Our Delegates Report for Summer 2012
by Dianne Adams MA, RRT, NPS
The AARC held its 2012 Summer House of Delegates meeting in Santa Fe, New Mexico on July 16 and 17. Dianne Adams and Nancy d’Ambrosio, Delegates, represented the NJSRC at the two-day event. The HOD meeting gives state societies a forum to communicate and share information. In addition, it also presents opportunity for the AARC Executive Office and external organizations such as the NBRC and ARCF to report updates and provide discussion between the HOD and the AARC Board of Directors.
Business included nominations of HOD officers for the upcoming year, discussion of a proposed resolution that was later withdrawn from the initiating state, Best Practice presentations from Missouri, Connecticut, and Colorado, and committee meetings to finalize unfinished business.
2015 and Beyond was a common focus in reports from Tom Kallstrom, AARC Executive Office, Bill Dubbs, AARC Management & Education, and Karen Stewart, AARC President. Tom Kallstrom and Karen Stewart emphasized that the process continues in gathering data and analyzing the information. Stewart explained that the Board of Directors is not in a position at this time to make any final decisions about the impact on respiratory care practice other than to stress, “we know we have to grow.” All three highly suggest that members refer to the AARC website which will feature a link for up-to-date information regarding 2015 and Beyond. Other highlights of their reports include the following:
- Position statement on best practices for productivity and staffing will be made available shortly
- Hospital to Home webcast is being developed and will be announced on the AARC website
- Productivity and time standards are available to AARC members which now include outpatient facilities such as pulmonary diagnostics, ABG, rehabilitation, and more
- Content areas of CRCE’s earned will now appear on your AARC CRCE transcript that will aid in tracking state licensure requirements.
Cheryl West, AARC Director of Government Affairs reported that the Center for Medicare and Medicaid Services has set the 2013 reimbursement for pulmonary rehabilitation at $39.58. She also reported that efforts to expand patient access to respiratory therapists in the physician’s office are being included in the language of bill HR-941, the Medicare Respiratory Therapy Initiative. The revised bill should be introduced into the upcoming PACT session in Washington DC.
AARC Specialty Section Reports were presented from each specialty discipline. It was emphasized from section chairs that unless each section has a minimum of 1000 members they do not qualify to represent their specialty at the AARC Board of Directors meetings. Those specialties in need of more members include the Home Care Section and Sleep Section. Respiratory Care Practitioners working in these areas are encouraged to join their specialty when renewing their membership with the AARC.
The following SAVE THE DATES were provided upon adjournment:
- March 11 – 12, 2013 AARC PACT, Washington, DC
- July 11 – 13, 2013 AARC Summer Forum, Orlando, FL
The Santa Fe House of Delegates meeting announced that November 14th of each year is World COPD Day.
This report was presented to the NJSRC Board of Directors at the August, 2012 meeting in New Brunswick, NJ and planned for the next SCOPE newsletter publication this winter. The second bi-annual AARC HOD meeting was held on November 8 to 9, 2012 in New Orleans. The delegates report for the New Orleans meeting will be printed in our following newsletter.
