A change in the eligibility requirements for certification from the International Certification Commission for Clinical Engineering and Biomedical Technology (ICC) will allow military personnel to take medical technology certification exams earlier.

At their June meetings, the United States Certification Commission (USCC) and ICC recognized the diploma from the U.S. military biomedical program as equivalent to an academic associate degree in biomedical technology for ICC’s eligibility purposes. The ICC offers certifications for certified biomedical equipment technician (CBET), certified radiology equipment specialist (CRES), and certified laboratory equipment specialist (CLES).

The change means military personnel that have successfully completed the U.S. military biomedical equipment technology program can sit for the exam for CBET with only 2 years of work experience.

Previously, military personnel were required to gain a civilian associate’s degree or have 4 years of work experience in the field in addition to completion of the military biomed program. The result was a disparity of 4 years before military personnel could take the exam versus a civilian.

After a detailed review of the program, the U.S. BMET Board of Examiners, which develops and administers the certification exams three times a year, found that the military program was very extensive, and comparable to an associate degree from accredited colleges and made the recommendation to make the change to the USCC and the ICC.

The next certification exam is scheduled to take place on November 6 in various locations. The deadline to register for the exam is Sept. 25. For more information on the certification program, visit www.aami.org/certification or call 703-253-8275.

PLYMOUTH MEETING, Pa., July 8  -- ECRI Institute's Universal Medical Device Nomenclature System™, the most comprehensive medical device taxonomy, announces the expansion of its database to include thousands of new terms for medical devices, genetic tests and medical device software.

The 2010 Universal Medical Device Nomenclature System (UMDNS) now contains 24,544 terms covering the expanse of medical devices and equipment used for modern healthcare delivery, including information systems, software, in vitro diagnostics, molecular and genetic tests, capital equipment, implantable devices, assistive devices, and consumables.

Becoming a Biomedical Equipment Technician from AAMI on Vimeo.

What do biomedical equipment technicians (BMETs) do? How do BMETs fit into the healthcare team? And how does one enter the field? These questions and more are addressed in this brief video, featuring members of AAMI's Technology Management Council (TMC).

SonoAccess Medical Ultrasound iPhone App

The SonoAccess™ application is your direct link to SonoSite. We've designed this medical app for the iPhone® mobile digital device to give you helpful resources, such as videos that demonstrate techniques for specific scanning procedures, quick guides for reimbursement information, and more.

As we continue to expand the point-of-care ultrasound market, our commitment to you and meeting your needs for education and communication continues to grow as well. That's why we have put our team to work on creating helpful resources that you can access at any time or place without having to make a call or schedule a visit with one of our representatives.

This is a great application and I think every medical equipment manufacturer should look at this as a model for how to provide user and BMET training.  Not only does it provide valuable information, but is a tremendous marketing tool. I also think it should be expanded to Google and Windows phones. ~ Stephen Walker

5th Annual Award Will Recognize Excellence in Health Technology Management 

Deadline June 1, 2010

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA—ECRI Institute®, an independent, nonprofit organization that researches the best approaches to improving patient care, is now accepting submissions to its fifth annual Health Devices Achievement Award program. The award honors healthcare facilities for achieving excellence in health technology management. The deadline for submissions is June 1, 2010, and entries are accepted online at https://www.ecri.org/hdaward.  “Our member hospitals consistently undertake important initiatives to improve patient safety, improve healthcare quality, and reduce costs. Our goal is to not only honor their outstanding work, but to broadly share their best practices and lessons learned,” says James P. Keller, Jr., vice president, health technology evaluation and safety, ECRI Institute. 

PLYMOUTH MEETING, PA— ECRI Institute® (www.ecri.org), a nonprofit healthcare organization that researches the best approaches to patient care, announces a new service contract enhancement to its BiomedicalBenchmark™ Web-based technology support system.

Trying to learn the fundamentals of networking?  If not and you're a BMET, you should be.  A great web resource is professormesser.com

St Jude Medical  has put together a tremendous library of videos regarding the funtioning and health of the heart.