Chronic lung disease patients depend on respiratory therapists to get them through the acute exacerbations caused by their conditions. But these patients need RTs to help them after the acute episode is over too, and that’s where pulmonary rehabilitation comes into play.
These life-enhancing programs show patients how they can live well despite chronic lung disease and, increasingly, they are being credited with keeping patients healthy and out of the costly acute care setting.
This is the week to celebrate those programs and the dedicated RTs who staff them. Sponsored by the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Pulmonary Rehabilitation Week is designed to let the nation know how important PR programs are to the health and well-being of lung disease patients.
It’s also a good time to take a closer look at some of the resources the AARC has to help PR RTs maximize their efforts to bring their life-enhancing programs to patients —
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation Certificate Course: Earn a specialized certificate and increase your value as a respiratory therapist by helping patients experience the benefits of a comprehensive pulmonary rehab program. This course offers 12 hours of CRCE.
- Position Statement on Pulmonary Rehabilitation: With a short and to-the-point overview of what a PR program should entail, this statement can be invaluable when developing a new program or upgrading an existing one.
- Ambulatory and Post-Acute Care Section: Join the section to network with your peers from across the country via a dedicated discussion list on AARConnect and receive targeted newsletters with the latest studies and other information pertaining to the specialty.
So if you work in pulmonary rehabilitation, consider how you can put these resources to work in your programs. If you don’t, take a few minutes out of your day to thank your colleagues in PR for all they do to help your chronic lung disease patients get healthier and back on the road to a better quality of life.
Email newsroom@aarc.org with questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you.
Addie Schiefer is the Content Manager for the AARC where she creates engaging content for the association via the AARC website, newsletters, and social media. Connect with her about potential stories by email, AARConnect, or LinkedIn. When she’s not working, you can find her listening to a true crime podcast, traveling to new places with her husband, hanging out with her dog JoJo, or browsing the aisles of the nearest Target.
