30^th Phil Kittredge Memorial Lecture

This lecture provides a critical and incisive evaluation of an aspect of clinical respiratory care of emerging or increasing importance.

Ebola: From Sierra Leone To Sin City

Lewis Rubinson MD PhD, Seattle WA

The United States saw its first case of Ebola Virus Disease in 2014. Hospitals around the country are striving to enact procedures to effectively screen patients with potential exposure to Ebola, provide appropriate care to those who are infected, and protect healthcare workers. In this session, Dr. Rubinson will share his experiences treating Ebola in Sierra Leone in September 2014. In addition, Dr. Rubinson will discuss healthcare systems' preparedeness and preparedness for the bedside healthcare provider.

From the Vermont Oxford Network To Your Network

The Evidence Behind the Recommendations

Joel M Brown II BSRT RRT FAARC, Newark DE

The Vermont Oxford Network (VON) is an international collaboration of health care institutions dedicated to improving the clinical outcomes for neonates and infants. This presentation will review the evidence that led to the Vermont Oxford recommendations and its implications for clinical care.

Caring for the Respiratory Technology-Dependent Child

The Next Frontier: Moving the Technology-Dependent Child from Intensive Care to Post-Acute Care

Sherry Barnahrt RRT-NPS FAARC, Little Rock AR

Transitioning ventilator-dependent infants and children from an intensive care unit to a post-acute inpatient unit allows them to be stabilized on the ventilator within an environment that promotes growth and development, parent-child interaction, and family education. Having a clear transition plan can reduce length of hospital stay and decrease readmission rates. This presentation describes such a transitional structure and process that includes key respiratory, nursing, and medical management components.

Caregiver Stress and Coping with Caring for the Technology Dependent Child

Denise Willis RRT-NPS, Little Rock AR

Caring for the technology dependent child at home can be demanding and caregivers can easily become overwhelmed. This presentation will identify sources of caregiver stress and provide suggestions for the health care team to assist families with coping and stress reduction.

RESPIRATORY CARE Symposium

How To Read a Paper Published in RESPIRATORY CARE

Bruce K Rubin MD MEngr MBA FAARC, Richmond VA

An overview of the types of material that is published in RESPIRATORY CARE. Suggestions for the individual who has never published. How to improve your success in having your paper published.

How To Review a Paper Submitted to RESPIRATORY CARE

Richard D Branson MSc RRT FAARC, Cincinnati OH

An overview of the peer review process includes insights into expectations of the editors, how to write a good review (and how to avoid writing a bad one).

The 5 Best Case Reports Published in RESPIRATORY CARE in 2014

Dean R Hess PhD RRT FAARC, Boston MA

An overview of the 5 best case reports and teaching cases published in the Journal in 2014, as selected by the editors.

The 5 Best Original Research Papers Published in RESPIRATORY CARE in 2014

Richard D Branson MSc RRT FAARC

An overview of the 5 best original research papers published in the Journal in 2014, as selected by the editors.

The 2014 Respiratory Care Journal Conference on Aerosol Delivery

Bruce K Rubin MD MEngr MBA FAARC

An overview of the 2014 Journal Conference on aerosol therapy.

Tricky Tracheostomies: When the Airway Is the Wound

Jeanne Bird RRT, Charlottesville VA

Many "Ventilatory Wean" and "Respiratory Complex" patients admitted to UVA's Long Term Acute Care Hospital also have severe and complicating wound care needs. Examples of such patients are post-operative open cardiac / thoracic surgery, post-operative esophagectomy / laryngectomy, surgical tracheostomy placement complications, wound / pressure ulcer prevention and identification. It is because of these patients' often challenging and sometimes unique care needs, that requests for the wound assessment and care treatment learning opportunities were made by various Respiratory Therapists at our hospital to our Wound Ostomy Care Nurse Practitioner. Respiratory Therapists in the long-term acute care setting become better health care practitioners when they know and understand fundamentals of wound assessment and care management. This presentation will present and discuss strategies developed by RRTs and WOCNP to tackle these difficult patient care needs.

System of Operation, or How Did You Get All of That Done?

Charles Bangley RRT, Greenville NC

There are more systems than you can count to guide you through the mine field of leadership in health care. Unless the system starts with the staff members, it will only end up as a flash in the pan. The system that we established has greatly increased our ability to drive hospital-wide projects and quality measures, provided us with new tools, and increased staff satisfaction.

