Baltimore – In an effort to enhance health technology management (HTM) education, the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) has become the lead member society for bioengineering technology of ABET, the global accreditor of college and university programs in applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology.
The announcement marks a promising opportunity for both organizations to play increased roles in supporting the education of technical professionals in medicine.
“With an aging population and growing access to services, healthcare will continue to be one of the fastest growing sectors in the world,” said Michael K. J. Milligan, ABET Executive Director and CEO. “Medical technology is critical to that growth, and with AAMI’s insight we can do our part to make sure institutions are producing qualified graduates that the HTM field can employ with confidence.”
AAMI is the world’s leading organization in supporting the development, management, and use of safe and effective healthcare technology. Their broad network of nearly 7,000 members represents every area of healthcare technology and puts them in a unique position to guide the standards of bioengineering technology education.
Leadership in AAMI are looking forward to the possibilities that their new role with ABET presents.
“We are very pleased that the ABET Board of Directors saw the value of having AAMI as a member society, and that they saw AAMI as an ideal fit for the lead society role,” said AAMI President Mary Logan. “We’ll have an opportunity to update the ABET criteria for biomedical equipment technicians to reflect the core competency work that AAMI has led. This standardization can set an example that all BMET programs can follow.”
“This is an exciting development, as it will help enhance AAMI’s commitment to HTM education and the future of our profession,” said Steve Yelton, Program Chairman of ET and IT Divisions at
Cincinnati State Technical & Community College and a member of AAMI’s Board of Directors. “AAMI currently is involved with certification of BMETs, core competencies for college programs, and guidance in career planning and strategy. This will complete the cycle with AAMI becoming involved in assisting in the accreditation of college programs.”
As an ABET Member Society with lead responsibilities for bioengineering technology and similarly named programs, AAMI will develop the specific program criteria to evaluate programs at the associate and bachelor degree levels. The professional society will also support ABET’s accreditation efforts by recruiting and selecting the program evaluators that will apply those criteria.
The eight programs currently accredited, all through the Engineering Technology Accreditation Commission (ETAC), had previously fallen under the lead responsibility of the Biomedical Engineering Society (BMES). BMES will still serve as the lead member society for all bioengineering programs that are accredited through the Engineering Accreditation Commission (EAC).
The ABET Board approved AAMI’s application for admission as an ABET Member Society during its March 2015 meeting.
As the 35th member society to join ABET, AAMI joins a diverse and far-reaching community of technical and professional societies. See the full list of ABET Member Societies.
About ABET
ABET is a nonprofit, non-governmental organization with ISO 9001:2008 certification. We accredit college and university programs in the disciplines of applied science, computing, engineering, and engineering technology at the associate, bachelor, and master degree levels.
With ABET accreditation, students, employers, and the society we serve can be confident that a program meets the quality standards that produce graduates prepared to enter a global workforce.
About AAMI
The Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) is the world’s leading organization in supporting the development, management, and use of safe and effective healthcare technology. Founded in 1967, AAMI membership is comprised of a diverse group of nearly 7,000 key decision makers in the healthcare technology field—clinical engineers, biomedical equipment technicians, manufacturers, sterile processing professionals, researchers, quality assurance and regulatory affairs experts, and other influential leaders.