The Exhale Podcast, brought to you by Vitalograph

Toshiaki Kawakami, M.D., Ph.D. Professor, La Jolla Institute for Immunology Center for Autoimmunity and Inflammation We spoke with Professor Toshiaki Kawakami or Toshi as his colleagues and students call him. He is one of the leaders of La Jolla Institute for Immunology was established in 1988 by a coalition of leaders from academia and industry. These leaders envisioned a unique and dynamic partnership between basic science and applied research, one that would lead to breakthroughs in the understanding of the immune system and improve human health through the development of treatments and cures for immune system disorders. Dr. Toshia’s lab studies inflammatory diseases such as allergic asthma, food allergies and Crohn’s disease, which have been rising in prevalence for the last several decades. He is particularly interested in histamine-releasing factor (HRF) and its role in promoting inflammation in the lung and gut. La Jolla Institute for Immunology Center for Autoimmunity and Inflammation Website: https://www.lji.org/research/research-centers/center-for-autoimmunity-and-inflammation/  

Teresa Barnes, Chief Executive Warrior She first became involved with the PF community after losing five family members to IPF. Teresa began her career in journalism and has used those skills as she has navigated the worldwide PF community, seeking out-of-the-box solutions for treating PF. Teresa was a founder of the first IPF patient organization, the Coalition for Pulmonary Fibrosis back in 2001. She has served on multiple boards, including ATS, where she spearheaded multiple advocacy efforts. A member of PF Warriors for five years, Teresa will help us to open doors around the world. PF Warriors Website https://pfwarriors.com/

Paula Blonski, President ARDS Alliance Rick Bressler, ARDS Survivor Today we had an interesting conversation with Paula Blonski, President-ARDS Alliance and Rick Bressler a patient who had Covid double lung pneumonia, Covid induced ARDS, but he ultimately needed a double lung transplant to survive.  Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS) is an acute, diffuse, inflammatory form of lung injury and life-threatening condition in seriously ill patients, characterized by poor oxygenation, pulmonary infiltration, and acute onset.

Annaka Haynes is a nursing student who has had Cystic Fibrosis since she was 6 weeks old. Trikafta developed by Vertex Pharmaceuticals was first approved by the FDA on October 21, 2019. This treatment is a triple combination regimen for cystic fibrosis patients starting at ages 2 years and older who have at least one F508del mutation in the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) gene or a mutation in the CFTR gene that is responsive to Trikafta based on in vitro data.

Rory Chan (MBChB, MRCP(UK), PhD) is a senior respiratory registrar currently working in Ninewells Hospital, Dundee, United Kingdom Dr. Chan recently completed his PhD relating to precision medicine in severe asthma and has published more than 20 first-author peer reviewed papers in this area. He is a Honorary Clinical Lecturer at the University of Dundee, an Early Career Editor at CHEST, and the principal investigator of two phase IV biologic clinical trials in severe asthma.

Kevin Carney, ANP-BC- Director of Temple Lung Health Center Kevin Carney is a certified Adult Nurse Practitioner (ANP-BC) and Director of The Temple Lung Center service line. He oversees Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants who work for the Pulmonary, Lung Transplant, and Respiratory Intensive Care services at Temple University Hospital. Temple is home of the most active Lung Transplant and Bronchoscopic Lung Volume Reduction (BLVR) programs in the United States. He oversees Nurse Practitioners and Physician Assistants who work for the Pulmonary, Lung Transplant, and Respiratory Intensive Care services.  Involvement with professional organizations include the American Board for Transplant Certification (ABTC), where he serve on the Board of Governors, and the International Society of Heart and Lung Transplant (ISHLT) as a member of the Advanced Lung Failure and Transplantation Interdisciplinary Network Steering Committee.

