Susan McQuade

Brian Wilson

Kathy Schlitz

Roland Leal

Greg Paulauskis

Brian Cayko

Trina Limberg

• Jim Love, a PACT member from AZ, was captured on camera in the Gabby Giffords interview that aired on ABC’s 20/20 in November. While only a fleeting shot of Jim is shown (see him around 2:10 walking down the hall with Giffords), it does prove PACT members have the access and AARC gets represented in the halls of Congress.

• Susan McQuade cautions against reading too much into a new study that found kids with asthma who also have diabetes have a harder time controlling their blood sugar in this article in the Abilene, TX, Reporter-News. “Both diabetes and asthma are inflammatory, but for a long time we didn’t think they were related,” she was quoted as saying. “Even though this study shows a link, there still needs to be further research.”

• Cindy Duncan advocates for COPD screening in this article in the Sioux City, IA, Journal, noting DRIVE4COPD offers a simple five question screener people can take, and a simple blood test is available to test for alpha 1 anti-trypsin deficiency as well. “In the last several years there has been a big push as so many are under-diagnosed,” she was quoted as saying. “The quicker you get diagnosed, the quicker you can get on medications or go through pulmonary rehabilitation or stop smoking.”

• Brian Wilson receives kudos for receiving the Thomas L. Petty Invacare Award for Excellence in Home Respiratory Care at AARC Congress 2011 in this article and video on the ABC-TV affiliate website out of Virginia. “It’s one of those moments that you never forget,” he was quoted as saying.

• Jamie Bute is noted as the keynote speaker at a community college commencement in this article in the Waterloo, IA, Courier. Jamie oversees the RT program at the school, where she received the President’s Award for Outstanding Service in 2010.

• Tom Jones, Janie Castro-Rios, Lesley Manes, and Crystal Bean are all featured in this article in the Baxter, AR, Bulletin about their program’s receipt of the Outstanding Distance Education Program Award from Mid-South Distance Learning. “We want to produce students who are nationally board-certified respiratory therapists. That’s our goal,” Janie was quoted as saying. “When they graduate, we want them to be able to stand on their own on two feet and make an immediate positive impact on patient care.”

• Kathy Schlitz highlights the growing popularity of respiratory care as a career choice in this article in the Green Bay, WI, Gazette, noting most of the programs in her state now have a waiting list for prospective students.

• Roland Leal comments on a program offered by his hospital to help clinicians deal with the pressures that come with working in health care in this article in the Detroit, MI, News. “It’s an opportunity to de-stress and debrief,” he was quoted as saying. “It’s just good to hear I’m not in this alone.”

• Greg Paulauskis comments, and Brian Cayko is pictured, in this article in the Great Falls, MT, Tribune about a new “simulated hospital” that just opened up for health care students at their college.

• Christina Fuglseth is pictured speaking at a community meeting convened to address concerns about air pollution in this article in the Holland, MI, Sentinel.

• Trina Limberg explains how pulmonary rehab helps people with COPD in this article on the FOX-TV affiliate website out of San Diego, CA. “When you do that, people feel better able to do life,” she was quoted as saying.