Our MISSION STATEMENT
PROMOTE, EDUCATE, INSPIRE, UNITE
2024 Board of Directors
President- Jason Farnsworth RRT, MBA
Jason advances Renown Health’s mission by cultivating relationships with community organizations and advancing respiratory care clinical practice throughout the Northern Nevada community. He is responsible for ensuring that Renown’s Respiratory Care Services are looked at first by all Healthcare entities for superior outcomes and services to all ages. Jason has been a member of the Nevada Air National Guard for the last 24 years. He is currently serving as the Senior Enlisted Leader for the 152 Mission Group Operations Superintendent with responsibility for comprehensive mission support operations. Jason is a longtime Reno resident, graduating from University of Nevada, Reno with a major in Biology and an MBA from Western Governers University. He is an Avid Wolf Pack fan and can be found tailgating at many games. In addition, he is an avid outdoor enthusiast consistently.
President elect for 2025 - Charlene Blumenthal RRT, BSRCP
Charlene has been a Registered Respiratory Therapist for 11 years and graduated with a bachelor’s in Respiratory Care Practitioner at Oregon Institute of Technology in Klamath Falls, Oregon, and currently pursuing her master’s at Western Governors University. She is currently a supervisor at Renown Health and employee of the quarter from April to June 2022. Over the years, she has specialized in chronic lung disease education and remote patient monitoring. She is passionate about mentoring and making the most out of opportunities to serve the community. On her free time, she likes to travel and scuba dive.
Vice President- John Steinmetz, MBA, RRT
John has been a Respiratory Therapist for over 35 years graduating from the University of Missouri, Columbia in 1982. Two years later he and his family and packed up in an old Chevy pickup and U-haul trailer and made their way to Reno where he started work at St. Mary's Medical Center. Over the course of the next 35 years he has worked as Director/Manager of several hospitals, Operations Manager for a medical manufacturer, educator at Carrington College for 3 of the 6 years when he was in Las Vegas, and staff therapist. Shortly after arriving in Reno, he became actively involved with the NSRC and during this time he has proudly served on the NSRC Board of Directors in most positions, including President. He represented Nevada as NSRC Delegate to the AARC House of Delegates for over 10 years and served as AARC Speaker of the House in 2012. He has had many wonderful memories of the experiences and the many wonderful people who he has come to know during the last 35 years. "Being a Respiratory Therapist is a great career and our importance to patients we treat in and out of the hospital cannot be understated."
Secretary - Connie Small, BSRC, RRT-NPS, CPFT
Connie was born and raised in International Falls, MN. She attended school for respiratory therapy at what is now called St. Paul College in St. Paul, MN. Connie worked in the Twin Cities area for a few years before moving to Des Moines, IA. Connie spent 10 years in Des Moines working at Mercy Hospital Medical Center. She then spent two years as a traveling RT working in Flagstaff, AZ; Baltimore, MD; Washington, DC; and Las Vegas, NV. Connie settled down in Las Vegas in 2003. She has been active on the Board of Directors of the Nevada Society for Respiratory Care in various positions since 2007.
Treasurer - Katie Snow, RRT-NPS, RRT-ACCS
Katie has been a Registered Respiratory Therapist for 20 years. She grew up in Massachusetts and traveled as an RT for 5 years before choosing to make Reno, NV, home in 2011. She is currently a respiratory specialist for Renown. Over the years, she has specialized in the neonatal & pediatric population, chronic lung disease education, and adult critical care. She is passionate about education, mentoring, and serving the community. She graduated from the University of Nevada, Reno, with a Bachelor of Science in Biochemistry and Molecular Biology. She loves exploring nature trails in Reno and the Donner/Tahoe area with her dog Blue.
Director -at-Large- Amber Beck RRT
I grew up in the Sierra mountains, joined the US Army as a Medic in 1996, then became a US Army Respiratory Specialist in 2000. Moved to Nevada in 2001 after discharging from the US Army. Worked at Humboldt General Hospital, Saint Mary's Hospital and multiple DME companies over the years. Currently the COPD Navigator at Renown. I have a real passion for patient education and being an advocate for lung health.
