August 25, 2026 @12:30 – 1:30 p.m. Mountain Time

Registration:

To register for this session, you must log in, then click on the yellow Take Course button. Upon registering, you will receive a confirmation email with a calendar link. You will also receive a day-of-session email reminder with a link to access the session. Registration must be completed before the session time.

Speaker:

Sarah Pierce, CRNA, Medical Director, Difficult Airway Response Team Program, Kootenai Health and Anesthesia Associates

Overview:

This one-time session is designed to increase awareness of Difficult Airway Response Team (DART) models and provide practical guidance for implementing them in rural and regional settings. Drawing on evidence from national guidelines, airway safety literature, and Idaho-based case examples, the session highlights system-level strategies needed to create a sustainable and successful airway safety program. This includes standardized equipment, clear activation pathways, multidisciplinary training, proactive identification and labeling of patients at risk for difficult airway events, and a coordinated team-based response to reduce airway-related harm.

Participants will learn how to adapt evidence-based approaches commonly used in larger health systems to the realities of regional, rural, and critical access facilities in Idaho, including workforce variability, financial constraints, delayed access to specialty care, transport challenges, and limited local resources. The session will also address practical implementation considerations such as simulation training, interdisciplinary collaboration, post-event debriefing, and the development of sustainable airway safety practices that can be scaled to smaller organizations.

By the end of the session, participants will better understand the foundational components of an effective DART model, identify practical strategies for implementation in resource-limited settings, and gain tools to strengthen airway preparedness and patient safety within their own organizations. This session aims to strengthen airway safety culture across Idaho by equipping providers with scalable tools, implementation insights, shared learning opportunities, and avenues for continued collaboration and support.

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