Pre-Congress Courses
Maximize your attendance by registering for one of these pre-Congress courses held at the Tampa Convention Center. Congress attendees may register for either course at a 60% discount.
If you have already registered for Congress, please use the printable registration form, or call Customer Service at 972-243-2272, to add one of these courses to your registration.
Friday, November 4, 8:00 am – 4:00 pm
Course #1: Hospital Readmissions—The Global Impact on Respiratory Therapy
Reviewing the evolution of health care in the United States over the last 100 years clearly identifies that our care model has been based on a “sickness model” and one that is typically focused on providing care in an episodic manner, with little or no coordination of care between various providers within the health care system. This symposium is a dramatic departure from this focus and was created to assemble experts from government, short term acute care, long term acute care, long term care, and physician practice, with the goal of identifying current ways in which providers can collaborate in a holistic model to coordinate care for chronic pulmonary disease patients to provide high quality, cost-effective, and coordinated care across the continuum of care.
Approved for 5.75CRCE credit. You must attend the entire course to receive CRCE credits; no partial credit will be given.
- Course capacity is limited.
- Pre-registration is required. Deadline: October 14 or when the course is full.
- Registration fee is separate from Congress registration.
- Congress registrants receive a 60% discount on this course.
- Lunch is on your own.
- This course runs concurrently with the Mechanical Ventilation Course. You may register for only one.
8:00 am – 8:15 am
Introduction
Sam Giordano MBA RRT FAARC, Executive Director, American Association for Respiratory Care, Irving TX
A brief review of the evidence and literature will be discussed that highlight the non-traditional roles RTs have played in some organizations to improve quality, reduce costs, and reduce hospital readmissions, that include but are not limited to disease management, case management, and discharge planning.
8:20 am – 9:10 am
Short Term Acute Care Hospital (STACH)
John R. Walton, FAARC, FACHE, Executive VP Resurrection Health Care, Chicago, IL
This presentation will review the current, and projected impact the Accountable Care Act has had on STACHs. More specifically, the presenter will discuss the financial impact readmissions from COPD, CHF, and pneumonia has on hospitals, and what role (if any) the RT can play to improve quality, reduce readmissions and control costs. The presenter; a senior leader from a STACH will review historic, and current hospital performance data, as well as what the future will hold for transparent reporting of quality metrics. Attendees will gain a better understanding of the current and future drivers of change in healthcare, and what value-added responsibilities RT departments must assume to succeed in this ever-changing environment.
9:15 am – 10:05 am
Long Term Acute Care Hospital (LTACH)
Garry Kauffman MPA RRT FAARC, CEO, Select Specialty Hospital, York PA
When patients are transitioned from one level of care to another, is the transferring RT part of the discharge/transfer process? Do they know what traditional care plans might look like for that patient? Should they care? This presentation will provide a review of operations and CMS admission criteria for LTACHs, how the discharge process takes place, and the role of the RT in facilitating a smooth transition for the patient from the LTACH to the next level of care. What are the current and future challenges for LTACHs, including financial penalties for discharge/admission between LTACHs and STACHs? Identify how you and your fellow RTs can provide seamless care when patients are transitioned from one level of care to another and how you can demonstrate your value.
10:05 am – 10:20 am
Break
10:20 am – 11:10 am
Home Care
Kim Wiles, VP of Respiratory Services, Klingensmith Healthcare, Ford City PA
This presentation will discuss why RTs must be engaged in the discharge process, and most importantly, know what happens to the patient and how they are cared for once they return home. Are they frequented and assessed by RTs on a regular basis? Do RTs set the patient up on home oxygen? Surprisingly, the answer to these questions usually is a resounding “no”. Highlighting the current and future challenges of caring for the patient in the home, this presentation will give an overview of how hospital and homecare RTs can work together to improve care, and reduce hospital readmissions. The role of the inpatient RT does not end when the patient leaves the hospital.
11:15 am – 12:05 pm
Government (CMS)
This presentation will provide an overview of the existing healthcare model from a governmental agency perspective. A historical review of US reimbursement will be discussed and how the United States government has taken an aggressive approach to financially reward hospitals who focus on improving quality rather quantity; wellness rather than sickness. Attendees will acquire knowledge on current government programs, their intent, and what their organizations must do to qualify for additional reimbursement. Accountable Care Organizations will also be discussed and how through collaboration, data sharing, and a commitment to delivering evidence-based care every day, with every patient can yield financial rewards to participating hospitals.
