Member of the month

Javier Amador-Castaneda

CEO of the Interprofessional Critical Care Network (ICCN), is a distinguished Respiratory Care Practitioner with a specialization in mechanical ventilation. A graduate with honors from Gwynedd Mercy University, he has dedicated his career to adult critical care.

Javier’s 15-year tenure with the United States Army instilled values of resilience and service that he carries into his work. As the visionary behind ICCN, he has connected healthcare professionals globally, fostering collaboration and education.

His contributions to the Society of Critical Care Medicine and his authorship of a book chapter for SCCM reflect his commitment to the field. Javier’s legacy is one of innovation, leadership, and excellence in mechanical ventilation and critical care.

Mia Shokry BS, MPH, Medical Student

Mia has completed her Bachelor of Science in Neuroscience at the University of Southern California, followed by a master in public health from Keck School of Medicine and now a medical student at Michigan State University.

Mia is involved in many research projects and has published many articles in the Journal of Mechanical Ventilation.

Dragos Florin Cucu MD

1969 – 2023

Great friend, colleague

Great Critical Care Physician, loved and respected by everyone.

May you rest in peace brother

Berkan Basançelebi MSc, BSc

Respiratory therapist and physiotherapist (in Turkey). Lecturer at İstanbul Medipol University. He holds a MSc. in Cardiopulmonary Science and a BSc. in Physiotherapy and Rehabilitation.

Consultant of Respiratory Care in intensive care unit at affiliated university hospital. Board member of International Academy of Non Invasive Ventilation and member of Protected Airway Collaborative, Global Tracheostomy Collaborative, International Association of Non Invasive Ventilation, International College of Non Invasive Ventilation, Society of Mechanical Ventilation, European Respiratory Society, Lung Health and Intensive Care Society, Turkish Thoracic Society, Turkish Respiratory Society. He served as a medical consultant to some companies working in emergency and intensive care for 3 years. He is passionate about POCUS, respiratory mechanics, methodology and taxonomy of mechanical ventilation.

Marco Klaassen ICU nurse / Ventilation Practitioner Int. Clinical Specialist & Trainer Ventinova medical

I would like to dedicate this nomination to all the enthusiastic colleagues who work hard to improve the quality of mechanical ventilation and patient care. To those who dare to question themselves whether the current method of mechanical ventilation and treatment is already the end point? I am happy that I can make my modest contribution searching for the answers by introducing and training a totally new ventilation mode FCV (Flow Controlled Ventilation). In order to understand FCV I had to adapt to current insights in which static situations (driving pressure/Tv) are somewhat more let go and dynamic insights such as local/alveolar Stress, Strain in Time are becoming increasingly important. The lung is a viscoelastic organ and should be approached as such. I myself discovered, thanks to the inventor of FCV professor Enk, that conventional thinking had not answered all my questions about optimal treatment? Why have we spent 70 years mainly focusing on controlling the inspiration, always relying on a passive expiration? How important is the factor of time and repetition (flow) inspiratory and expiratory?

Liz Artz

Co-founder of Life Autonomous Care Consultants. She and her team serve their customers and end-users in the world of Medical Simulation and Medical Training. Liz has over 20 years of pharmaceutical sales, training, and management as well as in Medical Simulation Device Sales for the Department of Defense. Her interest in mechanical ventilation came during the beginning of the COVID-19 pandemic when she developed a Ventilation and Intubation Training kit for the US Navy world-wide which included the Test Chest developed by Josef Brunner of Switzerland. 

Pablo Gonzalez RRT

Scripps Memorial Hospital La Jolla, San Diego, CA. I credit my knowledge to many Pulmonalogist, one Dr John J. Marini and Dr Gustavo Cortes Puentes, Most influential people have been Steve Holets, RRT and James Baker, RRT, Tammy Friedrich, MSN, E-AEC and Errin Kalvelage, RRT-ECMO Manager, from the world renowned Mayo Clinic, Rochester Minnesota. I continue to seek opportunities to learn and to teach knowledge of pulmonary mechanics with focus in increasing awareness of providing the best care for the patients. I hold the following credentials from the National Board for Respiratory Care; neonatal pediatric specialist, adult critical care specialist.

Aurio Fajardo Campoverdi MD, MSc, MEC, PhD(c)

Head of WeVent (International Mechanical Ventilation Group) http://www.wevent.website/index.php

Viña Del Mar, Chile.

Manuel (Manny) Carrasquillo, RRT, CRT, RCP

State of Texas – United States based respiratory therapist and sales award-winning business professional.  He graduated from Baylor University in 2005 with a degree in Applied Music Studies and Biochemistry minor. His professional experience includes extensive pediatric thru adult patient care and clinical sales roles with various market innovator leading organizations.  His passion for mechanical ventilation is wide ranging, however he attributes a predilection for negative pressure ventilation to his Temple College cardiopulmonary & critical care clinical mentors.  In his spare time, he enjoys being with his family, and performing as a pianist.

