bcrccomments@iowa.gov

Take Action Immediately

Greetings Respiratory Therapists in Iowa. I am in need of you to act quickly to advocate for Respiratory Therapy licensure in Iowa.

It has been brought to my attention that there is a recommendation from Governor Reynolds to merge/consolidate licensure boards. The risk of a merge is that the respiratory therapy profession could lose our voice if we do not have maintain representation on the merged board. Currently there are 4 respiratory therapists serving on the Respiratory Care and Polysomnography board in Iowa. A merge could and likely would decrease that number. I need your help by emailing bcrccomments@iowa.gov with comments about our role in the care of Iowans with respiratory illnesses and why it is important for us to have a voice on a merged licensure board. Below is an example of what I submitted as the president of the Iowa Society for Respiratory Care Board.

Feel free to use some or all of the message when emailing bcrccomments@iowa.gov

"My name is Whitney Clausen. I am the Iowa Society for Respiratory Care President and I represent the respiratory therapy profession in the state of Iowa. I am voicing concern about the merging of the Respiratory Therapy and Polysomnography licensure board. Respiratory therapists care for individuals that have trouble breathing such as traumas, premature birth, critical illnesses, COPD and asthma to name a few. We have been vital in the care and treatment of individuals with COVID-19 and RSV. We work under the direction of physicians. For the safety of patients, it is important that we are joined with healthcare professionals that serve like patients.

When the merge occurs, we need a voice on the merged board to continue to assess competency for those practicing respiratory therapy and provide safe and effective respiratory care. We currently have 4 seats on our board and we need to maintain these voice in a similar ratio. Given the possible list of medical boards, it seems fitting that we would fall under the board of medicine. Physicians are familiar with respiratory care and we work in similar environments.

If consolidation/merge is what is needed, I strongly urge you to maintain the voice of Respiratory Therapy on a newly merged board, suggesting the board of medicine."