Are You Caught in a Competency Conundrum? Novel Educational Approaches to Competency Assessment

Sheri Tooley BSRT RRT-NPS CPFT FAARC, Rochester NY

Do you struggle with maintaining competency for staff while keeping them engaged? This presentation will show you one hospital's answer to fulfilling the needs of patients, regulations, and the staff.

ECMO During Patient Transport

Bradley A Kuch RRT-NPS FAARC, Pittsburgh PA

ECMO is a complex procedure performed in many hospitals across the country. Taking this procedure on the road creates unique challenges for the transport team.

Home, Safe Home - A Review of the Literature on Home Respiratory Care Safety

Angela King RPFT RRT-NPS, Leo IN

What are some of the safety hazards that may be experienced by patients receiving home respiratory care? Accidental decannulation, fire, alarm fatigue, battery failure, incorrect back up ventilation settings.... the list of potential catastrophes is endless! This presentation will review recent literature on actual serious home respiratory care incidents, and discuss strategies to avoid these mishaps.

Open Forum #15 - Neonatal/Pediatric - Part II

Researchers and clinicians present the results on bread-and-butter issues in respiratory care. Audience and authors review the posters during the first part of the session. A brief oral presentation (no slides) and audience questions and discussion allow presenters to expand on the work featured on the poster.

Supported by an unrestricted educational grant from

Open Forum #16 - Monitoring/Equipment - Part II

Researchers and clinicians present the results on bread-and-butter issues in respiratory care. Audience and authors review the posters during the first part of the session. A brief oral presentation (no slides) and audience questions and discussion allow presenters to expand on the work featured on the poster.

Supported by an unrestricted educational grant from

Do You Really Know Who You Are Working For? - The Imposter Phenomenon

Ken Thigpen RRT FAARC, Jackson MS

The Imposter Phenomenon (I.P.) typically runs rampant through many, if not most health care organizations in America. In this session we will explore what I.P. is and how to recognize and respond to it once it's suspected.

Social Media in Healthcare

Diane Oldfather MHEd RRT, Rolla MO

Millions of people are using multiple forms of social media: for pleasure, hobbies, establishing relationships, blogging special moments, finding employment opportunities, and enhancing their education. The presentation will show how social media can be employed in health care to improve quality of care and patient outcomes.

Creative Equipment Solutions During Transport

Wade Scoles RRT-NPS NREMT, Spokane WA

Have you ever been in a position where the piece of equipment you need isn't available? Respiratory therapists pride themselves on coming up with creative solutions to solve these problems. This lecture will review some creative solutions for using equipment during transport.

There's a Standard for That? - Providing Ventilator Equipment & Services to Home Care Patients

Robert J Floro MS RRT, Hustonville KY

Providing ventilator care in the home has been done for over three decades, with increasingly sophisticated technology and equipment. This presentation will discuss law and regulation regarding licensure of the companies and personnel providing this therapy, as well as quality and accreditation standards and their implication on the provision of ventilator care. Additionally, the presentation will discuss the content of the AARC Clinical Practice Guidelines and how they relate to this care.

RT Instructors as Coaches - Training To Manage Critical Events

Julianne S Perretta MSEd RRT-NPS, Baltimore MD

Rapid Cycle Deliberate Practice is a unique model of simulation training that incorporates high-fidelity team training with rapid directed debriefing and multiple scenario replays to assure that learning objectives are met during a scheduled time frame. It is indicated for content that is essential to master, and patient harm is likely if not done properly. Instructors act as coaches, providing direct and solution-driven feedback to improve team performance. This presentation will discuss the unique curriculum design, course structure, and instructor's role when teaching using rapid-cycle deliberate practice.

A New Age in Managing Sleep Disorders

Sleep Labs Moving Beyond the Basics

Rosa R Woodrum BA RRT-NPS, Fontana CA

This presentation will provide an update on the changing landscape for sleep labs and present a potential future model for sleep laboratories moving beyond polysomnographic testing and CPAP.

Starting An Ambulatory Sleep Program

Anthony L Daclan MBA RRT RCP, Fontana CA

Ambulatory Sleep Centers seem to be the coming trend in sleep medicine. The presenter will share the challenges of managing an ambulatory program and discuss some best practices in the field.

Using Current Technological Advances To Improve the Service and Care of Patients with Sleep Disordered Breathing

Rosa R Woodrum BA RRT-NPS

Bringing Sleep Centers to the Twenty-First Century via use of modems, cloud servers, interactive voice recognition systems, and telemedicine.

