The New England Medical Center can be traced back to 1796 when the Boston Dispensary opened the first HMO. Now, the center complex covers four city blocks, offers 47 medical residency programs, has over $20 million in funded research, and includes a medical school, dental school, and the Human Nutrition Research Center. The Medical Engineering Department began in 1971 as a joint venture between the center and Tufts University. Operated on a “fee-for-service” basis, the department consists of nine people in medical engineering and an additional four in radiology engineering. The department performs quality assurance and preventive maintenance work, along with as-needed repairs, throughout the center on an equipment roster that includes over 1,200 computer terminals and printers, 58 intensive care beds, and 200+ I.V. pumps. Specialized equipment allows the department to perform audiology repairs. Future goals include integrating the radiology repair staff into the medical engineering group, improving the group's productivity, and eliminating some of the existing service contracts.