AARC Congress 2012 Gazette
for Tuesday, November 13
Phil Kittredge Memorial Lecture
Thinking Outside the Box: Moving the Profession Beyond the Hospital Walls
by Timothy R. Myers MBA RRT-NPS
Editor’s Note: Timothy Myers presented the Kittredge Lecture Monday morning. Here’s his recap for those who were unable to attend.
The focus of health care in the United States is rapidly shifting from one of reaction and treatment to one of pro-action and prevention. This coincides with the steadily increasing number of patients with acute and chronic respiratory conditions seeking diagnosis, management, and care across the entire continuum.
Right now, three-quarters of the respiratory care workforce is based in acute care facilities and educational programs. The respiratory therapist has a diverse and unique set of clinical skills that are important to patients with cardiopulmonary disease. But to meet the needs of the future, a sharper focus on quality, safety, and outcomes will be required. We need to become physician extenders throughout the continuum of care, with the knowledge, skills, and attributes necessary not just for the management and treatment of acute conditions, but for the diagnosis, assessment, management, and education of chronic respiratory conditions as well.
The RT must be ready and prepared to step forward to meet these challenges and opportunities. To do that, we must step out of our current practice model and environment of care to once again become “pioneers of change” in the way patients with cardiopulmonary diseases are diagnosed, managed, and educated.
The past 65 years have witnessed an exponential growth in the technology, skill sets, and scope of practice of the respiratory therapist. But to be a significant part of the future health care model, we must re-energize the profession to position itself to be the difference maker for respiratory care patients across the entire continuum of care by providing reliable, high-quality, and safe care that produces positive clinical and financial outcomes for the health care system.
Anaheim, CA, here we come!
As we conclude our 58th International Respiratory Convention & Exhibition in New Orleans today, we’re already looking ahead to next year’s meeting in Anaheim, CA, Nov. 16–19. The Program Committee is seeking your input for speakers and topics now, so head over to Easy Street to submit proposals. The deadline is Dec. 21.
As for our 2013 venue, Anaheim promises to deliver on everything you’ve ever heard about sunny Southern California, from great beaches, to wonderful restaurants, to world-renowned theme parks, to the glitz and glamour of nearby Los Angeles and Hollywood. So flip over to November 2013 in your day planner today and block out the 16th–19th for AARC Congress 2013!
“Anaheim is always a great place to hold our meeting, and with all the changes expected to come our way over the next year due to health care reform and other issues, it will never be more important to attend,” says AARC Program Committee Chair Cheryl Hoerr MBA RRT FAARC. “The Congress is sure to deliver the hands-on information managers, educators, and clinicians alike need to maximize their roles in their organizations.”
She and her colleagues on the Program Committee are looking forward to seeing everyone in Anaheim in 2013. “We officially invite all of you to join us in Southern California next November,” says the chair.
Open Forum 2013 wants you!
This year’s Open Forum has featured more than 300 original research projects in 20 separate sessions covering all of the key aspects of respiratory care.
Next year you could be among the mix with an Open Forum abstract of your own. So start brainstorming topics for study now, and then submit your abstract by the deadline, June 1, 2013.
Summer Forum slated for July 15–17, 2013
Managers and educators in respiratory care will gather at the 2013 Summer Forum to hear about the latest developments in their areas of the profession, and this year the venue will be beautiful Orlando, FL. Make plans now to be on hand July 15–17 for this informative session—and bring the family along for the ride. As everyone knows, there is no better family vacation destination than Orlando, with its wealth of theme parks and other attractions, including the world famous Disney World.
North Carolina and California come out on top in Covidien Sputum Bowl finals!
The 2012 Sputum Bowl was especially exciting for Congress attendees this year, with lots of new features designed to get the audience involved in the competition.
Now the winners are in: North Carolina placed first in the national competition, with Louisiana coming in second, California taking third, and Pennsylvania placing fourth.
In the student competition, California won first place, with Michigan coming in second, Colorado taking third, and Louisiana placing fourth.
Congratulations to you all!
Best in Show recognizes outstanding exhibits
The Exhibit Hall was filled with interesting and innovative displays this week, but 3 booths stood out from the crowd. Taking first place in our Best of Show competition was CareFusion. Teleflex Medical took second, and Roche Diagnostics came in at third.
Respiratory Care Education Annual Call for Papers
The AARC will publish Volume 22 of the Respiratory Care Education Annual in the fall of 2013. This refereed journal is committed to providing a forum for research and theory in respiratory care education and is listed in the “Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature.”
The AARC Education Section invites educators to submit papers for consideration. Preference will be given to papers that emphasize original research, applied research, or evaluation of an educational method. Other topics that may be considered include interpretive reviews of literature, educational case studies, and point-of-view essays. Submissions will be reviewed based on originality, significance and contribution, soundness of scholarship (design, instrumentation, data analysis), generalizability to the education community, and overall quality of the paper. Papers should be approximately 6–10 pages in length and must follow the guidelines in the “Uniform Requirements for Manuscripts Submitted to Biomedical Journals,” 5th edition (1997). These may be found on our Preparing the Manuscript page.
Abstracts should not exceed 250 words. For more information, contact Dennis Wissing PhD RRT FAARC, editor, or contact him by phone at (318) 573-9788. Electronic copies of completed manuscripts should be emailed to the AARC office. Deadline is Feb. 28, 2013.
Pre-courses add value to Congress
Attendees at this week’s International Respiratory Convention & Exhibition had plenty of opportunities to learn the latest in respiratory care. But folks who came in a day early had the chance to jump start the learning process by attending one of 2 pre-courses aimed at delivering additional information on cutting edge topics.
Those who attended the “Patient Safety Starts with You!” course heard from experts in the field, who updated them on strategies to improve the safety of patients through the avoidance of never events, sentinel events, hospital-acquired conditions, and near misses.
Attendees at the “Mechanical Ventilation 2012” course were brought up to speed on all the latest topics, including patient synchrony, disease-specific ventilator strategies, ventilator discontinuation, NIV, and more.
These 2 pre-courses are just one more way the AARC Congress delivers added value to attendees.