We believe in the power of the patient voice to provide inspiration and hope to others in similar situations. That’s why we were thrilled to sit down with John Linnell, an individual who lives with COPD and who, since his diagnosis, has been advocating for COPD awareness, resources, and research.   John Linnell, COPD Patient John was diagnosed in 2005 and his journey led him to key roles in advocacy, in which he is active. John is a member of the Board of Directors for the US COPD Coalition and is an Advocacy Captain for the COPD Foundation. He serves on the Executive Board of Directors for EFFORTS (an international support group for the COPD community), a member of the Governing Board for the COPD PPRN (Patient Powered Research Network), and the Board of Directors of Right2Breathe, a nonprofit emphasizing early diagnosis and patient education. John also sat as a Consumer Reviewer for CDMRP (Congressional Directed Medical Research Programs) for the Department of Defense and now mentors new Consumer Reviewers.   John was a Co-investigator for a 3-year PCORI-funded study at Johns Hopkins: “Impact of a Peer Support Program Amongst COPD Patients and Their Caregivers”.   CMS/Medicare recently appointed John to a term as a patient representative on a Technical Expert Panel for the 2024 Impact Assessment of CMS Quality and Efficiency Measures.He also was asked to join the Patient Engagement Collaborative for the FDA. He also is a Patient Scholar for DIA (Drug Information Association) and spoke at their annual international conference this past year.   In addition, John is a frequent speaker and/or panel member at numerous national conferences dealing with both respiratory issues as well as advising digital health start-up enterprises as a Patient Advisor.

We had a delightful conversation with Dr. Kirk Hinkley and Matt Pavlichko, RT for at Vapotherm. We discuss their high velocity therapy and how it saved lives during the pandemic and continues to be an alternative method for patients who are mask-intolerant. Kirk Hinkley, MD, FACEP Dr. Kirk Hinkley is Vapotherm’s Director of Education and a board-certified Emergency Medicine Physician having completed his EM residency at Wright State University/Wright Patterson AFB in 2007. He is the Medical Director of Commonwealth Health EMS and City of Scranton Fire Dept, where he maintains clinical oversight of several EMS units, and practices as an Emergency Physician in the Scranton, PA area.  He went to medical school on a United States Air Force Scholarship and served in Operations Iraqi Freedom and Enduring Freedom as a critical care air transport team leader and flight surgeon. Dr. Hinkley is an experienced user of high velocity therapy for the adult and pediatric patient. Matthew S. Pavlichko, MS, RRT-NPS Matt is the Director of Professional Development and Education, Respiratory Therapy at Vapotherm. He has been in the respiratory therapy field for over 25 years, practicing in South Central Pennsylvania and North Carolina as a respiratory therapist, educator, manager, and director, managing all aspects of respiratory care.  We want to bring you the most relevant podcast, to do that we need your feedback. Please take our 5-to 7 minute survey, so that we can provide you an even better Podcast experience. Survey Link-https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/qeVnHmK/PodcastSurvey     

Featured Guest: Dr. James Veltmeyer and Dr. Thomas Ichim Dr. Veltmyer- Recognized as one of San Diego's leading physicians and surgeons, Dr. Veltmeyer brings a unique combination of management and medicine experience to every position he holds. Known for his dedication to quality care and his efforts to restore the doctor-patient relationship, he consistently ranks in the top 1% to 2% for patient satisfaction.   Dr. Ichim has a track record of success in the area of clinical translation of cellular and immune-based therapies having successfully obtained four Investigational New Drug Application clearances with the FDA for products he developed.   We want to bring you the most relevant podcast, to do that we need your feedback. Please take our 5-to 7 minute survey, so that we can provide you an even better Podcast experience. Survey Link-https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/qeVnHmK/PodcastSurvey       

Brendan Cooper-Consultant Clinical Scientist & Hon. Professor of Respiratory & Sleep Physiology Brendan is a clinical scientist and professor in respiratory and sleep physiology, and leads one of the largest lung function departments in Europe. He was elected as Head of ERS Assembly 9, Chairman of Association for Respiratory Technology & Physiology, then its first President and now he is first President of the Academy for Healthcare Science. He enjoys leading professional standards of quality and promoting science with innovation in respiratory physiology. Brendan has published 160+ peer-reviewed papers on my scientific work which underpins his research experience. We want to bring you the most relevant podcast, to do that we need your feedback. Please take our 5-to 7 minute survey, so that we can provide you an even better Podcast experience. Survey Link-https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/qeVnHmK/PodcastSurvey     

