Good Press: AARC Members in the News

 Published: December 4, 2014

By: AARC Staff

John Walsh

John Walsh

Brian Best

Brian Best

Joanna Orpilla

Joanna Orpilla

Kim Chuculate

Kim Chuculate

  • Jean Bellinghausen writes about her experiences caring for Ebola patients in the Nebraska Medical Center’s Biocontainment Unit in this article on the Live Well Nebraska website. “While wearing PPE, we always keep an eye out for each other,” she wrote. “If someone thinks you look tired, hot or need to sit down, they’ll make sure you take a break.” For more on this unit from another member, readthis article on our Ebola page.
  • Speaking of the Nebraska Unit, our hearts go out to everyone there who cared for their latest Ebola victim, who passed away shortly after his arrival. Watch this video on the NBC website to hear one of the physicians talk about the case and acknowledge the role played by RTs.
  • Diane Guth is noted as a panelist at a COPD conference in her community in this press release on PR.com. The conference theme was “New Technologies and New Hope for an Old Disease.”
  • Dr. Brian Carlin’s study on the use of a noninvasive open ventilation system to treat COPD patients is covered in this article on MedPageToday. The study showed assessment scores improved by 50% for patients treated with the technology. “We think the improvements that we observed have the potential to reduce resource utilization and possibly the cost of care,” he was quoted as saying.
  • Vicki Walters touts her sleep center’s accreditation by the American Academy of Sleep Medicine in this article on SurfKY.com. “We are very excited about this accreditation and proud of the collaborative efforts of our team and medical director,” she was quoted as saying.
  • Derrick Cox explains how his hospital is involved in helping people kick the habit in this article in the Daily News Journal out of Murfreesboro, TN. They begin with a ten minute intervention at the bedside and continue with a full blown program for those who show an interest.
  • John Walsh comments on the release of the COPD Foundation’s COPD Praxis program to prevent and reduce COPD readmissions in this article on the Business Wire website. “Our mission with the COPD Praxis program is that the collaborative and multidisciplinary effort, including the 2nd Readmissions Summit, will help identify gaps and solutions to turn the tide toward more proactive patient-centric care,” he was quoted as saying.
  • Jessica Gardner is featured for winning the North Carolina Society’s Practitioner of the Year award in this article in the Davidson County, NC, Dispatch. “We are most fortunate to have someone of Jessica’s caliber serving our patients,” said her department manager, Mike Crabb, who nominated her for the award.
  • Brian Best’s election to the Iowa House is covered in this article in the Carroll, IA, Daily Times Herald. “I’m still a little numb,” he was quoted as saying shortly after the numbers came in. “Just the realization I’ve won after all the hard work.”
  • RT student Joanna Orpilla is noted for receiving the Edna Steinman Scholarship awarded by the Zonta Club of Redlands in this article in the Redlands, CA, Daily Facts.
  • Raymond Hastwell talks about the end of Daylight Savings Time and what it can do to a person’s sleep in this article and video on the Fox-TV website out of Northern New York and Southeast Ontario. ““Falling back – it usually just takes a day or so to get used to that, so falling back isn’t that hard. It’s the spring,” he was quoted as saying.
  • Teresa Kershaw explains how a stop smoking program at her hospital incentivizes pregnant women to quit in this article and video on the NBC-TV website out of Bismarck, ND. Women who test free of nicotine can get vouchers for up to a year’s worth of free diapers.
  • Belinda McGillicuddy’s Health Care Heroes nomination is covered in this article inMidWeek out of Hawaii. Belinda was nominated by the mom of one of her young patients, who was quoted as saying, “Belinda would go the extra mile to ensure that he was doing all of the breathing exercises he was supposed to by not just giving him his respiratory treatments and moving on to her next patient, but asking him to show her how he did the incentive spirometry, or being the target of his marshmallow shooter, or cheering him on as he blew up the beach ball.”
  • Debbie Fox is recognized for the Life Membership she will receive at AARC Congress 2014 in this article in the Wichita, KS, Eagle. Debbie retired from her position as department director at Wesley Medical Center in July after 41 years in the profession.
  • Kim Chuculate was honored by the director of Indian Health Services for her work with the Northeastern Tribal Health System at a ceremony that took place in Maryland earlier this month, and the honor was covered in this article in the Grand Lake, OK, News.
  • Josh Escudero comments on the AARC’s International Fellowship Program in this press release on ReadMedia.com. “The international fellows program helps to bridge the gap so other countries that may not have respiratory therapy programs can learn what we do to train and educate,” he was quoted as saying. Josh and his colleagues were getting ready to host one of this year’s Fellows, Dr. Yang Liu, from China.
  • Mike Strubel recently made a presentation on a new piece of respiratory equipment purchased for his department by the hospital auxiliary and the presentation was noted in this article in the Huron, SD, Plainsman.

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