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Updating Respiratory Care Practitioner Standards

This week, Senator Pat Testin and I introduced legislation that aims to update accreditation and education standards for Respiratory Care Practitioners (RCPs) in Wisconsin.

Nearly 3,000 licensed RCPs provide vital respiratory care to thousands of Wisconsin residents on a daily basis. The job is of particular importance in Wisconsin with the growing prevalence of Asthma, COPD and lung cancer.

It’s important that state law doesn’t create barriers for RCPs to provide the care that so many of our residents rely on while also ensuring they continue to provide top-notch respiratory care.

The bill I authored with Sen. Testin will align state statutes with current trends in the field by:

  • Eliminating temporary licenses that were given to RCPs to continue practicing while awaiting results of licensing tests that were manually tabulated. The test scores are now tabulated immediately upon completion.
  • Update the name of the RCP examination in state statue to align with the test currently used to become an RCP.
  • Allow Wisconsin-based institutions that provide respiratory care curriculum to be included under accreditation statutes.

I look forward to seeing this bill move forward this fall!


Breast Cancer Awareness Month

October is Breast Cancer Awareness Month, an annual international health campaign to bring awareness of breast cancer and raise funds for breast cancer research.

In 2019, it is estimated there will be 268,600 new cases of breast cancer disproportionately diagnosed in women. According to the National Breast Cancer Foundation, 1 in 8 women will develop breast cancer in their lifetime.

Although rare, even men can get breast cancer with a lifetime risk of 1 in 1,000.

However, early detection plays a pivotal role in treating breast cancer and improving chances of beating the disease. All women should perform monthly self-exams and schedule regular clinical visits for mammograms.

Also, don’t forget to wear pink to show your support for breast cancer awareness!

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October In-District Office Hours

 

In October, I'll be holding in-district office hours in South Milwaukee to hear your thoughts and concerns on any issue related to state government. More details are included below.

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 Calendar of Events