2025 AARC Annual Report

September 30, 2026 | 6 min read

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In 2025, the AARC continued to build on its core mission to Engage, Elevate, Advocate, and Educate on behalf of respiratory therapists and their communities of interest.

These four strategic pillars served as our guideposts as we hosted the AARC Congress and Summer Forum, delivered online continuing education, published papers in our peer-reviewed science journal, Respiratory Care, Respiratory Care Reports, and made sure RTs were heard in Washington, DC, and other spheres of influence throughout the country and around the world.

A quick look at the numbers tells the story:

Membership, which stood at nearly 40,000 by year’s end, saw a significant 8.6% increase in student members in 2025 over 2024.
Attendance at both the AARC Congress and Summer Forum broke all-time records.
Thousands of clinicians turned to us for up-to-the-minute information and CRCEs through our online continuing education programs.
AARC logged more than 788,000 visits, up by 4.6% over 2025. `(Note: this data is pulled August 14 and measures Jan 1 – Aug 14 traffic YoY)
Our social media channels gained 142,736 new followers, and our engagement rate climbed 21.3% across all channels. Our net audience growth came in at 96.1%.
The Board of Directors allocated $5 million in 2023 for initiatives outlined in our Strategic Plan. These funds continued to be carefully disbursed in 2025 to ensure they make the biggest impact possible while retaining funds for future needs.

None of this would have been possible without the unwavering support of our membership. AARC members at the local, state, and national levels continue to drive the organization’s success and remain the backbone of our Association. We thank them for everything they do to advance the respiratory care profession.

Engage

Every AARC member can engage with the Association daily through our professional networking site, AARConnect. Here, therapists find robust communities dedicated to volunteerism, clinical educators, new graduate residency programs, students, mentors, specialty sections, committees, and more. We also introduced a new mobile app to make connecting on the go even easier.

Our Emerging Leaders Program, launched in 2024, added 13 new clinicians from across the country who spent the year learning the leadership skills they will need to take our profession into the rest of the 21^st century. These individuals were joined by another 20 emerging leaders in early 2026.

Respiratory Care Week continues to serve as the premier event of the year to raise awareness of the profession, and as they do every year, therapists all over the country, and indeed, the world, stepped up to host special events designed to honor RTs and get the word out about the great work they do for patients and organizations every day on the job.

More engagement activities:

Elevate

The AARC continued to advocate for the Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapist (APRT) by earmarking $250,000 for an AARC Advanced RT Fund to support educational programs that start an APRT degree program and states that seek APRT licensure. In 2025, support went to APRT programs at the University of North Carolina Charlotte and the University of Kansas Medical Center, along with state societies in Texas and Ohio for their legislative efforts.

Support for education at the bachelor’s and master’s degree levels was also on full display through two new scholarships/grants. RT programs can now request up to $2,500 to support marketing efforts designed to grow bachelor’s and master’s degree programs, and faculty development grants of up to $5,000 are available for faculty members seeking advanced degrees.

The Association also continued to strengthen its relationships with fellow health care organizations, including CHEST and the American Thoracic Society, as well as the American School Counselor Association.

The AARC’s partnership with HOSA gives RTs access to more than 300,000 members and affiliates in 49 states, and we specifically highlighted RT career opportunities to 14,000 students and advisers at the HOSA International Leadership Conference. In 2025, five students received $1,000 scholarships to attend RT school.

Our Apex Recognition Program, a badge of honor for health care organizations with respiratory care departments that meet strict standards, continues to gain traction in the U.S. and around the world. Sixty-two organizations in seven categories now hold the Apex designation.

Other ways we elevated the profession:

Educate

The Association’s premier in-person educational events of the year, the AARC Congress and the AARC Summer Forum, brought therapists together to learn the latest in respiratory care, and our science journals continued to publish evidence-based papers pertaining to the profession. Our live monthly webinars, Leadership Grand Rounds, JournalCasts, and other online programming delivered significant hours of continuing education, helping members expand skills, connect with colleagues, and earn CRCE credits.

2025 also saw the launch of a new online journal for the profession. Respiratory Care Reports is an open-source publication featuring case reports and commentaries in addition to peer-reviewed science. The AARC Respiratory Care Educational Annual has also been incorporated into this new publication.

The Association also continued work on new Clinical Practice Guidelines last year, with three scheduled for publication this year. Patient Ventilator Assessment II, Spontaneous Breathing Trials II, and Non-Invasive Ventilation will be out soon. Other guidelines in the works cover everything from adult aerosol therapy and airway clearance to end-tidal CO2 monitoring and transitioning with oxygen from the hospital to the home.

See more educational offerings from the AARC here:

Advocacy

The AARC zeroed in on key legislative priorities in 2025, including the SOAR Act, which would increase access to liquid oxygen for patients who require it and also increase their access to respiratory therapists who can help them improve their quality of life. Nearly 70 representatives and eight senators have signed on to support the legislation as of August 2026.

The Association also worked closely with the Council of State Governments to set up a Respiratory Care Interstate Compact that will make it easier for RTs licensed in one state to practice in another. The Association provided draft model legislation for the states, and is happy to report that as of August of 2026, 14 states and the District of Columbia have passed the legislation.

Efforts to strengthen the AARC and Veterans Health Administration partnership, promote RRT entry to practice, and partner with federal agencies to monitor and address RT workforce shortages were top of mind as well, along with funding for virtual pulmonary rehabilitation, banning menthol in tobacco products, and adequate funding for the National Institutes of Health.

Our annual Respiratory Care Fly-In drew more than 100 AARC members to Washington, DC, to advocate for RTs and patients everywhere. Together, they had more than 280 meetings with members of the U.S. House and Senate and their representatives.

Learn much more about how the AARC advocates for the profession here:

2025 Financial Report

In March of 2026, the AARC engaged the public accounting firm of Kellogg and Kellogg, P.C. to conduct the 2025 audit. In May of 2026, they issued an unqualified opinion stating that the AARC’s consolidated financial statements are presented fairly, in all material respects, and in conformity with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles (GAAP). In 2025, AARC reported total revenue of $13,299,294, total expenses of $11,851,521 (including unrealized investment income of $3,400,000), and a net margin of $1,447,773.

RC Central Editorial Team

The RC Central Editorial Team curates up-to-date respiratory care content for clinicians, RT leaders, educators, and students from around the globe. Share your ideas and stories with us.

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