Newman Hospital plans open house
By Brandy Nance
Originally published 01:23 p.m., October 23, 2007
Updated 01:23 p.m., October 23, 2007
In honor of National Respiratory Care Week, the cardiopulmonary services department at Newman Regional Health will hold an open house Wednesday.
The open house, which is public, will be from 6:30 to 8 a.m. and 2 to 4 p.m. A special invitation is extended to students or individuals interested in pursuing training in respiratory therapy, said Karen Schell, director of cardiopulmonary services at Newman.
The mission of Respiratory Care Week is to honor and thank respiratory care professionals, demonstrate the value of respiratory care professionals, promote respiratory health in the work place and the community, increase awareness of lung health issues and educate and encourage prospective students to the program.
“Registered respiratory therapists take care of patients with breathing problems, from premature infants to the aging population,” Schell said in a press release. “They perform a wide range of respiratory care breathing treatments for asthma, bronchitis, pneumonia and chronic lung diseases.”
Schell said oftentimes the first time people come into contact with a respiratory care therapist is when they need cardiac or lung testing.
Newman’s Cardiopulmonary Services Department has 16 employees but are not all registered respiratory therapists. There is a sleep lab where technicians test patients for obstructive sleep apnea and other sleep disorders. There also is an cardiac rehabilitation area, where registered nurses monitor patients who are recovering from heart surgery, heart attack or stint placement.
Schell said a respiratory therapist’s job encompasses a wide variety of tasks.
“Although a respiratory therapist’s duties can vary greatly, his/her primary job is always maintaining an airway and assuring adequacy of breathing,” Schell said. “This often puts them in critical situation such as traumas, code blue and preterm deliveries.”