Diagnostics Section Chair
Kenny Harker
Supervisor, Respiratory Care
Spectrum Health
Member Since: 2011
AARC Activities:
- Member, Diagnostic Section, 2014
Affiliate Activities:
- District 3 Representative, Michigan Society for Respiratory Care, 2020
- Diagnostic Chair – Elect, Michigan Society for Respiratory Care, 2020
Education:
- RRT, Muskegon Community College, 2009
- BSRT, University of Cincinnati, 2018
Elections Committee Questions:
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the AARC and what do you recommend to address it?
I really think the biggest challenge is to win back the trust of the RT community they represent. I still hear RTs today complain about the AARC and that they don’t feel the AARC values them anymore, so they don’t want to be a member.
I think one of the best ways to address this is to focus on the RT. Find ways to highlight their skills and to show them off any and every chance they can. Advertise just exactly what the RT is and what they do best, that no one else has the skill set for.
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?
Show the RTs some love. Many RTs I speak to just don’t feel respected and don’t feel valued. We should be promoting RT’s every single opportunity we can. Advocate for more autonomy and high wages. Place value on the RT no matter if they are inpatient or outpatient. The RT has a tremendous skill set that is valued in all aspects of healthcare, let’s show them off in all settings.
Role-Specific Questions:
Value of this section is important. If given the opportunity to represent, what would you do to increase the value to this section and how would you increase section membership?
If given the opportunity to represent the Diagnostic Section, I would love to continue to the monthly section meeting that Ralph started. These meetings have been wonderful and are a great way for the whole section to communicate with each other and have their questions answered in real time. I would also like to challenge each member to encourage at least one more person they know to join the diagnostic section to help increase membership. This would be a big boost and would help us get a seat on the board.