Director -at-Large-Annie Taylor, MHA, BSRT, RRT
I have been a resident of Nevada since 1994. Most of my residency was in Las Vegas where I had attended PIMA and received my AAS in Respiratory Care in 2009. I then migrated up to Carson City in 2010 where I currently reside. I worked as a Respiratory Therapist for 11 years at Carson Tahoe Regional Hospital. And then had the opportunity to open a brand-new hospital from nothing and have been the Respiratory Supervisor just shy of 2 years. During my time in northern Nevada, I worked per diem at almost all of the hospitals from Gardnerville to Reno. Not because I needed to, but because I wanted to. I am a person who thrives to help others and to obtain new knowledge, so you must get out there and experience other hospitals to learn new things and ideas. I have earned my Certificate of COPD Educator and Pulmonary Disease Specialist through the AARC. I have a bachelor’s degree in science with an emphasis in Respiratory Sciences from Grand Canyon University and have also earned my master’s degree in healthcare administration. I am a current member of AARC and volunteer on the committee board of the American Lung Association sharing my knowledge and bringing ideas to help my respiratory community.
I believe that knowledge is the best tool that anyone can have. I love my role as a Respiratory Therapist. I get to utilize my passion of helping others with my skills and knowledge in hopes of changing their lives for the better. In hopes of being selected to serve as a member on the board for the NSRC, I have thoughts and ideas I would love to share. I feel that Respiratory Therapists have such an important role in medicine, and we don’t get the recognition that we deserve like nurses do, because our numbers are so much smaller. But it is time we make some noise and grow and let them know the NSRC is out there to make a difference in our community.
Director-at-Large- Shelly Colgan, BS, RRT, RPSGT
Hello, my name is Shelly Colgan and I currently work at the VA Sierra Nevada Health Care System in Reno Nevada, and am employed in the outpatient Sleep/CPAP Clinic. Thank you for electing me as one of your director's -at-large for the NSRC. This profession is very near and dear to me and this year I celebrate my 36 year as a Therapist, 35 as RRT. My background is from Southern California, I graduated from Antelope Valley College ( AAS), Los Angeles Valley College (Completion of Respiratory Therapy), and finished my BS in Health Care administration from Columbia Southern University. A fun side note, I have also been a RPSGT technologist since 2011. Our field is an ever evolving one, not just with advanced technologies in treatments and ventilator management, but also with advanced practice opportunities for our fellow therapists. We emerged from the pandemic stronger, more understood, valued, and respected than ever before. I look forward to keeping Respiratory Care in the forefront of medicine technology.
In my spare time you can find me camping, 4 wheeling, hiking and generally enjoying all things outdoors.
" To know that even one life has breathed easier because you have existed, that is to have succeeded". - Ralph Waldo Emerson
Director -at-Large- Zackary van Pelt, RRT
I graduated from the College of Southern Nevada in 2014 with an AAS in Cardiorespiratory Sciences and then continued that into a BAS the following year. I began my career at MountainView Hospital in Las Vegas in November of 2014 and spent a couple of years working in all areas of care that we offered here at that time. An opportunity came up to join the leadership team and I began working as a shift supervisor in early 2017. From there, I transitioned into the supervisor role that oversaw our blood gas and PFT operations in 2019 until 2023 when I took on my current role of manager of the Respiratory department.
Delegate – Douglas Holland BASRT, RRT, RRT-ACCS, RRT-NPS, CPFT, C-NPT, C-ELBW
Doug has been a Respiratory Therapist since 2008 when he graduated from the College of
Southern Nevada. He started working in Las Vegas, but within a year moved to Utah to pursue
more training. His enthusiasm for respiratory care of neonatal and pediatric patients increased
during his time at Primary Children’s Hospital. Returning to Las Vegas he has worked in the HCA
System starting at Sunrise Children’s Hospital as a staff therapist in the NICU, PICU, and Peds
ER. He then joined the Sunrise Children’s Hospital Critical Care Transport Team before taking his
current role. As MountainView Hospital transitioned their NICU from level 2 to level 3, Doug
became the Respiratory NICU Coordinator. Respiratory Therapy is a passion of his and he enjoys
teaching, mentoring, and promoting our profession.
Medical Advisor-Dr. Romero
Dr. Arthur Oliver Romero, an assistant professor in the Kirk Kerkorian School of Medicine at UNLV Department of Internal Medicine, graduated from the University of Philippines College of Medicine.
He specializes in pulmonary critical care medicine and internal medicine.
Dr. Romero is board certified by the American Board of Internal Medicine in pulmonary disease, critical care medicine and internal medicine.