Board members listen to discussions on next steps in the AARC’s strategic plan.
The AARC Board of Directors met for its spring meeting recently in Dallas, TX and moved ahead on several initiatives that will directly advance the profession. Among the actions were approval of a toolkit and briefing paper to help achieve the goals of the 2015 and Beyond project, as well as approval of new CoARC standards for educational programs.
Also in forward-facing decisions, the Board began tackling action on the strategic plan. The Board identified the first five objectives they hope to accomplish and formed groups that are to identify action items. These will be reported back at the July meeting.
In other actions of the Board:
- The AARC endorsed the new Accreditation Standards for Degree Advancement Programs in Respiratory Care put forth by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care.
- Two documents providing guidance to move the profession toward the goals of a more highly prepared workforce per the 2015 and Beyond project were accepted and made available to all members. A career ladder toolkit provides guidance on advancing your career in the profession. A briefing paper on clinical simulations reviews the value of simulations in increasing critical thinking abilities, which respiratory therapists must possess for preparation in today’s workforce.
- Creation of a white paper on Safe Initiation and Management of Mechanical Ventilation will be completed in conjunction with the University Hospital Consortium
- An ad hoc committee on the Advanced Respiratory Therapist was created to work in conjunction with other partners.
- An ad hoc committee that will review the role of Specialty Sections was created to assure congruence with future directions of the organization.
- New appointments were made to the American Respiratory Care Foundation that included Anthony L. DeWitt (an attorney and respiratory therapist), Mark A. Valentine (hospital CEO and former respiratory therapist), Christianna Vance (Director of Marketing, Teleflex), and Tonya Armer Winders (CEO of the Allergy and Asthma Network).
- Peter Allen BSRC, RRT-SDS, RPSGT, was named as the interim chair of the Sleep Specialty Section.
- The name of the Asthma Disease Management Roundtable was changed to the Pulmonary Disease Management Roundtable to encompass a greater breadth of the profession.
- Several position statements were revised and approved: Ethics and Professional Conduct, Licensure of Respiratory Care Personnel, and AARC Statement of Continuing Education.
- Two new position statements were commissioned on respiratory therapists inserting and maintaining arterial lines and vascular lines.
The next meeting of the AARC Board will be held July 16 and 17 in conjunction with the Summer Forum in Phoenix.
Email newsroom@aarc.org with questions or comments, we’d love to hear from you.
