Conference Schedule for WiRES 2026

2026 ARCS Schedule

The Adult Respiratory Care Symposium (ARCS) has been approved for 5 Continuing Respiratory Education Credits through the AARC. (Course Number #196942000)

Thursday, October 8

0745 - 0815

Early Registration & Breakfast
Aurora Conference Center

0815 - 0915

Adult Acute Care

Mechanical Ventilator Taxonomy: A Practical Framework for Goal-Directed Mechanical Ventilation
Vladslav Dieiev, MD, MSc

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Vladslav Dieiev, MD, MSc

Dr. Vladyslav Dieiev is an intensivist at Advocate Aurora St. Luke's Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, where he serves as Associate Program Director of the Critical Care Medicine Fellowship and Director of Point-of-Care Ultrasound for Critical Care. He is board certified in Critical Care Medicine and holds certification in Critical Care Echocardiography from the National Board of Echocardiography. His academic interests include mechanical ventilation, cardiopulmonary physiology, critical care ultrasound, resuscitative transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), and shock management. Dr. Dieiev is an active educator nationally and internationally, serving as faculty for SCCM, CHEST, and multiple critical care ultrasound courses. He has authored numerous peer-reviewed publications and leads educational initiatives focused on advancing bedside physiologic assessment and evidence-based critical care practice.

0920 - 1020

Adult Acute Care

Thermographic Imaging to Detect and Prevent Respiratory Device Related Pressure Injury
Lexie Caraway, MBA, RRT, RRT-ACCS, RRT-NPS, AE-C, RPFT

1020 - 1035

Break
Vendor Hall

1035 - 1135

Adult Acute Care

More than Airway Clearance: Improving Outcomes with IPV Therapy
Jessica Hensley, BSRT, RRT-NPS

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Jessica Hensley, BSRT, RRT-NPS

Jessica Hensley is an experienced Respiratory Therapist with more than a decade of clinical expertise spanning Adult Critical Care, the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit (PICU), and the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit (NICU). Her work at Children’s Hospital Colorado and Landstuhl Regional Medical Center strengthened her capabilities in advanced respiratory care, interdisciplinary collaboration, and clinical leadership. Jessica earned her Bachelor of Science with a concentration in Respiratory Therapy from Pima Medical Institute. She is an active member of the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) and the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC), reflecting her commitment to professional excellence and continued advancement within the field. A passionate educator, Jessica is dedicated to supporting bedside practitioners through high‑quality continuing education, evidence‑based practice, and hands‑on clinical mentorship. She remains focused on fostering patient‑centered improvements and helping teams adopt innovative approaches that enhance respiratory care delivery

1135 - 1245

Lunch & Vendor Hall

1245 - 1345

Adult Acute Care

APRV Pearls: Practical Strategies for the Bedside RT
Jason Bazan, RRT, BSRT

1350 - 1450

Adult Acute Care

Don’t Just Measure the Ventilator Measure the Patient
Joseph Hegge, RRT

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Joseph Hegge, RRT

Joseph W. Hegge, RRT, RCP, is a respiratory care professional and healthcare leader with more than 25 years of experience spanning critical care, mechanical ventilation, clinical education, clinical operations, healthcare technology, and strategic account management. He currently serves as a Territory Sales Manager with Hamilton Medical, where he works closely with healthcare organizations, physicians, respiratory therapists, nurses, and hospital leadership to support the implementation and optimization of advanced mechanical ventilation technologies. Joe began his clinical career at St. Luke’s Medical Center in Milwaukee, Wisconsin, a 750-bed tertiary care hospital where he progressed from Staff Respiratory Therapist to Lead Respiratory Therapist, and clinical coordinator. In that role, he provided advanced respiratory care while leading more than 100 respiratory therapists and participating in multidisciplinary initiatives focused on patient care, clinical education, process improvement, and technology implementation. Joe has spent more than a decade with Hamilton Medical in progressively responsible clinical and leadership roles, including Clinical Applications Specialist, Clinical Applications Specialist Team Lead, and Clinical Operations Manager for the Central United States. Throughout these roles, he has provided clinical education and implementation support to healthcare organizations across the United States while helping clinicians translate advanced ventilation technologies into practical bedside applications. His areas of expertise include mechanical ventilation, lung-protective ventilation, noninvasive ventilation, patient-ventilator synchrony, high-flow oxygen therapy, critical care respiratory management, respiratory care education, and the implementation of evidence-based clinical practices. Joe is passionate about translating complex respiratory concepts into practical strategies that can be applied at the bedside. He has presented at the AARC International Respiratory Convention and has contributed to published respiratory care abstracts addressing severe asthma, noninvasive ventilation, Heliox, inhaled epoprostenol, and pulmonary arterial hypertension. In addition to his professional responsibilities, Joe has served as an advisory board member for the Respiratory Care Program at Milwaukee Area Technical College, helping support the education and development of future respiratory therapists. His approach to education emphasizes critical thinking, clinical application, collaboration, and improving patient outcomes through evidence-based practice.

1450 - 1500

Closing Remarks