Forum Summer Forum 2026 Inspires Leaders and Educators

When Candy Spurling, MEd, BSRC, RRT, RRT-ACCS , became a single mother of a three-year-old and a five-month-old in 1995, she knew she needed a career that would pay the bills and provide a good future for her children. “I was on government assistance and taking a paralegal certificate program when they administered an aptitude test and told me I should enroll in college and earn a degree,” she said. Spurling took the advice and was accepted to Washington State Community College in Marietta, OH, where she planned to enter the medical laboratory technology (MLT) program until her advisor suggested she look into the new respiratory care program launching at the college instead. “She urged me to call local hospitals and compare job opportunities because she knew I was a single mom and did not want me to earn a degree in a program that I would not be able to find a job in,” explained Spurling. “The turnover rate for MLT wasn’t very high, but when I asked about respiratory jobs, all three hospitals in my area were in need. That’s how I became a respiratory therapist.” From the bedside to the classroom Picture of Kaitlin as a child: Kaitlin Barnes enjoyed dressing up in her mom’s cap and gown when she graduated from RT school back in 1998. Spurling graduated in 1998 and spent the next 22 years working in the hospital setting, first on the floors and in the emergency department at her small hometown hospital, then at a trauma/teaching center as a core RT in the MICU. From there, she

The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) launched the Apex Recognition Program in 2017 to honor respiratory therapy programs that consistently meet the highest standards in education, quality, and patient care. Like the Magnet Program for nursing, the Apex Program requires facilities to provide comprehensive documentation on factors essential to delivering top-notch care. Apex honorees excel in areas such as staff education and credentialing, as well as implementing protocols that ensure safe, effective care delivery. Apex designation is available for acute care hospitals, post-acute care facilities, long-term care settings, international acute care, home medical equipment suppliers, dedicated transport programs, and respiratory therapy education programs. Organizations awarded Apex recognition distinguish themselves as leaders in respiratory care within their communities, demonstrating a commitment to excellence in professional development and evidence-based quality care. The AARC is proud to recognize these organizations with its 2027-2028 Apex Designation: Acute Care Dr. P. Phillips Hospital Orlando Health VA Maryland Health Care System Orlando Health Saint Cloud Hospital Emory Hillandale Hospital Rush University Medical Center ChristianaCare Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta Medstar Georgetown University Hospital Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center and Children’s Hospital WellSpan York Hospital Rady Children’s Health Orange County University Heal

In 2025, the AARC continued to build on its core mission to Engage, Elevate, Advocate, and Educate on behalf of respiratory therapists and their communities of interest. These four strategic pillars served as our guideposts as we hosted the AARC Congress and Summer Forum, delivered online continuing education, published papers in our peer-reviewed science journal, Respiratory Care , Respiratory Care Reports, and made sure RTs were heard in Washington, DC, and other spheres of influence throughout the country and around the world. A quick look at the numbers tells the story: Membership, which stood at nearly 40,000 by year’s end, saw a significant 8.6% increase in student members in 2025 over 2024. Attendance at both the AARC Congress and Summer Forum broke all-time records. Thousands of clinicians turned to us for up-to-the-minute information and CRCEs through our online continuing education programs. AARC logged more than 788,000 visits, up by 4.6% over 2025. `(Note: this data is pulled August 14 and measures Jan 1 – Aug 14 traffic YoY) Our social media channels gained 142,736 new followers, and our engagement rate climbed 21.3% across all channels. Our net audience growth came in at 96.1%. The Board of Directors allocated $5 million in 2023 for initiatives outlined in our Strategic Plan . These funds continued to be carefully disbursed in 2025 to ensure they make the biggest impact possible while retaining funds for future needs. None of this would have been possible withou

AARC member Nicole Brandvold, RRT, RPFT , was featured in an article on NewsDakota.com about the American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation certification earned by her hospital’s cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation programs. Read it Here AARC student member Kristin Garrett was featured in an article on the Coosa Valley News website for receiving the B.J. Pharr Scholarship from Georgia Northwestern Technical College. Read it Here AARC member Cheryl Earls, MS, RRT, RRT-ACCS, AE-C , was featured in an article on talkbusiness.net about a new RT program in the works at the University of Arkansas at Fort Smith. Read it Here AARC member Adaly Gardea, RRT , was featured in a press release on PRNewswire.com for being nominated for the 2026 Mike Williams Award, bestowed annually by the Community Hospital Corporation. Read it Here AARC member Tyler Buss, BSRT, RRT , was pictured in an article in the Minot Daily News about a donation of ventilators made by his hospital to local nursing programs. Read it Here The post Members in the News | New Programs, Awards, and Ventilator Donation appeared first on AARC | RC Central .

