AARC member since 1963
Director, BioMedical Repairs Dept.
Univ. Mississippi Health Care/
University MS Med. Ctr.
Jackson, MS
AARC Activities:
Vice Chair, Membership, 1999-2004; Member Membership Committee,2006-2007, 2007-2008; Member ByLaws Committee, 2000-2004; CPT Coding Sub-Committee,1993-1994; Member Membership Committee and Public Relations Committee, 1997-1998,1998-1999; Gov. Affairs Committee 2004 to present; Member AARC PACT Committee 1997 to Present; Awarded Life Membership 2000; Member Public Relations and Recognitions Committee 2002-2003.
House of Delegates Activities:
Delegate 1989 to present (Jr and Sr); Member Elections Committee, 1993-1998, 1999-2006; Delegate Assistance Committee, 1990-1995, 2002-2004; Chair and Co-Chair Ad-Hoc Committee Home Health Legislation, 2003-2006;Co-Chair HOD Legislative Affairs Committee 2006-2007, 2007-2008; Bylaws Committee 2000-2004.
Affiliate Activities:
Charter Member Nov. 1966; Member MSRC 1966 to present; President 1970,1975,1976,1996; Board Member 1968-1978, 1989 to present Chair Judicial Nominating, Budget and Audit Committees; Initiated Licensure Effort 1975-1976; Legislative Committee 1988-1998; Chair and Co-Chair Legislative / PACT Committee 1998 to present.
Related Organizations:
Member Hinds Couty BOD MS. Heart Associattion; Member Tri-State Respiratory Care Conference BOD 1981 to present; Chair, Tri-State Respiratory Care Conference, 1996-1997, 2005-2006; Instructor MS Heart Association 1968-1977; Clinical Instructor Hinds Jr. College 1979-1986; Clinical Faculty
University MS. Medical Center 1980-1986; Teaching Faculty University MS. Medical Center 1988-1992
Education:
Diploma MS. Baptist Hospital 1963; AASD, Hinds Jr. College 1972; CRT December 1972; Licensed Respiratory Care Practioner 1992.
What steps will you take to strengthen international exposure of respiratory care?
I will support the effort of the AARC to promote Respiratory Care on the International scene by what ever mechanisms the BOD thinks would be the most effective. I would be willing to visit other countries to assist with the development of Departments and the Modalities of care needed to care for their patients. I would also encourage our membership to open their departments to guest from other countries to aid in sharing ideas and encourage mentoring. The more we can do to promote Respiratory Care at home and abroad will ultimately have an impact on the patient's quality of life.
How would you suggest we recruit and educate the leaders of the future for the AARC?
We must start with selective recruitment of our students in that we truly look for those who want Respiratory Care as a Profession and not just as a job. We must mentor them during the training process, after graduation and into the workplace. We must show and help them to understand how important it is to support and have an active participation in their future and care for the patient with Cardio-Pulmonary issues. We must encourage our young graduates to be involved and continue to show them how being involved enhances their future and the future of patient care.
With the introduction of the Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative Bill in Congress, how are you going to work to get that bill successfully passed?
Having been heavily involved in the Legislative process in Mississippi and in Washington, I have found the importance of meeting with legislators, educating them and their staff about Respiratory Care and our concerns about the needs on the patient with Pulmonary Disease. It is so very important to answer their questions and concerns and the Respiratory Therapist is the most qualified person to give those answers. We need to promote our letter writing campaigns at the grassroots level with our 435 Plan and continue to get and keep the patient educated and involved with our efforts to help make their quality life better. We need to go and take our patients with us to town hall meetings so the legislators can see and hear first hand about the problems patients are having with the lack of coverage for the care needed. We need to encourage all respiratory therapists to work with the legislators for support, sponsorship and co-sponsorship of our legislative initiatives.
