Rob Jensen is only the third AAMI president and CEO in its 50-year history. When we interviewed him, he had been on the job for about 100 days, so this is really just the tip of the iceberg. But you will find he is already putting his brand on the direction this leading health care technology management organization is going.

HCB News: How did you get involved with AAMI?
RJ: I was recruited by AAMI’s national recruiting firm in the middle of last summer. Just before they called about this job, I had told them I was looking for something very mission-oriented. I was seeking a role in a place where the organizational culture was very positive. After a series of interviews by the recruiters, and then the board of directors, I was offered the position. I was also invited to attend the board meeting on Nov. 14, prior to my appointment. That was incredibly helpful and a smart thing to do. It gave me an opportunity to learn about several issues and see how things were done before stepping into my role.

HCB News: Did you have an association background, and if so, are there any differences about AAMI as an association?
RJ: I didn’t have a background running associations, but I am a member of HIMSS, so I knew a little about member organizations — how they work, value systems, that type of thing. I also checked with my network of colleagues to learn more about why they engage with their associations. The specific missions differ, but the association world is really a business construct like any other.

HCB News: What things do AAMI members most want from their association?
RJ: We had a recent member survey to find that answer. There are personal goals, so they rely on AAMI to help improve professional leadership skills, for example. Through AAMI, they also have access to a forum to engage with colleagues. Professionals who are early in their careers are looking to improve their expertise in management and leadership skills. Many longtime professionals have already built a strong level of expertise, and they’re looking to give back to their association and to their field.

Both long-time and new professionals also look to AAMI to help them improve job-related goals, with the top goal being to improve patient outcomes.

HCB News: What are the key challenges facing your members?
RJ: For us and our members, the key challenges all relate to patient safety: the speed in which medical devices are being developed, cybersecurity for medical devices, device and data integration. All of these issues impact patient safety. What to do with that data once it’s gathered is another challenge. If we’re using the data well, treatments can be determined earlier and, of course, that benefits the patient.

HCB News: How have your members’ roles evolved over the past five years and how do you see them changing over the next five?
RJ: We have a diverse membership so that evolution has varied. In general, all of our members are facing a more complex, interconnected world. For health care technology management professionals, that fact means they have to keep learning to thrive. A greater understanding of information technology and cybersecurity, for example, seems crucial, as does the development of communication soft skills so that they can better interact with other departments. Sterile processing professionals face challenges as devices themselves grow more complex, affecting the instructions to follow and, more importantly, the ability to effectively clean devices without investing in new practices and technologies. The manufacturers of medical devices face a changing world in which more and more health care technology is moving outside hospital walls and into homes. That ultimately impacts how devices are designed.

Finally, the regulatory world is changing, and those changes may accelerate as the new presidential administration moves forward with its policies. Changes in regulations can serve to underscore the valuable role that consensus standards play in safe and effective health care technology, and AAMI is the leader on that front.

To circle back to HTM professionals, I would just emphasize that the one constant for them is change. They need to be able to adapt quickly to that environment, and AAMI is here to help.

HCB News: What initiatives are currently topping AAMI’s list?
RJ: We’ve entered our third year of a three-year strategy. Between now and November, senior management, leadership and our board will be developing our list of priorities for the next three years. We will be keeping things that have worked well for years and continue to work well. If we find items that are no longer relevant, we’re discarding them and refocusing efforts in other areas.

The strategy will be informed by what we’ve learned with our member survey. We saw five primary reasons for why our members join: 1) stay up to date on industry news; 2) be part of and interact with a diverse community of health care technology professionals; 3) learn new technical skills and build upon existing knowledge; 4) participate in the development of standards for medical devices and technology; and 5) advance their careers through improved leadership and technical skills and certification.

HCB News: What is the feeling about the likely rollback of the ACA and how will it impact AAMI members?
RJ: Given the fact that Congress pulled the vote on replacing the ACA, a rollback does not seem likely anytime soon. Generally, folks are waiting to see what decisions are being made in order to respond. We don’t do advocacy or lobbying. We’re a neutral convener between the government, industry and other stakeholders. We stay objective.

One element of the now-sidelined health care legislation was a formal repeal of the medical device excise tax of 2.3 percent, which industry has long argued has squelched innovation and increased costs. Clearly, the future of that tax, which has been temporarily suspended, is something industry will be following closely.

HCB News: Do you believe technology has made medical instrumentation more manageable, or has it become more complex?
RJ: What we’re seeing is that it’s both more manageable and more complex. There are more devices with more capabilities, so that pays off in better patient outcomes. There are oceans of data being collected and what you do with it is more complex, but that’s a problem that can be solved. Soft skills are becoming more sophisticated in terms of organizational capabilities.

HCB News: How do you predict medical instrumentation will change over the next decade?
RJ: I think we’re going to see some incredible innovations and technologies. More and more personal devices will be used to help patients interact with their physicians. We’ll see further advances in monitoring in real time and monitoring remotely. Increasingly, health care — and health care technology — will be literally on the move. Industry’s commitment to patient safety will also continue to increase. The ability of technology to help effectively diagnose and treat medical conditions is, in some ways, just in its infancy.