American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) Executive Director Thomas Kallstrom, MBA, RRT, FAARC, accepted the invitation of Professor and Chairman Dr. Chen Wang, MD, PhD, FCCP, to participate in the Chinese Thoracic Society (CTS) Respiratory and Critical Care Annual Forum. The CTS Forum was held in Changsha, China, Feb. 26-27, where Kallstrom delivered his presentation on “Ventilator Associated Pneumonia” to the prestigious assembly.

ICU staff physicians, RTs, and directors on rounds with Thomas Kallstrom in Beijing.

This was a unique visit to China, as both Dr. Wang and Kallstrom hope to strengthen the connection between the AARC and CTS, and to promote the development of respiratory therapy in China and around the world.

In this regard, Kallstrom made rounds and presented lectures in a number of hospitals in Beijing, China, prior to his participation in the CTS Annual Meeting. He visited Xi Yuan Hospital and China-Japan Friendship Hospital, where he toured ICU wards and presented lectures to ICU physicians and directors on “Respiratory Therapy in the USA: Past, Present, & Future.” In his presentations he also highlighted the AARC’s international affiliations with countries around the world.

Kallstrom made similar presentations at Peking University International Hospital and Peking University People’s Hospital, where he also made rounds in the ICU wards and visited the hospital’s History Museum.

Peking University Hospital doctors and directors welcome the AARC executive director on his recent visit to China.

The unique nature of this visit was underscored by Dr. Wang, who noted that the mutual goal is to strengthen the connection and establish long-term relations between the CTS and AARC, thereby promoting the development of respiratory therapy in China. Plans are being made for a delegation, comprised of doctors, nurses, and RTs from China-Japan Friendship Hospital, to participate in an RT learning exchange visit to the US for a period of 2-3 weeks in the fall.

The importance of this exchange is reinforced by Jingen Xai, MS, RT, director of the department of respiratory and critical care medicine at China-Japan Friendship Hospital, who says, “A learning partnership between CTS and AARC will play a very important role in the development of respiratory therapy in China, and also the improvement of patient care by promoting the globalization of respiratory therapy.”