Dr. Seymour Ben-Zvi (SUNY-Downstate Medical Center) and Walter Buchsbaum
(Brookdale University Hospital Medical Center) started the New York City Metropolitan
Area Clinical Engineering Directors Group in the early 1980s. By the 1990s, group literature
sent to potential lecturers described the group as follows:
“The New York City Clinical Engineering Directors Group consists of 38 directors of
clinical engineering departments, representing all of the major medical centers in the
greater New York City area. We are directly responsible for managing the medical equipment
stock in our respective medical centers. As a group, we are overseeing equipment
used for a total of over 25,000 patient beds.
Our group is composed of engineers with various backgrounds and experience. Some
have doctoral degrees; while others hold master’s, bachelor’s or associate’s degrees. Some
are heavily involved in medical research, while others manage departments that provide
a broad range of repair and maintenance services to their facilities. In order for us to keep
abreast of this dynamic field, we have group meetings every four to six weeks. A manufacturer
or equipment vendor generally sponsors our meetings. A representative from the
sponsor provides a technical presentation (definitely not a sales talk) on one of their latest
products. The presentation usually lasts about an hour, which includes time for questions
and answers.”