AARC Activities:
- Position Statement Committee Member, 2025
- Advocacy and Government Affairs Committee Member, 2026
- PACT Committee Member, 2025, 2026
- Emerging Leaders Graduate, 2024
- Emerging Leaders Mentor, 2026
HOD Activities:
- Michigan Delegate-Elect, 2026
- Orientation Committee member, 2026
Affiliate Activities:
- District V Representative, 2023-2026
- HomeCare Chair-Elect, 2025, 2026
- HOSA Committee Member, 2025, 2026
Related Organizations:
- State Captain, COPD Foundation, 2025, 2026
- AAHomecare Regulatory Council Member, 2026
- AAHomecare RT/HME Council Member, 2024-2026, Vice-Chair, 2026
- KVCC Advisory Board Member, 2023-present
- GVSU Advisory Board Member, 2025-present
Education and Credentials:
- CRT
- RRT
- MSRC
- BSRC
- AAS Respiratory Care
Publications:
- Respiratory Care Journal abstracts, CPAP Compliance in the Home, 2024 & 2025
- Respiratory Care Journal, CPG Transitioning Home with O2, pending publication
Elections Committee Questions:
What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the AARC and what do you recommend addressing it?
Visibility. I speak with many RTs across the country (especially in the home care/DME space) who are not aware of the many benefits to being an AARC member. RTs, both potential and experienced, are concerned that there are no relevant career pathways in respiratory care other than hospital management. However, in my experience, getting involved with our profession’s member organization is the best way to discover alternative paths and start opening the doors to them. While I think there have been improvements lately to highlighting many of these alternate career journey’s, I think more can be done. I would like to launch a social media campaign to elevate the stories of RTs who have found new ways to use their respiratory skills and how important it is to have RTs in spaces we aren’t typically thought to be.
Health care is changing more rapidly than ever. What ideas do you have to help today’s Respiratory Therapist meet these challenges?
I am a huge believer that continuous education is the key to staying current on the changes happening around you in healthcare. Whether that is through reading (Shoutout to the Leadership Book Club!), attending lectures and conferences, earning a specialaty credential, or taking advantage of the education offerings at the AARC. Peer-to-peer learning is another valuable way to gain skills and knowledge about topics you may not be familiar with, and I would strive to connect individuals to peers/mentors who can best serve their needs. I think providing as many educational opportunities for AARC members (and perhaps “teaser” material for non-members to encourage them to join) is the best way to ensure the respiratory community is aware of the current state of healthcare. An idea I have is offering synchronous education at “off” times, such as in the evenings or early mornings to capture shift workers, as live and interactive education is better than recorded.
How would you approach optimizing, developing, and implementing value added benefits, programs, and resources within AARC leadership and governance structures to meet the diverse needs of our members while also cultivating a keen sense of belonging and encouraging long term membership?
I would like to survey the Ambulatory and Post Acute care section to find out what that subset of RTs needs most out of their AARC membership. The future of healthcare is in the home, this is not a secret. However, we aren’t keeping up with the pace that home care is evolving. We need more RTs in the post acute space and this is our opportunity for respiratory therapists to become the leaders in the healthcare shift from “reactive” to “proactive” and sustainable health in the home. I would love to see more CPGs created that pertain to respiratory care in the home and other alternative sites, and on the committees should be experts from each of these fields. I am asked a lot about standards of practice in the home and unfortunately, there isn’t much and what we do have is outdated. Being invited to particiapte in “big picture” things like creating a CPG is very fulfilling to a professional who wants to make a difference in respiratory care. And we need more of that type of RT!
The value of these sections 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 the Ambulatory and Post Acute Care section, my focus would be on increasing relevance, accessibility, and engagement. Many RTs working outside the hospital walls don’t always see themselves reflected in broader conversations. By prioritizing practical education, highlighting real-world challenges, and amplifying voices from home care, long-term care, outpatient settings, and more, we can increase the value of membership. To improve engagement, I would create consistent, accessible opportunities for involvement – such as short educational “bytes,” AARC Connect discussions, and increased visibility through AARC communications and social media. To grow membership, I would focus on connecting like-minded individuals with potential members experiencing challenges in their post-acute career, offering low-barrier opportunities to get involved, and creating a “brand” online for the section in accordance with the AARC brand guidelines.