Featured Guest: Jason Povio and Matt Goggin Expert Telemedicine Care for Round-the-Clock Coverage Eagle is an advanced inpatient telemedicine solution for night shift care, specialty coverage and staffing gap support. TelePulmonology, remote care for lung conditions, is one of the fastest growing inpatient specialties. The demand for care is driven by several factors: An aging population A concentration of patients with pulmonary needs in rural communities The number of comorbidities associated with chronic pulmonary conditions Reviewing the prevalence of a single chronic condition, like asthma, indicates why access to a pulmonary specialist is important to inpatient, emergency and outpatient follow-up care. We want to bring you the most relevant podcast, to do that we need your feedback. Please take our 5-to 7 minute survey, so that we can provide you an even better Podcast experience. Survey Link-https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/qeVnHmK/PodcastSurvey   

Featured Guest: Bill Pruitt, RRT, CPFT, AE-C Senior Instructor emeritus and former Director of Clinical Education in the department of Cardiorespiratory Sciences, College of Allied Health Science, University of South Alabama in Mobile AL (retired). Credentials include Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT), Certified Pulmonary Function Technologist (CPFT), and Certified Asthma Educator (AE-C). Fellow in the American Association for Respiratory Care (FAARC) 2012. Employed in respiratory care since 1980 and has experience in many aspects of the profession including staff therapist, home care therapist, clinical specialist, department manager, and department director, researcher, and educator. Has had numerous articles published in healthcare magazines/journals for respiratory therapy, nursing, sleep medicine, and physical therapy. Serves on the editorial advisory boards for two national allied health publications (Nursing Journal and RT for Decision Makers in Respiratory Care) and has been invited to speak at many state, regional and national conferences. Service includes member of the AARC House of Delegates; BOD member - Alabama Society for Respiratory Care (ASRC), Association of Asthma Educators (AAE), National Asthma Educator Certification Board. State and national offices held include: Treasurer - AAE, President - ASRC (2003), AAE (2016). We want to bring you the most relevant podcast, to do that we need your feedback. Please take our 5-to 7 minute survey, so that we can provide you an even better Podcast experience. Survey Link-https://lp.constantcontactpages.com/sv/qeVnHmK/PodcastSurvey   

Featured Guest: Karla R. Enderle- Registered Respiratory Specialist at U.S. Department of Veteran Affairs Highly ambitious and self-motivated healthcare professional with 16 years of experience in Respiratory Therapy & Cardiopulmonary Care. Skilled in Adult Critical Care, Emergency/Trauma, Adult Acute Care, Pulmonary Rehabilitation, Telehealth/VVC Care, & Outpatient Cardiopulmonary Diagnostics. Her interests include pulmonary disease management, process improvement, systems redesign, change management, healthcare innovation, quality improvement, patient education, and healthcare leadership. Passionate about improving the care being provided to our nation’s Veterans, employee experience & engagement.

Featured Guest: Israel Iroezindu We had a great opportunity to speak with Israel Iroezindo, Medical Director Occupational Health Corporate and Industrial Medical Services-CIMS in Nigeria, West Africa. Nigeria's economy is the largest in Africa, the 31st-largest in the world by nominal GDP. He provides insight into how they deal with occupational medicine relating to respiratory care in a different part of the world.

Featured Guest: Dr. Christian Sandrock A Physician and Professor at UC Davis Medical Center, Sacramento, C.A. Specialties: Emerging Infectious Diseases, Outbreak Management, Sepsis, Internal Medicine, Critical Care Medicine, Pulmonary Medicine. Christian believes in a patient-driven and centered approach that focuses on holistic care, including family support, alternative therapies, religion, lifestyle practices, cultural practices and other modalities in conjunction with conventional therapies. His clinical interests are in respiratory infections, community-acquired and viral pneumonia, and ICU-acquired infections. Dr. Sandrock’s research interests include emerging infectious diseases at the animal and human interface, particularly respiratory infections such as avian influenza, SARS, and other diseases acquired by humans.

