Mississippi Society for Respiratory Care
Dear Colleagues,
On behalf of the Mississippi Society for Respiratory Care (MSRC) Board of Directors, we are excited to announce that our 2026 MSRC State Meeting will be held on March 5–6, 2026 at the Eagle Ridge Conference Center & Resort at 1500 Raymond Lake Rd., Raymond, MS 36154.
This event will be an incredible opportunity for education, networking, and growth for students, clinicians, leaders, and vendors across Mississippi.
The venue offers affordable rooming and entertainment (golfing, and fishing (bring your own tackle)).
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For Educators
With your support, we hope to:
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Encourage participation from both freshman and sophomore students.
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Provide educator incentives for attending and engaging with the event.
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Offer student-focused lectures designed to inspire and educate.
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Continue the always-exciting Sputum Bowl competition.
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Facilitate networking between students and healthcare leaders across the state.
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For Leaders
We are asking for your support in sharing this event with your teams and colleagues.
Our goals include:
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Offering leader incentives to encourage team participation.
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Growing our meeting back to its full potential with your involvement.
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Providing valuable networking opportunities for leaders across Mississippi.
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Hosting vendors to showcase their products and support the respiratory care community.
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Creating opportunities to recruit and connect with students interested in careers within your facilities.
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Vendor Interest
If you know a vendor or are interested in becoming a vendor, please take 3 minutes to complete our Vendor Interest Form below:
🔗 Vendor Interest Form This form is not a commitment but helps us gauge interest and plan for a successful event.
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Speaker Interest
If you or someone you know is interested in speaking at the meeting, please complete our Speaker Interest Form:
🔗 Speaker Interest Form Again, this is not a commitment, only a tool to help us identify potential speakers and topics.
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Help Us Spread the Word
Please share this information with your colleagues, students, leaders, and friends.
Your continued support is what makes these events possible. Together, we can make the 2026 MSRC State Meeting the best yet!
Thank you for all you do to advance respiratory care in Mississippi.
Please follow us on Facebook for Event Details.
Warm regards,
Jackie Odom, MPH, RRT
Mississippi Society for Respiratory Care Director at Large
228-324-3465
In Memoriaum: Robert"Bob" Wall
MSRC Mourns the Loss of Respiratory Care Pioneer Robert “Bob” Wall
The Mississippi Society for Respiratory Care (MSRC) is mourning the loss of Robert “Bob” Wall, a longtime leader, educator, and advocate for the Respiratory Care profession in Mississippi. Wall passed away at his home in December.
Wall was widely recognized as a pioneer in Respiratory Care and played a critical role in shaping the profession across the state. He served for many years on the MSRC Board of Directors and was instrumental in helping secure professional licensure for respiratory therapists in Mississippi.
“Bob was a pioneer for the MSRC and the Respiratory Care profession in Mississippi,” said Ken Thigpen. “He served many years on the MSRC Board of Directors and was instrumental in helping us obtain professional licensure.”
In addition to his advocacy work, Wall dedicated much of his career to education and leadership. He helped educate and mentor future respiratory therapists through his role at Hinds Community College and later served for many years as Director of Respiratory Care at Mississippi Baptist Medical Center.
After stepping away from formal leadership roles, Wall returned to his first passion—bedside patient care—working as a respiratory therapist at St. Dominic’s Hospital.
“After concluding his role in leadership, he returned to his first love as a bedside therapist,” Thigpen added.
Wall’s influence extended far beyond his titles. For many respiratory therapists, he was a mentor, supporter, and friend who witnessed—and encouraged—the evolution of the profession.
“I have known Bob ever since my very first day of even thinking about becoming a respiratory therapist,” said Howard, a longtime colleague. “From that day forward, our relationship was always a ‘Billy Bob,’ ‘Bob Bob,’ and sometimes—when I wanted to impress—‘Mr. Wall.’”
Howard reflected on the dramatic growth of the profession during the years he worked alongside Wall.
“We began as the lowest-paid, hardest-working, and least-respected department in the hospital,” Howard said. “Today, respiratory therapy is one of the departments hospitals depend on the most. We went from OJTs to certified, registered, licensed professionals—and now some therapists have even gone on to become physicians. Bob was an energetic force who supported these transitions.”
