Vice President — External
Jacklyn Grimball
Clinical Program/Account Manager DM, CM, and UM
BlueChoice HealthPlan/BCBS of SC April 24, 2000 – Present
Member Since: 1985
AARC Activities:
- AARC Program Committee, 2021 – Present
- AARC BOD, 2021 – 2022
- AARC BOD, Vice President of External Affairs, 2020-2021 (Appointed by AARC President)
- AARC BOD, Director-at-Large, 2019–2020
- AARC Finance Audit Sub-Committee, Chair, 2015
- AARC Cultural Diversity Committee member, 2015-Present
- AARC Elections Committee, 2012–2014, Chair 2014
HOD Activities:
- AARC House of Delegates, Past-Speaker/BOD Liaison 2017–2019
- AARC House of Delegates, Speaker, 2016
- AARC House of Delegates, Speaker-Elect, 2015
- AARC Finance Audit Sub-Committee, Chair, 2015
- AARC Cultural Diversity Committee member, 2015
- AARC Elections Committee, 2012–2014, Chair 2014
- Co-Chair, Chartered Affiliate/Special Recognition Committee, AARC HOD, 2011–2014
- Chair, Chartered Affiliate Committee, AARC HOD, 2010–2011
- AARC Delegate, South Carolina Society for Respiratory Care, 2008–2015
Affiliate Activities:
- South Carolina Society for Respiratory Care, AARC Delegate, 2008–2015
- South Carolina Society for Respiratory Care, Board of Directors, Member 2002–2015
- Chair, Health Promotion/Public Relations Committee, South Carolina Society for Respiratory Care 2006–2008
- President, Board of Directors, South Carolina Society for Respiratory Care, 2005–2006
- President Elect, Board of Directors, South Carolina Society for Respiratory Care, 2004- 2005
Related Organizations:
- Board of Directors, American Lung Association of the Southeast, Charleston, SC, 2012–2017
- Nurse Asthma Care Education (NACE) Trainer, 2007
- President Board of Directors, American Lung Association of South Carolina, Midlands Chapter, 2002–2004
- South Carolina Asthma Alliance, Executive Committee, 2001–2013
- Secretary Board of Directors, American Lung Association of South Carolina, Midlands Chapter, 2000–2002
Education:
- FAARC, Fellow American Association for Respiratory Care, 2017
- PAHM, Managed HealthCare Professional, 2013
- AE-C, Certified Asthma Educator, #0278, 2003
- South Carolina Licensed Respiratory Care Practitioner, # 56,
- Registered Respiratory Therapist, #24852
- Professional, Academy for Healthcare Management, The Academy for Healthcare Management and America’s Health Insurance Plans, December 30, 2013. Managed Healthcare Professional (PAMH)
- M.A. Business, Webster University, Columbia, South Carolina, 1999. Concentration: Health Administration
- B.S. Health, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, South Carolina, 1994. Concentrations: Health Education and Health Administration
- A.S. Respiratory Therapy, Midlands Technical College, Columbia, South Carolina, 1979
Publications:
- AARC Times. August 2010. The Big Insurer Perspective. p. 66 – 67.
- Getting Ready for College, Allergy and Asthma Health, Summer 2015, http://www.yourlunghealth.org/healthy_living/aah/07.15/articles/college/index.html. Author
- Does My Chronic Cough Mean I Have Asthma? Summer 2016. Author
- AARC Times. March 2017. Discrimination Against the Caregiver. p. 25 – 27.
Elections Committee Questions:
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the AARC and what do you recommend to address it?
The AARC faces many challenges. I believe one of the biggest challenges is having a strong partnership/relationship with other RT professional organizations. AARC has been and continues to work with other organizations. There have been occasions where other organizations made decisions to make changes that affect our profession, without making AARC aware. The AARC and other organizations need to collaborate on any changes that will affect our entire profession. Together these organizations must monitor trends and address issues/recommendations as one organization. To assure strong relationships and collaboration, transparency and communication can not be compromised. I recommend holding frequent meetings between the organizations and to strive for open and honest communication. Any decisions or proposed changes should be reported to the BOD and eventually the AARC membership.
What ideas do you have to help todays Respiratory Therapist recover from the pandemic and what do you feel is the main issue Respiratory Care Practitioners are facing, and what key solutions should be addressed to support our profession?
We must unify. To recover from the pandemic we must all work together to support each other and our profession. Respiratory Therapists were and still are on the team of front-line workers. However, RTs were very rarely recognized as an integral part of the team. Therefore, not only do we need to be recognized as healthcare professionals, but we must also be recognized by CMS as a health care provider. The solution brings us back to the main challenge RTs face, promoting our profession. RTs should be publicly recognized by the other members of the front-line team, starting with hospital administration. The AARC can assist by producing positive messages from some of the physicians, nurses and other health care professions. To enhance messaging the AARC can also produce positive messaging from patients and their families who were patients hospitalized with COVID-19 and cared for by respiratory therapists. Who better to show the value of Respiratory Therapists.
Role-Specific Questions:
Promoting the profession is considered one of the greatest opportunities, what are your ideas to help realize this opportunity?
While it is clear we all look to the AARC to lead in promoting the profession. I think we should assist the AARC by promoting our profession at the state level. I think this opportunity would be realized if each state started by changing their entry level licensure to RRT. Although this action would mean several states would need to open their state license for this change to occur, I think it is a chance we should take to begin to level the playing field with other allied health providers. The AARC has developed a guidance document as a resource for states who are considering raising their licensure to RRT as entry level. (https://www.aarc.org/wp-content/uploads/2017/03/rrt-entry-to-licensure.pdf) The document is updated as necessary. The AARC has been promoting the change in entry level requirements for years. The RRT credential exemplifies professional excellence and a commitment of providing excellence in patient care. Let’s all do our part.
