AARC member since 2008
Senior Transport Therapist
Texas Children's Hospital
Houston, TX
Education:
RRT, San Jacinto College, Pasadena, TX 1993 BA Economics, Lamar University, Beaumont, TX 1985
What steps will you take to strengthen international exposure of respiratory care?
I have been a transport therapist for 10 years at Texas Children's and have seen our role grow and develop. I recently went on a medical mission to Lima, Peru, for our hospital. I lectured at three different hospitals on neonatal ventilation and did bedside rounds with physicians teaching ventilation, blood gas analysis and weaning techniques for the vents. This opened my eyes as to the need for respiratory. I have a great desire to reach out to other countries that so desperately need our help. With Texas Children's transport, I have traveled internationally picking up sick babies and children and am always surprised at the need for resources and assistance. The hunger for our help and knowledge really touches me. We do need to expand our field, bringing our trade to these countries, setting up trips for teaching and sharing. I would enlist both respiratory supply companies and pharmaceutical companies to help with these trips.
How would you suggest we recruit and educate the leaders of the future for the AARC?
I feel we need to market our field better by attending career days at high schools. I have been asked several times by health and science teachers to come do a presentation on respiratory therapy and the students are amazed. Many of them had no conception of respiratory therapy and our role in hospitals and home care. We also need to reach out to our respiratory schools and show the importance of the AARC and the role we play.
With the introduction of the Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative Bill in Congress, how are you going to work to get that bill successfully passed?
I feel putting together a presentation and meet one-on-one with my representatives in the Houston area is the first step that I would take. I would then contact every therapist in the area and have them email their congressman. I think the AARC needs to have literature available at every hospital respiratory department explaining the importance of the bill and the benefits. A trip to Washington should be organized with a committee to meet with congressional leaders. I do feel we need to have doctors involved supporting our team and making up positions on the committee.
