Mark Your Calendar...Special Week in May to Honor Biomeds/Clinical Engineers
Thomas Citak is reaching beyond the traditional means to recruit biomeds to his hospital — all the way back to the classroom. As part of last year’s “National Biomedical/ Clinical Engineering Appreciation Week,” Citak gave a presentation at a local vocational school to introduce students to the profession, and has plans to visit more schools this year.
Last year, Citak and other medical technology professionals from across the country celebrated the first Biomedical/ Clinical Engineering Appreciation Week — a formal recognition to honor their unique contributions to healthcare. AAMI’s Technology Management Council (TMC) is hoping to build on that enthusiasm with the 2nd annual “National Biomedical/ Clinical Engineering Appreciation Week,” scheduled for May 18–24.
As a proclamation endorsed by the TMC notes, medical technology professionals are an “invaluable resource to the healthcare community.” The TMC encourages medical technology professionals to distribute the proclamation, which is available on the AAMI website, within their local communities, healthcare facilities, or companies to raise awareness of the profession.
“Last year, many technology managers carried out creative projects in their facilities and in their communities to bring attention to the importance of our field, and the TMC encourages more medical technology professionals to join the effort this year,” says Ray Laxton, TMC Chair and executive director of client services for ARAMARK Healthcare.
Citak, supervisor of the clinical engineering department at Our Lady of Fatima Hospital in Providence, RI, was one such professional who went above and beyond to promote the field. In addition to his educational outreach, he created an attractive display featuring the proclamation and other materials related to the profession, and displayed it at the facility.
Not only did the facility’s management appreciate the effort, but management also had a cake made for the department featuring the biomedical equipment technician logo in honor of the critical work the department performs.
This year, Citak plans to visit another vocational school to offer a similar presentation, showing students images of medical equipment and technicians working on the equipment. He believes that reaching out to local high schools and vocational schools is one of the most effective ways of promoting the profession.
“If you don’t have the time or ability to give a presentation at a school, another equally effective option is to invite instructors and/or students to take a tour of your biomedical facility to drum-up interest with the students,” he told AAMI News. “For me, seeking a qualified biomedical technician to fill a position has been an exhausting task that sometimes takes as long as a year. By spreading the word about the field, you’re helping the entire profession.”
To download a copy of the proclamation click on one of the following formats.
- PDF: click here
- WORD DOC (large file): click here
POSTER (PDF): An editable poster for National Biomedical/Clinical Engineering Appreciation Week is now available in PDF.
- You can edit the poster to include your organization's name in the lower left corner...then print and post. Click here to download.
- If you'd like to add your own pictures to the poster....here is an editable version. Click here to download.
How Can I Help?There are countless ways for medical technology professionals to promote National Biomedical/Clinical Engineering Appreciation Week locally. Use your creativity to come up with the idea or ideas that best fit your facility or your community. As a starting point, AAMI offers the following suggestions:
|
Source: AAMI News Articles, 2/14/2008