Advanced Clinical Engineering Workshop

Dominican Republic

The Ninth Advanced Clinical Engineering Workshop was held in the Dominican Republic from 13-17 March 2000. Over 40 delegates came from Antigua, Colombia, Mexico, Panama, Peru, Venezuela, and the Dominican Republic. The venue was the Hotel V Centenario in Santo Domingo on the palm-tree-lined sea wall facing the azure Caribbean Sea. Diógenes Hernández and Dalia Castillo coordinated local arrangements for the delegates and faculty. The faculty comprised Frank Painter (ACCE workshop coordinator), Tom Judd, Bob Morris, Joe Dyro, Antonio Hernández, Diógenes Hernández, Adriana Velázquez, Kok-Swang Tan, and Jonathan Gaev. Introductory remarks were made by Dr Juan Octavio Ceballos, Secretary of State of Public Health and Social Assistance, Ing. Hugo Morales Arias, Sub-Director of the Office of Engineering Supervisors of the President of the Republic, and Dr Socorro Gross Galiano, the Pan American Health Organization office of the Dominican Republic.   

Participants of the workshop

The five-day workshop followed the general outline of the preceding eight workshops. Tom Judd covered the topics of healthcare technology management, quality improvement, performance excellence, and radiology safety, maintenance management, and equipment acquisition. Frank Painter addressed maintenance and service management, equipment control programs, organizing workloads, risk-based equipment management, ongoing relationships with manufacturers, managing outside service providers, technical administration of service contracts, medical gas and vacuum systems, maintenance procedures, and installation of medical equipment. Bob Morris spoke on unscheduled service, budgeting and financial reporting, setting up a new program, budgeting strategies, electrical distribution systems, and year 2000 lessons learned. Joe Dyro gave presentations on human resources development, defining job responsibilities, staffing levels, roles of supervisors and managers, defining and measuring productivity and cost-effectiveness, training, user error, professional development, safety and risk management, integrated safety program, heating, ventilation, and air-conditioning systems, and donated medical equipment, Diógenes Hernández presented the clinical engineering situation in the Dominican Republic, water systems, and used medical devices. Antonio Hernández spoke on acquisition of refurbished equipment and the role of PAHO in promoting and developing clinical engineering, Adriana Velázquez gave a case study of productivity and cost-effectiveness and presented the status of the clinical engineering certification program and the latest trends in clinical engineering in Mexico. Kok-Swang Tan presented the Canadian system of regulation of medical devices and new developments in electromagnetic compatibility. Jona-than Gaev addressed technology assessment and strategic planning, planning, procurement and management, and information tools for managing medical equipment.  

The intimate workshop setting was conducive to lively interaction. Mercedes, Javier, Oliva, Jonathan, Dalia, Kok-Swang, Frank & Adriana loosen up

The cultural tour of Santo Domingo observed apprentice cigar rollers (Joe Dyro) learning their craft

 Hospitality could not have been better. All faculty members were made to feel at home. The accommodations at the workshop hotel were superb. Lunches featured local cuisine as well as a wide variety of standard fare. The dessert table was particularly well endowed as I recall.   

The Secretary of Health of the Dominican Republic arranged a tour of the historic district of Santo Domingo. Craft market, amber and laramar shops, monument to Christopher Columbus, and the oldest house in the Americas were among the many highlights. Some in the group took not a casual interest in the shops featuring hand-made premium cigars.   

Bob Morris, Antonio Hernández, and Tom Judd assessing and acquiring local products

The tourists were then treated to a traditional dinner including live music and native dancers. The beat was strong and the melodies intoxicating. It wasn't long before all were strutting their stuff on the dance floor. Getting the Latin beat came easy for some, others needed more coaching. Fortunately for the visitors to this warm and spirited country, the local hosts had specialists in not only clinical engineering but also in the merengue.   

Dalia Castillo was exceptionally talented in this regard, as was Diógenes Hernández. There is no doubt in the mind of all who were on hand that night that the dance lessons Dalia gave to Dr Kok-Swang Tan and the resulting fine mood he experienced led him the very next day to complete an application for membership in the ACCE. The Membership Committee noting that Dr Tan excelled not only in electromagnetic interactions with medical devices but also in the merengue recommended membership. The Board agreed.   

The delegates and faculty received certificates of participation in the closing ceremonies. The Medical Association of the Dominican Republic, represented by Dr Alberty Estrella, hosted the ACEW participants at the Association's facility. The evening of disco and dining will not soon be forgotten. But above all, the warmth and good will of all the people of the Dominican Republic will forever be embedded in our memories.   

Plans were discussed for future ACEWs in Panama, Peru and Venezuela.

Joe Dyro
Email: JFDYRO@aol.com