Director-at-Large
Jodi Jaeger
Respiratory Therapist
Ascension SE Wisconsin Hospital Elmbrook St. Joseph Campuses
Member Since: 1988
AARC Activities:
- Member, AARC RTA Special Committee, April 2022-present
- Member, AARC Strategic Planning Committee June 2021-November 2021
- Member, Leadership & Management Section
- Member, Education Section
- Member, Adult Acute Care Section 2019-2021
- Member, AARC 9/10/1988
HOD Activities:
- Delegate, Wisconsin Society of Respiratory Care, 2015-2018
- Secretary, House of Delegates, 2018-2020 & 2020-2022
- Interim Speaker Elect, May 2021- November 2021
- Chair, Strategic Objective 2 Ad Hoc Committee, 2017-2018
- Member, Best Practice Committee, 2015-2018
- Member, Policy & Guide Committee, 2016-2018
- Member, Bill Bitzel Committee, 2019-2020
- Liaison, Best Practice Committee & Scrutinizing Committee, 2018-2022
Affiliate Activities:
- Delegate, Board of Directors Wisconsin Society of Respiratory Care, 2015-2018
- District 4 Representative, Board of Directors WSRC, 2013-2015
- Member, Legislative Committee, Board of Directors WSRC, 2015-2022
- BOD Retreat Planning Committee Member, Board of Directors WSRC, 2013-2018
- Membership Committee, Board of Directors WSRC 1992-1994
Related Organizations:
- Advisory Board Member, Milwaukee Area Technical College, 2010-2021
- Advisory Board Member, Moraine Park Technical College, 2015-2021
Education:
- BS, Health Sciences-Health Care Administration, University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee,1991
- AS, Respiratory Therapy, Madison Area Technical College,1988
- CRT,1988
- RRT,1992
- RRT-NPS,1993
Elections Committee Questions:
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the AARC and what do you recommend to address it?
I believe that the biggest challenge facing the AARC is understanding why our membership is low. The AARC vision is to advance the profession of Respiratory Therapy. To do this effectively the AARC needs to demonstrate the value of membership to Respiratory Therapists and understand what Respiratory therapists want from the organization. Many Respiratory Therapists are not aware of what the AARC does for our profession.
The AARC can demonstrate the value of membership by engaging Respiratory Therapists to listen to their concerns and to share with them the benefits of membership through surveys, social media and virtual or in person meetings. The AARC just recently sent out a survey to members to seek their input. This is a great start to understanding their needs.
As HOD Secretary, I have had the opportunity to work on strategic planning with the BOD and I would value the opportunity to continue the great work that has been started.
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?
There is a significant labor shortage. Many Respiratory Therapists are overworked and feel underappreciated. The pandemic brought Respiratory Therapists into public view as never before. However, many people still don’t know what a Respiratory Therapist is. We can take this opportunity to use Public Relations and Marketing to educate the public so Respiratory Therapists are known in every household. The AARC has been collaborating with the NBRC and CoARC on a media campaign to raise public awareness for Respiratory Therapy. If we can successfully market our profession to middle schools and high schools, we could increase the number of qualified candidates for our Respiratory Therapy programs across the country.
Role-Specific Questions:
Your role as Director-at Large is to represent the general AARC membership. If given the opportunity to represent, how would you use your skills and experience to advance and advocate for the respiratory care profession?
My vast experience as a Respiratory Therapist, leader, volunteer, educator and Director of Clinical Education has provided me with the skills required to represent our diverse AARC membership. I have had the opportunity to work with and learn from many amazing Respiratory Therapists and students. I am passionate about advocating for our profession and mentoring our future generation of Respiratory Therapists. I have developed budgets, policies, competencies, protocols, quality improvement initiatives, action plans, programs, and lesson plans, etc. Most importantly I have developed relationships with my teams and my students. I believe that successfully advocating for our profession involves building relationships with our members and our partners. One way to build relationships is by engaging our Respiratory Therapists and students through social media. I have been blessed to serve as an HOD Officer for 4 years. If given the opportunity to serve on the BOD, I will advocate for our profession.
