Participating over coffee and hot plates, the biomedical engineers and medical professionals in attendance were like a sixth participant in the conversation, raising their hands in response to questions asked intermittently throughout the event by Jacobus. For example, when asked if biomeds reaching retirement age was a challenge facing the industry, about 40 percent indicated that it was.

“We have to make sure that we have quality measurements out there to keep our patients safe and provide them access to equipment when needed,” said Fitzgerald, referring to the issue of third-party service. “But they don’t need to be standards that drive organizations out of business, or that community stand-alone hospitals or rurals can’t meet or afford. We need to look across the entire spectrum.”


Goryl echoed these sentiments, saying the idea to regulate independent service organizations, HTM professionals and other third-parties should not be seen as a way to hold them to the same standards as OEMs.

“What I would like is to see that all organizations have some minimum requirements,” he said. “Never did I say that they should all have the same expectations that an OEM does. We expect to be heavily regulated.”

He added that patients must be the main focus, and that collaboration is necessary for ensuring safety and effectiveness, as well as for solving other issues that affect care. “How do we get more HTM professionals in the market? How do we equip them with more tools? How do we get them access to more information? That can’t be done by any one of us alone.”

Crothall’s O’Donnell said the report has brought all players to the table and foresees greater collaboration leading to better quality care for hospitals, clinics and patients.

“I’m excited to hear that we’re all ready to talk. We have found that when we have OEMs and parts providers working with us, our clients and patients win. It’s always ended up to be a good thing. So, we would support moving this forward."

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