By AAMI
AAMI Expands Global Portfolio
With two new agreements, AAMI is taking a more active international role in training and education for the health technology community.
In India, AAMI has a Memorandum of Understanding with the Indian Biomedical Skill Consortium to enhance the professional development of biomedical engineers and healthcare technologists through education programs and certifications.
The partnership is an integral part of a major public-private initiative to spur the healthcare technology industry in India. The government there is funding a massive industrial park dedicated to medical equipment, devices, and products, from R&D to manufacturing to talent development, according to AAMI’s Brad Schoener, vice president of innovation.
“The idea is to develop R&D capabilities linked to manufacturing facilities linked to government purchasers and regulators,” said Schoener. “They expect to attract over 250 medical device manufacturers in the next two years.”
In Singapore, AAMI is collaborating with the Singapore Manufacturing Federation (SMF) to deliver educational programs, certifications, and events for the Singapore medical device industry.
SMF, a nonprofit organization established in 1932, champions Singapore manufacturing. With more than 3,000 corporate members, SMF has strong links with the nation’s government.
“AAMI is encouraged by the strong support of Singapore’s government, their medical device manufacturing community, and by the Singapore Manufacturing Federation,” Schoener said. “AAMI is looking forward to a strong and mutually beneficial relationship.”
The Statement of Intent between the two organizations calls for “promoting increased technical and educational ties between U.S. and Singaporean companies.” The agreement also calls for promotion of several “priority sectors,” including standards for medical technology and innovative startups in the industry.
Top Innovation Strategist, Futurist to Headline AAMI Exchange
Nicholas Webb, a top innovation strategist, futurist, award-winning inventor, and bestselling author, will help to kick off the new AAMI Exchange this June, serving as the opening Main Stage speaker. The Exchange is the name for AAMI’s growing and revamped Annual Conference & Expo.
Webb, CEO of Lassen Innovation, works with Fortune 500 companies throughout the world to help them lead their industries in innovation, strategy, and customer experience (CX) design. In health care, Webb speaks to audiences across the entire health care ecosystem on the future of health care in the face of changes driven by the Affordable Care Act, the consumerization of patients, and the impact that disruptive innovation is having on both clinical and business models.
Webb helps organizations understand and, most importantly, be relevant in the fast-moving and hyper-connected future. In his recent body of research, he discovered the four key trends that will determine the success of any enterprise, from entrepreneurial startups to Fortune 500 companies. He helps his clients and audiences understand the trajectory of change so that they can take the insights from his talk and apply it in their business to ensure their relevance in the future.
Webb has been awarded more than 45 patents by the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office for breakthrough technologies, ranging from one of the world’s smallest medical implants to state-of-the-art wearable technologies. His most recent book, “What Customers Crave,” is used by top brands to design their CX and innovation strategies.
To learn more about the AAMI Exchange and to register, visit www.aami.org/aamiexchange.
AAMI Publishes Second Edition of HTM Benchmarking Guide
The second edition of the “HTM Benchmarking Guide,” authored by four long-time AAMI members, applies lessons learned from AAMI’s HTM Benchmarking Task Force. This includes a new emphasis on “the importance of appropriately allocating corporate-level HTM expenses to individual facilities within a multiple-facility system,” according to the preface. “Systems are the new norm.”
Another new focus is “the need to distinguish (a) equipment maintenance expenses from (b) engineering and project-related expenses,” according to the preface. “The latter category is where HTM is growing.”Finally, to supplement the long list of metrics from AAMI’s online Benchmarking Solution, which has been decommissioned, the authors propose refinements in the definitions of a short list of key performance benchmarks.
The authors of the updated “HTM Benchmarking Guide” are Ted Cohen, clinical engineering consultant and retired manager of clinical engineering at the University of California, Davis, Medical Center; Frank Painter, adjunct professor of biomedical engineering, University of Connecticut; Matt Baretich, president and CEO of Baretich Engineering; and David Braeutigam, president of Braeutigam Enterprises LLC.
This guide is available to download at no cost at www.aami.org/BenchmarkingGuide.