The Future of Attended Polysomnography Testing

Julie DeWitte RCP RPSGT, Fontana CA

Attended sleep testing studies for patients with complex sleep co-morbidities requires a higher level of treatment modalities other than basic CPAP and Bi-level. Come and learn from the review of advanced protocols for treating patients with complex sleep disorders.

Is That for Real? Enhancing the Design of Your Respiratory Patient Simulations

Developing Your High-Fidelity Manikin Scenario

Shannon Poling RRT-NPS CHSE, Baltimore MD

A key factor in creating a believable and effective simulation experience is determining what your patient needs to do. Scenario design begins with determining learning objectives, then storyboarding ideal and less-ideal vital sign algorithms based on learner interventions and human physiology. It can be challenging for novice simulation instructors to design their own scenarios. This session will walk participants through the design steps, allowing them a chance to design their own patient scenario in the process.

Did That Really Happen? Improving the Realism of Your Scenarios

Roberta L Hales MHA RRT-NPS RN, Philadelphia PA

Even the highest technology manikins cannot replicate all aspects of human behavior. There are techniques that can be used to make scenarios more believable and encourage participants to interact more naturally during simulations. This session will describe tips and tricks to improve the fidelity (realism) of respiratory simulations.

Creating a High-Fidelity Mechanically Ventilated Patient Overcoming (Almost) All Simulator Shortcomings

Julianne S Perretta MSEd RRT-NPS CHSE, Baltimore MD

What patients do you most struggle with simulating? What do you most wish your simulator could do? Manikins are notoriously poor at both simulating a wide range of realistic pulmonary diseases and allowing mechanical ventilators to behave accurately on a patient with simulated lung disease. This presentation will share tips, tricks, and adaptations that will improve the ability to simulate mechanical ventilation.

Agencies Update

George W Gaebler MSED RRT FAARC - AARC President
Michael T Amato MBA - ARCF Chair
Kathy J Rye EdD RRT FAARC - CoARC President
Carl F Haas MLS RRT CPFT FAARC - NBRC President

The leadership of the AARC, ARCF, CoARC and NBRC will present the most updated information affecting the profession, research, accreditation, and credentialing. A must-attend session in your agenda!

Lead, Follow, or Get Out of the Way

Bill Cohagen RRT MSHCA FAARC, Salem OR

This presentation will provide an introspective look at how to succeed in the face of changing health care dynamics. An emphasis on how to recreate your teams to become industry leaders for the profession and your organizations will be discussed. Novice and experienced RTs managers are welcome to attend, as well as those hoping to escalate into a management position in their facility.

Let the Baby Lead the Way - Ventilator Management Protocols in the NICU

Shari A Toomey MBA RRT-NPS , Roanoke VA

Without the development and use of ventilator management protocols, clinical management becomes subjective and reflects the preferences of the provider. Data will be provided supporting the use of ventilator protocols within the neonatal population. The presentation will discuss algorithms and highlight the decision-making process designed for each unique patient scenario within the NICU.

Critical Care Transport in Developing Nations: A Comparison with the U.S. HEMS System

Richard P Mitchell RRT-NPS, Greenville NC

As of September 2013, there were 299 air medical services with 993 bases and 1,301 aircraft serving the United States. Calculations show that 69% of interstate, 63% of principal, and 54% of minor arterial miles are now within a nominal 20-minute air medical RW response. Data also shows that the number of traffic fatalities in the U.S. has decreased by 15% in most states. Despite recent concerns regarding safety, studies show that the Air EMS system in the U.S. is an effective and worthwhile venture. In developing nations, geography, terrain, poor road conditions, and the centralization of definitive care, make air EMS, especially RW, very attractive. Despite the costs and difficulties, the building of modern HEMS is critical. This presentation will discuss need, development, and implementation strategies of critical care transport in developing countries.

The Benefits of a Comprehensive PAP Follow-Up Program: Improving Adherence and Efficacy of Therapy

Scott Fedrizzi MPA RRT, Paradise CA

This case study-based presentation will demonstrate the value of a comprehensive PAP (Positive Airway Pressure) follow-up program and the importance of appropriate intervention. Although it is well documented that the use of PAP is effective and efficacious as a primary treatment for Sleep Disordered Breathing, the therapy is of no benefit if it is not used. Even when patients are compliant initially, the literature states that approximately 50% of patients stop using their PAP unit within the first year. Non- adherence comes with consequences, most notably multiple co-morbidities and potentially increased mortality. This lecture will expand on the benefits of a comprehensive PAP follow-up program and how it can serve as a differentiator for your organization.