12:05 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch (on your own)
1:30 pm – 2:20 pm
Physician
Brian Carlin MD, Assistant Professor of Medicine, Drexel University College of Medicine, Pittsburgh, PA
They work directly with and are responsible for the care of cardiopulmonary patients; many of which are readmitted to the hospital for the same diagnosis they were just treated for. Readmissions are not new to the physician community. They have seen them happen for years. They know the challenges, and many know the reasons why and how the problem can be solved. This presentation will detail the physician’s perspective of what the American healthcare model needs to do to address hospital readmissions (most of which are avoidable) and more specifically, how the respiratory therapist can take a lead role to address this growing epidemic. The presenter will shift the paradigm of how we traditionally view the role of the RT and suggest untraditional responsibilities the RT can assume to assist physicians in keeping patients out of the hospital. A candid perspective will also be discussed on how the passing of HR 941 would impact the healthcare landscape and how RTs can anticipate being used in physician offices.
2:20 pm – 2:35 pm
Break
2:35 pm – 3:25 pm
Commercial Insurance
It is well publicized what actions the government and CMS are taking to combat avoidable hospital readmissions. What is less clear, however, is what stance commercial payers have taken and will take to address this issue. Will they mimic the government’s actions and financially penalize hospitals that produce poor outcomes and have higher readmission rates? Will they create their own solution? Or will they create some sort of hybrid program that will provide a new look to the reimbursement landscape in healthcare? These answers and many more will be discussed during this presentation. This presentation will address hospitals that have a favorable payer-mix and serve a high patient population with commercial insurance. Chances are you have already taken steps to address reimbursement issues for patients insured through CMS. Now it is time to close the loop and understand how to manage reimbursement for patients of all payer-mixes.
3:30 pm – 4:00 pm
Summation of Proceedings
Garry Kauffman MPA RRT FAARC
This presentation will provide a cursory review of all presentations within the symposium. Presenter will review what actions the AARC has taken and will take to address this issue and most specifically how they anticipate how the role of the respiratory therapist will change. Attendees will be asked to think “outside the box” as untraditional roles of the RT will be discussed. Also, a review of the current literature will be provided that highlights the value of the RT and what leadership roles they have played to reduce avoidable hospital readmissions for cardiopulmonary patients. Attendees will gain a better understanding of what next steps are required of the RT community to better serve cardiopulmonary patients at high risk for hospital readmissions.
Friday, November 4, 8:30 am – 4:15 pm
Course #2: Mechanical Ventilation 2011
Changes in mechanical ventilation happen at lightning speed. New modes and strategies to liberate patients from ventilators come along faster than most clinicians can keep pace with. This symposium allows respiratory therapists from all disciplines to come together and learn from some of the world’s leading experts in mechanical ventilation. Don’t miss out on this exciting opportunity as our speakers will present material from patient synchrony, to disease specific ventilator strategies, ventilator discontinuation, NIV, and everything in-between. The day will conclude with a panel discussion with our experts. This is your unabated opportunity to ask our experts direct questions on topics that are most important to you.
Approved for 5.5 hours of CRCE credit. You must attend the entire course to receive CRCE credits; no partial credit will be given.
- Course capacity is limited.
- Pre-registration is required. Deadline: October 14 or when the course is full.
- Registration fee is separate from Congress registration.
- Lunch is on your own.
- This course runs concurrently with the Readmission Symposium. You may register for only one.
8:30 am – 8:45 am
Introduction and Format of the Course
Neil MacIntyre MD FAARC, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC
8:50 am – 9:25 am
Principles of Mechanical Ventilation
Neil MacIntyre MD FAARC
9:30 am – 10:05 am
Patient-Ventilator Synchrony
Richard Branson MS RRT FAARC, University of Cincinnati, Cincinnati OH
10:10 am – 10:45 am
Demonstration—Ventilator Modes, Mechanics and Synchrony
Neil MacIntyre MD FAARC
John Davies MA RRT FAARC, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC
10:45 am – 11:00 am
Break
11:00 am – 11:35 am
Ventilator Management of ALI/ARDS—Lung Protection
Michael Gentile RRT FAARC, Duke University Medical Center, Durham NC
11:40 am – 12:15 pm
Ventilator Management of Obstructive Airway Disease
Dean Hess PHD RRT FAARC, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston MA
12:15 pm – 1:30 pm
Lunch (on your own)
1:30 pm – 2:05 pm
Demonstration—Management of Severe Hypoxemia
Neil MacIntyre MD FAARC
John Davies MA RRT FAARC
Michael Gentile RRT FAARC
2:10 pm – 2:45 pm
The Process of Ventilator Discontinuation
Dean Hess PHD RRT FAARC
2:50 pm – 3:25 pm
Non-Invasive Ventilation
John Davies MA RRT FAARC
3:25 pm – 3:40 pm
Break
3:40 pm – 4:15 pm
Panel Discussion—Interactive Case Studies
Neil MacIntyre MD FAARC
Richard Branson MS RRT FAARC
John Davies MA RRT FAARC
Michael Gentile RRT FAARC
Dean Hess PHD RRT FAARC