Featured Guest: Linda Nozart , MPH, RRT, AE-C She is the Administrative Director for the Asthma Program at the NYC H + H /Woodhull Hospital and for a little over 11 years has lead asthma steering communities, interdisciplinary workgroups and allied coalition as a Registered Respiratory Therapist and certified Asthma Educator. She served 4 years as the Chairperson to the North Brooklyn Asthma Action Alliance (NBAAA), an award-winning asthma coalition that caters to reduce disparities in health care by serving medically under-served communities and providing access to quality care. Linda also has a podcast- Rt Share Tea- Thee Asthma Lady Podcast- https://anchor.fm/linda-nozart-frierson    

Featured Guest: Gary Y.G. Wong, RRT, MBA, Director of Respiratory Services at Islands Skilled Nursing and Rehabilitation- Hawaii We met Gary Wong an RT from Hawaii at AARC in November and we invited him to our show to discuss his post-acute respiratory care and pulmonary rehab ventilator program at the Islands.  A Healthcare Administration, Respiratory Therapist, dedicated to post acute care and pulmonary rehabilitation of ventilator and tracheostomy patients and Home based Remote Patient Monitoring of COPD patients.

Featured Guest: Robin Farmanfarmaian Robin Farmanfarmaian is a Silicon Valley based professional speaker and entrepreneur working in cutting edge tech poised to impact 100M people or more. Robin has been involved with over 20 early-stage biotech and healthcare startups from curing cancer to medical devices and digital health. She is an advisor to multiple companies, including: Luxsonic Technologies, working on a portable and modular radiology reading room in VR; Alacrity Care, remote patient monitoring and data analytics for oncology; and ConceptVines, a VC fund and product engineering focused on disruptive tech. With over 180 speaking engagements in 15 countries, she educates audiences on many aspects of technology intersecting healthcare, including artificial intelligence and the shift in healthcare delivery to the patient’s home. She has written 4 books, including “The Patient as CEO: How Technology Empowers the Healthcare Consumer" (2015) and “How AI Can Democratize Healthcare: The Rise in Digital Care” (2022, with Healthcare Tech Entrepreneur Michael Ferro).   Where to find her book: https://smile.amazon.com/How-AI-Can-Democratize-Healthcare/dp/B0BF2HQQ4V/ref=sr_1_1?crid=21H5Y0ODQYAXD&keywords=How+AI+Can+Democratize+Healthcare&qid=1669757957&sprefix=how+ai+can+democratize+healthcare%2Caps%2C189&sr=8-1

Featured Guest: Donna Appell and Carman Camacho  This podcast we meet Donna Appell Executive Director and Carman Camacho MA, LSW works as a clinical counselor for the Hermansky-Pudlak Syndrome Network. We learn about this rare disease and how these two women are fighting for a cure.   Link to Their Website: https://www.hpsnetwork.org/

Featured Guest: Courtney Turcotte Bond A High School teacher has penned a new novel called "Breathtaking" that was inspired by one of her former students who died at the age of 18 from cystic fibrosis, a disease that affects the lungs and other organs. Link to her book- https://www.amazon.com/dp/B08CY82643?ref=KC_GS_GB_US 

Featured Guest: Christine Sapienza Today we interviewed Dr. Christine Sapienza, Provost, Senior Vice President of Academic Affairs at Jacksonville University. She specialized in voice, respiratory muscle strength training, swallow function, neurodegenerative diseases. We discuss her book, Respiratory Muscle Strength Training, a clinical guide, intended to provide clinicians with the background information they need to understand respiratory muscle strength training (RMST). Link to her book- https://www.amazon.com/Respiratory-Strength-Training-Christine-Sapienza/dp/1635502578    

Featured Guest: Jennylynn Balmer Today we meet a nurse administrator from the Defense department who is involved with the AAOHN.  Jennylynn Balmer, an experienced Occupational Health nurse who has a history of working in the Military industry in Deployment Health.

