Saturday Congress Gazette
AARC, ARCF, NBRC Awards Presented at Congress 2007
The AARC, ARCF, and NBRC paid tribute this morning to those among us who go above and beyond the call of duty in representing and supporting respiratory care—from respiratory students, to practicing clinicians, to business and professional supporters.
The following 2007 top performers were recognized with well-deserved honors:
- Jimmy A. Young Medal: Neil R. MacIntyre, MD, FAARC
- Zenith Awards: Cardinal Health, Covidien, INO Therapeutics, Monaghan Medical, Respironics
- Morton B. Duggan Jr. Memorial Education Recognition Award: Caitlin E. Fincher
- Jimmy A. Young Memorial Education Recognition Award: Tsai-ying Wang
- NBRC/AMP William W. Burgin Jr. MD Education Recognition Award: Melissa D. Hrinya
- NBRC/AMP Robert M. Lawrence MD Education Recognition Award: Rhonda Baumberger
- NBRC/AMP Gareth B. Gish Memorial Postgraduate Education Recognition Award: John Salazar, BS, RRT
- Charles W. Serby COPD Research Fellowship: John S. Emberger, Jr., BS, RRT
- William F. Miller, MD Postgraduate Education Award: Saumy Joseph, BS
- GlaxoSmithKline Fellowship for Asthma Care Management Education: Kevin Ryan, BS
- Monaghan/Trudell Fellowship for Aerosol Technique Development: Kenneth Thigpen, BS, RRT
- Respironics Fellowship in Non-Invasive Respiratory Care: Pavanasam Ramesh, MRCPCH
- VIASYS Healthcare Fellowship for Neonatal and Pediatric Therapists: Melanie A. Stein, RRT
- Forrest M. Bird Lifetime Scientific Achievement Award: Robert L. Chatburn, RRT-NPS, FAARC
- Dr. Charles H. Hudson Award for Cardiopulmonary Public Health: Sen. Michael D. Crapo
- Invacare Award for Excellence in Home Respiratory Care: Claude Dockter, BS, RRT
- Sepracor Achievement Award for Excellence in Pulmonary Disease State Management: Bruce K. Rubin, MD, MEng, FAARC
- Dr. Allen DeVilbiss Literary Award: Raymond P. Tuttle, RRT; Mark H. Cohen, RRT; Albert J. Augustine, RRT; Dana F. Novotny, RRT; Edgar Delgado, RRT; Thomas A. Dongilli; John W. Lutz; and Michael A. DeVita, MD
- IKARIA Best Paper Award: Anne E. Holland, PhD; Linda Denehy, PhD; Catherine A. Buchan, BN; and John W. Wilson, MBBS, PhD
- Albert H. Andrews Jr. MD Memorial Award (NBRC): James P. Baker, MD
- Héctor León Garza MD Achievement Award for Excellence in International Respiratory Care: Sergio Zuffo, PT
- International Fellows: Gabriela Ferreyra, PT, CRT (Italy); Zujin Luo, RT (China); Alda Marques, PT (Portugal); Valdone Miseviciene, PhD, MD (Lithuania); Mohanumar Thekkinkattil, MD (India); Claudia Oliveira, CT (Portugal); Jose Landeros, PT (Chile); Akira Tamaki, PT (Japan); Ronald Taylor, RT (England)
- Specialty Practitioners of the Year: Adult Acute Care Section, Jonathan Brady Scott, RRT; Continuing Care/Rehab Section, Susan G. Farrell, RRT, CPFT, AE-C; Diagnostics Section, Russell L. Harris, CRT, RPFT; Education Section, Joseph G. Sorbello, MSEd, RRT; Long-Term Care Section, William D. Cohagen, RRT; Management Section, Claire A. Aloan, MS, RRT-NPS, AE-C; Neonatal/Pediatric Section, Tiffany Mabe, RRT; Sleep Section, Suzanne Bollig, RRT, RPSGT; Surface and Air Transport Section, Wesley E. Ware, RRT-NPS
- Honorary Membership: Kent L. Christopher, MD, RRT, FAARC
- Life Membership: Doug McIntyre, RRT, FAARC; and Joseph L. Rau, PhD, RRT, FAARC
- AARC Fellows: Claire A. Aloan, MS, RRT-NPS, AE-C; Forrest M. Bird, PhD, ScD, MD; Robert C. Cohn, MD; Beth Green, MBA, RRT; Charles J. Gutierrez, MS, RRT; Thomas V. Hill, PhD, RRT; Joseph Huff, BS, RRT; Robert L. Joyner, PhD, RRT; R. Wayne Lawson, MS, RRT; Bradley A. Leidich, MSEd, RRT; Jackie Long-Goding, MEd, RRT; Paul R. Massengill, Jr., RRT; Theodore Oslick, MD; Ruben D. Restrepo, MD, RRT; John S. Sabo, MSc, RRT; Jonathan B. Waugh, PhD, RRT, RPFT
The following were recognized in a separate awards ceremony during the AARC Annual Business Meeting. Congratulations to:
- Outstanding Affiliate Contributor: John Blewett, BUS, RRT
- Delegate of the Year: Roy Wagner, RRT
- Summit Award: North Carolina Society for Respiratory Care
Awards Ceremony Culminates with Jimmy A. Young Medal
This morning’s awards ceremony culminated with the presentation of the AARC’s highest honor, the Jimmy A. Young Medal, awarded yearly to an individual who has exceeded all expectations for meritorious service to the AARC and advancement of the respiratory care profession. This year’s honoree is Neil R. MacIntyre, MD, FAARC.