Howard added that Wall’s encouragement had a lasting personal impact. “Throughout the years, I sincerely appreciated all the support I received from him. His footprints in respiratory therapy will always be remembered.”
A memorial service will be held Saturday, January 31, 2026, at 11:00 a.m. at Galloway Methodist Church in Jackson, Mississippi. All family and close friends are invited to attend.
The MSRC encourages members to keep Bob Wall’s family, friends, and the entire respiratory care community in their thoughts and prayers as they honor his life and legacy.
Lisa Brock, MS-HAE, RRT, CPFT
MS Society for Respiratory Care
The Respiratory Care Interstate Compact (RCIC) is an interstate occupational licensure compact for respiratory therapists. There are approximately 130,000 licensed respiratory therapists in the United States. Licensees currently face significant barriers to providing services across state borders, even when they meet the qualifications to practice in another state. The Respiratory Care Interstate Compact will facilitate multistate practice by reducing unnecessary licensure burdens and improve public safety by enhancing state information sharing.
Mississippi RT Car Tag Update
We’re excited to share that we’ve reached our goal of 300 tag applications. To mark this milestone, we held a drawing among the first 300 participants for a $300 cash award. Congratulations to Lainey Hong, who was selected as our prize recipient! Thank you to everyone who took the time to purchase a tag and spread the word! Your involvement made this achievement possible, and we genuinely appreciate your support.
Next Steps: We will be submitting the tag applications to the Mississippi Department of Revenue this month. After submission, it typically takes approximately 2–3 months for the new specialty plate to be configured and moved into production. Afterwards, we will be notified when the tags are available for the public. We will continue to provide updates on our social media channels and on our website as the process moves forward.
2026 MSRC State Meeting
On behalf of the Mississippi Society for Respiratory Care (MSRC) Board of Directors, we are excited to announce that our 2026 MSRC State Meeting will be held on March 5–6, 2026. The location is still being finalized, and we will share details as soon as possible.
We are reaching out to gather early interest from vendors and speakers so we can plan for the best experience possible.
Vendor Interest
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We are currently finalizing the meeting location and schedule.
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Your support in past meetings has been incredible, and there is tremendous enthusiasm for participating in our future events. With this level of interest, we want to ensure we select a venue that can accommodate everyone.
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Please take 3 minutes to complete our Vendor Interest Form: https://forms.gle/jpUMGQPgKcPoqEYS8
This form is not a commitment, only a tool to help us gauge interest and plan accordingly.
Speaker Interest
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We are so grateful for the support you’ve shown in offering speakers for past events.
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If you or someone you know is interested, please take 3 minutes to fill out our Speaker Interest Form: https://forms.gle/xdHQZU9jCRiFva4D7
Again, this is not a commitment, but a way for us to understand what opportunities may be available.
We encourage you to share this information with your colleagues, students, leaders, and friends. To protect everyone’s privacy the integrity of multiple emails, all MSRC Board members have been BCC’d on this email. If you have any questions or concerns, please feel free to reach out to me directly.
Thank you for your continued support — we look forward to working with you to make the 2026 meeting our best yet!
Itawamba Community College’s Respiratory Care Technology Program in Tupelo earned one of the highest honors in its field.
🌟 The Mississippi Society for Respiratory Care (MSRC) 2025 Awards Voting is NOW OPEN! 🌟
Help us celebrate excellence in our profession! Cast your vote today for the MSRC 2025 Awards and help us honor outstanding individuals who make a difference in respiratory care across Mississippi.
Award Categories & Voting Links:
🏆 Preceptor of the Year – Vote Here
🏆 Practitioner of the Year – Vote Here
🏆 RT Student of the Year – Vote Here
🏆 Educator of the Year – Vote Here
🏆RT Manager/Director of the year – Vote Here
(More categories may be added)
Voting ends December 31, 2025
Winners announced at MSRC 2026 Annual State Conference, March 5–6, 2026
Don’t miss your chance to recognize the leaders, mentors, and students shaping respiratory care in Mississippi!
2025 Washington D.C. Respiratory Care Fly In
