WITHOUT YOU, WE'RE NOTHING...

The OSRC and AARC are trying to make an impact on the political process and therefor the financing of healthcare, which pays your wages. RCPs are few in number, compared to other health care professions. So we must be the few that are loud for respiratory care issues to be heard in Washington DC.

Remember when RTs in Oregon lost their jobs in Skilled Nursing Facilities a couple years ago? We lost RT jobs because of a HCFA ruling (political) change in Washington DC. Don't think it can't happen to you where you work, in your hospital, in homecare, in sales. If it affects the profession, it affects you.

Respiratory care is about taking care of people. Politics is about knowing people. Nobody in politics knows RT. The OSRC needs you to be the 'squeaky wheel' and tell your congressman/woman that you are a voter and a political force. This will only work if enough of the 1100+ RCPs in Oregon are 'squeaky wheels'. This is a first step towards advocating for the profession of respiratory care. Thanks for helping us take this step!

Target: Substitute Respiratory Therapists in the home in place of nurses or physical therapists to treat patients with respiratory diseases, at no additional cost to Medicare. COPD pts should have the right to medical professionals with specialized training and skills in breathing disorders. Recognize respiratory therapists to provide skilled visits to pts with respiratory disease as part of the home health services benefit. Benefits:

• Pts can access care from those with formal education, clinical training, and competency testing in respiratory therapy.
• Home Health Agencies can meet pt needs and control costs through greater flexibility in resource utilization.
• Physicians can tailor treatment regimens based on pt needs.
• Medicare can offer choices to home health agencies, physicians, and pts without additional expenses.

Target Date: April 13th. Respiratory therapists from across the country, including Oregon, will converge on Washington DC to speak with their senators, representatives or their staff. Senators Smith and Wyden, Representatives Wu, Blumenauer, DeFazio, Hooley and Walden must hear from their constituents (that's you) to think respiratory therapist are worth listening to for this issue and future issues.

It's Easy! Next time you're surfing on Internet just access www.aarc.org. On the left side of the screen, click on "Advocacy" then click on "AARC Capitol Connection". Under "Action Alert" it talks about "Pts need access to RTs in the Home" click on "click here". Read the supporting information, then type in your zip code and click "GO". Automatically, your representatives pop-up. Select all of them. Write a brief message as instructed. Complete the information section and "Send Message". This only takes a couple of minutes to complete!

Questions? Contact your PACT reps, Joe Dwan or Janet Holloway