Program Coordinator, Pulmonary Rehabilitation
Clarian Health
Indianapolis, IN
AARC member since 1979
AARC Activities:
Chair, Continuing Care Rehab Section, 2006–current AARC Representative to AACVPR–current. Health Promotions Committee member, 1994.
House of Delegates Activities:
Delegate Indiana Society for Respiratory Care 1997–2004. HOD Orientation Committtee, 1998 HOD Elections Committee. 1999 HOD Special Recognition Committee 2000–2004.
Affiliate Activities:
Indiana Society for Respiratory Care: Chapter Director 1989–1991. President Elect 1992. President 1993. Past President 1994. Program Committee Chair 1995, 1997. Program Committee, Local Arrangements Chair 1992–2004. Vice President 1996. Alternate Delegate, 1997–1998. Delegate, 1999–2004.
Related Organizations:
AACVPR, Member ISCVPR. Elected to BOD April 2008. Program Committee 2008. Vice President 2009. Happy Hollow Children's Camp BOD. BOD Secretary-current. Chair of Asthma Camp Committee-current. Asthma Alliance of Indianapolis Chair-Elect 2008–2009.
Education:
Butler University, 1981, A.S. Degree Respiratory Therapy. Indiana University, 1986. B.S. Health Occupations Education Indiana University, 2005. M.S. Health Science Education.
Publications:
Lee, Kathleen L. and Koehl, Debra M., Work Study: One Solution to Staffing Shortages, AARC Times, April 1991. AARC Continuing Care and Rehabilitation Bulletin, April 2005, Correlation of the SF-36 Health Survey with the Pulmonary Function Status Scale When Measuring Outcomes in a Pulmonary Rehabilitation Program Koehl, Debra M, What Pulmonary Rehab Can Do for Your Lung Patients, AARC Times, November 2006. Koehl, Debra M., Assessing Pulmonary Rehabilitation Patients, AARC Times, August 2007.
What is your vision of the AARC in 2015?
I see the AARC getting stronger by having an increased membership, being aggressive in legislation that is good for both our patients and profession and by keeping the face of the respiratory therapist visible to the public. The AARC also needs to be the leader in health education for lung disease, research ventures and representing our profession.
What have you done in the last 5 years to promote the profession in your community?
I am actively involved in our local asthma alliance, asthma camp and state asthma alliance. I have also begun working actively with our state COPD coalition as a respiratory therapist. I also present our profession to our local schools' career days. Our hospital is active at our State Fair; we always have a booth educating the public on lung disease that is staffed by RTs—both students and seasoned professionals. I also teach as adjunct faculty in an RT program. We have clinical rotations at our pulmonary rehabilitation program and I stress the importance of professional pride and membership in the AARC.