Tim Larson

Stephanie Woodworth

Aletha Crome Merback

Kate Benscoter

Steve Sittig

• Tim Larson’s recent trip to Honduras with the Central American Medical Outreach Neonatal Team is featured in this article in the Wooster, OH, Daily Record. Tim brought a portable blood gas analyzer along on the trip to help evaluate children treated by the team.
• Misty Hoover is noted for returning to her high school to present a program on respiratory therapy in this article in the Cumberland, MD, Times-News.
• Stephanie Woodworth receives kudos for participating in the annual Terry Fox Run in this article in The National out of Abu Dubai in the United Arab Emirates. Stephanie ran in the event despite having lost a leg when she was just 13 years old to the same type of bone cancer that afflicted Fox. “Terry Fox has always been one of my heroes,” she was quoted as saying. “He had such passion in the way he helped others.” (Stay tuned to AARC Times for more on Stephanie soon.)
• Donnie Hatchett is noted for receiving a TrailBlazers award for helping to pave the way to success for other African-Americans in this article in the Bowling Green, KY, Daily News.
• Meghan Hunter comments on her participation in a Citizen’s Academy hosted by the local police department in this article in the Connecticut Post out of Bridgeport, CT. Meghan was there to learn more about her boyfriend’s job as a police officer.
• Debbie Jeffers shares information about her pulmonary rehab program in this article in the Asbury Park, NJ, Press about a man who underwent a lung transplant. “We want to keep them working out, because if they just sit around after surgery, they become deconditioned,” she was quoted as saying.
• Aletha Crome Merback, who you may remember reading about in your January issue of AARC Times, talks about her tiny knitting skills in this Q&A in the Portland, OR, Oregonian — a talent that landed her a job knitting garments for the lead character in the recent movie Coraline.
• Kate Benscoter is noted as the contact person in two articles about her respiratory therapy program: this one in the Lake County News out of Lakeport, CA, and this one in the Times-Herald out of Vallejo, CA.
• Steve Sittig receives kudos in his alumni newsletter for an article that appeared in a health care-related publication.
• Ken Lestansky and Joanne Dreabit are pictured in this article in the Wilkes Barre, PA, Times-Leader about a health fair their hospital has planned for National Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week. The theme: “Just Breathe.”
• Tammy Kurszewski is the go-to person for information about the beginning of pollen season in this article and video on the KAUZ-TV Web site out of Wichita Falls, TX. “Especially when you start looking at the Elm and Cedar, those are big issues with allergy sufferers,” she was quoted as saying.

And here are the latest hospitals that have received great press for earning the AARC’s Quality Respiratory Care Recognition:

• Bluffton Regional Medical Center in this article on fwdailynews.com out of Kendallville, IN.
• Warren Hospital in this article in the Warren, NJ, Reporter.
• Morton Plant Hospital and Mease Countryside Hospital in this article in the Clearwater, FL, Citizen.
• Ira Davenport Memorial Hospital in this article in the Steuben Courier out of Bath, NY.