Respiratory complications are the primary reason infants are admitted to neonatal intensive care units (NICUs). As a result, respiratory therapists play an essential role in helping oversee care and development, including critical decisions about oxygenation and ventilation. September is NICU Awareness Month, creating an opportunity to recognize affected infants and their families, as well as the healthcare professionals who oversee care and support. For RTs, it also offers a chance to highlight a specialized area of respiratory care that requires technical expertise, collaboration, a deep understanding of neonatal development, and the ability to work with families under extreme distress. Caring for Developing Lungs Traci Wolfe, MS, RRT-NPS, C-NPT, C-ELBW, Manager of NICU Respiratory Care at Silver Cross Hospital Every year, roughly 1 in 10 U.S. infants are admitted to a NICU, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Reasons can include prematurity, birth defects, respiratory and feeding problems, infections, and other medical conditions. For Traci Wolfe, MS, RRT-NPS, C-NPT, C-ELBW, Manager of NICU Respiratory Care at Silver Cross Hospital, a RT’s day-to-day responsibility begins with monitoring the respiratory stability of NICU patients and intervening when necessary. “The best place where our expertise is used on a day-to-day basis is with our knowledge of lung development,” Wolfe says. A premature baby’s immature lungs are part of a much larger developm

AARC members Jennifer Martin, RRT , and Mary Jones, BSHIM, RRT, RPSGT , were featured in the Lufkin Daily News about their second-year RT students stepping in to donate anatomy and physiology textbooks to first-year students at Angelina College who were having to make do without those integral texts due to a publishing issue. Read it Here AARC member Kirsten Holbrook, BA, RRT, RRT-ACCS , and student member Colin Ebersold were featured in an article in the Leader-Telegram about the Chippewa Valley Technical College Respiratory Therapy Club’s inaugural lung health 5K run/walk to raise money and awareness for COPD. Read it Here AARC member Jerry A. O’Ryan, MPH, RRT , wrote an opinion piece in the Springfield News Sun on the resurgence of measles cases in his home state of Ohio and why some people may not be getting the measles vaccination despite medical guidance saying they should. Read it Here AARC member Bonnie Robert, RRT , was featured in an article in Business West about the Better Breathers Club she helped to start at her hospital and the role it is playing in reducing readmissions for patients with COPD. Read it Here AARC member Jithin K. Sreedharan, PhD, MSRC, FIARC, PFHEA , was featured in an interview in the Higher Education Digest about his own career in allied health and the forces he believes will shape its future. Read it Here AARC member Sarah Parker, MAOM, RRT, RRT-NPS , was featured in a video on the JTV website about the respiratory care profession and her RT

Many areas of the U.S. have suffered from unusually hot temperatures over the past few months. How do these high temps impact people with respiratory conditions? According to researchers from the UNC School of Medicine, when the air is both hot and dry, the airways become more sensitive, increasing the risk for coughing. But a nonpharmaceutical magnesium salt aerosol might help. In a study published by Nature Scientific Reports , the investigators conducted theoretical, in vitro experimental, and human trials aimed at uncovering the way hot dry air impacts the airways and how it can be treated. After finding that upper-airway mucosal collapse occurs when human bronchial epithelial cell cultures are exposed to an arid heatwave atmosphere, they decided to see if inhalation of alkaline hypertonic divalent salts (HDS) designed to rehydrate airway mucus could be the answer. The treatment proved successful when tested in cell cultures, which led the team to initiate a study in humans that took place in Saudi Arabia. The randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial involved ten patients with refractory chronic cough. Breathing the aerosol reversed mucus collapse for several hours and also reduced cough sensitivity, leading to a placebo-adjusted reduction in daily cough episodes of 59%. The benefit persisted for one to three weeks following treatment. “Heat waves elevate incidence of cough and bronchospasm, increase hospitalization rates of asthmatics and sufferers of COPD, and

Can the new weight loss drugs help people with asthma and COPD too? According to researchers who presented their findings at the recent European Respiratory Society Congress, the answer may be yes one day. Using real-world data from electronic medical records in the U.K., they examined results from four parallel groups of 20,000-22,000 patients each who had started treatment with a GLP-1 medication or another diabetes medication. They found that patients who began treatment with the GLP-1s had fewer asthma attacks and COPD exacerbations than those taking the other medications. Patients on the GLP-1 semaglutide had the best results, particularly for asthma. People with asthma who were on the medication saw a nearly 40% reduction in asthma attacks. People with COPD saw a 20% reduction in flare-ups. The researchers cite previous research linking GLP-1s to anti-inflammatory effects that may improve lung-related outcomes as one reason why they may be effective in these patients. However, while the findings suggest people who are on GLP-1s to treat diabetes or obesity may receive an extra benefit in lung health from the medications, they suggest it is too soon to prescribe the drugs specifically for asthma or COPD. “The findings from this study are encouraging, but they should not change treatment decisions on their own,” said study author Chloe Bloom, clinical associate professor in respiratory epidemiology at the National Health & Lung Institute at Imperial College London. “Peopl

