The AARC Board of Directors met for its fall meeting in November 2015 at AARC Congress in Tampa, Forida, and moved ahead on several initiatives that will directly advance and prepare the profession for impending changes within the health care landscape.
Among the actions was approval of the first set of revisions to the AARC Bylaws since 2007, as well as developing several committees to address the future of the profession. Also, in forward-facing decisions, the Board began taking action on its 2015 – 2020 strategic plan. The Board issued a significantly revised RT Education Position Statement that calls for a shift to RT bachelor’s degree programs.
Actions of the Board
- Bylaws Revisions: AARC Board of Directors and House of Delegates approved six separate revisions to the AARC Bylaws. These revisions have been in process and under review since 2010 and represent the first set of changes to take place since 2007.
- The AARC’s Board of Directors, House of Delegates and Bylaws Committee are also looking at additional changes necessary based on the work of all those groups over the past five years.
- Pursued the development of an advanced practice degree and credential that would position the future respiratory therapist as a “mid-level provider.”
- The Board accepts the definition of an Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapist (APRT) as “The Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapist (APRT) is a trained, credentialed, and licensed respiratory care practitioner who is employed to provide a scope of practice that exceeds that of the registered respiratory therapist. After obtaining the NBRC RRT credential, the aspiring APRT must successfully complete a CoARC-accredited APRT graduate level education and training program that provides a curricular emphasis that enables the APRT to provide evidence-based, complex diagnostic and therapeutic clinical practice and disease management.”
- The Board designated a committee — consisting of member representatives of the AARC, NBRC, CoARC and other organizations — that deemed it appropriate to use this definition as a basis to perform a job analysis and needs assessment.
- In an effort to provide volunteerism, continuity, and growth, pursue the development of a more formal on-boarding/orientation program for new AARC Committee Chairs.
- The lifeline of any professional organization rests within its members and volunteers. The AARC’s Membership Committee will invest its time and resources in 2016:
- On initiatives aimed at its Student Members to enhance their educational and professional resources.
- Develop a “Grassroots member initiative” to continue to build an engaged membership that will advance the profession in an ever-changing health care landscape.
- The AARC’s Position Statement Committee also brought forth three position statements.
- Electronic Cigarette – REVISED
- RT Education Position Statement –REVISED
- Pulmonary Disease Manager — New
- Roundtables to be converted to AARCommunities?
- President Salvatore charges the Executive Office to develop Roundtable communities for the improvement of communications and member involvement.
- Approved status change of the AARC’s Cultural Diversity Committee from an Ad Hoc Committee to a Special Committee
- Joint Taskforce on a White Paper Regarding Safe Initiation and Management of Mechanical Ventilation: The AARC was asked by UHC to work with them on a white paper because they needed an organization such as ours to create this document. Shawna Strickland spearheaded this project. The Board of Directors was asked to review and offer changes/comments.
- Strategic Plan Workgroups give an update of their work.
- Approved a revised Conflict of Interest document for the Board of Directors.
The next meeting of the AARC Board will be held April 2016 in conjunction with PACT Day on Capitol Hill in Washington, DC.
Email newsroom@aarc.org with questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you.
Steve Bowden is AARC’s Internet Coordinator. He has been designing and developing websites for the association since 1996.
