1） Outline

Since its foundation as a voluntary organization in February 1990, JACE has, through its role as an association for professionals specializing in the operation, maintenance and inspection of life-support systems directly linked to human life, strived constantly to create a system in which patients can receive highly advanced engineering-based medical care safely with the effective use of limited medical resources.

In a bid to accomplish its social mission, expand the duties and raise the status of CEs, JACE was approved as public-interest corporation by the Ministry of Health, Labor, and Welfare (MHLW) on March 14, 2002.

Twenty years have already passed since JACE was first established. During this time, the importance of medical equipment in modern medical care has been greatly enhanced and consequently, the social responsibility of CEs responsible for handling such equipment has increased.

Under such circumstances, MHLW amended the Pharmaceutical Affairs Act and Medical Care Act with regard to the appropriate operation and maintenance of medical equipment for improved safety. At the same time, new measures such as promoting the establishment of medical equipment control rooms and incorporating the safety management of medical equipment – particularly that of life-support systems – into medical fees have been taken to aid the activities of CEs.

At the review meeting for the promotion of team medical care presided over by MHLW, conventional guidelines for CEs established by MHLW was abolished in a bid to stimulate the activities of CEs, and the direction for new guidelines, which will be prepared voluntarily in collaboration with relevant academic societies, was clarified.

These administrative measures are good news for JACE on the occasion of its 20th anniversary. At the same time, JACE and its members are responsible for passing down the tradition to the next generation as we strive toward further contribution to society.

2）Objective of foundation

In the association’s constitution, JACE prescribes the following objective:

The objective of this association is to contribute to the promotion and development of the nation’s medical care and welfare through the raise of professional ethics of CEs, enhancement of their professional knowledge and skills, and improvement of reliability of equipment-based medical care and welfare, including life-support systems.

3）Activities to be carried out

In the association’s constitution, JACE sets forth the following:

JACE shall engage in the following activities to achieve the objectives stated hereinbefore:

Those related to:

1. elevating the professional ethics of clinical engineers.
2. the improvement of clinical engineers’ knowledge, skill and quality.
3. the clinical engineering academic meeting.
4. safety measures in the field of clinical engineering.
5. the promotion of clinical engineering.
6. clinical engineering research.
7. the technical accreditation in the field of clinical engineering.
8. the supply of information regarding the recruitment of clinical engineers.
9. the mutual welfare of clinical engineers.
10. international activities in the field of clinical engineering.
11. exchanges with relevant organization.
12. the printing and publication of articles related to the aforementioned items.
13. the implementation of activities required to achieve the objective of JACET.

4）Organization chart