AARC member since 1980
Director, Respiratory Care and The Sleep Center
Cookeville Regional Medical Center
Cookeville, TN
AARC Activities:
2006-present Secretary/Treasurer 2002-2004 Member, Board of Directors 2004 Chair, AdHoc Cmte for Recognition of Centers of Excellence 2005-2006 Chair, Program Committee 1991 Member, Bylaws 1994-04, 07-
08 Member, Program 1999, 2006-present Member, Audit 2003-present Member, AdHoc Coding Committee 2003, 2006-present Member, Strategic Planning 2003-07 Member, Legislative & Governmental Affairs 2006-present Member, Political Action Committee 2003-present Member, Management Section
House of Delegates Activities:
Delegate, Tennessee Society for Respiratory Care 1989-92 and 1995-98 Chair, AdHoc Strategic Planning Committee, 1997-98
Member, Data Collections Committee, 1996 Member, AdHoc Decision Making Process, 1996-97 Member, Publications Committee, 1996-97 Member, Progress/Transition Committee, 1992
Affiliate Activities:
President, Tennessee Society for Respiratory Care 1988 & 2001, President-Elect, 1987 & 2000, Secretary, 1993, Delegate 1989-92 and 1995-98 Board of Directors, Illinois Society for Respiratory Care 1982-85 Board of Directors, Tennessee Society for Respiratory Care 1987-2002 Chair, TSRC Executive Committee, 1988 & 2001 Chair, TSRC Nominations & Elections, 2000 Chair, TSRC Chapter Affairs 2000 Chair, TSRC Publications Committee, 1996-2006 Chair, TSRC Program, 1988-99, 2007 Chair, TSRC Bylaws Committee, 1995 Member, AdHoc Reimbursement Committee, 2000-01 Member, Legislative Committee, 1988-2007 Member, Strategic Planning Committee, 1987-2007 Member, Budget & Audit Committee, 1987-2007 Member, Publications Committee, 1991-94 Member AdHoc 1993 Committee, 1990-93 TSRC Parliamentarian, 1999 Representative, American Lung Association, 1994-97
Related Organizations:
President, American Heart Association, Robertson Co. Chapter, 1999-2003 Chair, Health Related Boards, Respiratory Care Board, 2002-03 Member, Health Related Boards, Respiratory Care Board, 1998-2002, 2006-present Member, American Heart Association, Robertson Co. Chapter, 1995-1999 Team Leader, Putnam County Heart Walk, 2004 Member, Go Red for Woman, Putnam County, 2008
Education:
Associates Degree, Respiratory Care, Rock Valley College, Rockford, Illinois, 1979 Bachelors Degree, Health Care Administration, Ottawa University, Kansas City, Kansas, 1984
Publications:
"Respiratory Care Licensure: The Tenessee Experience" AARCTimes, May, 1993, Vol. 17, Issue 5, 1993.
What steps will you take to strengthen international exposure of respiratory care?
For over 17 years, the AARC has been strengthening international exposure by promoting the International Fellowship Program and the International Council for Respiratory Care. To help strengthen this exposure I will support the activities of the International Fellowship program. By sponsoring a Fellow you learn how respiratory care is provided around the world. To think you may have helped to make it better is amazing. The Council, comprised of governors from 20 different countries, is a group of worldwide health professionals who address medical and professional trends in the global respiratory care community. I will support and learn from providers in other countries such as Jose Landeros, PT from Chile and Gustavo Olquin, PT from Argentina who I visited with in their respective countries. And, if necessary, I will even put my money where my mouth is when asked for donations to help financially support these efforts.
How would you suggest we recruit and educate the leaders of the future for the AARC?
Recruiting and educating the leaders for our future begins in our schools and workplace. Our future depends on illustrating passion, enthusiasm and commitment as professionals to those who will some day take our place. Continuing to give free membership to students and discounts for bulk memberships displays our commitment to students and managers. To show our passion and enthusiasm we need to get more therapists involved in promoting our profession. The new "Life and Breath" video is an excellent tool featuring real respiratory therapists who share their pride and passion for our profession. We must work with our affiliates promoting leaders from within. That's where I started. I got involved and felt I made a difference. I was appreciated and that made me enthused about what I did. I wanted more. I wanted to become a leader. As the enthusiasm and commitment grew, so did the passion.
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 will do anything and everything I need to do to get this bill passed! What an awesome opportunity for respiratory therapy! We will be able to make a gigantic difference in our patients' quality of life once we succeed. I have written letters to my legislators weekly and will continue to do so. I have set-up a computer in my department and have mandated my staff write letters monthly! I have gotten my VP, COO, pulmonologist, patients and family members to write letters. The students who rotate through my hospital on rotation don't leave here without writing a letter of support! I will be at the beacon call of the AARC to go to Washington, D.C., if needed. I will continue to encourage support of this bill with my patients, staff, family and anyone who will take the time to listen to me — and even those who don't.