National Respiratory Care Week Kicks Off on Oct. 20
Dallas, TX (October 18, 2013)
Respiratory therapists all across the nation will be recognized for the important contributions they make to the nation’s health care system Oct. 20-26 as hospitals and other facilities celebrate National Respiratory Care Week.
Sponsored every year by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC), Respiratory Care Week was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1982 and has been scheduled for the last full week in October ever since to turn the spotlight on respiratory therapists and the work they do to bring compassionate care to those with breathing problems.Â
The 2013 theme of Respiratory Care Week is “Bringing Breath to Life” and respiratory therapists from Maine to California plan to do just that by reaching out to their communities to raise awareness of the conditions they treat.
In some places, they’ll be working through the national DRIVE4COPD campaign to screen members of the public for chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. In others they’ll be hosting educational sessions on respiratory problems for their colleagues in medicine and nursing. And in others still, they’ll be setting up informational displays and offering medication and respiratory device instruction to people who depend on these medications and devices to breathe easier.
As the key clinicians responsible for delivering hands on care to those with asthma, COPD, and other chronic and acute respiratory conditions, as well as critically ill patients on mechanical ventilation in the ICU, respiratory therapists work closely with physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals to ensure patients receive safe and effective care. National Respiratory Care Week is the perfect time to thank them for the vital role they play on the health care team.
About the AARC
The American Association for Respiratory Care, headquartered in Dallas, is a professional association of respiratory therapists that focuses primarily on respiratory therapy education and research. The organization’s goals are to ensure that respiratory patients receive safe and effective care from qualified professionals as well as supporting respiratory health care providers. The association continues to advocate on behalf of pulmonary patients for appropriate access to respiratory services provided by qualified professionals. Further information about the AARC and how to become a respiratory therapist are available at www.AARC.org.
Contact: Beth Binkley
972-243-22726
binkley@aarc.org
