AARC member since 1970
Director, Respiratory Care & Neurodiagnostics
Medical Center of Central Georgia
Macon, GA
AARC Activities:
Chair, AARC Region VI P&E Committee, 2003. Member, AARC Adult Acute Respiratory Care Committee, 2006. Member, AARC, Region VI P&E Committee, 2000-2004. Member, Management Section, greater than 10 years- present. Misc: An original and continuous participant in the AARC Benchmarking Project. Staffed AARC booth at the National High School Science Teachers Convention in Atlanta, Georgia
Affiliate Activities:
President, Georgia Society for Respiratory Care, 2004. President-elect, Georgia Society for Respiratory Care, 2003. Past-President, Georgia Society for Respiratory Care, 2005. Board of Directors, Georgia Society for Respiratory Care, 2003-2005. Chair, Bylaws Committee, Georgia Society for Respiratory Care, 2004. Chair, Nominations/Ballot committee, Georgia Society for Respiratory Care, 2005. Chair, Membership
Committee, Georgia Society for Respiratory Care, 2005, 2006, 2007. Member, Budget and Finance Committee, Georgia Society for Respiratory Care,2006-2007
Related Organizations:
Member, Society for Critical Care Medicine (SCCM), 2001-present. Member, SCCM, ICU Design Committee, 2006-present. Member, American College of Chest Physicians, 2001-present. Member, National Board for Respiratory Care, 1970-present. Member, Georgia Society for Respiratory Care, 1991-present. Member, Florida Society for Respiratory Care, 1994-2000. Member, Nevada Society for Respiratory Care, 1977-1980. Member, Texas Society for Respiratory Care, 1980-1992. Member, American College of Healthcare Executives, 1992-2004
Education:
CRT, 1970. B.S. Business Administration, Palm Beach Atlantic University, 1973. Certificate in Respiratory Therapy, University of Chicago, 1974 RRT, 1975
What steps will you take to strengthen international exposure of respiratory care?
Work with leadership of AARC and thought leaders of the Management Section to develop a proposal for a benefits demonstration project to be implemented in an international setting. Project would be designed to demonstrate benefits (reduced hospital and critical care length of stay, decreased VAP rates, decreased cost, etc.) to be gained from use of the American respiratory care model. Work with the AARC and ARCF leadership to create an education program including presentations on development and operation of centralized respiratory care services. Offer these presentations at local education programs, around the world through prior International Fellows and their contacts or societies. Communicate and collaborate with our previous International Fellows to receive ideas and recommendations from them based on their evolving local situations. Collaborate with ARCF to determine if opportunities exist for the Management Section to work with manufacturers to increase the number of International Fellows hosted each year.
How would you suggest we recruit and educate the leaders of the future for the AARC?
Expand the current House of Delegates format to include one or two students from each state. Student selection method should be determined by the individual affiliate Board of Directors. Work with the Education Section and House of Delegates to develop a mechanism to promote the student camp program, which has been so successful in Georgia. Student members of the House of Delegates should present updates from these meetings during student camp. Extend student membership for 12 months following graduation. Allow regular students and extended students to be a member of one AARC section. Review the practicality of creating a student section with membership provided to all student members including ability to participate in student section list serve and one other Section until twelve months following graduation. Ask hospitals to volunteer to accept management externs for five-day periods. During the five days the extern would shadow supervisor, educator, assistant director, administrative director and medical director observing challenges and opportunities for departments.
With the introduction of the Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative Bill in Congress, how are you going to work to get that bill successfully passed?
Collaborate with Cheryl West to determine what assistance she may need. Work with the section membership to assist her in meeting identified needs. Through the AARC email system solicit individuals who may have close (first or second generation) contacts with members of Congress or individuals on their staff. The key to success for a program like this will be personal interaction. Maximize use of all techniques available to the AARC to generate letter writing and email generation to appropriate parties to expand number of contacts.
