Meet Your COPD Foundation Captains!

Hello Everyone!

I recently accepted a position within my organization as a COPD Clinical Program Specialist with experience as a Respiratory Therapist. Throughout my career, I have cared for numerous COPD patients in the emergency department, critical care, and now as a clinical program specialist. Being able to advocate and bring awareness to these patients is what’s most important to me in this role.

As a COPD Foundation Captain, I look forward to working with others to identify tools and resources that I can utilize with patients I visit throughout the hospital to help them better manage their disease process, hence reducing the risk of readmission.

When I'm not working, I like to go shopping, travel, and spend time with my family. The thing I am most proud of in life is my family; they inspire me and motivate me to reach my full potential.

“We can’t help everyone, but everyone can help someone.”- Ronald Reagan

I am glad to join a great group of advocates with the COPD Foundation!

As a COPD Foundation Captain, I am most interested in connecting with others to learn what resources are available for our patients that will help them live a healthier and fuller life.

The COPD Clinical Program Specialist role is new to the organization. The goal of this program is to prevent readmissions, educate the patient on their disease process and empower the patient to take control of managing their disease.

I am also involved in raising community awareness by attending local health fair events to provide COPD education and as a Tobacco Treatment Specialist, help patients overcome their nicotine addiction.

I truly believe by helping just one person, you have helped many. “One of the deep secrets of life is that all that is really worth doing is what we do for others.” -Lewis Carol

My name is Skyler Hughes. I am the COPD/Sepsis Clinical Program Specialist at Owensboro Health Regional Hospital. I am a registered nurse and have worked with COPD patients in multiple settings including the emergency department, case management and home health care and as a leader of our inpatient COPD program. I enjoy educating and serving patients to provide them with the knowledge and resources they need to live a fulfilling life. Outside of work, I am a wife, step-mom to an amazing growing boy, and fur-momma to a rambunctious dog and cat. My family is my biggest blessing in life. I love to spend time with friends and I am a huge fan of classic country music.

Hello, I am Amanda Smith and I am happy to be a State Captain for the state of Kentucky. I was diagnosed with COPD in 2017 and want to help others who have been impacted by COPD.

I know what it is like to live with COPD and have taken an active role in my health by being informed, educating myself, and participating in programs like Pulmonary Rehab.

My motto in life is: Stop, take a deep breath in, be thankful. I would share those words with anyone who is living with COPD or who has a loved one with COPD. There is so much you can do to live life to its fullest.

As the first State Captain of Kentucky, I hope to accomplish promoting more awareness about COPD. I want everyone to know what COPD is, that it is not just people who smoked. I want to help get funding for research. I want people to stop dying from this disease.

As a COPD advocate I have sent emails and letters to my members of Congress about COPD. I have also spoken to my friends and family about COPD, joined a COPD support group, and am an active member of COPD360Social.

As a State Captain I am interested in Participating and promoting research opportunities to help find a cure, writing about COPD to share my story and help raise awareness and hosting and participating in fundraisers to support my community. I would also love to be involved in raising awareness by participating in health fairs and community events, recruiting new State Captains and volunteers, and connecting others in the COPD community to the resources available so they can live healthier, fuller lives.

As a respiratory therapist and State Captain of Kentucky, I hope to accomplish raising awareness about COPD within our communities and to educate people about testing, treatment options and lifestyle changes to improve their quality of life.

As a COPD advocate, I have written about COPD in a newspaper, magazine, or other publication, and I have sent a letter to my members of Congress about COPD. I have also participated in health fairs or community events to promote COPD awareness.

As a State Captain, I hope to connecting others in the COPD community to the resources available so they can live healthier, fuller lives, and raise awareness by participating in health fairs and community events. I would also like to host and participate in fundraisers to support my community.