Featured Guest: Theresa Griego, MSRC, RRT-RCP To Celebrate Respiratory Care Week- October 23-30 Respiratory Care Week highlights the information we need to keep us breathing well so we can enjoy a great quality of life.   On this edition of Exhale we talked Theresa Griego who has a passionate look at Respiratory Care.  A Respiratory Professor at Tarrant County College in Fort Worth, Tx. Theresa a respiratory therapy instructor discusses heroic work on the front lines of respiratory care. Growing threats to respiratory health like COVID-19 - amid the struggle to care for an aging U.S. population. Be sure to check out her video. RT OUTLOUD Twitter- https://mobile.twitter.com/outloudrt LinkedIn-   https://www.linkedin.com/in/theresagriegomsrc/ Instagram- https://www.instagram.com/rtoutloud/?fbclid=IwAR1flpfWzyKJoZDC9cGif2rXlE-s7rPOwdyRCz2bTEccoUKex6_y383Nli4

Featured Guest: Danielle Renckly Today we talked to Danielle Renckly, Project Coordinator for the Indiana Rural Opioid Consortium (InROC) and the Upper Midwest Telehealth Resource Center (UMTRC). We discuss what was involved at the resources Telehealth and what the future holds. We also talked about Danielle’s podcast and was a guest on her program. Her Podcast Link- https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/a-virtual-view/id1543217390

Featured Guest- John Lynn Founder and Editor of IT Healthcare Today A blogger and entrepreneur with a broad range of IT skills and the ability to bridge the gap between technical and non-technical groups. Strong experience in healthcare IT (specifically electronic medical record), marketing, social media, and SEO. John is the creator of  Healthcare IT Today Podcast. It recognizes that the world of technology and healthcare is ever-changing in new and novel ways. In his podcasts John Lynn (and his co-host Colin Hung) discuss the latest healthcare and Health IT News meshed together in new ways which help generate ideas and new perspectives. And, they have a little fun along the way. Link to his podcast- https://www.healthcareittoday.com/subscribe-to-healthcare-it-today-podcast/  

Featured Guest: Wendy Lawson She is an accomplished, positive, enthusiastic, and experienced leader with clinical knowledge in all things pulmonary. I have a passion for patient excellence, guidance through teaching, and leading teams to exceptional outcomes. She is the founder and developer of Exhale an online lung rehabilitation program which you can complete from home. Follow our progress with EXHALE on social media platforms and at joinexhale.com

Featured Guest: Dr. Dermot Ryan We had an opportunity to speak with Dr Dermot Ryan, Honorary Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and was the Chairman of the Primary Care Interest Group of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. We discuss Primary Care physicians in the United Kingdom and how they deal with Asthma. Dr  Ryan is Honorary Clinical Research Fellow at the University of Edinburgh and was the Chairman of the Primary Care Interest Group of the European Academy of Allergy and Clinical Immunology. Recently retired from clinical practice, Dermot was a GP with a long-standing interest in respiratory disease and allergy as encountered in primary care. He has been chairman of the Primary Care Respiratory Society and established the chair of Primary Care Respiratory Medicine at the University of Aberdeen. He was instrumental in setting up Primary Care Respiratory Medicine, and was one of the clinical leads for respiratory disease for the East Midland Strategic Health Authority. He has undertaken research in e-health, asthma and rhinitis.  

Featured Guest: Dr. Jane Frances Namatovu Both Janson and Mark, interviewed Dr. Jane Frances Namatovu a regarded primary care physician and lecturer at the Department of Family Medicine, School of Medicine, College of Health Sciences Makerere University Kampala. We discuss the topic Chronic Cough from her home country Uganda Africa.

Featured Guest: Luke Marshall, PhD  Luke Marshall, founder, and CEO of VitalFlo, a remote monitoring for lung health.  This predictive and preventative respiratory health company helps patients and doctors measure and track chronic respiratory health conditions over time with flexible, easy to use solutions both for in-person and virtual care.

Featured Guest: Carol Stonham. Following 26 years working in general practice Carol now works at Gloucestershire CCG on the Respiratory Clinical Programme Group and runs a locality-based asthma FeNO service. Carol has also been appointed as a co-clinical lead of the NHSE South West Respiratory Network. Carol is current Executive Chair of PCRS – the first non-doctor and first female to take the chair. She is also a director of the UK Lung Cancer Coalition, and a board member of the UK Inhaler Group and National Asthma and COPD Audit as well as sitting on the NHS Long Term Plan Respiratory Delivery Board.  She also co-chairs the Lung Health Task Force early and accurate diagnosis group and is a member of the NHS Long Term Plan Breathlessness Diagnosis group. Carol received Queen’s Nurse award in 2007 and in 2016 was awarded an MBE in the Queen’s New Year Honours list for Services to Nursing and Healthcare.

