Four respiratory therapists receive extra certification

Four respiratory therapists at Memorial Hospital of Sweetwater County recently received extra certification.

MHSC Cardiopulmonary Director Crystal Hamblin, Amanda Armendarez, Carol Burke and Ronda Piercy received National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Pulmonary Function Testing certification after completing a two-day course in late November in Salt Lake City.

The two-day course includes nationally recognized standards of the American Thoracic Society and European Respiratory Society for reliable spirometry testing. Spirometry is fundamental in the assessment of general respiratory health. The class combines lecture, practice, and demonstration to achieve optimal results, which requires a combination of training and experience.

“Having NIOSH certification will improve the interpretation, communication, and understanding of test results,” Hamblin said. “It shows we took all of the training available to perform quality pulmonary function testing.

“With cardiopulmonary function testing, we want accuracy, reproducibility, repeatability, and the ability to ensure the patients perform the testing as accurately as possible for improved PFT testing,” Hamblin said.

Photo above: Four respiratory therapists recently received NIOSH Pulmonary Function Testing certification. They include Amanda Armendarez, back left, and MHSC Cardiopulmonary Director Crystal Hamblin; and Carol Burke, front left, and Ronda Piercy.