Episode 10 - Mindy Conklin "The Taylor Swift of Respiratory Therapy"

In this live episode recorded at the California Society for Respiratory Care (CSRC) 2026 conference in Temecula, hosts Rob and Mike sit down with a trailblazing guest — Mindy Conklin! One of the first seven Advanced Practice Respiratory Therapists (APRTs) in the country.Mindy shares her remarkable journey from a non-traditional student at 31 who stumbled into respiratory therapy, to becoming a pioneer in an entirely new clinical profession. She opens up about the moment a chance encounter sparked a vision that would reshape her entire career — and eventually lead her to pack up her life and move to Baltimore for the very first APRT job posting.The conversation dives into what APRTs actually are — think nurse practitioners or physician assistants, but exclusively in the cardiopulmonary space — and why the profession is poised to transform how patients with COPD, asthma, and critical illness receive care. Mindy also discusses the very real challenges of building a new profession from scratch: skepticism from colleagues, lack of legislation, and the long road to CMS reimbursement.Beyond the professional, listeners get a glimpse of the person behind the pioneer — a proud Swifty, Peloton enthusiast, new grandmother, and self-described loud singer whose husband has reluctantly become a Taylor Swift fan.A must-listen for anyone in respiratory care who wants to understand where the profession is headed and how to get involved.