Congress, Summer Forum Programs Promise Career Boosting Content

March 8, 2010

Program Committee members gathered in Dallas last weekend for their annual review of potential topics for the upcoming AARC International Respiratory Congress and Summer Forum.

The group filtered through literally hundreds of proposals made by AARC members and others, coming up with a tentative program that’s sure to meet the career needs of everyone in the respiratory care profession.

Mike Gentile, Program Committee Chair, keeps his program proposal book ready at his right hand as he leads the group through review of all submitted ideas.

“The quality of the proposals was outstanding again this year,” says Committee Chair Mike Gentile, RRT, FAARC. “The AARC membership and other health professionals consistently provide a wide variety of high quality topics that are inclusive of all aspects of respiratory care.”

Gentile and his colleagues sorted the proposals according to content, then evaluated them for scientific merit and relevancy of current trends. According to the chair, the top proposals from this year’s batch included:

Patient monitoring as it relates to safety.
Putting evidence into practice.
ARDS update.
Management in the digital age.
Getting the most of out aerosol delivery devices.
Controversies in mechanical ventilation.
Selecting the best oxygen delivery device for your patient.
Update on health reform initiatives.

Cheryl Hoerr and Dr. Ira Cheifetz are both Program Committee veterans who help plan, administer, and moderate sessions at the International Respiratory Congress.

Many people also cited a need to pay tribute to the Dr. Tom Petty, who passed away late last year, and Gentile says Congress attendees can definitely expect to see this covered during the four day session in December.

Gentile especially wants to thank the AARC Specialty Section chairs for their input into the program topics. “The AARC Specialty Section chairs are instrumental in identifying topics that are important to each group,” he notes. He also appreciates the speakers who will step up to address these key issues. “We are fortunate to have a wide variety of competent speakers who are experts in their respective areas.”

What about topics that didn’t make the final cut? Gentile says both the Congress and Forum are constructed “for the people, by the people,” but there is never enough room for every topic that is submitted. “Whittling down the choices is the most difficult task for the Program Committee,” he says, noting the large number of high quality submissions makes for steep competition.

But even if your proposal didn’t get accepted, that doesn’t mean it can’t be aired. “There are several alternatives that allow for participation at the Congress,” says the committee chair. “Namely, the Open Forum and Lecture Lab.”

AARC Summer Forum
July 16-18
Marco Island, FL

AARC International Respiratory Congress
December 6-9
Las Vegas, NV