Tony Baird has been a Respiratory Trainee, Technician, and Therapist since 1970. In 1976, He graduated in the first class of the brand new at that time, El Paso Community College Respiratory Care Program. He took the “Old Oral Examinations” and became the first homegrown Registered Respiratory Therapist in El Paso Texas shortly thereafter. He additionally earned the CRT, CPFT and NPS credentials in the field. He has been a member of the AARC and TSRC since 1972. He served as President of the TSRC twice, in 1998 and 2001 and multiple other elected TSRC positions. He has been employed as a Respiratory Care Director and then Regional Vice President of Multiple Respiratory Care Departments in the Southwest. After earning a master’s degree in healthcare administration, he entered the “Darkside” leaving the clinical bedside and Respiratory Care management and became the first Director of Quality Care at Sierra Medical Center in Administration. Eventually he became Network Executive Director at the Sierra Providence Health Network, overseeing the three facility’s departments for Quality, Risk Management, Medical Affairs, Infection Prevention, and Research. He served as the Chairperson for the El Paso Department of Health 1115 Waiver Program, responsible for projects achieving over 20 million dollars for healthcare improvements and innovations in El Paso and surrounding areas over three years. He previously served as Chairmen of the American Lung Association Affiliate in El Paso, Texas, bringing in three-time Olympic Gold Medalist Jackie Joyner Kersee for a successful fund raiser, and was the Chairman of the Respiratory Care Program at the El Paso Community College. Semi-retired now, he continues to serve on the Institutional Biosafety Committee (IBC) at the Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center El Paso, and as Vice President for the Respiratory Care Foundation of Texas (RCPT).