“Combined with his contributions to the literature in mechanical ventilation, aerosol therapy, pulmonary function, and consensus documents, Dr. MacIntyre is easily one of the most accomplished clinical scientists to receive the award,” says Richard Branson, MSc, RRT, FAARC.
The awards ceremony was sponsored by grant from Boehringer Ingelheim.
Patient Advocate John Walsh Delivers Keynote Address
COPD Foundation President John W. Walsh inspired attendees during the 2007 keynote address that followed the awards ceremony, taking the opportunity to share his personal experiences with chronic lung disease and the work he and his Foundation are doing to promote early testing for COPD.
Walsh was diagnosed with alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, the genetic form of COPD, in 1989. In addition to serving as president of the COPD Foundation, he is the co-founder, president, and CEO of the Alpha-1 Foundation and regularly testifies before Congress and advisory groups as a patient advocate.
Walsh and his organizations have worked closely with the AARC over the past year in the National Heart, Lung, & Blood Institute’s “Learn More Breathe Better” campaign, the first-ever national campaign to raise awareness of COPD. Most recently, he joined AARC Executive Director Sam Giordano in lobbying Congress with Grace Anne Dorney Koppel, a patient advocate for the “Learn More Breathe Better” campaign, urging that pulmonary rehabilitation be established as a Medicare benefit.
Attendees Play to Win Big
The awards ceremony held this morning at the AARC Congress featured a history of the AARC, and now attendees are getting the chance to win theme park tickets and restaurant gift certificates by coming by the AARC Booth to play a trivia game based on the presentation. The contest is a great example of how the AARC Congress combines cutting edge education with fun and prizes every year!
Welcome New AARC Corporate Partners for 2008
The AARC is proud to welcome 3 new Corporate Partners for 2008, who join 13 Partners that are continuing in the program from 2007. Discovery Laboratories, DEY, and GE Healthcare bring our total number of Corporate Partners to 16.
All of these companies comprise best-in-class organizations interested in supporting the goals and work of the Association. The program provides respiratory care providers with information, insights, and innovative approaches to improve performance and advance the health of their patients.
The complete list of Corporate Partners for 2008 is as follows: Cardinal Health, Sepracor, Masimo, Siemens Medical Solutions Diagnostics, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Covidien, Monaghan Medical, Respironics, Ikaria, Maquet, VIASYS, ResMed, Dräger Medical, Discovery Laboratories, DEY, and GE Healthcare.
Exhibitors Offer Extra CRCEs
The AARC Congress is a great way to earn CRCEs. But did you know many vendors offer special educational sessions of their own as well? These special sessions most often cover topics directly related to the company’s products and services, and attendees who are in the market for these products find they are a great way to inform their purchasing decisions.
Hometown Radio Spots Taping Now, Airing Next Week
The AARC is taping Hometown Radio spots with RTs at the Congress that will air next week on more than 1,000 stations across the country. “The idea is to raise awareness for respiratory therapists and the kinds of things they learn at a national meeting to stay on the cutting edge,” says AARC Associate Executive Director Sherry Milligan.
MSU Promotes Awareness of COPD and the Profession
When the COPD Foundation decided to launch a Mobil Spirometry Unit (MSU) to travel around the country offering free spirometry testing to the general public in support of the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute’s Learn More Breathe Better COPD awareness campaign, they turned to the AARC for help in staffing the unit.
The partnership is delivering important lung health testing to thousands of Americans and raising awareness of respiratory therapists at the same time.
“The mission of the MSU is to educate the general public about COPD, screen adults who fit NHLBI criteria for COPD screening, and provide one-on-one interaction with a respiratory therapist,” says AARC COO Thomas Kallstrom, BS, RRT, AE-C, FAARC. “Patients walk away from these screening events with an appreciation for our profession as well as useful health information.”
The MSU has visited more than 25 cities since it kicked off in February, and more than 50 respiratory therapists have volunteered their time to make the program a success.
Congress goers are learning more about the program this week, and even getting an “up close and personal look” at the MSU, which has traveled to Orlando for the event. But everyone can learn more about this great program in the November issue of AARC Times. And if you’d like to find out about being an MSU volunteer in 2008, contact Kallstrom by e-mail or phone (972-243-2272).
New Pricing Options for AARC Benchmarking System
The AARC is offering two new pricing options for its Benchmarking System in 2008. These include a new 6-month subscription price of $375 for AARC members ($450 nonmembers) to subscribe to the Benchmarking Service. The standard one-year subscription rate will remain at $700 (members) and $800 (nonmembers).