Performance Evaluation or Staff Development Tool

Charles Bangley RRT, Greenville NC

We all love performance evaluations! The annual review has long been seen as subjective, not related to the actual job, and tied to money. The result is a strong possibility that everyone forgets it is about staff development, not a report card. We have developed a respiratory-specific tool that was developed by staff-led teams. This new tool is now seen as very objective, tied directly to performance expectations, and focused on development of our team.

Non-invasive Ventilation in Transport: What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

Wade Scoles RRT-NPS NREMT, Spokane WA

The popularity of noninvasive ventilation is growing but there are limitations and challenges of providing NIV during transport. This interactive presentation will discuss techniques of providing NIV (CPAP & BiPAP) to neonatal, pediatric and adult patients during transport. The speaker will focus on what has worked (and not worked) for his program and the challenges they still face. Participants will be encouraged to share their experiences as well.

Fractured Fairy Tales - Innocent Stories of False Negative CPAP Compliance Reports

Gary Jeromin MA RRT, Ann Arbor MI

Home care respiratory therapists are dependent upon the manufacturer's proprietary compliance software to monitor and document actual patient usage of their CPAP and/or BiPAP devices. The software performs so extremely well that results are never questioned or disputed by insurance companies. Truck drivers and airline pilots diagnosed with OSA heavily rely upon the captured data (by the software) to meet employment requirements. However, there are occasional incidences when the software gets it wrong and reports false negative compliance. Potentially this can occur with nearly any PAP device. This presentation will discuss what conditions contribute to inaccurate reading of the usage data, what methods the respiratory therapist can do to identify false negative reports and provide actual examples of reports with false negative outcomes.

Stopping Asthma Before It Attacks

Strategies To Reduce Asthma Readmissions

Tabatha M Dragonberry RRT-NPS AE-C, Washington DC

As we care for patients, our goal should be to empower them to provide effective self-care. This session will discuss strategies to reduce asthma readmissions as well as the supporting data. Respiratory therapists can play a key role in the reduction of patient 'bounce backs'.

Asthma Self-Management: Getting It Right!

Tonya A Winders MBA, Mclean VA

As health care professionals, an overall goal is to help improve the quality of life for our patients, especially those with chronic disease. The education we provide to our patients their families can be life changing. Join us in this session as we look at some of these empowering experiences.

Leadership Toolbox - Are You Packing What You Need?

Ken Thigpen RRT FAARC, Jackson MS

Leading today requires a toolbox of competencies that many of us simply did not learn in school! Dealing with generational challenges, the sweeping changes we are seeing in health care reimbursement and technology were not part of most curricula. In this session we will discuss what some of these key competencies are as well as how they can be developed or obtained.

What Every Therapist Needs To Know About End-of-Life Conversations

Deborah Linehan RRT, Annapolis MD

An integral part of a respiratory therapist's job is caring for dying patients; however, there is nothing in our training that prepares us for the questions and situations we face. Sometimes the patient or families ask questions like, "Am I dying?" or "How much longer?" that leaves us unsure how to respond. These situations can be awkward, but understanding end of life conversations can turn those awkward moments into opportunities to care for a patient beyond their physical needs. In this analysis I will look at what a respiratory therapist needs to know about end of life conversations and how that knowledge can be applied to clinical practice to improve the care of the dying patient and their families.

Air Transport of Nitric Oxide Patients

Juan Eduardo Romero Toledo CRT MS, Santiago Chile

The presenter will describe the air transport system, describe the characteristics of the patients and the number of patients transferred.

ALS on the Home Front

Mary Beth Geise RN, Greensboro NC

This presentation will review ALS progression along with anticipated symptoms, management of dysarthria, dysphagia and sialorrhea on the bulbar patient for better compliance of BiPap video, education of FDA diaphragm pacing system (mapping and implantation) and the outcomes reported by patients. Truthful disclosure to patients on their respiratory status and how to help them proceed with their choice will also be addressed.

Closing Ceremony

Affordable Care Act: Putting the Profession on Trial

Anthony L DeWitt JD RRT FAARC, Jefferson City MO

An indictment of sorts has been handed down and the entire respiratory profession will be put on trial. A department manager, bedside practitioner and a college educator have been accused of negligence, dereliction of duty, failure to supervise, incompetence, and malfeasance. After 25 years in the profession, it will be proven that these three defendants have chosen the path of least resistance—which is to rest on your laurels and fly under the radar. After all, they’ve given up on advancing the science of the profession or in delivering evidence-based care. They define productivity by volume rather than value, and they’ve forgotten that they have an obligation of mentoring students entering the profession.

Supported through an unrestricted educational grant from