Established as the nation's first respiratory bi-weekly newsmagazine for the respiratory care profession, the ADVANCE for Respiratory Care Practitioners staff has served professionals in the field for over 20 years.
Vern Enge has been the editor of ADVANCE for Respiratory Care Practitioners newsmagazine for the past 20 years. He was the founding editor of that publication as well as ADVANCE publications for medical technology, radiologic technology, health care information and managers of respiratory care. He has prior journalism experience working for daily newspapers in Pennsylvania and North Dakota and for a weekly newspaper in Montana.
He served as a public information officer for state, county and regional jurisdictions for health and social services and children’s services.
He holds an MA degree from North Dakota State University and BS and BA degrees from Dickinson State University.
He has been named to Who’s Who in the World, Who’s Who, Who’s Who in America and Who’s Who in Science and Engineering.
He also has served as an educator on high school and community college levels.
Among medical topics he has covered are the initial launch of the Medicare system and its anticipated impact on area hospitals and a psychological profile of one of Pennsylvania’s first heart transplant patients.
Mike Bederka is managing editor of ADVANCE for Respiratory Care Practitioners. Prior to joining ADVANCE in 2001, he spent several years in the newspaper business as an editor and reporter. His writing has earned several industry honors, including awards from the Associated Press, the American Society of Healthcare Publication Editors and the Maryland-Delaware-D.C. Press Association. Mike graduated from the University of Delaware in 2000 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in English/Journalism and a minor in Black American Studies.
Michael Gibbons has a degree in journalism from Columbia University. He has worked as a reporter for several newspapers in the Philadelphia region, including the Norristown Times Herald. He joined Merion Publications in 1991 and now works as senior associate editor for ADVANCE for Respiratory Care Practitioners and ADVANCE for Managers of Respiratory Care.
Shawn Proctor is associate editor and Web editor of ADVANCE for Respiratory Care Practitioners. He joined the staff in 2000, after graduating from Kutztown University with a degree in professional writing and working at a health insurance company. He currently attends the graduate writing program at Rosemont College in Rosemont, Pa.