Featured Guest: Lewis Weidman Former Director of Vitalograph's Clinic Services This year marks the 21st anniversary for Vitalograph’s Clinical Trial Services. Mark and Janson interviewed Lewis Weidman, former Director of Vitalograph Ltd, where he had worked since 1991. He has responsibility for Vitalograph's global business within the pharmaceutical industry and in particular within the field of respiratory clinical trials.

Today, Mark and Janson speak with Joel Africk, President and CEO of Respiratory Health Association. We discuss about RHA about their new Digital COPD Caregiver’s Toolkit.

Featured Guest: Garen Wolff MD Asthma and Allergy Relief Expert Since May is Asthma and Allergy Awareness month, Mark and Janson interviewed Dr. Garen Wolff of Wolff Allergy & Asthma in Detroit MI. She is qualified to treat both adults and the pediatric population for diseases that involve allergies, asthma and the immune system.

Featured Guest: David Weill, author of “Exhale” Hope, Healing and a Life in Transplant   Mark and Janson interviewed David Weill, author of “Exhale” Hope, Healing and a Life in Transplant published by Simon and Schuster and is the former Director of the Center for Advanced Lung Disease and the Lung Transplant Program at Stanford university. He is currently the principal of Weill Consulting Group, which focuses on improving the delivery of transplant care.

Featured Guest: Lori Wilken, Clinical Pharmacist at University of Illinois at Chicago She is an advocate clinical pharmacist with over twenty years of experience in patient care. Possesses a strong background in outpatient pulmonary medicine and has extensive clinical experience with tobacco dependence, asthma, and COPD.

Featured Guest: Ann Mond Johnson CEO at American Telemedicine Association.   She is a digital innovator to make the healthcare experience better for consumers. They also talk about the upcoming LIVE event at ATA conference on May 1st -3rd in Boston. 

Featured Guest: Carl Mottram, Author and Associate Professor of Medicine In conversation with Carl Mottram, author of the new 12th edition Ruppel’s Manual of Pulmonary Function and testing. He is an expert on pulmonary function testing.

Featured Guest: Marc Rubin, Pharmacist and Consultant Mark and Janson discuss with Marc L. Rubin, Respiratory Care Pharmacist, a consultant for the Texas Asthma Control Collaborative, and has experience in asthma and immunology about the problem of inhaler techniques. We discuss the issues, cost and impact of inhaler use and training.

  Featured Guest: Stephanie Lynch a PhD, Product Manager at OHD Stephanie has a passion for total occupational health and safety with OHD. Her focuses includes Research, Industrial Hygiene, Occupational Health, and Environmental Awareness. Stephane explains how COVID 19 has impacted the workplace and how employers and employees can safeguard from future pandemics.

Featured Guest: MeiLan K. Han, MD, MS, Professor and Chief at the University of Michigan Health. Mark and Janson had a chance to interview MeiLan Han a leading pulmonologist who has authored a new book called” Breathing Lessons.” It takes readers on a fascinating tour of this most vital organ, the lungs. Han explains the wonder of breathing and reveals how the lungs serve as the body's first line of defense. https://www.drmeilanhan.com/breathing-lessons-book

Featured Guest: Heather Murgatroyd, a Respiratory Clinical Specialists with Methapharm. She is in charged in increasing awareness of bronchoprovocation testing in diagnosing asthma. Her role is a balance of customer education and support, clinical support for the sales team and sales to hospitals, Pulmonary Clinics and Allergy and Asthma Clinics. www.provocholine.com

Featured Guest:Aurika Savickaite, RN, MSN and Founder of www.helmetbasedventilation.com Aurika was involved in the successful testing of the helmet ventilation in the ICU at the University of Chicago during a three-year trial study. Aurika is an advocate and founder of helmet-based positive pressure ventilation training website.

Featured Guest:Frank Fiorenza RRT, BHSc, FCSRT, Product Development and National Sales Manager, McArthur Medical Sales Inc. Today, our interview is with McArthur Medical Sales Inc.'s Product Development and National Sales Manager, Frank Fiorenza, RRT, BHSc, FCSRT. Frank is an experienced Registered Respiratory Therapist with a passion for innovation. His patient care experience and industry knowledge prompted him to close the gap on deficiencies identified in the management of mechanically ventilated patients.

