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pulmonary screenings available
Free pulmonary screenings will be available at St. Mary's Hospital Kamiah Medical Clinic on Wednesday, Oct. 22, from 12-4 and at St. Mary's Hospital in Cottonwood on Thursday, Oct. 23, from 12-4. The screenings are the hospital’s gift to the community to celebrate Respiratory Care Week, October 19-25. Free information and other give-away prizes will also be available at both locations. Respiratory therapists are indispensable members of the health care team. The positions and jobs they hold are varied. Some work in acute care and in long-term care or rehab facilities. Some work in pulmonary rehab programs working with those individuals with chronic lung disorders. Some work in pulmonary testing, doing various diagnostics such as pulmonary function testing, asthma and allergy testing, and metabolic testing. “The vast majority of patients many therapists deal with are those who suffer from ongoing pollution from cigarette smoking,” according to Faunda Butler, registered respiratory therapist. “This can arise from first-hand or second-hand smoking. Chronic exposure to cigarette smoke can lead to conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, heart disease, and lung cancer. Having any of these chronic conditions generally shortens life expectancy and reduces the quality of life, as well as leading to complications with other illnesses, like influenza or pneumonia. Contact Faunda at St. Mary's Hospital for more information on pulmonary screenings or free help to stop smoking.
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