This report will include a highlight only of discussions and presentations.  At a House of Delegates meeting there will be much discussed that can take the majority of the two days and then be completely useless by the end of the meeting.

AARC President David Shelladay

• There are 26 free standing Entry Level Education Programs across the States.  Student enrollment is down and after graduation; many are not taking NBRC examinations.
• COARC working to make all graduates registry eligible.
• AARC supports Associate Degree Education and advancing to Baccalaureate and Masters levels.

• He reports we have over 33,000 members of which 4000 member increase in the last 4 months.  AARC implemented a new program where Universities had free student enrollment as long as all instructors and affiliated Respiratory Therapists were AARC members.  50 Programs have become eligible 1400 students are Internet members.  Before the student/University drive 40% of program faculty was not AARC members. 
• The Ambassador program has 700 Ambassadors bringing in 1000 new members.  The continuing challenge remains retaining old members.
• Also new are Actual Business Partnerships with Industries including Cardinal Health, Sepracor, Masimo, Bayer, Boehringer Ingleheim, Nelcor, Puritan Bennett, and Monaghan.

• Reports that the AARC was requested by Joint Commission to appoint a Point of Care Testing Advisory Committee.
• Several Respiratory Therapists presented abstracts at the COPD Coalition Conference.  Also from the Coalition Conference came the need for Telemarketing and Home COPD evaluations.
• The AARC is continuing the collaborating with National Lung Health Organization to increase Public Relations as an opportunity to reinforce professional issues.
• Medicare Practice Act Bill HR 2905 still needs a Senator to introduce it as a companion bill.  We do have lots of support but need more in the right places.
• Revenue Share Contract was sent out to all Affiliates with instructions that the Affiliate responds in the contract negotiation stage.  That had not been clearly communicated.  Common response during question and answer period was feeling like a gun was being held to our heads “sign this contract.”  In effect however negotiations continue.  Originally, there were to be 50 plus separate contracts saying similar but Affiliate specific things.  There was no communication for example between AARC Executive office and two separate affiliates even over the same issue.  Now AARC will communicate to Alaska for instance what Missouri is struggling with.  AARC wants the contract in place and functional very soon, but as it sits now the affiliates and AARC are in negotiations still.

• Fund raising booth at Las Vegas Conference held raffle.  Prizes valued at $1,200 to be raffled.

• Currently 10,783 people are advanced Practice Graduates who have never sat for or passed either portion of examination.  Many have taken and are using Entry Level Certification.
• Lifetime Achievement Award in honor of Sister Mary Yvone Jenn to Robert Lawrence, MD
• Respiratory Therapy Credentialing in Latin America
• State Licensure Liaison Group Meeting held
• NBRC considers request from CoARC for alternative mechanisms for measuring Advanced Programs Outcomes
• Board of Trustees considers AARC and CoARC’s request to limit RRT eligibility
• Board considers AARC request for development of an Adult Critical Care Specialty Examination
• Examination Participation is decreased from 2002 for all exams administered

• Moving along HR 2905 has sponsor but still needs to be introduced, need more letters

• Many states had their Respiratory Care Practice Acts opened for Polysom issues and Use of EMT/Paramedics in hospitals for covering staff issues.  Most came out favorably.

• Silent Auction donations $73,653
• 18 Recognition Awards awarded
• International Fellowship Program
• 6 fellows to 12 cities (Boise being one again Kudos)

• Working with educational programs to come up with a valuable reporting outcome measure of achievement of NBRC Advanced Level Credential.
• Helmholtz Lecture this year focused on “Disaster Preparedness: Preparing Your Students and Staff for Biochemical Bioterrorism”
• Site visits adapting to “alternative curricula”

• Resolution #61-03-23 Be it resolved, the AARC Bylaws Committee, establish a staggered schedule in which all Chartered Affiliate Bylaws are reviewed every 5 years for compliance with the AARC bylaws.  HOD passed BOD referred to Bylaws Committee
• Resolution #57-03-24 Resolved that the AARC and its House of Delegates continue to allow each Chartered Affiliate to determine their own financial needs and to manage them as the affiliate deems appropriate as long as there is no conflict with the mission of the AARC which is; “…to advance the science, technology, ethics and art of respiratory care through research and education for its members and to teach the general public about pulmonary health and disease prevention.”  HOD defeated BOD not seen
• Resolution #31-03-25 Resolved that AARC Board of Directors minutes be distributed to members of House of Delegates.  HOD passed BOD referred to legal council we will hear back after March BOD as to what can be done.
• Resolution #75-03-26 Resolved that the nominations for HOD officers remain open until the winter session.  HOD withdrawn and referred to election committee
• Resolution #75-03-27 Resolved that Emergency Resolutions be submitted no later than 09:00 am on the second day of the HOD session.  HOD referred to resolutions committee
• Resolution #57-03-28 Resolved that the AARC adopt the following revenue sharing model.  We propose a plan that will encourage state affiliates to actively promote membership by financial reward.  The program is two tiered and bonuses would be annual and calculated at yearend based on yearly average affiliate AARC active and associate membership numbers.  A. Establish a sliding base rate using the AARC active and associate membership numbers.  B. State affiliate bonus based on annual affiliate AARC active and associate membership increase.  HOD passed BOD referred to executive office
• Resolution #21-03-29 Be it resolved that the AARC consider the formation of a specialty section for Polysomnography.  HOD passed BOD referred to executive office

Sincerely,

Renie Johnson