AARC wrapped up Congress 2025 on December 9, marking four days of high-impact education, research presentations, inspiration, and community building at the Phoenix Convention Center. Over the four-day event, more than 3,000 participants from around the globe engaged in 140 sessions and earned up to 19.42 CRCE credits.
Congress 2025 officially started on Friday afternoon, December 5, with the AARC Master Class on Mechanical Ventilation: Decoding Discordance between the Patient and the Machine. This interactive workshop was designed specifically for those seeking to elevate their expertise and appreciation of the complex dynamics of patient-ventilator interaction, while challenging new-to-practice respiratory therapists to deepen their understanding.
Day 1 opened with a welcome address from AARC President Dana Evans, MHA, RRT, RRT-NPS, FACHE, FAARC, FNAP, who highlighted the 2025 program and AARC’s recent impact on the profession. Following her engaging speech, the meeting’s keynote was delivered by Dr. Glaucomflecken, a social media star who brought shared insights and humor on the realities of healthcare in today’s environment.
Mid-morning marked the grand opening of the Expo Hall, giving attendees their first chance to explore vendor booths, medical devices, and industry exhibits. The rest of the day featured a diverse slate of sessions across clinical practice, education, neonatal/pediatrics, leadership & management, adult acute care, and pulmonary function testing. For students and early-career professionals, a “Student Speed Networking” session offered a fast-paced chance to meet established leaders in respiratory care.
The day wrapped with the 2025 AARC Annual Awards Ceremony, recognizing outstanding individuals at various career stages. Attendees then headed over to the Sheraton Phoenix for small bites, drinks, dancing, photos, and activities, including a photo booth, palm reader, lip reader, and more!
Day 2 opened with several specialty section meetings giving professionals a chance to connect with peers and learn what’s on the horizon for 2026. Presentations throughout the day focused on evidence-based practice and cutting-edge research. The Robert M. Kacmarek Scientific Memorial Lecture, delivered by Michelle Gong, MD, MS, ATSF, highlighted the growing importance of implementation science in mechanical ventilation.
Sessions throughout the day covered advanced topics in diagnostics, ventilator-induced lung injury, pediatrics, transport, and professional development, complemented by active open forums and poster discussions. Additional open forums and poster discussions featured research on oxygen therapy and pulmonary function testing, offering attendees exposure to new data and quality-improvement initiatives. AARC thanks Monaghan for its unrestricted educational grant supporting the Open Forum presentations.
Members also had the chance to attend the Annual Business meeting on Sunday morning to hear reports from the Scrutinizing Committee, AARC Secretary/Treasurer, House of Delegates Speaker, and the AARC Elections Committee. Following the election report, the 2026 Board Officers, Directors, and Section Chairs, and House of Delegates Officers were installed. Newly elected officers and chair-elects included President-Elect Joel Brown, II, MSM-HCA, RRT, FAARC, FNAP; Director-at-Large Anne Geistkemper, MSc, RRT, RRT-NPS; and Section Chair-Elects Karsten Roberts, RRT, RRT-ACCS, FAARC, FNAP, for the Adult Acute Care Section, Kenneth Harker, RRT, RPFT, for the Diagnostics Section (re-elected), and Kristina Ramirez, MPH, RRT, RRT-ACCS, FCCP, for the Education Section. Later, at the December 9th Board of Directors meeting, Cheryl Hoerr, BSRT, MBA/HCM, FAARC, was appointed Director-at-Large to serve out the remainder of Joel Brown’s director term.
Day 3 showcased specialty-care advancements across neonatal/pediatric, adult acute care, sleep medicine, and diagnostics. The Phil Kittredge Memorial Lecture, presented by Michael Davis, PhD, RRT, FAARC, examined emerging trends in personalized respiratory care. The day also featured the annual AARC Flag Folding Ceremony honoring military veterans and family members. The exciting finals of the Sputum Bowl competition crowned Santa Monica College in California as this year’s winners, with team members Bryce Palafox, Rachel Lee, Wilensky Narcisse, and Sandy You. AARC thanks Aerogen for their support of the Sputum Bowl.
Winners of the Expo Hall booth competition were also announced, with the following special awards:
In-Line
First Place – NBRC, Booth #1417.
Second Place – Ebenbuild GmbH, Booth #636
Third Place – Masimo, Booth#916
Island
First Place – Drager, Booth #1007
Second Place – Vitalograph, Booth #1017
Third Place – MGC Diagnostics, Booth #1217
Day 4 centered on professional development, ethics, and forward-looking care and publication efforts. The annual Agency update from leaders of AARC, CoARC, and NBRC provided updates on credentialing, accreditation, and changes affecting the profession. Attendees were also introduced to Respiratory Care Reports, a new scholarly journal designed to expand publishing opportunities for RTs. Congress 2025 concluded with the Thomas L. Petty Memorial Lecture on Surgical and Interventional Management of Patients with COPD presented by Gerard Criner, MD, FACP, FACCP. Following the lecture, President Evans and AARC Executive Director Dan Garrett wrapped up Congress 2025 with a renewed call to propel respiratory care forward and a reminder about next year’s event in New Orleans, November 14-17.
AARC Congress 2025 would not have been possible without the generous support of our industry partners. We thank Baxter for their general Congress support, and our 2025 Corporate Partners, who help make events like the AARC Congress a reality.
Relive a few memories of Congress and check out our social media channels and Congress 2025 online community.
Don’t Forget to Claim Your CRCE Credits
AARC Congress 2025 was approved for 19.42 CRCE; attendees may claim their credits here. The deadline to claim credit is January 24, 2026.
