Take four steps closer to compliance

The American College of Physicians and the American Society of Internal Medicine (ACP-ASIM), both in Washington, DC, offer on-line assistance for your Y2K preparation efforts at www.acponline.org/y2k. The groups’ Y2K information center contains a complete list of resources to assist you in dealing with the millennium bug, including the following:

• a guide for replacing non-Y2K-compliant equipment;
• a list of four first steps to take as well as four steps to avoid;
• a guide for checking Y2K compliance of medical devices and business support systems;
• links to outside sites offering free vendor inquiry form letters;
• software for testing hardware;
• compliance reports on specific medical and other devices.

"Precious little time remains in which to correct Y2K problems," warns Carol Cunningham, director of the ACP-ASIM’s Center for a Compet itive Advantage. "Any delay could mean you will miss the deadline for correcting your systems due to vendor backlogs in providing updates and replacement software."