AAMI’s New Office Transforms the Member Experience
AAMI staff have moved into a new state-of-the-art office space that is intended to bring new opportunities for members, standards professionals, and the health technology community. AAMI’s new headquarters, which is located at 901 N. Glebe Road in Arlington, VA, features:
The AAMI Center for Excellence, which boasts nearly 4,400 square feet of conference room space for up to 300 occupants and was designed to host most of AAMI’s standards meetings, industry training sessions, and events. The space can be configured into two large rooms (including a 220-seat theater) or divided into as many as six smaller ones. All of the rooms leverage the latest audio, visual, and teleconferencing technology.
An AAMI members lounge, which provides members and other visitors with a comfortable place to meet in smaller groups or conduct business while away from their office. The lounge includes wireless Internet, a printer, and a display with traffic and transportation information.
Convenient access to Washington, DC’s Metro system, Reagan National Airport, restaurants, and night life.
“While AAMI’s new office is just two blocks away from our previous space, the benefits to AAMI members—and all stakeholders related to our mission—will be truly transformational,” said Rob Jensen, president and CEO of AAMI. “I’m especially proud of the AAMI Center for Excellence (ACE), which will allow us to host most events in house, as well as leverage audio-visual technologies to connect with professionals all over the world. We look forward to seeing you!”
ACI Board Suspends Two Certifications
After assessing feedback and participation in its programs, the AAMI Credentials Institute (ACI) Board of Directors has decided to suspend exams for Certified Laboratory Equipment Specialist (CLES) and Certified Quality System Manager (CQSM) starting in 2019.
Although ACI also was considering suspending the Certified Radiology Equipment Specialist (CRES) exam, the certification will continue to be offered as a result of increased interest by several organizations.
The ACI Board announced in the summer of 2018 that it was reevaluating those three certification programs and solicited reactions to its proposal. The comments it received were a key consideration in the decision to end the CLES and CQSM exams and continue with CRES.
“These decisions were not made lightly,” said Sherrie Schulte, AAMI’s senior director of certification and the AAMI Exchange. “The Board considered many factors, including the low number of test takers, the cost of maintaining the exams, and interest level within the industry. The status of each exam will be reevaluated on an annual basis to determine if there are factors that would warrant reinstating some or all of the designations.”
Individuals who already hold the CLES or CQSM certifications will be able to continue to use the designations provided they maintain their certification by completing the necessary continuing education units and submitting the necessary renewal fees every three years. If the designation is revoked, there will not be any opportunities to retake the exams at this time.
For more information or to ask questions about this decision, please email aci@aami.org.
AAMI Exchange to Launch Innovation Competition
The AAMI Exchange, AAMI’s reimagined annual conference, will feature two new forums intended to spark conversations among all of those who work with and on health technology: the AAMI Xcelerator and IoTXperience. The Exchange will take place in Cleveland, OH, from June 7 to 10.
AAMI Xcelerator
Leading the way in promoting conversations that will affect the industry in years to come, AAMI is launching its first innovation competition in conjunction with Cleveland-based bioscience company BioEnterprise at the Global Center for Health Innovation.
The AAMI Xcelerator welcomes innovators working with artificial intelligence, deep machine learning, automated learning, and blockchain solutions to improve clinical outcomes. This special one-day event will start with a morning of thought-framing sessions, followed by a pitch competition.
The AAMI Xcelerator is open to and encourages participation from professional teams. In addition to cash prizes, the event will provide mentoring and access to business advisors. Ideas will be judged by industry experts using specific criteria, including, but not limited to commercial, technical and financial viability; use of proceeds; strength of the team; and presentation of the business plan.
IoTXperience
Another new feature of the conference, the IoTXperience (IoTX), will focus on balancing opportunities with security when it comes to connected medical devices and other technology that’s part of the Internet of Things (IoT). AAMI Exchange attendees will have opportunities to attend sessions in the IoTX theater, talk to thought leaders, and experience products that are defining the future of IoT.
For more information about the AAMI Exchange, visit www.aami.org/aamiexchange.