During the COVID-19 pandemic, 脱衣直播鈥檚 respiratory care team not only has provided high-quality patient care but also has paved the way for better COVID-19 treatments and patient outcomes. This hard work earned the team dual in the acute care hospital and educational program categories.
The Medical Center is the only institution in the United States to be honored in two categories of the APEX Recognition Award, which the American Academy for Respiratory Care bestows to recognize the significant contribution of respiratory therapists and highlight best practices in respiratory care.
Crucial role in fight against COVID-19
When the COVID-19 pandemic began, there were many unknowns, including how best to treat patients who suffered severe respiratory symptoms. Rush鈥檚 respiratory team provided urgently needed care on the frontlines while researching the best treatment options for patients with severe COVID-19 symptoms.
The team soon changed the landscape for COVID-19 treatments with its research and implementation of a treatment where patients lie face down on their beds for 16 hours at a time, with heated, humidified oxygen flowing through tubes in their noses. This treatment has seen success in improving breathing problems in patients with COVID-19.
鈥淩espiratory therapists have been essential during the pandemic, due to the severe hypoxemia experienced by numerous COVID patients,鈥 said chairperson of the Department of Cardiopulmonary Sciences in at and director of
鈥淭heir ability to provide various therapy and support devices to prevent these patients from being intubated has been life-saving. The tireless efforts and dedication of our therapists are greatly appreciated.鈥
Rush University鈥檚 also have made an impact during the pandemic, volunteering to assist respiratory therapists across the Medical Center. With continuous oversight, the students assessed how intubated patients were responding to ventilators鈥 flow of air, and they monitored the smallest, minute-by-minute details and reported any notable changes. They also routinely repositioned patients, suctioned away excess saliva and otherwise ensured the patients were attended to fully.
鈥淭he students are seeing firsthand how a crisis like this can and should be handled,鈥 said director of clinical education for the respiratory care program. 鈥淭hey are working shoulder-to-shoulder with amazing respiratory therapists each day, and they are seeing firsthand how hospital departments might need to seek novel approaches to staffing, equipment utilization and daily operations. They are not reading about it in books 鈥 they are living it.鈥
鈥淭he respiratory care program provides a high-quality education relevant and professionally sound to meet the respiratory care leadership needs at Rush and in the health care community,鈥 Vines said. 鈥淚t is essential that our respiratory therapists can 鈥榙o鈥 various therapy and 鈥榯hink鈥 about what鈥檚 best to achieve the patient鈥檚 targeted goals.鈥
About the Apex Award
APEX awards recognize respiratory care departments that exhibit high-quality patient care in the United States. The award also requires a minimum of 50% of the staff hold a bachelor鈥檚 degree or higher and be active in the American Academy for Respiratory Care. The staff must all be licensed, with 80% or more holding the advanced registered respiratory therapist credential.
鈥淭he integration of the education program and clinical services at Rush makes our department unique in the respiratory care profession. This collaboration has led to innovative solutions in our clinical practice,鈥 Vines said. 鈥淲e have an exceptional team of respiratory therapists, faculty, students, and leaders.鈥
