The Role of Blood Gas Testing and AARC’s New Resource for RTs

Paul Miniter, serves as the AARC Vice President of Business Development and Sponsorships. 

With nearly two decades of clinical experience, Cindy Buckley, BSRT, RRT, brings deep expertise in critical care and neonatal/pediatric respiratory therapy. She spent 17 years as a respiratory therapist at a Level I trauma center, including 12 years as a neonatal and pediatric specialist. During this time, she managed the hospital’s blood gas program for eight years, overseeing system validations, end‑user training, policies and procedures, competency assessments, and the successful completion of four CAP inspections. Cindy joined Siemens Healthineers in 2020 as a Clinical Specialist and currently serves as Director of Customer Experience, leading a team of Customer Success Managers. 

Wendy Gardner, BBA, RRT, is a seasoned healthcare executive and clinical leader with extensive experience in critical care, respiratory therapy, and point-of-care diagnostics. With a career spanning both frontline clinical practice and senior leadership roles, she brings a unique perspective on integrating blood gas analysis into patient care and clinical decision-making. In her leadership roles at Siemens Healthineers, Wendy has led initiatives to implement and optimize point-of-care and diagnostic solutions across diverse healthcare settings. She has worked closely with clinical teams to enhance workflows, improve turnaround times, and ensure accurate, timely blood gas results that directly impact patient outcomes—particularly in high-acuity environments such as the ICU, emergency department, and transport medicine.