With any subscription, any and all other hospital(s) within the same system can purchase a subscription good for the same length of time for only $150 each. These new pricing strategies are to (1) encourage hospitals who have not yet tried the service to do so, and (2) provide a cost-effective means for hospital systems to internally compare operational efficiency and best practice.
Learn more on the AARC Benchmarking web page, or contact Bill Dubbs by e-mail or phone (972-243-2272).
Covidien Sputum Bowl Competition Results
| Student Division | |||
| First Round | |||
| Michigan | 3 | Minnesota | 8 |
| Missouri | 7 | No. Carolina | 8 |
| Louisiana | 10 | Texas | 6 |
| California | 10 | Arizona | 6 |
| Colorado | 10 | Maryland/DC | 0 |
| Arkansas | 11 | Massachusetts | 6 |
| Pennsylvania | 5 | Virginia | 2 |
| National Division | |||
| First Round | |||
| Maryland/DC | 6 | Minnesota | 5 |
| Missouri | 2 | Nebraska | 4 |
| Michigan | 3 | Pennsylvania | 5 |
| Ohio | 3 | Arizona | 4 |
| New York | 13 | California | 11 |
| Colorado | 4 | Virginia | 9 |
| Louisiana | 5 | No. Carolina | 7 |
| Wisconsin | 3 | Texas | 10 |
| New Jersey | Bye | ||
 |
|||
| First Round Standings | |||
| Student Division | W | L | |
| Arkansas | 1 | ||
| California | 1 | ||
| Colorado | 1 | ||
| Louisiana | 1 | ||
| Minnesota | 1 | ||
| No. Carolina | 1 | ||
| Pennsylvania | 1 | ||
| Arizona | 1 | ||
| Maryland/DC | 1 | ||
| Massachusetts | 1 | ||
| Michigan | 1 | ||
| Missouri | 1 | ||
| Texas | 1 | ||
| Virginia | 1 | ||
| First Round Standings | |||
| National Division | W | L | |
| Arizona | 1 | ||
| Maryland/DC | 1 | ||
| Nebraska | 1 | ||
| New York | 1 | ||
| No. Carolina | 1 | ||
| Pennsylvania | 1 | ||
| Texas | 1 | ||
| Virginia | 1 | ||
| New Jersey | 1 | ||
| California | 1 | ||
| Colorado | 1 | ||
| Louisiana | 1 | ||
| Michigan | 1 | ||
| Minnesota | 1 | ||
| Missouri | 1 | ||
| Ohio | 1 | ||
| Wisconsin | 1 | ||
 |
|||
| Student Division | |||
| Second Round | |||
| Maryland/DC | 8 | Virginia | 10 |
| Michigan | 8 | Massachusetts | 5 |
| Arizona | 10 | Texas | 1 |
| Missouri | 12 | Pennsylvania | 9 |
| No. Carolina | 2 | Minnesota | 12 |
| Louisiana | 5 | California | 1 |
| Colorado | 12 | Arkansas | 8 |
| National Division | |||
| Second Round | |||
| Missouri | 8 | Wisconsin | 6 |
| Michigan | 8 | Ohio | 5 |
| Colorado | 7 | Louisiana | 6 |
| Minnesota | 4 | California | 9 |
| New Jersey | 3 | Arizona | 5 |
| Nebraska | 10 | Pennsylvania | 6 |
| Maryland/DC | 8 | No. Carolina | 7 |
| Virginia | 9 | Texas | 7 |
| New York | 2 | New Jersey | 1 |
 |
|||
| Second Round Standings | |||
| Student Division | |||
| Colorado | W | L | |
| Louisiana | 2 | ||
| Minnesota | 2 | ||
| Arizona | 2 | ||
| Arkansas | 1 | 1 | |
| California | 1 | 1 | |
| Michigan | 1 | 1 | |
| Missouri | 1 | 1 | |
| No. Carolina | 1 | 1 | |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 1 | |
| Virginia | 1 | 1 | |
| Maryland/DC | 2 | ||
| Massachusetts | 2 | ||
| Texas | 2 | ||
| Second Round Standings | |||
| National Division | W | L | |
| Arizona | 2 | ||
| Maryland/DC | 2 | ||
| Nebraska | 2 | ||
| New York | 2 | ||
| Virginia | 2 | ||
| California | 1 | 1 | |
| Colorado | 1 | 1 | |
| Michigan | 1 | 1 | |
| Missouri | 1 | 1 | |
| No. Carolina | 1 | 1 | |
| Pennsylvania | 1 | 1 | |
| Texas | 1 | 1 | |
| Louisiana | 2 | ||
| Minnesota | 2 | ||
| New Jersey | 2 | ||
| Ohio | 2 | ||
| Wisconsin | 2 | ||
“I’ve been an AARC member since 1973. Attending the national conference is like taking a strong dose of ‘professionalism.’ It’s a renewal of commitment.”
“I come to the Congress to find the ‘Respiratory Fountain of Youth.’ It is a fantastic event where one becomes reinvigorated with enthusiasm for the respiratory profession.” ”