The California Medical Instrumentation Association (CMIA) and the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) call on clinical and biomedical engineering attendees to get their registrations in early for this year's conference and expo, which is expected to sell out.

Last year, the annual conference featured nearly 40 vendors and almost 200 attendees, reaching near capacity, says Paul Conrad, vice president of Conquest Imaging and president of CMIA's Capitol chapter. The conference has already sold out its vendor spots, with 47 exhibitors.

This year, Conquest Imaging stepped in to help advance the conference and CMIA.

"There's a vested interest as a vendor to make sure the association is viable and healthy," Conrad tells DOTmed News.

The focus of this year's conference and expo, held at the Crown Plaza in Concord, Calif., is the importance of biomedical and clinical engineers in a hospital setting. Keynote speaker Carol Davis-Smith of AAMI's Technology Management Council and director of Premier Consulting Solutions, will discuss ways that these engineers can prove to their superiors that their jobs are of value.

"When hospital presidents want to cut jobs, they go to biomed and maintenance, not realizing what biomedical engineer does," says Conrad.

Davis-Smith says her lecture will focus on the future of the biomedical field with regard to the changes due to the economy, health care reform and hospitals' focus on the bottom line.

"The purpose [of the lecture] is not to provide a lot of answers, but maybe help us ask questions and explore areas we need to explore in the future," she tells DOTmed News.

The conference, slated for Aug. 19 will feature networking opportunities, prizes and vendor gifts, appetizers, drinks and a roast beef and turkey dinner.

Admission for CMIA and AAMI members is free, $25 for nonmembers.

RSVP to pconrad@conquestimaging.com. A confirmation e-mail will be sent back, which is required to ensure seating limitations.

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