Clinical engineering programs in Dallas and Fort Worth hospitals

The purpose of this paper is to describe current clinical engineering (CE) activities in the Dallas-Fort Worth metropolitan area. The CE directors of the thirteen largest hospitals in this area were interviewed by telephone and questions were asked regarding CE environment, activities, and management. Data are presented on the numbers and types of personnel, the educational background of the CE department directors, the position of the CE department in the management hierarchy, department activities, and management programs. Hospitals ranged in bed count from 380 to 1,509 with 1 to 26 employees. Four of 13 departments operate as profit centers. Departments range from one to four reporting levels below the hospital chief executive officer. Almost every CE department is involved in risk management, but only half measure worker productivity.