CHICAGO, IL — The Respiratory Health Association (RHA), in partnership with Inogen, has named M. Lourdes Norwick of the University of Illinois Chicago (UIC) and Emily Buckingham, MSN, AGACNP BC, CCRN, of Vanderbilt University as the inaugural recipients of the RHA Inogen Oxygen Fellowship Program.
The Fellowship was created to address gaps in standardized education and advanced training for healthcare professionals involved in oxygen therapy. Oxygen delivery is a cornerstone of care for people living with chronic respiratory disease, acute hypoxemia, and complex cardiopulmonary conditions. Yet, inconsistent or suboptimal use can contribute to poor patient outcomes, avoidable hospitalizations, and increased healthcare costs.
“The Oxygen Fellowship gives RHA an opportunity to support new ideas that can make a real difference for people who rely on supplemental oxygen,” said Rachael Morkunas, RHA Director of Programs and Policy. “We know there are still many challenges patients face in accessing and using oxygen, and this fellowship allows us to support practical solutions that can improve care and help people with chronic lung disease live better.”
Over the course of the one-year Fellowship, Norwick and Buckingham will work to identify gaps in oxygen therapy training and develop a medical education curriculum on the clinical use of oxygen in chronic respiratory conditions. They will also examine bottlenecks in oxygen delivery at their home institutions and propose ways to make the process more efficient and timely for patients. The overall goal is to improve patient outcomes.
Findings from both Fellowship projects will be submitted as abstracts to national professional meetings and presented at RHA’s 2027 Living Better Together(R) conference.
The RHA Inogen Oxygen Fellowship is open to physicians, respiratory therapists, and registered nurses at Vanderbilt University, the University of Michigan, Temple University, and the University of Illinois Chicago. Fellows commit 50 percent of their professional effort to the program and receive salary support along with funding for mentorship and project related costs such as conference travel and educational materials.
About Respiratory Health Association
RHA has been a local public health leader in Chicago since 1906. RHA works to prevent lung disease, promote clean air, and help people live better through education, research, and policy change.