff says.
She says that the student must be enrolled in a degree program closely related to one of the following areas of study: computer networking, cybersecurity, computer science, computer information systems, computer programming, database administration, electrical engineering, mechanical engineering, physics, robotics, automation, electronics technology or IoT.
“The scholarship will be awarded based on a combination of factors, including GPA, course load, relevance of major and CABMET participation,” Shuff adds.
Members get a chance to rub elbows on a regular basis since the organization averages six meetings per year.
EXCITING ANNUAL EVENTS
CABMET has lots of experience hosting symposiums and golf tournaments.
“Our first annual symposium was held in 2002. It has evolved into a multi-day event held on the first Thursday and Friday of August. Thursday and Friday include classes, breakfast, and lunch, followed by a Friday evening keynote, happy hour, and poker tournament. The event concludes with a golf tournament on Saturday,” Shuff says.
She says that the CABMET symposium typically attracts more than 200 participants over its two-day program.
“In 2023, there were 218 total sign-ins, including attendees, sponsors and presenters. The event featured 40 exhibitors, 28 class sessions representing 24 unique courses and resulted in 487 class certificates issued,” Shuff says.
In 2024, the group celebrated its 50th anniversary at the symposium.
“In 2025 we supported an HTM Mixer in partnership with TechNation in lieu of our normal symposium,” Shuff says.
The organization will be teaming up with AAMI this year for another exciting twist on its annual symposium.
“This year we have the privilege of supporting AAMI with hosting of the 2026 AAMI eXchange in Denver in lieu of our normal symposium. However, we will return to our typical annual symposium and golf tournament August 5-7 in 2027,” Shuff says.
It is easy to understand that a biomed association created by biomed instructors should play an important role in education and training. As one of the nation’s leading HTM associations with more than a half-century of experience, CABMET leaves a legacy beyond its state’s borders.
