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Notes
from the Editor
by Mary Hart, RRT, RCP
As I write this column in mid-December, I have just returned
from the AARC International Respiratory Congress in Las Vegas. What a
meeting! I found so many interesting topics and speakers in the program,
it was hard to decide which lectures to attend.
Even though the 2003 meeting has just ended, I am currently
working on the program for 2004. Thanks to everyone who sent in ideas,
we should have another grand showing in New Orleans.
Many of you were not present for the section meeting held
during the Congress, so I am including the minutes in this Bulletin. I
also want to say that it was a pleasure to introduce our section chair-elect,
Cheri Duncan, RRT. Cheri is the pulmonary rehab coordinator at Baylor
University Medical Center in Dallas, TX. She is also the recipient of
the 2003 Continuing Care and Rehabilitation Section Specialty Practitioner
of the Year Award. (For more on Cheri, see article in this issue.) I know
Cheri will do an outstanding job, and I look forward to working with her
throughout 2004 as she “learns the ropes.”
It would also be nice to start the year off with an official
editor for our Bulletin. If you are interested in taking on this position,
please contact me at maryhar@baylorhealth.edu.
In the meantime, I am hoping more of you will make an effort to contribute
to the Bulletin as well. Please consider writing a short article on your
program, outcomes you have collected that may be of interest to others,
research projects, and/or support group ideas. If you have a form that
has worked for you and would like to share it with others, please email
it to me at maryhar@baylorhealth.edu.
As always, thanks for your ongoing support.
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Specialty
Practitioner of the Year:
Cheri A. Duncan, RRT
Cheri A. Duncan, RRT, a respiratory therapist at Baylor University
Medical Center in Dallas, TX, has been honored as the AARC’s
2003 Continuing Care and Rehabilitation Section Specialty Practitioner
of the Year.
The award, which was presented at the AARC’s 49th International
Respiratory Congress in Las Vegas, NV, is bestowed annually on a section
member who best exemplifies qualities and characteristics of excellence
in providing respiratory care services to patients in need of pulmonary
rehabilitation and asthma education.
As pulmonary rehabilitation coordinator at Baylor’s Asthma
& Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center, Cheri helps patients with chronic
obstructive pulmonary disease and other lung conditions to regain
lost lung functioning. “In her coordinator role, Cheri has expanded
and improved the practice of pulmonary rehabilitation for both professionals
and patients,” says Mary Hart, RRT, manager of the Asthma &
Pulmonary Rehabilitation Center and Continuing Care and Rehabilitation
Section chair. “She has earned the respect of physicians and
management, admiration from her peers, and affection of her patients,
as evidenced by the continuing growth of the pulmonary rehabilitation
program. Cheri simply loves pulmonary rehabilitation, and it shows.”
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Continuing
Care and Rehabilitation Section:
Meeting Minutes
by Mary Hart, RRT
The section meeting at the AARC International Congress was well attended
and featured a lively discussion on numerous topics. Here are the highlights:
Program Certification: Some states are already seeing
the benefits of having a certified program. Payers are reimbursing based
on certification. To find out more about Pulmonary Rehab Certification,
go the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation
(AACVPR) web site: www.AACVPR.org. The certification is only offered once
a year, and there is no onsite survey.
Local Medical Review Policy (LMRP) and Pulmonary Rehab Reimbursement:
Everyone thought that by now there would be a national policy covering
pulmonary rehab. The AACVPR, American Thoracic Society, American College
of Chest Physicians, and AARC continue to work on developing such a policy,
and word is that by Spring 2004, one will be in place. In the meantime,
contact your Fiscal Intermediary for information and questions about which
codes to bill for and their definitions. It always helps to have resources
in the billing and compliance offices of your facility to assist you with
these matters. Different policies may exist for each state/region that
is currently under an LMRP. You should find out exactly what your policy
states and design your program accordingly. Remember, even if your state
doesn't have an LMRP, the G Codes should be used to bill for pulmonary
rehab. The AARC commented on the G
Codes in December 2001.
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News
from the National Lung Health
Education Program
by Gretchen Lawrence, RRT, NLHEP liaison to the AARC
If you read your October
issue of AARC Times (or attended the AARC International Respiratory
Congress in December), you know that Dr.
Tom Petty, co-chair of the National Lung Health Education
Program (NLHEP), received the 2003 Jimmy A. Young Medal - the highest
honor in our profession! That's the good news. The bad news is that Dr.
Petty is stepping down from his role at NLHEP. However, the organization
will continue to grow under the able leadership of Dr. Dennis Doherty,
who has co-chaired NLHEP with Dr. Petty for the past three years. Dr.
Petty will also remain in the picture as chair emeritus.
The NLHEP also continues to provide excellent resources for RTs. Many
are available only by download from the web
site. But there are four booklets in print — and AARC members
can order up to 200 of any or all of these at no cost from the NLHEP.
Go to the web site for more information on how to order. Here are the
titles, with the latest booklet listed first:
- “Simple Office Spirometry for the Primary Care Physician,” by Dr.
Tom Petty and Dr. Paul Enright. This booklet is designed for you to
share with PCPs who are interestrd in providing simple spirometry in
their offices.
- “Save Your Breath America,” by Drs. Petty and Doherty. This booklet
is for patients, so share it with COPD patients in the hospital, pulmonary
rehab, and patient support groups.
- “Prevent Emphysema Now,” by Drs. Petty and Doherty. This booklet is
for professionals, so share it with your fellow RTs, physicians, and
others on your interdisciplinary team, like PT, OT, and social work.
- “Early Recognition and Management of Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary
Disease,” by Drs. Doherty and Petty, and Dr. Jim Seabass. This is another
booklet for professionals that expands on information provided in “Prevent
Emphysema Now.”
Be sure to check the NLHEP web
site for a complete listing of all educational materials,
including those available from other sources.
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Section
Connection
Recruit a New Member: Know an AARC member who could
benefit from section membership? Direct them to: https://secure.aarc.org/sections/
– it’s the easiest way to add section membership to their
overall membership package.
Specialty Practitioner of the Year: It's not too early
to be thinking of worthy members to honor in 2004! Start brainstorming
nominations and submit them online.
Section E-Mail List: Start networking with your colleagues
via the section E-Mail List,
follow the directions to sign up.
Bulletin Deadlines: Winter Issue: December 10; Spring
Issue: March 10; Summer Issue: June 10; Fall Issue: September 10.
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