May 31, 2012

2015 and Beyond: Member Update
Click on the link for a member update clarifying the AARC’s position on 2015 and Beyond, the groundbreaking project launched in 2007 to determine future directions for the profession of respiratory care. The document reviews the history of the initiative, identifies actions taken by the AARC Board of Directors, and describes the future direction of the project.

Michigan Society Continues to Battle Proposal to Overturn Licensure
Working closely with the AARC’s government affairs staff, members from the Michigan Society for Respiratory Care are continuing their efforts to defend against the possible deregulation of respiratory care in their state. Now the state society is asking all of its members to join the fight by contacting Governor Rick Snyder with their support for continued licensure of respiratory therapists in Michigan.

Katie Beckett Leaves a Lasting Legacy
Back in the 1980s, the AARC got involved in helping a young girl named Katie Beckett whose insurance company declined to cover the costs of her ventilator care at home, instead insisting she remain in an institution. The upshot was the establishment of a waiver program that would allow technology-dependent kids to receive care at home. Last week we were saddened to learn of Katie’s death at age 34. But Katie’s legacy lives on, in the thousands of children who have been able to leave the institutional setting for their own homes thanks to the “Katie Beckett wavier.” Click on the link to read more about the AARC’s involvement in this case and stories about Katie that appeared in AARC Times in 1985.

URM Time Standards Survey: Deadline Extended to June 15
The deadline to participate in our survey on time standards for the update of the Uniform Reporting Manual has just been extended to June 15 because a larger sample of facilities is needed.  If you have not yet done so, please register for and complete the survey(s) that address the services provided in your facility. The survey is seeking input from RT managers in acute care hospitals, SNFs, and inpatient rehabilitation facilities, as well as managers overseeing pulmonary diagnostic and blood gas services; echo/noninvasive cardiology, sleep and hyperbaric oxygen services; and pulmonary rehabilitation programs.

AARC Summer Meetings: Where Professional Development Meets Family Fun!
School is almost out in most areas of the country, and that means it’s time to start planning a family vacation. If you’re a manager or educator in respiratory care, we have a great destination for you: the AARC Summer Meetings in Santa Fe, July 12–15. You’ll learn how to keep your department or program on the cutting edge while your family enjoys the incredible landscape, Native American heritage, artistic culture, and southwestern cuisine in New Mexico’s “land of enchantment.”

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