Featured Guest:Dr. Albert Rizzo, Chief Medical Officer, American Lung Association We interviewed Dr. Albert Rizzo and discussed what the American Lung Association strategy is to defeating lung cancer. He tells us about the Great American Smoke Out and facts and figures on smoking today. Why has smoking not been eliminated and how E-Cigarettes and Vaping are affecting people’s health and contributing to lung disease.

Featured Guest:Kenny Mendez, CEO of Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America We interviewed Kenny Mendez CEO of Asthma and Allergy Foundation of America (AAFA). AAFA is dedicated to saving  lives and reducing the burden of disease for people with  asthma and allergies through support, advocacy, and research.

Featured Guest:Sean Pridgeon DNP, RN, CNL, EBP(CH) Dr. Sean Pridgeon is a nurse with MU Healthcare. He has helped develop and implement evidence-based practice and nursing research programs at MU Healthcare.  

Featured Guest: Michelle Castillo, BSRT, RRT  COVID Relief Travel RRT We interviewed Michelle, a COVID relief TravelRRT, who was presently working in Miami, FL. With 10years experienced in Respiratory Care, she has beenable to experience life and work in various hospitalsettings including NICU, PICU, ER, TRAUMA, MICU,CVICU, and is highly experienced in COVID-19 lungmanagement.

Featured Guest: Carla Encarnacion, RPFT We interviewed Carla Encarnacion, RRT, Director of Respiratory Therapy at Research Medical Center in Kansas City Missouri. She shared how she motivates, councils and keeps her team together during this pandemic.

Featured Guest: Kimberly Wins Koldoff, RPFT   We interviewed Kimberly Wins Koldoff, a respiratorytherapist at a Medical Center outside of Atlanta, Georgia. Weconnected with her when she posted on LinkedIn anemotional cry after a long shift. Here is her message: “My shifts this weekendconfirmed my fears…Covid is indeed back. Today was one ofthe most exhausting days I’ve ever worked.I’m grieving. I’m angry. I’m scared. I’m tired. What can we do?Please consider getting vaccinated if you haven’t already.”

Featured Guest: Holly Wilson, RPFT Holly is a Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist. She has 30 years of experience working in pulmonary function laboratories, including Washington University School of Medicine and St Louis University Hospital in St Louis, MO, as well as The Royal Prince Alfred Hospital in Sydney, NSW Australia and the Charlemont Clinic in Dublin, Ireland.

Featured Guest: Helen Venn  Helen is the Strategic Projects Manager at Vitalograph Ltd in the UK, most recently working on Vitalograph’s clinical trials product solutions including development of the new website. Helen has a background in training design, which translates to a special interest in user experience in her current role. She has worked at Vitalograph for just over 5 years. www.vitalograph.com  

Featured Guest: Khaled Girgis, MD, PhD Dr. Girgis, is a board-certified allergist and immunologist with HCA College Park Family Care Center’s in Lenexa, Kansas.   https://collegeparkfamilycare.com/physicians/profile/Khaled-R-Girgis-MD

Featured Guest: Amanda Clark Amanda Clark, President of Carolina Diagnostic Solutions of Columbia, SC. Amanda is a corporate partner and a Full-Service Dealer for Vitalograph since 2014. https://spirotutor.com/ 

Featured Guest: Michael Hess, BS, RRT, RPFT  Michael is a respiratory therapist and previously the Chronic Lung Disease Coordinator at Western Michigan University Homer Stryker M.D. School of Medicine. He has focused on treating chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) for the last several years, and is the project coordinator for WMed's NHLBI COPD Learn More, Breath Better subcontract in Kalamazoo.  Michael is now Senior Director of Public Outreach and Education for the COPD Foundation.

Featured Guest: Susan Blonshine Susan is President and CEO of TechEd Consultants. Susan is one of the country's leading authorities on respiratory therapy, and, specifically, pulmonary function testing.  Today we are going to discuss the NIOSH Spirometry Training Course that TechED Consultants provide.   https://www.techedconsultants.com/meet-the-team