SCOTTSBLUFF, Neb., ― During national Respiratory Care Week, Oct. 20 through 26, Regional West recognizes its respiratory professionals and the care they provide for patients with breathing difficulties due to chronic conditions like asthma or chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), which affect many panhandle residents.

“Regional West offers exceptional respiratory care to our patients. Our team of highly skilled, compassionate respiratory therapists provide breathing treatments, pulmonary function assessments and other breathing managements to help our patients with breathing disorders breathe a little easier,” Wendy Stirnkorb, CRA, RT R MR MRSO MRSC ^TM, Administrative Director of Imaging and Cardiopulmonary Services at Regional West Medical Center said. “We admire the dedication of our respiratory care team and are honored to recognize them this week.”

Respiratory Care Week was first proclaimed by President Ronald Reagan in 1982, and has been celebrated the last full week in October ever since to turn the spotlight on respiratory therapists and the work they do to bring compassionate care to those with breathing problems.

As the key medical professionals responsible for delivering hands-on care to those with asthma, COPD, and other chronic and acute respiratory conditions, as well as critically ill ICU patients on mechanical ventilation, respiratory therapists work closely with physicians, nurses, and other health care professionals to ensure that patients receive safe and effective care.

To learn more about the respiratory therapy division of the Heart and Lung Center at Regional West, call 308-630-1337.

Regional West Health Services in Scottsbluff, Neb., is the parent company of Regional West Medical Center, a 188-bed regional referral center and one of three Level II Trauma Centers in the state. As the region’s only tertiary referral medical center, Regional West offers care that spans more than 32 medical specialties provided by over 28 physician clinics. With nearly 300 in-network providers, and 2,000 employees, Regional West provides comprehensive and innovative health care services for the people of western Nebraska and the neighboring states of Colorado, South Dakota, and Wyoming.