Canadian Respiratory Health Professionals (CRHP)

The Canadian Respiratory Health Professionals (CRHP) is the multi-disciplinary healthcare professional assembly of the Canadian Thoracic Society (CTS). CRHP welcomes nurses, respiratory therapists, cardio-pulmonary physiotherapists, pharmacists, and other health professionals working in the respiratory field as well as students. CRHP members of CTS enjoy excellent benefits!

Our mission is to engage health care professionals and to provide national leadership to achieve:

  • the promotion of lung health
  • the prevention of lung disease
  • the management of lung disease through:
  • facilitation of inter-professional collaboration
  • knowledge generation (research) and
  • knowledge translation (education and dissemination)

Introducing the CRHP LC 2024-25:

  • Lauren Singh, MSc, PT, Chair
  • Sophie Vallee-Smejda, Chair-Elect
  • Jaimie Peters, MN, RN, CRE, Secretary
  • Shirley Quach, MHSc, RRT, CRE, HBSc, Past Chair
  • Tracy Cushing, RRT, CRE, Special Appointee
  • Celina MacLeod, RRT, Special Appointee

Physiotherapy Month Member Spotlights

May is National Physiotherapy Month in Canada. This special time of the year is dedicated to celebrating the incredible contributions of physiotherapists across the nation. Our skilled and compassionate physiotherapists are essential in enhancing the quality of life for Canadians. CTS chatted with four of our physiotherapists to learn more about their background, how they keep up to date with research and advice for aspiring physiotherapists.

#MemberMonday: Meet Margot Sondermann!

We recently had the pleasure of sitting down with Margot Sondermann, a dedicated cardiopulmonary physiotherapist specializing in acute care. Read on to learn more about her remarkable career and her involvement with the CRHP Assembly of the CTS.

Q. How long have you been a Canadian Respiratory Health Professional Member with the CTS?

A. I have been a proud member of the Canadian Respiratory Health Professional Assembly of the CTS since 2019.

Q. What company or organization do you work at right now? What is your role?

A. I have been a cardiopulmonary physiotherapist working in acute care, community care, and continuing care with Alberta Health Services, Calgary Zone, for most of my 33-year career. Since 2004, I’ve held the position of Palliative Consultant for End-Stage Lung Disease in the Calgary Zone. In this role, I provide education, support and consultation to patients, their families and healthcare staff across both rural and urban areas. My primary goal is to facilitate the highest standard of care for patients in the terminal phase of their lung disease.

Q. What do you love most about your job?

A. What I cherish most about my work is the opportunity to offer practical advice and support to patients and families grappling with severe lung disease. As a valued member of their healthcare team, I collaborate closely with respirologists and often with home care teams to assist patients with symptom management and comfort. Discussing palliative care, including end-of-life matters, can be daunting for many, but after many years in the field, I feel that I can discuss palliative care in such a way as to reduce some of their stress and allow them to talk about “the unthinkable”.

Q. What has been your biggest professional achievement?

A. I am always humbled to hear the positive impact I have had on the lives of patients and their families. That keeps me going. One significant achievement has been helping respirologists and family physicians become more comfortable with palliative care management for their patients. I also played a key role in establishing the Home Care COPD/ILD Team within Calgary Integrated Home Care, which has excelled in caring for respiratory patients. Additionally, I have a passion for teaching and have provided education to fellow healthcare professionals across Alberta and Canada through in-services, workshops, courses and webinars. I am constantly seeking ways to enhance my skills as an instructor.

Q: How do you take care of yourself when working in a palliative environment?

A. Debriefing with my fellow palliative consultants is essential, especially after challenging situations. Once I’m home, I enjoy long walks with our three playful dogs, indulging in cooking, and spending quality time at our family cabin. I’m working on getting my two twenty-something sons launched into life!

Q: What career advice do you live by?

A. The career advice that guides me is the importance of continuous learning. Not only in the fields of palliative care and physiotherapy but in every aspect related to patient care and your profession. There is an abundance of knowledge to explore, and numerous articles to read, and the challenge lies in integrating new, relevant, best-practice ideas into your work. How can I apply How do I take something I have read and make it applicable and practical for a patient who lives on a ranch in a remote rural area with limited resources? I love these kinds of challenges!

Q: What career advice do you have for those entering practice (palliative or otherwise)?

A. My advice for those embarking on a career in palliative care or any new field is to seek out a supportive mentor and ask questions relentlessly. Be a sponge for knowledge. Shadow experienced professionals and observe how they interact with patients. I learned invaluable lessons by watching my colleagues delicately but confidently approach palliative care discussions, putting patients and families at ease. They appreciated having difficult conversations with a palliative consultant who exuded knowledge, confidence, kindness, and compassion. That is who I wanted to be when I grew up, and I think, I hope, I’m there now.

Join the Palliative Care Working Group today!

CTS members are invited to join the interdisciplinary working group focused on addressing education and training needs in Palliative Care for respiratory healthcare professionals supporting individuals with advanced respiratory disease. The Working Group is co-chaired by Dr. Donna Goodridge, RN, PhD and Dr. Tara Lohmann, MD, FRCPC. For more details or to join the group, please contact the CTS office at info@cts-sct.ca

Did you miss the latest CRHP webinar?

The most recent CRHP webinar on “Let’s Talk Living with Grief and Helping Others who are Grieving” with speaker Dr. Donna Wilson is now available for viewing.Click here to access.

Introducing #MemberMonday Spotlight: Celebrating Remarkable CTS members!

Do you have the privilege of knowing a CTS member who consistently goes the extra mile to support their colleagues, uplift patients, contribute positively to the workplace, or empower others to achieve greatness? We are thrilled to showcase the outstanding members of our community! Nominate a member today by clicking here and help us shine a light on their inspiring contributions!

2023 CRHP Distinction Award: Donna Turner, RT, CRE (Prince Albert, Saskatchewan) is our 2022 recipient, recognized for her contributions in leadership, mentorship and knowledge translation through respiratory therapist education and research. CRHP Leadership Council Chair David Gourde made the presentation at the CRHP annual meeting at the Canadian Respiratory Conference.

CRHP usually holds its Annual Meeting in conjunction with the Canadian Respiratory Conference, the CTS’ annual scientific and educational meeting. The meeting date for 2024 will be Thursday April 11th, 2024 in Toronto, ON.

Please contact us at info@cts-sct.ca or visit our Facebook page.

Members of the Canadian Society of Respiratory Therapists (CSRT) are eligible for a reduced membership rate with CTS when joining or renewing with the CSRT. For more information about this opportunity, visit: https://cts-sct.ca/joint-membership-csrt/ or please email membership@csrt.com or info@cts-sct.ca

Members of the Réseau québecois en santé respiratoire (RQESR) are eligible for a reduced membership rate with CTS. For more information about this opportunity, visit: https://cts-sct.ca/rqesr or to get the promo code, please email info@rqesr.ca or info@cts-sct.ca.

Members of Ordre professionnel des inhalothérapeutes du Québec are eligible for a reduced membership rate with CTS. For more information about this opportunity, visit: https://cts-sct.ca/membership/joint-cts-opiq/or to get the promo code, please email info@cts-sct.ca.