Michigan Society for Respiratory Care

06/05/2026

📣📣Governor Whitmer Makes Appointments to Boards and Commissions 📣📣

LANSING, Mich. - Today, Governor Gretchen Whitmer announced appointments to the Michigan Board of Respiratory Care.


Michigan Board of Respiratory Care
Richard Niemer, of Harrison Township, is a clinical product specialist at Medtronic. Niemer holds a Bachelor of Business Administration from William Tyndale College. Richard Niemer will be appointed as a member of the general public for a term commencing June 4, 2026, and expiring December 31, 2030. Niemer succeeds John Byrd, whose term has expired.

Duane Croel, of Boon, is a clinical coordinator of respiratory care at Munson Medical Center. Croel holds a Bachelor of Science in respiratory therapy from Ferris State University and Master of Business Administration from Western Governors University. Duane Croel is appointed as a respiratory therapist for a term commencing June 4, 2026, and expiring December 31, 2029. Croel succeeds Jonathan Vono, whose term has expired.

The Michigan Board of Respiratory Care oversees the licensure requirements and standards for respiratory therapists. The Board has a duty to promote and protect the public's health, safety, and welfare. The Board implements this responsibility by ascertaining minimal entry level competency of health practitioners and by taking disciplinary action against licensees who have adversely affected the public's health, safety, and welfare.

06/02/2026

Your PACT reps were on the hill today in Washington DC advocating for patients.

06/02/2026

Your PACT reps were on the hill today in Washington DC advocating for the SOAR Act! Tell your Representatives and Senators to support the SOAR Act today! https://mstr.app/26a352a6-ceb9-48a1-88d1-d8cc5c8e8a3a

06/02/2026

From our President:

We are happy to announce House Bill 5150 was passed overwhelmingly 103-3 by the Michigan House of Representatives on Thursday, 5/22. House Representative Jamie Thompson, also a nurse, is the Sponsor of our bill and we are very grateful for not just sponsoring this Bill but also for her passionate support of our profession and her tireless efforts promoting this Bill. I also want to thank our lobbyists Bret Marr & Nick Baugh and our Legislative Committee for their ongoing efforts.
This Bill strengthens our profession in the Michigan Public Health Code as it:

1. Updates our professional label from Respiratory Therapy to Respiratory Care.

2. Eliminates the alphabet soup of our professional nomenclature from RT, RCP, LRT, LRCP, etc, to "respiratory therapist" (RT) and "respiratory care practitioner" (RCP).

3. Clarifies RCPs can accept orders from NPs and PAs.

4. Mandates Student-Practitioner limited licensing for student practitioners (note: these are students who are in good standing in their college programs AND employed in Respiratory Care departments; licensing will not be required for students for clinical rotations. Their scope of practice will be limited to non-ICU care).

5. Mandates RRT credential as the minimum competency for Licensure (current CRTs will be grandfathered in).

6. Expands our current scope of practice in the Public Health Code with written, verbal, or telecommunicated physician or extender orders and includes: implementing/titration of respiratory care treatment plans and protocols, management of mechanical ventilatory support and other means of life support, cardiopulmonary resuscitation, inserting and maintaining artificial airways and arterial and venous lines, hemodynamic monitoring, performing therapeutic bronchoscopy and diagnostic bronchoscopy, hyperbaric oxygen therapy, electrophysiological monitoring, ECMO, etc.

To read the Bill as passed by the House of Representatives in it's entirety:https://www.legislature.mi.gov/documents/2025-2026/billengrossed/House/pdf/2025-HEBH-5150.pdf
What's next:

The bill now heads to the Senate, where our lobbyists have already started conversations with key Senate members. We will provide updates as they arise.

05/27/2026

CEUs available, the pediatric ICU can pose many potential extubation risks.

Join us on May 28 at 1 pm CST for the Respiratory Care JournalCast featuring a discussion on identifying patients at risk for unplanned extubation in the pediatric ICU. Free for AARC members and approved for 1.00 CRCE hour! Learn more: https://www.aarc.org/webcasts/may-2026-journalcast/

05/25/2026

05/22/2026

Thank you Jamie Thompson - State Representative for the kind words about Respiratory Therapists and sponsoring HB5150!