Health-Care Reform [From the Editor]

An intensive debate over healthcare reform is taking place in the United States as I am writing this editorial and hopefully, there will be some resolution of this by the time you read this issue of IEEE Engineering in Medicine and Biology Magazine. So, if the issue will be resolved by the time you see these words, why should I write about it? Actually, it probably will not be completely resolved, and I expect that the debate will be continued. However, that is not my primary reason for commenting on this important issue. As biomedical engineers and other professionals involved in the vast area of health care, we should be taking part in the debate. Yet, very few comments are coming from the biomedical engineering/medical physics sector. Many of us are in this field because of our concern for the health of the population from a basic life science perspective or a more clinically applied aspect of our profession. How health care is delivered to our fellow citizens should be a vital concern whether we are directly involved or not. Biomedical engineers should be a part of the debate along with others in the health-care community. I recently returned from a meeting on hospital governance where a session was devoted to an update on health-care reform, and the Michigan Hospital Association, the sponsor of the meeting, is playing an active role in keeping its members aware of the debate and advocating for reforms that are to the advantage of Michigan Hospitals.