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Please
take a walk with us down memory lane...
1966
A. W. “Doc” Zimmerly of Texarkana, Texas and several
Arkansas hospital engineers began work to form the Arkansas
chapter. On April 23,
1966, the chapter was established and officially named the
Arkansas Association for Hospital Engineering (AAHE).
Doc Zimmerly was elected first president, Curt Belin was
vice president, A. V. Dobbins was treasurer, and J. O. Boldon was
secretary (J. O. Boldon is the father of our former president
Buddy Boldon). Charter
members were accepted through October 1966.
The first AAHE annual banquet was held at St. Vincent
Infirmary, where AAHE president Doc Zimmerly was a VIP.
Allen Weintraub was master of ceremonies.
1967
Bob Chase, of St. Edward Mercy Medical Center, designed the
AAHE logo. Members
toured AP&L’s Robert E. Richie Generating Station.
Built in 1960, it was the largest single-shaft generator in
the world, at that time.
1970
AAHE doubled its membership from 40 members to 80, and the
Arkansas Hospital Association became the Association’s treasurer
and maintained the records. Annual
membership dues were a mere $5.00 that year.
1971
Total AAHE expenses in 1971 were only $250.
The Association’s bank balance in July was $720.
1970s
AAHE became affiliated with the Arkansas Council of
Engineers and Related Societies (ACERS).
1979
AAHE established the Arkansas Hospital Engineers
Scholarship Trust to provide scholarships to worthy students.
1981
Arch Gilchrist died at the age of 59.
The scholarship trust was incorporated and named in honor
of Arch Gilchrist.
1982
AAHE became incorporated on July 2, 1982.
1983
In June at Hot Springs National Park, AAHE hosted the
national meeting of the American Society of Hospital Engineering
(ASHE).
1984
The Arkansas Telecommunication Association for Health Care
(ATCHC) merged with AAHE. At
the summer meeting, AAHE divided the chapter into three sections,
which became the Facilities, Clinical, and Telecommunication
sections. AAHE
determined that all future meetings would have separate
educational programs for each section.
On October 19, 1984, the first three-program meeting was
held and was very successful.
1985
Early in 1985, members of ATAHC became regular members of
AAHE.
1986
The first AAHE yearbook was published and distributed to
members in May, with Lincoln Knight as editor.
The AAHE seal was revised by Lincoln to show the three
educational sections, Facilities, Telecommunications, and
Clinical, which made up AAHE at that time.
1987
In September, AAHE, member James Wear, Ph.D., and the
University of Arkansas at Little Rock developed the Health Care
Facilities Engineering Technology Certification program.
1992
Safety became an additional section of AAHE.
1995
Radiology became an additional section of AAHE.
1996
The Curtis G. “Curt” Belin Scholarship Trust was
established to award scholarships to worthy students.
1997
The Curtis G. “Curt” Belin Young Engineer of the Year
award was established to recognize outstanding AAHE members under
the age of 40.
1999
An annual scholarship golf tournament was begun in October
of 1999, to raise money in support of the scholarship trusts.
2001
AAHE has grown from 33 charter members in 1966,
representing only hospitals, to over 240 members representing
hospitals, clinics, universities, institutes, a hotel, architects,
consulting engineers, technical services, companies, and
corporations. The operating budget is now more than $30,000 per year.
To date, approximately 40 scholarships worth more than
$26,000 had been granted to worthy students.
2002
The future beckons.
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