September 23, 2011

Only 4 Weeks Remaining Until Respiratory Care Week!
Need help with your plans? The AARC is the official headquarters for your celebration of Respiratory Care Week, Oct. 23–29. Check out our RC Week pages for activity ideas and resources. And visit the AARC Online Store to view official t-shirts, posters, and banners, along with gifts and educational materials to support your event. Order online with a credit card—or shop online and fax your purchase order. Complete order details/options are available at the store.

Federal Government to Have Big Presence at AARC Congress 2011
The AARC’s growing influence in our nation’s capitol will be reflected at AARC Congress 2011, Nov. 5–8 in Tampa—

• First, a staff member from CMS will be on hand to explain how Medicare expects to reward quality and wellness over quantity and sickness during a Pre-Congress Course on reducing hospital readmissions scheduled for Friday, Nov. 4.
• Then you’ll find representatives from HHS in the Exhibit Hall to recruit RTs into the Disaster Medical Assistance Teams.

Read more about the DMATs and why the government wants you to join up in a special preview of an interview with Dr. Lewis Rubinson coming up in Oct. AARC Times. For a look at a fellow AARC member who’s already taken the plunge, check out Alan Roth’s story in this article in our April 2010 issue.

Adopt-a-Company in Full Swing
News reports from our Adopt-a-Company DRIVE4COPD campaign are beginning to come in, and we are sharing two great stories with you on the AARC website this week. Check them out and then consider how you can get involved too.

AARC Assists CDC with Immunization Survey
The CDC is surveying a sample of RT program directors about their student vaccination policies and has turned to the AARC for help in getting the word out. If you received a letter signed by AARC President Karen Stewart about this important survey in your emailbox, be sure to click on the link provided and let the government know how flu shots are handled for RT students on your campus.

“Hospital to Home” Survey Says…
As noted above, CMS will be in Tampa this November to help educate RTs on the need to reduce costly hospital readmissions. A key component in that mission is improving the transition of care between hospital and home, and the Management and Home Care Sections recently teamed up to survey RT departments nationwide to see what they’re already doing. Click on the link to read the highlights.

Looking for a Job, or Just Curious?
Whether you’re actively looking for a new job or just curious about what’s out there, the AARC can lead the way. Check out our Online Job Bank or read the job ads in AARC Times and Respiratory Care print or digital issues, then find great advice on landing that next great position—including resume writing tips—on our Career page. If you’re a manager who’s recruiting new employees, check out our Recruitment Advertising Kit as well.

Good Press: AARC Members in the News
In this edition of our popular news roundup, members talk about the health hazards of breathing smoke from wildfires, managing asthma at school, walking for cystic fibrosis, and more.  

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