Meet your new Regional Vice Presidents for the Mountain and Piedmont Region
Joel Tipton
New Regional VP for the Mountain region
joel.tipton@adventhealth.com
I received my BS degree in exercise science from Kent State University and completed graduate studies at Ball State University leading to certifications from The American College of Sports Medicine as a Certified Exercise Specialist (CES), Registered Clinical Exercise Physiologist (RCEP), and Certified Clinical Exercise Physiologist (ACSM-CEP). In 1991 I started my career in cardiopulmonary rehab in Ft. Lauderdale Florida that included starting and managing cardiac and pulmonary rehab at Cleveland Clinic Florida. In Florida, I also served on the board of the Florida Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation Association in various positions including president in 1996-97. In 2001 I moved to Hendersonville, North Carolina to manage Cardiac and Pulmonary Rehab at Pardee Hospital that included a major expansion and centralization of services including diabetes education, physical, occupational, aquatic, and speech therapy, and a comprehensive medical wellness center. I also served our NCCRA board from 2008-2012 as Mountain Vice President, President Elect, and President. In 2012 NCCRA received the award from AACVPR as “Outstanding Affiliate Society” at the AACVPR annual national conference. In 2012 my family experienced some traumatic events that necessitated my attention and focus toward my family. As such, I chose to pull back from all “extracurricular” activities at that time. My family is doing much better now and I now feel ready to do whatever I can to promote our common goals toward advancing the quality of our rehabilitation and prevention programs while increasing accessibility to our patients by eliminating or reducing barriers…..including financial, legislative, regulatory, and logistical barriers. I presently and proudly work at AdventHealth Hendersonville as Coordinator of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation. If elected, I look forward to getting to know and serve our Mountain Region and NC state members the best I can. In my spare time I serve as a volunteer ski patroller at a local ski area (Cataloochee) and also enjoy hiking, kayaking, and mountain biking.
Amy Birling
New Regional VP for the Piedmont region
birlings@att.net
Amy Birling has worked in the field of cardiac rehabilitation for over 15 years. She received her B.S. in Exercise Science from the University of Wisconsin-LaCrosse. She holds several certifications including AACVPR CCRP, ACSM CEP, ACSM EP-C, ACSM EIM-Level 3, and CEPA-ASCM RCEP. Amy has worked at WakeMed Health and Hospitals for the past 15 years where, as the Cary Cardiac Rehab Program Director, has led the team to multiple PRC 5-Star Designations for Excellence in Healthcare. She has also been a recipient of WakeMed’s Circle of Excellence and Clinical Excellence Awards and is a graduate of the Aspiring Leaders Program.