The ICRC held its Annual Business Meeting December 11, 2014 in Las Vegas, Nevada in conjunction with the largest respiratory care meeting in the world; The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) 60th International Congress and Exhibition. Over 100 Governors, organizational representatives, guests, International Fellows, and delegations representing 26 countries met in the day-long session to consider actions items, present annual reports, entertain special reports and to recognize international respiratory care clinical & educational award winners.

Four Fellows on stage receiving their plaques at the Awards Ceremony.

Early in the Agenda was the recognition of Dean Hess, PhD, RRT FAARC, Editor, Respiratory Care Journal, as the recipient of the Hector Leon Garza, M.D., International Achievement Award. The Toshihiko Koga, M.D. International Medal was accepted by Joan Taylor-Sinopoli, PhD, RRT on behalf of her late husband, Louis Sinopoli, PhD, RRT, FAARC, long-time respiratory care educator and creator of the International Education RecognitionSystem (IERS). As part of the program four International Fellowship winners presented reports to the Council on the status of respiratory care in their home countries. The Fellows and their respective countries were: Rania El-Farrash, MD, Cario, Egypt, Chulee Jones, PhD, Khon Kaen, Thailand, Nicolas Roux, PT, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Yang Liu, MD Shanghai, China.

Special reports were presented on “Supporting Ebola Patients—Providing Respiratory Care in Liberia” and “Strategic Patient Safety Mandates—International Implications”. The Presidents and Executive Directors of the Latin American Respiratory Therapy Certification Board representing 12 countries, the American Association for Respiratory Care representing over 51,000 members, and the National Board for Respiratory Care all presented updates on their organizations. Annual reports and developments in respiratory care education, credentialing and clinical practice were presented by Governors to the ICRC representing the following countries: Norway, Mexico, Japan, Colombia, USA, Canada, Saudi Arabia, Italy, China, South Korea, Philippines, UAE, Taiwan, India, Chile, Argentina and Costa Rica. The meeting was adjourned to be reconvened in conjunction with the AARC International Congress scheduled for November 7–10, 2015 in Tampa, Florida, USA.