AARC Election 2027 — Jennifer Watts

AARC Activities:

• Critical Care Transport Section – Chair 2024 to present
• IDEAA – Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access & Accountability – Co-chair 2024 to present
• Speaker’s Academy Mentor 2024, Speaker’s Academy Evaluator 2024

Affiliate Activities:

• Illinois Society of Respiratory Care: Vice-President of the Executive Board 2016 to 2017, Lead for the Professional Development Board 2016 to 2017, Co-chair for the Education Committee 2016 to 2017

Related Organizations:

• National Academies of Practice 2025 to present: Respiratory Therapy Academy

Education and Credentials:

• MSc – Masters in Respiratory Leadership with focus on clinical practice

Publications:

• Transport Related Risk Factors for Intraventricular Hemorrhage in Preterm Neonates: An Exploratory Analysis, Air Medical Journal 2025

Elections Committee Questions:

What do you see as the biggest challenge facing the AARC and what do you recommend addressing it?

Engagement from front line RTs. Prioritization to build community by ensuring consistent interactions to draw in the RT. Creation of interactive content (within the AARConnect space, for example) to increase and maintain interest in the changing face of healthcare and the impact the RT has within this space.

Health care is changing more rapidly than ever. What ideas do you have to help today’s Respiratory Therapist meet these challenges?

One of the best approaches for the RT to navigate through the ever changing environment of healthcare is to evolve past what have been considered “traditional” roles for the RT. We have the opportunity to be active partners in patient care management, education – students, patients and healthcare providers (for example).

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 come back to the promotion of interaction between frontline RTs and those within what may be viewed as leadership spaces. Facilitation of open dialogue and idea sharing leads to helping to identify areas of opportunity for growth in learning, teaching, professionalism, etc. Grabbing the attention of students also provides an opportunity for cultivating longevity in membership and learning.

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?

I would move to focus on engaging the student population the begin to build interest. While critical care transport has been viewed as a less traditional role for the RT, some would argue it is now a traditional role. While this may or may not be the case, the transport environment creates a space where the RT must be a critical thinker along with the ability to pivot and treat within high stress situations. The adrenaline kick alone does not lend to increasing section membership but the application and demonstration of the RTs autonomy within this space does.