Meet Your COPD Foundation Captains!

COPD Foundation Captains are volunteers with COPD, caregivers, friends and family members or healthcare providers who use their contacts and talents and partner with the COPD Foundation to serve as state and community leaders.

Captains promote the importance of becoming a part of the COPD community. They work to spread COPD awareness in their state and local areas, mentor fellow COPD community members, and participate in online and in-person grassroots advocacy and community building activities focused on health policy issues that are important to those who have COPD. If you are interested in joining our group of volunteers, click here.

If you'd like to speak with a COPD Foundation Captain directly, please email statecaptains@copdfoundation.org and we will connect you with the Captain in your area of interest.


Christie Ward

Christie Ward Profile Photo Jackson, Tennessee


I am a Respiratory Therapist working as the Director of Clinical Education for an RT program in West TN. I also developed educational plans for a free COPD Disease Management Program in Jackson, TN and started a Pulmonary Rehab Program in Jackson,TN.

As a State Captain: I have just accepted a job as Director of Clinical Education for an RT program. I hope to saturate the minds of students to the importance of COPD disease management, patient and caregiver education and increase the involvement of those in our profession with community outreach and awareness.

My proudest COPD moment was hearing a group of severe COPD patients perform Amazing Grace on the Harmonica as part of Harmonicas for Health program. The reward of seeing improvement in any discouraged patient because they have been able to have an improved quality of life due to education, medication issue resolution or by participating in pulmonary rehabilitation. The Pulmonary Rehab Program we started at JMCGH dedicated the program in my honor. All of these moments make me proud.

My inspirational quotes are:

  • "Just because you aren't making progress as fast as you think you should does not mean you aren't making progress"-unknown
  • "Helping one person might not change the whole world, but it could change the world for that one person."-unknown

 



COPD Foundation State Captain Program Informational Video

The COPD Foundation is looking for new State Captains to join our community to be champions for promoting COPD awareness, improving quality of life for those with COPD, to participate in research opportunities, policy, and much more. Email statecaptains@copdfoundation.org for questions and to start the onboarding process today!