2006 Legacy Award Recipient
Ray Kalinsky
Ray Kalinsky -
2005 Legacy Award Recipient
Read More About this ISRC Legacy
In 2005 the ISRC developed the Legacy Award to honor people
who have significantly impacted the profession of Respiratory Care in Illinois.
One of the first three Legacy Award recipients was Ray Kalinsky, Sr., a man
who has spent over 40 years in Respiratory Care, and is still going
strong.
Kalinsky started in 1961 when St. Mary of Nazareth Hospital
trained him on-the-job as an oxygen orderly. Through hard work and perseverance
Ray learned everything he could about the rapidly emerging field of Inhalation
Therapy and it paid off. Before long he became the Director of Inhalation
Therapy at Little Company of Mary Hospital in Evergreen Park, a position
he held for 25 years. Innovations to Respiratory Care he implemented during
that time include starting the Respiratory Care Program at Moraine Valley
Community College, and presenting the first "Huff 'n Puff" club in Chicagoland
for patients with respiratory problems.
In 1987, Kalinsky founded Pulmonary Exchange, Ltd., of which
he is President. In addition to providing staffing for hospitals, long-term
care and home care, PEL also contracts to manage Respiratory Care departments
and consult at long-term care facilities. Most recently, Kalinsky has developed
VIP Education to help therapists achieve NBRC credentialing. Ray has been
everything from a CPR instructor, to an oral examiner for the NBRC, to President
of the American Society for Respiratory Care Administrators.
Kalinsky has been active in the ISRC from its' earliest days
as the "Alpha Chapter" to the present. Having served in various positions,
including Editor of the RESPIRATORY TRACT, he currently serves as the ISRC
Treasurer.
Kalinsky states "Respiratory Care is one of the greatest fields
there is because a person can do anything! If a person wants to remain in
clinical care they can continue to learn and specialize in the area they
enjoy most, or if they want to do other things, Respiratory Care can be an
excellent steppingstone to areas such as business or education. In Respiratory
Care, the only one who can limit you, is you." With an attitude like that,
no wonder Ray Kalinsky, Sr. has had such a positive impact on Respiratory
Care in Illinois. |
