Welcome!

After pondering the strengths of the NCBA Board of Directors this year, it suddenly hit me.  I wonder how many lives this board has helped save or improve?  I wonder how many millions of dollars they have saved directly, or indirectly?  How many genius processes, improvements, policies, procedures, advancements, and standards, were derived from their thoughts?  How many top shelf Biomeds have they passed on their knowledge to, and/or helped to train?  And what are the strengths and talents of each person that I could help carry into the next generation of Healthcare Technology Professionals?  This is an incredible group of individuals that have taken on various jobs within the board in order to carry out our mission statement… “Enhancing Biomedical Professionals since 1978”.  And having this “Biomed Dream Team” entrust me with the position of Presidency has been such an honor.

Our return to Pinehurst this year was nothing short of a success!  All measurables trended upwards.  Vendors, attendees, quality classes, sponsorships, golf, etc… But none of these compare to the “feel” that Pinehurst has given back to our event.  HTM, especially in the Carolinas, is a close-knit community that has not only provided to us colleagues, but lifelong friends and mentors.  Pinehurst has always helped us to get away from the real world for a few days to bond, share, and grow as a community.  And that is how advancement is, and should be, made.  Through passionate professionals working hard to enhance this field. 

HTM is a fantastic, yet widely unknown, career path that has treated a lot of individuals very well.  However it has a workforce that will continue to diminish.  A great deal of knowledge will be leaving this field within the next several years, just as technology advances at an inversely proportionate (or higher) rate.  I would like to encourage all of you to get out, and inform your communities, of the HTM profession.  Help us to grow our workforce, just as the need for it also advances.  This world may end up with plenty of other healthcare professionals, but the need for a HTM Professional will always be present. 

I would like to thank all of those individuals who have served or supported the NCBA in any capacity in the past or present.  Without all of you this organization would have dwindled away to nothing almost 40 years ago.  In addition I would like to congratulate our current board on the following elected positions for 2016-2017…

Robert Duvall, CRES – Vice President

Sally Goebel – Treasurer

Jeremy Collins – Membership Secretary

Terry Morris – Recording Secretary

Glenn Scales, CBET-E – Ex Officio

Boyd Campbell, CBET, CRES – Vendor Coordinator

Susan Trombley, CBET – Newsletter Editor

Greg Johnson, CBET – Hotel Coordinator

Daniel Norman, CBET – Golf Coordinator

As well as; Clint McCoy, CBET – John Noblitt, CBET – Brian Lefler, CBET – and Thomas Bresnahan, CBET for other duties within the board.

Codi Nelson, CBET

NCBA President

Welcome!

As I sit here in the Pinehurst Hotel on Friday afternoon, the 2016 NCBA Symposium is winding down and our attendees are about to start lunch. Over the past three days the NCBA has featured a total of twenty-eight educational programs. Our return to Pinehurst has been an overwhelming success with record attendance. The vendor exhibit hall was sold out in record time with a total of 96 booths representing 92 vendors and over 80% of our available booths are already reserved for 2017. Mark your calendars now for August 22-25, 2017 for our return to the Pinehurst Hotel for our 39th Symposium.

Our Business Meeting Luncheon featured the awarding of our three scholarships. The Norman "Red" Reeves scholarship was awarded to Timothy Baker from Durham Technical Community College. Devan C. Lewis from Caldwell Community College received the Eddy Whisnant Scholarship. The W. Glenn Scales Scholarship, valued at $5,000 and endowed by Drager, Inc., was awarded to Derek A. Fleming.

The NCBA Kevin Scoggin Shop of the Year award was presented to the Biomedical Department at Appalachian Regional Healthcare System. It was my honor to award the annual President's Award to Board member and Vendor Coordinator Boyd Campbell. The entire Board was a tremendous resource this year in bringing this 38th NCBA Symposium to our members.

The Business Meeting Luncheon also saw six new members added to the Board of Directors. They will serve for a two year term, ending in 2018. The new additions to the Board are:

• Tom Bresnahan — Mindray, Inc.
• Boyd Campbell — Southeastern Biomedical Associates
• Jeremy Collins — Novant Health
• Brian Lefler — First Health of the Carolinas
• Clint McCoy — Duke University Medical Center
• Terry Morris — Darger Medical

• 24 X 7 Magazine
• Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI)
• Dot Med
• MD Publishing

W. Glenn Scales, CBET-E
NCBA President

Welcome!

Here we are in 2016 and your North Carolina Biomedical Association is in the midst of some remarkable changes. As usual, it’s a new year and we have a new combination of members comprising our Board of Directors. In addition to the Board, this organization would not have had the long term success it’s had without the countless volunteers, speakers and vendors who have dedicated themselves to this organization and our HTM profession.

I suppose that the biggest news revolves around the Symposium returning to the Pinehurst Hotel and Resort. And, of course, that also means Pinehurst golf. Over the past few years the Board of Directors got a lot of feedback from our members about returning to Pinehurst, and last year, NCBA President Clint McCoy led a team in negotiating a long term contract that gives our members a great opportunity for at least the next three years.

Over the past few months, NCBA Vice President Codi Nelson has been coordinating a series of stand alone classes to bring first class educational programs to our members. At the same time. Codi, and the entire Board have been developing the educational program for our Symposium planned for August 23-26, 2016.

You can also mark your calendars for August 22-25, 2017 and August 21-24, 2018 as future dates for the Symposium and Expo at the Pinehurst Hotel. As has been our tradition, the golf outing is scheduled for Tuesday morning, with the Symposium following on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday.

