Reno was sizzling with more than summer grass fires. AARC’s agenda was also smokin’ with a well-attended Summer Forum and Asthma course and the first-ever Respiratory Care journal conference with an audience.

Managers and educators gathered in their traditional Summer Forum groupings to study the issues that will help them do a better job. For educators that was hearing information on clinical precepting, evaluating competence, and problem-based learning. For managers, that was learning more about personnel situations, measuring quality, and using management technologies.

The AARC’s popular Asthma Educator Certification Preparation Course also attracted a number of attendees. One was Michael McPeck, RRT, FAARC, a seasoned respiratory care practitioner who attended the Reno course. “The course was eye-opening. It’s a shame that everybody who has to deal with asthmatics doesn’t have an opportunity
to go through this,” he said. “I know this might sound corny, but this course MOVED ME. It reminded me of all the things I originally got into the field for many years ago.”

The next Asthma Educator Certification Preparation course will be held in Charlotte, NC, August 25-26.

An exciting addition to the AARC’s summer meetings line-up was the opening of a Respiratory Care journal conference to observers. The program, “Mechanical Ventilation in Mass Casualty Scenarios,” was felt to be so important and timely that observers were allowed in the audience for the first time ever. This was the 40th Respiratory Care journal conference and the proceedings were chaired by Richard Branson MSc RRT FAARC and Lewis Rubinson MD PhD.

From chemical attacks to severe respiratory illness to mass critical care and the national stockpile of ventilators, each expert presented a paper on his or her individual area of expertise and then a discussion by all panel members ensued. The results of this program will be printed in an upcoming issue of Respiratory Care journal.

American Association for Respiratory Care