As a member of the AARC, you know the Association is working to further your career through the development of projects and programs to advance the respiratory care profession.
But you may not know there’s another organization out there that’s playing an equally important role in ensuring a bright future for anyone who calls himself a respiratory therapist. The American Respiratory Care Foundation (ARCF) supports the scholarship and research the profession depends on to build a solid scientific basis for the services we all provide.
Long-time supporters of the ARCF explain how the Foundation has impacted their careers and why they believe everyone in the profession needs to jump on the ARCF bandwagon –
Amber Galer, BS, RRT: Foundation Award Gave Me The Boost I Needed
The ARCF made an important impact on my journey in becoming a successful respiratory therapist by awarding me the NBRC/AMP Robert M. Lawrence, MD Education Recognition Award in 2010. It gave me the confidence I desired to push myself to the highest standards and strive for excellence. By doing so, I was able to travel with the Weber State University (WSU) faculty to Ghana, Africa, to assist in research, work in medical clinics, teach in the nursing school, and work in rural hospitals.
Thanks to my experience working with the WSU respiratory program I then had the opportunity to travel to Xian, China, to teach students, nurses, and doctors basic respiratory care skills. Seeing the need for greater respiratory resources throughout my travels increased my passion to support my local community by serving as president of the Utah Society for Respiratory Care.
Since receiving the Lawrence award I have promised myself to pay it forward by supporting the Foundation in annual events, volunteering for patient community events, and donating to disaster relief in the hopes it might inspire a future respiratory therapist, as it did for me.
Craig Smallwood, BS, RRT: I’m Passionate about the Next Generation of Researchers
I am a respiratory researcher and therapist. I know firsthand the essential work being done to discover optimal therapies to treat patients with lung disorders. All of us are touched by someone who has battled lung disease — the 4th leading cause of death in the U.S. and number one reason for pediatric hospital admission.
The ARCF was formed for the purpose of supporting research, education, and charitable activities. In particular, I’m passionate about supporting the next generation of RT researchers, who will discover new therapies, carve out new roles for RTs, and make a difference in patients’ lives. Further, the ARCF seeks to educate the public about respiratory health, disseminate cutting-edge research to RTs and other clinicians, assist in the training of health care providers, and improve the quality of the health care environment.
Mark Siobal, BS, RRT-ACCS, FAARC: I Believe the ARCF Promotes Excellence
Over my 40 year career as a respiratory therapist, I have been privileged and honored on several occasions to have received awards from the ARCF. On each of these important professional life events, it was with immense gratitude and great pride that I accepted the recognition from leaders in the respiratory care field.
The ARCF promotes excellence in the respiratory care profession through the support of research, education, and career advancement. It is with great appreciation and highest regard that I pledge my support to the ARCF and its goals of perpetuating, preserving, and promoting the pursuit of scholarly, high-quality research and education in the science and practice of respiratory care. Thank you ARCF for supporting the profession and making this possible.
Timothy Op’t Holt, EdD, RRT, FAARC: For Me, It’s a Professional Obligation
I support the ARCF because it is the only organization supporting and recognizing the outstanding work of respiratory therapists in a wide variety of roles and because they support the research that is so greatly needed by the profession. I also believe it to be a professional obligation, just as is AARC membership.
Since the ARCF has recognized the work that my colleagues and I do in a local health clinic by awarding me the Mike West Patient Education Award, contributing is a way to give back to the organization so that they may continue to recognize the efforts of other patient educators.
