Pulmonary care

Our respiratory therapists (RTs) provide excellent bedside care and work in all facets of the hospital, including labor and delivery and critical care. As part of our dedication to your health, RTs also provide education in asthma, COPD and tracheotomy care, post-discharge.

Additionally, our pulmonary care team works alongside our neonatal transport team. This advanced-level care team can take critically ill babies in our region and provide stabilization and transport to our hospital, where they can be treated in our neonatal intensive care unit (NICU).

If you have a pulmonary condition, such as asthma, emphysema, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), chronic bronchitis or bronchiectasis, our pulmonary rehabilitation program can help you breathe easier. Established in 1985, our program is designed to help restore your fullest physical, mental, emotional, social and vocational capacity.

Our team of board-certified, experienced pulmonologists, respiratory therapists, social workers, pharmacists, physical therapists, occupational therapists and dietitians is available to ensure your individual needs are met. We also offer a support group for those experiencing chronic lung diseases.

Program overview

Through our program, we aim to help you:

• Alleviate and control any acute symptoms
• Enhance your capacity to carry out daily activities and reduce your reliance on others
• Establish your goals and express your own expectations, while at the same time reducing your healthcare costs
• Expand your social and psychological horizons
• Maximize your strength and improve your feeling of well-being
• Successfully address the physical and emotional states related to our pulmonary disorder

With upper and lower body strengthening, our program consists of a balanced approach to exercise. As you work out, we monitor your heart, blood pressure and oxygen levels to ensure you're receiving the maximum benefit from your rehabilitation regimen. The pulmonary rehabilitation program consists of three phases:

• Phase one — This starts with education in pursed-lip and diaphragmatic breathing, anatomy, physiology and training of the muscles. You will learn important principles in pharmaceutical treatment, diet, energy conservation, relaxation and freedom from smoking.
• Phase two — This phase is a period of time consisting of up to 36 visits, during which you exercise three times a week, while undergoing cardiopulmonary monitoring.
• Phase three — This is the last phase, which consists of sustaining your exercise without cardiac monitoring for as long as you wish to continue the program.

Our Easy Breathers Club offers the opportunity for you to learn ways to better cope with COPD and other chronic lung diseases, while getting the support of others who share these struggles. If you are experiencing lung disease, the club meets regularly for one to two hours to provide support, education and socialization for you, your family members and caregivers.

A facilitator coordinates the meetings, brings in featured speakers and collects information and feedback from participants. You can provide ideas for meeting topics, organize communication networks and even help plan special events.

For more information about our Easy Breathers Club, please call (208) 529-6195.

Our dedicated team of respiratory therapists is credentialed through the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). These therapists come from various backgrounds and encompass critical care specialists, neonatal specialists and emergency care practitioners.

We receive medical direction from the most experienced pulmonary medicine physicians, as well as active training in advanced equipment and leading-edge technology.