The International Council for Respiratory Care (ICRC) was founded in 1991 to advance the safe, effective, and ethical practice of respiratory care worldwide by supporting initiatives that promote education, communication, best practices, and collaboration between professionals.
According to ICRC President Daniel D. Rowley, MSc, RRT, RRT-ACCS, RRT-NPS, RPFT, FAARC, that mission has been in full swing this year — and next year promises even more exciting developments. Here’s a rundown of what the ICRC is doing to bring respiratory professionals together for the good of the entire globe —
- The ICRC expanded the Council by ratifying seven new country members and their respective Council Governors during its annual business meeting held on Nov. 16. New countries and Governors include: Bahrain, Hussain J. Al-Khatam, MHS, RRT; Ghana, Audrey Forson, MB.ChB, FWACP, MSc (Lond.) and Ernest Addo Ofosu-Appiah, MD; Jordan, Abdelrahman A. Alhawamdeh, BS, RN, RT, PSGT; Oman, Khalsa Alsiyabi, BsRC, RCP; Pakistan, Muhammad Shoukat, BSRT, RT, RCP; Palestine, Anas Mahmoud Qamare, BSRC, RCP; and Yemen, Saleem N. Hamilah, BS, RCP.
- The International Education Recognition System (IERS), chaired by Arzu Ari, PhD, MS, MPH, RRT, continues to endorse quality educational programs worldwide. A new standing committee made up of education program reviewers from Asia, Europe, the Middle East, North America, and South America is now in place. The reviewers have received application review training for programs seeking IERS, AARC, and ICRC endorsement. Endorsement allows programs to use the IERS, AARC, and ICRC logos on program brochures, marketing materials, and websites so that prospective attendees may recognize the programs as quality respiratory care educational offerings approved by IERS committee reviewers.
- A Fundamentals of Respiratory Care Support (FRCS) course driven by both the pandemic and the continuing rise of chronic lung disease has been in the works this year and will launch in 2022. Spearheaded by co-chairs Jerome Sullivan, PhD, RRT, FAARC, and Hassan Alorainy, BSRC, RRT, FAARC, the course currently consists of 38 chapters written by RTs and physicians worldwide. Dean Hess, PhD, RRT, FAARC, serves as the FRCS course manager, with Dr. Sullivan and Alorainy serving as co-editors. In addition, international instructors will receive training to deliver the FRCS course in their nations next year.
- ICRC members participated in the publication of an international survey designed to facilitate the understanding of ventilatory support practices in COVID-19 patients. Results showed significant variability in ventilation management and the use of standardized protocols. In addition, they identified increased staff workload and lack of trained staff as limiting factors in the care of these patients. The paper was published in the Journal of Multidisciplinary Healthcare.
- ICRC Governors for Taiwan, Chia-Chen Chu, PhD, RRT, FAARC, and Chin-Jung Liu, PhD, RRT, are heading up an ICRC workgroup to identify international respiratory care associations and societies and academic programs that offer bachelor, master, and doctorate degrees in respiratory care.
- ICRC Medical Director Bruce Rubin, MD, MEngr, MBA, FAARC, has been appointed to chair an ICRC Respiratory Care Medical Advisor Committee aimed at pairing Council Governors with respective country physicians familiar with the role of respiratory therapists and respiratory physiotherapists in their country. The goal is to increase advocacy for the profession and amplify recognition.
- Two AARC members were recognized this year for their outstanding service to the international respiratory community. Michael D. Davis, PhD, RRT, FAARC, received the ICRC’s 2021 Koga Medal, and the Hector Leon Garza Award for Excellence in International Respiratory Care went to Dr. Rubin.
The ICRC is the profession’s link to respiratory professionals worldwide, and at no time has the Council been more important than during the COVID-19 pandemic. As these major activities show, ICRC Governors are hard at work ensuring open lines of communication between clinicians around the globe and the development of new resources aimed at helping them deliver the best possible care to their patients.
Read more about how ICRC nations handled the pandemic in these recent AARC Newsroom stories —
RTs Worldwide: ICRC Governors Share Their COVID-19 Experiences
Growth of the RT Profession in India
Respiratory Therapy in Canada | Confronting COVID-19
Learn more about Dan Rowley’s plans for his tenure as ICRC president here —
RTs Worldwide: An Interview with ICRC President Daniel D. Rowley
Email newsroom@aarc.org with questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you.
Debbie Bunch is an AARC contributor who writes feature articles, news stories, and other content for Newsroom, the AARC website, and associated emailed newsletters. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, traveling, photography, and spending time with her children and grandchildren. Connect with Debbie by email or on AARConnect or LinkedIn.
