Measured Transition Approved by BOD Toward ‘2015’ Goals
January 11, 2013
The AARC Board of Directors took action on many of the recommendations emanating from the 2015 and Beyond Conferences to give better guidance on transition strategies.
“Our Board wants to ensure that we mitigate any negative unintended consequences of implementation of the 2015 and Beyond plans,” said George Gaebler, AARC president. These unintended consequences might include workforce shortages, education options, licensure and credentialing implications, and implementation timelines.
A report now published on the AARC’s website delineates the actions taken by the Board at their most recent meeting. Full discussions and justifications for each action are included in the document. “We believe it’s important for all members to do a careful reading of that report,” said Gaebler.
Among the conference recommendations discussed are these key decisions:
- Conference Recommendation #1 was acted on by the Board by requesting that a baccalaureate mandate not occur until such time as CoARC can verify that there are enough bachelor’s prepared respiratory therapists to fill demand. Furthermore the Board affirmed that there be an aspirational goal of having 25% more bachelor’s prepared respiratory therapists by 2020 in the workforce.
- To Conference Recommendation #2 (that the CRT be retired after 2014) the Board recommended postponement until such time as the impact of the NBRC’s new consolidated written exam be evaluated. That exam comes into play in 2015.
- Conference Recommendation #3 (that AARC assist state boards in transitioning to the RRT as a licensure requirement) was postponed until objective evidence exists that the CRT no longer documents minimal entry- level competence.
- Five other conference recommendations were also dealt with through Board action and will be further examined.
To assist in moving these professional transitions forward, the Board created a workgroup to continue making recommendations on how and when the profession should move in the directions outlined by the Conference documents.
The full report and all actions taken by the Board are posted.