September 20, 2006

It's Here! The Advance Program for the 52nd AARC Congress!
If you're planning to be Las Vegas bound this December you've no doubt been anxiously awaiting the Advance Program for the AARC Congress. Your wait is over! The program is up on the AARC web site now, and includes everything you need to plan your attendance at the meeting. So check it out and see how this year's Congress is shaping up to the biggest and best in the history of the AARC. You can register for the meeting right online too – and if you sign up by November 10, you'll save on registration fees too!

Deadlines Approaching for Next Asthma Course
Two important deadlines are coming up soon for the October 14-15 session of the AARC's popular Asthma Educator Certification Preparation Course in Orlando , FL : today is the early registration cutoff with the regular registration deadline on October 3, and the hotel deadline is September 22. So head on over to the web page now and make plans to attend this great course. It's the best way for RTs and nurses alike to learn more about asthma and prepare for the Asthma Educator-Certified exam at the same time.

FREE RC Week Give-Aways from NLHEP
The National Lung Health Education Program has a great way for you to draw physicians and patients into your National Respiratory Care Week activities – FREE booklets designed to educate them about issues involved in respiratory care! “Long Term Oxygen Therapy (LTOT): History, Scientific Foundations and Emerging Technologies,” makes a great RC Week gift for doctors you work with everyday, and “Save Your Breath America ” is a perfect handout for COPD patients and their families.

Want Some Ideas for RC Week?
We suggest holding an MDI/DPI Check-Up. Ask patients to bring their inhalers and you'll check their technique. This is a great way to provide a community service, introduce people to respiratory therapists, and have a great "video opportunity" for the media. Check out our other great ideas and get your plans and materials together for Respiratory Care Week, Oct. 22-28.

New DRGs for Mechanical Ventilation Patients with Septicemia
The AARC has learned of new DRGs governing mechanical ventilation patients with septicemia and is educating managers and clinicians alike via a new article up now on the AARC web site. Under the new system, patients requiring ventilation for 96 hours or more will be reimbursed at a significantly higher rate. Find out how this change could have a positive effect on your hospital's bottom line – and what you need to do to ensure that happens.  

In the News: Portrait Painting Leads to New Insights for AARC Member
Dick Sawyer's lifelong love of painting is helping him connect to his patients – and providing a great way to supplement his income as an RT. His latest work was just unveiled in his hospital's laboratory.  

Good Press: AARC Members in the News
Check out our latest list of newsmakers – everything from an RT who was noted for a talk to a local Better Breathers Club to a therapist running for Coroner in his community!  

Comments or questions? Send them to info@aarc.org.