Mohamed Kamal RRT

Respiratory therapist at Air Force specialized hospital and Maadi military hospital, Egypt

Special interest in COVID-19 and HBOT research

Syed Shahrul Naz Bin Syed Shamsuddin MD, M. Med

Emergency and Critical care medicine specialist in Malaysia with fields of interest in Mechanical Ventilation, PoCUS, Hemodynamic Monitoring), Fluid Stewardship, Patient Safety. Active member of the Malaysian society of intensive care medicine

Farzana Chowdhury, MS, CCC-SLP, BSRC, RRT-NPS

Dually licensed therapist who practices across a continuum of critical care areas with adults and pediatrics. A graduate of Texas Woman’s University, Farzana holds a Master’s in Speech-Language Pathology and a Bachelor’s of Science in Respiratory care from Midwestern State University. Her critical care expertise entails neonatal-pediatric care specialty, advanced training in complex airway instrumental assessments, and swallowing disorders. Her dedication to quality improvement and education has directed her to partner with multidisciplinary leadership to implement hospital-wide policies and guidelines to achieve better tracheostomy patient care and safety outcomes. Her passion for education guided her to join Continued Respiratory Therapy as the managing editor, where she oversees the continuing education learning site- driving inspiration through education and collaboration with leading experts and organizations to deliver quality, applicable continuing education opportunities for respiratory care practitioners.

Kimiyo Yamasaki RRT, BSRT, ACCS, MBA

Respiratory therapist in the USA and a physical therapist in Japan. She received a BS in economics at Gakushuin University, an AS in physical therapy at Tokyo Hospital Rehabilitation School, a BS in the respiratory program at the University of Cincinnati, and an MBA at Western Governors University. She was working as a physical therapist in hospitals and home care rehabilitation stations for 5 years in Tokyo, and she is currently working as a respiratory therapist at Adventist Health Castle, Kailua Hawaii

Dormar David Barrios Martínez MD

Colombian Physician, Specialist in Intensive Care and Critical Medicine; He has a Master’s Degree in Respiratory Health and Mechanical Ventilation from the University of Valencia (Spain); He works at the Fundación San Vicente Hospital (Medellín – Colombia) and the Mederi University Hospital (Bogotá – Colombia); He is currently Regional Secretary for Bogotá, Cundinamarca, Boyacá and Meta of the Colombian Association of Critical Medicine and Intensive Care (AMCI); He is also a member of the SCCM, the ESICM, the NCS, and the LABIC. He is a peer reviewer for Critical Care Forum BMC, Colombian Journal of Cardiology, Hospital Pharmacy Journal, and Journal of Pharmaceutical Research International. Passionate about POCUS and Professor of this subject in the hospitals where he works. Author of multiple publications in his country; Research is another of the tasks that he likes the most, as well as new technologies in health, such as Artificial Intelligence. Coming soon candidate for Specialist in Health Education

Samy Sidhom MBBcH, MSc, PHD

Consultant of Pediatric pulmonology. Ain Shams University, Cairo, Egypt. Member of society of Egyptian Chest Diseases and TB.

For all the help he provided to children during the COVID-19 pandemic

Amarilys Irizarry, RRT, CPFT, RRT-NPS, CSCS, MEd, DPT

Holds a master’s and a doctorate degree in Education with a concentration in Curriculum and Instruction. The Professor is certified by the National Strength and Conditioning Association as a “Certified Strength and Conditioning Specialist.” She has the following credentials from the National Board for Respiratory Care; neonatal and pediatrics specialist (NPS), certified pulmonary function technologist (CPFT), and advanced professional in Respiratory Care (RRT). She is certified with the Critical Care Medicine Society in critical care. She holds a certificate in Pulmonary Rehabilitation and is a certified instructor for the AHA. She was the Program Director of the Respiratory Care Department and currently the Dean of the School of Health Sciences at Antillean University in P.R. and the President of the Respiratory Care Examining Board of Puerto Rico since 2013.

Khaja Abdul Muzammil MBBS

ER Physician , for 10 years. have been associated with reputed hospitals and many critical care teams . The convener of CODE BLUE and RAPID RESPONSE teams. He has been training nurses and doctors , about mechanical ventilator and how important it is to use the correct settings for the good outcome of patients. He has done some tremendous work during the 2 waves of COVID-19 PANDEMIC , like utilisation of both invasive and non-invasive mechanical support to as many  patients  with limited resources and for this he has been awarded as the COVID-19WARRIOR AWARD by HEALTH MINISTER OF STATE . Striving to develop a strategy to impart education of mechanical ventilator to all healthcare workers

Saleem N. Hamilah, BS, RCP, FNIV, MSRC

Respiratory Care Specialist and Clinical Instructor

Serves as a Governor For Yemen & Member of both IERS Committee and Elections & Nominations at International CouncilFor Respiratory Care (ICRC). Serves as an executive director of Respiratory Care Services Admin. (RCSA) at Ministry of Public Health & Population , Republic of Yemen. 

RC Clinical Instructor , Respiratory Care Department , Al-Razi UniversityFellowship in Non Invasive ventilation from International Association of Non Invasive ventilation.

International Fellowship of AARC 2021

Victor Perez Cateriano MD

Peruvian physician, specialist in intensive care medicine (in Spain). Magister in health services management, trainer of WINFOCUS Peru, point of care ultrasonography teacher, mechanical ventilation enthusiast.