Respiratory therapists are vital to the nation’s health care system, and the AARC works tirelessly every day to Engage, Elevate, Educate, and Advocate for RTs as they work to ensure the highest quality of care for their patients.
From our educational offerings to our advocacy in the halls of government, to our promotion of the profession to the world at large, we kept the needs and wants of respiratory therapists front and center in 2023. Our goals continue to be completed as part of our 2022–2025 Strategic Plan to meet our member’s needs at any .
Our numbers tell the story:
- Membership stood at more than 41,000 by year’s end, with retention rising to 78% overall and to 90% for active members. Currently, in 2024, our membership has surpassed 42,000 members.
- Attendance at our annual Congress and Summer Forum were at record levels.
- Thousands of educational courses were taken online.
- Following the AARC rebrand and newly redesigned website, aarc.org web visits rose by 25%.
- Across all our channels, our social media audience increased by 187% and our engagement growth went up by 157%.
- Board of Directors allocated $5 million for initiatives outlined in the strategic plan – these funds have been judiciously allocated as needed and ample funds remain for continued and future work.
The strong support of our membership at the national, state, and local level remains key to our success. Our members are our reason for being, and we thank them for their continued support.
AARC members at all levels had several unique opportunities in 2023 to engage with peers, expand their knowledge, and grow the profession via our online community AARConnect, social media, and National Respiratory Care Week.
Last year we further enhanced our outreach by modernizing the AARC brand and website. Through these updates we shared stories of why AARC and its members are moving respiratory care forward and are so critical to positive patient outcomes and cost reductions.
A few other member engagement activities included:
The AARC advanced, recognized, and collaborated with other organizations and industry to showcase the work and importance of the roles of RTs in patient care, leadership, workforce and cost efficiencies, and new technologies. A few noteworthy programs in 2023 included:
- AARC Fellows (FAARC)
- Emerging Leaders
- Zenith Award
- Apex
- MoreRTs
- Safe and Effective Staffing Guide
- APRT Summit
In addition, we instituted a multi-channel marketing campaign to promote RT’s value to hospital leadership, patients, and industry that included webinars, local outreach, and media interviews that garnered greater exposure of RTs and their expertise and knowledge.
Keeping our members abreast and educated about the latest developments and research in respiratory care is a key goal of the AARC. In 2023 we accomplished this through:
- AARC University which offered in-depth single courses to professional certificates.
- Webcasts on hot topics of the day.
- Digital publication of peer-reviewed papers from leading investigators in Respiratory Care which is listed in the prestigious Index Medicus.
- Initial work on six Clinical Practice Guidelines (CPGs) designed to help health care organizations deliver evidence-based, streamlined care to their patients. Topics ranging from “patient ventilator assessment” to “transitioning with oxygen from the hospital to the home,” are in development.
- Publication of the Respiratory Education Annual that showcases scholarly work within the respiratory care educational community and promotes best practices and research.
- AARC Explores a unique on-demand resource that delivers professional continuing education to respiratory therapy departments for one low price.
Health care is significantly influenced by government regulations and legislation both nationally and in states. The AARC keeps tabs on legislation and regulations likely to impact RTs and their patients and actively lobbies for specific pieces of legislation important to the profession. Highlights of our legislative advocacy efforts in 2023 included:
- SOAR Act to reform Medicare payment and access to RT services.
- Allied Healthcare Workforce Diversity Act.
- Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
- Respiratory Care Compact Licensure.
AARC membership support is critical to our advocacy efforts, and members regularly step up during our annual Capitol Hill Fly-In event. In addition, our state societies do their part too, monitoring state legislation that could affect the profession and its patients and conducting lobbying events at their state capitals.
2023 Financial Report
In February 2024, the AARC engaged the public accounting firm of Lane, Gorman, & Trubitt, LLC as the new audit firm to conduct the 2023 audit. In June of 2024, they issued an unqualified opinion stating that the AARC’s consolidated financial statements are presented fairly, in all material respects, and in conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). In 2023, AARC had total revenue of $12,109,566, total expense of $11,474,739, including unrealized investment income of $3,367,231, and net margin for the year of $634,827.
