First Ever Vent 5K is a Winner for UMMC
December 22, 2010
AARC members from the University of Maryland Medical Center (UMMC) decided to host an American Respiratory Care Foundation (ARCF) Ventilator 5K competition for the first time during National Respiratory Care Week this year, thinking it would be a fun addition to their other RC Week activities, which included a bake sale that raised $700 to send kids to asthma camp.
Maryland RTs had a great time during UMMC’s first ever Ventilator 5K competition, held during National Respiratory Care Week in October.
Little did they know that just a couple of months later they’d be in the winner’s circle at the AARC International Respiratory Congress in Las Vegas, accepting an oversized check from Dräger for a brand new ventilator for winning the 2010 competition. Overall the UMMC Vent 5K raised $1800, which, like all of the funds raised during Vent 5Ks this year, went to the ARCF to be allocated back to communities around the country to support local lung health programs.
The UMMC’s bake sale raised $700 to send kids to asthma camp.
Organized by UMMC RTs Jeff Ford and Maria Madden, the winning Vent 5K included teams of respiratory therapists from Upper Chesapeake Medical Center and Frederick Memorial Hospital, along with a UMMC Dräger team and UMMC Servo team. The event took place on an indoor track, with the teams pushing their vents—all of which were donated by the vendors and were either demos and/or inoperable—at top speed while spectators cheered them on.
UMMC RTs enjoyed a hot meal prepared by the management team during RC Week too.
The teams from Upper Chesapeake and Frederick decked their ventilators out in great costumes too, with a Big Chicken and Wizard of Oz theme, respectively.
In November, members of the Shock Trauma Team, made up of physicians, nurses, and RTs, gathered outside the room of one of their patients, a soldier from Iraq, to declare him their hero.
“After the race, prizes were awarded to the participating teams for first, second, and third place, as well as ‘Best Dressed’ ventilator,” says Madden, who works as the trauma clinical coordinator in UMMC respiratory care services. The Big Chicken ended up beating the Wizard of Oz by just a hair in the “Best Dressed” category.
RTs Mike Clancy and Angela Adair, in blue gowns, joined the soldier and his family members as the team presented him with gifts, a plaque, and an American flag honoring his service.
The group filmed the competition, and you can see how it all played out in this YouTube video.