AARC Election 2026 — Donna Tanner

AARC Activities:

• Ohio Delegate for OSRC 2019
• Education Advisory Council, Sub-Chair for ECMO/ECLS 2025
• FAARC Nomination Committee 2025
• AARC Representative to the American Heart Association, 2025-2026

HOD Activities:

• Liaison for (RCI) Respiratory Compromise Institute

Affiliate Activities:

• Society for Critical Care Medicine, Current Past-Chair, Respiratory Care Section (2019-Present in various roles with Section)
• ELSO (ExtraCorporeal Life Support Organization), Quality Committee, 2024-Present
• Society for Critical Care Medicine, Conference Planning Committe, 2023-Present
• American Heart Association, Systems of Care & Communication Committee Member 2023-Present
• American Heart Association, Writer for ACLS Guidelines, 2024-Present

Education and Credentials:

• RRT
• BSRC
• MHA

Publications:

• Development of a Core Critical l Care Data Dictionary…Critical Care Medicine, 2025
• A nomogram to predict postoperative pulmonary complications after cardiac surgery, JTCVS, 2023
• Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19): Team preparation and approach to tracheostomy; Guidelines and Recommendations from Cleveland Clinic COVID-19 Tracheostomy Working Group. Bribriesco, AC, Sudarshan, M, Gillespie, CT, Bryson, PC, Hopkins, B, Tanner D, Raja, S, Ahmad, U, Raymond, D, Murthy, SC. JTCVS Techniques. 2020 Dec: 4(5): 1-5.

Elections Committee Questions:

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the AARC, and what do you recommend to address it?

The largest challenge is engagement and retention on all levels. Recommendations and deliverables would concentrate on addressing the emotional connection to the organization by showing what membership and involvement can do for you versus not having that network connection. Highlighting our personal experiences to the potential members and bring them into the community to grow.

Healthcare is changing more rapidly than ever. What ideas do you have to help today’s respiratory therapist meet these challenges?

The changes in healthcare become more dynamic with time. As leaders, it is our responsibility to stay informed and adaptive to the changes so we can guide our new RT’s. We need to embrace the changes, as they are not going away, and keep our focus on the outcomes of the patients and how these changes will keep our patients safe but keep us current and relevant as RT’s. We will focus on collaboration and education across the healthcare spectrum.

The value of this section is important. If given the opportunity to represent, what would you do to increase the value of this section, and how would you increase interest in section membership?

If given the opportunity to represent, I will establish myself as a strong figure by remaining approachable and visible to hear and react on the needs of the Section, as well as potential new members. Staying engaged and building strong partnerships throughout the organization and community through events, engaging local students, and socializing current members successes to increase interest. The use of our Connect board is maintained, but we require larger platforms to increase our access and champion our mission.