From the Desk of Lori Tinkler
2019 Final Thoughts from NBRC’s CEO
As the saying goes, the days are sometimes long but the years are short! 2019 was no exception to this old adage. This year has flown by! We kicked off the year with a pilot of our new Credential Maintenance Program (CMP) and I am happy to report it has gone very well and we are ready for its full implementation in January 2020. We launched our first ever Specialty Credential Ad campaign in the spring and are very thankful for the amazing stories we were able to tell about dedicated, passionate respiratory therapists who are making a difference. Our Board came together in April and December to conduct the business activities of the NBRC including exam development and policy setting. We have an incredibly talented and dedicated 31-member Board and supplemental consultants who give their time and talent to making the respiratory care credentialing system the best that it can be. Our Executive Committee along with one of our exam committees and two of our standing committees also came together in August to provide input on the long range goals of the organization. At the same time, we also hosted our annual State Licensure Liaison Group Meeting (now known as the Licensure, Insight, Networking and Collaboration (LINC) Meeting) where we bring together representatives from all the state licensure boards in the US.
Throughout 2019, we spent a great deal of time on the road presenting at state society meetings and we look forward to participating in many more in 2020 and beyond. It is part of our mission to ensure that we are engaging with all of our communities of interest and to that end, we also attended all of our sponsoring organization (ASA, ATS, CHEST, AARC) annual conferences as well as the National Association of Medical Direction in Respiratory Care annual meeting and the AARC Summer Forum.
In September we convened a group of stakeholders to discuss the viability of creating a new multi-disciplinary credentialing program for a Pulmonary Disease Educator. This is a very exciting opportunity for the NBRC to develop a multi-disciplinary program and we look forward to sharing next steps with you as they unfold. With the changes in the Continuing Competency Program (now the Credential Maintenance Program), we also changed how the $25 annual renewal fee is applied. The annual fee is now associated with maintaining your credential and/or supporting the NBRC if your credential is not subject to the CMP. Along with this, we rolled out a social purpose campaign called Choose One: Every Breath Counts. We believe the power of the profession will shine through with this campaign allowing us to make meaningful contributions in support of research and patient advocacy.
I am so thankful for the amazing team we have at the NBRC who provide excellent customer service to our candidates, credentialed practitioners and educators, and also hold down the fort so I can be out on the road meeting respiratory therapists, physicians, and others to build the relationships we need to continue to support the profession of respiratory care. Respiratory therapists have the most comprehensive skill set of any allied health professional, and I encourage each and every one of you to engage, promote, support and be proud of YOU and YOUR profession!
Excellence Defines Us!
From all of us at the NBRC, we wish you a wonderful holiday season and a very Happy New Year!