Feedback from our members regarding their educational needs and “likes” starts at the Symposium, with feedback provided by the attendees as part of each class evaluation. The Board of Directors used this feedback at our Planning Retreat to start building the framework for the 2016 educational program. This year’s program will feature 36 half-day educational sessions. Many of our most requested speakers will be joining us in Pinehurst to help kick off this, our 38^th annual Symposium.

I first became a part of this organization in 1978 as one of the founding members. It has been my privilege to be associated with a world-class organization that has consistently attracted a diverse pool of talent that is dedicated to the educational and professional development of our members. While the faces continue to change, as members come and go, it is still encouraging after 38 years to see the selfless commitment to providing development resources unlike any other HTM professional group.

I would like to strongly encourage our members to continue to participate in our programs, but more importantly, to start getting involved in leadership roles within the NCBA. It is critical for us that new, younger members start joining the NCBA Board of Directors and help establish our future direction. I encourage our younger members to start getting involved, attend Board meetings and assist your organization in defining our future and managing our growth.

Please check out our website on a regular basis to find out about Symposium information, stand-alone classes, and job opportunities. As always, thank you for supporting the NCBA!

W. Glenn Scales, CBET-E
NCBA President

Welcome!

Four years ago I got my chance to be a NCBA Board Member.  I never anticipated I would one day be Vice President, much less the President of this organization.  I feel honored that this group of my peers felt that I would be fit to lead the NCBA for this year.  I promise to do everything in my power to continue this organization down the right path, the path that has made it the oldest and the largest state run biomedical society in the nation. 

  In December of 2006 I was a second year student at CCC&TI where I was entering a new chapter of my life as a biomed.  John Noblitt insisted that all second year Biomed students attend this event called the NCBA Symposium in Pinehurst, NC.  He also told us this was a chance to interact with the major players in the Biomed world, and this could lead us to our next job.  Well…I didn’t really know what to expect from this “Symposium”, but I knew I needed to dress the part.  I went to the mall to buy some new digs to wear, made sure to have my suits dry cleaned, shoes shined, and hair cut so that I might make a good first impression on my, hopefully, future employer.

I had never been to Pinehurst, but upon my arrival I was taken by its beauty.  I remember how awesome it was to have manufacturers like Zoll and Conmed teaching me about their current equipment instead of the Code Master and Bovie we had back in our lab.  I remember how festive the vendor hall was with games, prizes, and lots of hoopla.  I also remember being at the business luncheon seeing the who’s who of Biomed conducting a meeting with over a hundred in attendance.  The last thing which left a lasting impression on me was how close the biomed community appeared to be.   I was very impressed and excited about my first NCBA Symposium and even though I couldn’t quite put my finger on it, I knew instantly there was something very special about this group.

The planning for the 2015 NCBA Symposium began at the 2014 Symposium. This planning was then ramped  up at the NCBA Board Retreat in beautiful Beaufort, NC.  Goals for this year’s planning retreat included:

• Ways to make our educational portion even better than it has been the last couple of years.  This will be a challenge as our education keeps trending upwards as you are probably aware of.
• Find exciting and informative educational opportunities that can be presented to our members in stand-alone classes throughout the year.  These classes provide top notch training without the expensive travel and lodging cost that come with others across the country.
• Discuss and determine what the NCBA should do as it enters the last year of its contract with the Embassy Suites and Convention Center in Concord, NC.

Please check out our website on a regular basis to find out about Symposium information, stand-alone classes, and job opportunities. As always, thank you for supporting the NCBA!

Clint McCoy, CBET

NCBA President

Welcome!

Welcome to the web site of the North Carolina Biomedical Association. Little did I realize in 1978 when a small group of BMETs and educators met for the first time at the Wake AHEC Building in Raleigh, that the NCBA would develop into the premier organization is has become. I hope that the next 35 years will be just as eventful and fun for those of you just getting to know us. It is my honor to once again serve as the President of the NCBA and I am looking forward to an exciting and rewarding year.

I’ve just returned from our annual planning retreat and the Board of Directors and our many dedicated volunteers are off to a great start planning educational programs for 2014. The Symposium is scheduled for September 2 – 5 at the Embassy Suites Hotel and Convention Center in Concord, NC and promises to be one of the best ever. We already have speaking confirmations from several internationally renowned speakers.

The Symposium education program will follow the six-track format we used last year and will feature Safety, Leadership, Imaging, Information Technology, Basic and Advanced Biomed Topics. Each of the six track chairs have outlined over a dozen possible topics for each track and we are now in the process of confirming and finalizing our education program. The Symposium will feature 30 or more educational classes specifically designed for the Healthcare Technology Management professional.

The Vendor registration will open the first week of January and the Hotel registration is open now for advanced reservations. The Board expects to have individual and student registrations open by May so you will have several months to plan and schedule.

One thing that is very important to me are our scholarship and recognition programs. Please be sure to review the applications for our three scholarships. I am very proud that we are able to offer $9,000 in financial support each year to deserving students in North Carolina. Please check our Scholarships & Awards page for details about our three scholarships, plus the Shop of the Year Award.

Finally, let me encourage you to follow us on Facebook for updates throughout the year on upcoming educational programs, speakers and special events. As additional classes and programs are confirmed we will post updates for you.

Wishing you all the best for 2014 and beyond. I’m looking forward to seeing you in Concord for our 36^th annual Symposium and Expo.

W. Glenn Scales, CBET-E
President