Paul W. Kelley, CBET, was named the “2010 Welch Allyn – CMIA Professional of the Year” at the annual banquet held on January 30, 2010 in San Diego, CA. In winning this award, Paul joins a selected group of very successful Biomedical Engineering professionals of high moral character who have made great contributions to the profession and to the CMIA. He will receive a $1,000 check provided by Welch Allyn, Inc., a custom plaque presented by Dave Ogren, Chairman of the Board and Eddie Acosta, Chairman Pro Tem, at the CMIA awards banquet, and an automatic nomination for the Association for the Advancement of Medical Instrumentation (AAMI) Clinical / Biomedical Engineering Achievement Award.
The stated purpose of this award is to recognize outstanding professional achievement, contributions to their community, as well as significant contributions to the biomedical community. Clearly, Paul exceeds these criteria. In his nomination letter, Les Atles, CCE, CBET and President of the CMIA Lifetime Member Group, said “Paul W. Kelly epitomizes the best of what our profession and the CMIA has to offer our healthcare technology community. His hard work, soft-spoken approach, strong leadership skills and nurturing commitment to helping others, all demonstrate why he would be an outstanding choice for the 2010 CMIA Professional of the Year”.
Eddie Acosta, CBET, CLRT, (CMIA Chairman Pro Tem) stated: “Paul Kelley has been an outstanding supporter of the California Medical Instrumentation Association (CMIA). I personally consult with him on many issues within the CMIA. He is a tremendous asset on matters of CMIA Bylaws, Constitution and Board Officer Duties. His development of the CMIA Leadership Training Academy handbook for new officers is exemplary and continues to prove his dedication to the CMIA”.
Another former winner of this award, George Panyarachun, MS BME, (CMIA Lifetime member), Valley College Instructor, added in his letter of support: “I am writing to you to support the nomination of Paul Kelly for the 2010 CMIA Professional of the Year Award submitted by Les Atles. Paul has contributed so much to our Biomedical Community. The award for the coming year to Paul is one of the best ways to recognize his many contributions and a life long support for the Biomedical profession”.
Paul began his career in the profession having graduated from Napa Community College in 1979 with an Associate in Electronics and Biomedical Electronics. He later would receive his Certified Biomedical Equipment Technician (CBET), credentialing. Paul is married to his wonderful wife Kathy who I’m sure provides Paul a great deal of inner strength and support for Paul to be able to continue his tireless efforts. His first position in 1979 was with the University of California, Los Angeles (UCLA), Medical Center’s Clinical Engineering Department. He soon was promoted to Senior Electronics Technician and remained at UCLA for the next three years. In 1983, Paul relocated to San Jose where he accepted a position as a Biomedical Technician at Santa Clara Valley Hospital. After multiple promotions, Paul was again promoted to Manager, Biomedical Engineering in 1993 and remained in that capacity for the next four years. In 1998 Paul accepted the position of Supervisor, Biomedical Engineering at Washington Hospital Healthcare System starting the program there before being promoted to Manager, in 2004. In 2007 Paul accepted an additional role at Washington Hospital Health System as Manager, of Green Initiative.
Paul has received numerous awards and appointments along the way, one of many being awarded the CMIA- Lifetime Member in 2002. Paul has a long history of stepping up in response to the challenges and organizational needs of the CMIA including having been the past Chairman of the Board in both 1996 and 2005. Since 2006 Paul has served as the CMIA Secretariat. Among his other association contributions, he created the CMIA Professional of the Year Award, developed the Frank Yip Scholarship and Frank Yip Foundation and is currently a CMIA Board Advisor. Paul founded the Bay Area chapter of the CMIA and assisted with the founding of the Capitol chapter of the CMIA. In 2008, Paul accepted the position of Advisor to the newly formed CMIA Web Committee.
On the national scene, Paul has served on the AAMI Board of Directors and AAMI Foundation since 2008. He is an Editorial Advisor for “Healthcare Technology Horizons” and “IT Horizons” magazines.
As a mentor, Paul has set the bar in helping young technicians and managers become better at what they do. He created the CMIA Leadership Training Academy handbook. This document is an invaluable tool and a must read for all CMIA officers and members. Paul has been instrumental in working in an advisory capacity to three community colleges and has published and or presented more than 15 papers for our field.