Congratulations to the winners of the 2026 Zenith Awards : Aerogen Dräger, Inc. Fisher & Paykel Healthcare Hamilton Medical Inc. Monaghan Medical Corporation Nihon Kohden America Inc. Tri-anim Health Services Vapotherm, Inc. Vero Biotech The AARC Zenith Award reflects the dynamic respiratory care industry marketplace. AARC members nominated these companies based on the quality of their equipment, supplies, or services; the accessibility and helpfulness of their sales personnel; their responsiveness and service record; truth in advertising; and support for the respiratory care profession. Thank you to everyone who submitted a nomination, as this is truly the “people’s choice” award for the respiratory care profession, with respiratory therapists choosing the recipients. If you have any questions about Zenith, please email Paul Miniter, MS, VP, Business Development and Sponsorships, at paul.miniter@aarc.org. The post 2026 Zenith Award Winners Announced appeared first on AARC | RC Central .

Clinical simulation is now a mainstay in health professions education, both during formal education programs and in continuing education scenarios once clinicians are on the job. Samantha Davis, DMSc, RRT, RRT-NPS, CHSE-A, FAARC , has been blazing the trail for RTs in this area for a number of years now, and all her hard work paid off recently when she was named to serve as manager of simulation, education, and innovation for Henry Ford Health, a leading non-profit health care organization headquartered in Detroit, MI, that operates more than 550 facilities across the state, including 13 hospitals. In this interview, she explains how she became interested in clinical simulation and what it took to move into this upper-level position. How long have you been an RT, and when, where, and why did you become interested in clinical simulations? I’ve been an RT for 16 years, and I’ve been involved with simulation for the past 10 years. Simulation is one of those things that fell in my lap — after joining the faculty at Boise State University in 2016, my department chair, Lutana Haan, shared the opportunity to get involved. The rest is history. How have you been involved in clinical simulation for RTs over the years, and what kind of educational background did you need to get more into this area? Initially, I served as the simulation coordinator for an undergraduate respiratory care program. Over the course of several years, I developed dozens of simulation scenarios that were scaffol

Two clinical trials that were conducted separately but published together by the New England Journal of Medicine and presented at the recent European Respiratory Society Congress suggest that COPD patients who receive the biologic tozorakimab may significantly reduce their risk of experiencing an acute exacerbation of the disease — even if they don’t have high eosinophil levels. The OBERON and TITANIA trials were designed to be identical and ran in parallel so their results could be compared. Together, they involved 2,306 adults with symptomatic COPD who had at least two moderate and one severe exacerbation in the past year and were randomized to either tozorakimab at 300 milligrams every four weeks or a placebo. All the patients remained on their inhaled medication treatments. Among former smokers, moderate and severe exacerbations dropped by 29% in the OBERON trial and 34% in the TITANIA trial when compared with placebo. Reductions were 30% and 29% across the entire population of current and former smokers. Perhaps most importantly, a pooled analysis of both trials showed reductions in eosinophil levels—a factor typically used to determine whether a patient qualifies for biologic treatment. In these studies, exacerbations were reduced by 23% among patients with eosinophil levels starting below 150 cells, 34% among those at or above 150, and 43% among those at or above 300. The authors note that tozorakimab is not currently approved by the FDA or any other country’s drug app

In this episode of the AARC Perspectives Podcast, AARC Director of Education, Lisa Fuchs, EdD, MHA, RRT, CTTS, CHWC, FAARC, FNAP, ACUE , speaks with Stephen Biehl, RRT , Manager of Pulmonary Function and Bronchoscopy at Temple University Hospital in Philadelphia, about pulmonary hypertension across chronic lung disease and left heart disease. They break down the clinical “mismatch” that should raise suspicion for pulmonary vascular disease, explain why symptoms can be worse than imaging or spirometry suggest, and discuss the limits of relying on echo alone. Don’t miss this clear, actionable discussion for anyone caring for patients with complex cardiopulmonary disease. AARC thanks Linde, Liquidia, and Mallinckrodt for their support of this episode of the AARC Perspectives Podcast. The post Pulmonary Arterial Hypertension Across Lung and Left Heart Disease appeared first on AARC | RC Central .