PAGE 12 SEPTEMBER 13, 2013 NEWS LEADER PAGE 13InterserviceRespiratoryTherapy Programstudents Spcs.Jack Howell andLuenna Wardperform an intubationprocedureon a newborninfant during apractical exercisefor the RESP110 Neonataland PediatricRespiratory Carecourse.Photo byLori NewmanMETCInterserviceRespiratoryTherapyPhoto by Robert Shields(Above) Army Sgt. Travis Brassfield, an Interservice Respiratory Therapy Programstudent at <strong>San</strong> <strong>Antonio</strong> Military Medical Center, makes sure he gets the properreadings on a piece of training equipment called the Volumetric Diffusive Ventilator.(Right) Pfc Aimee Navarro and Sgt. Jason Schmidlen, provide ventilationmanually through a process called “bagging” while Spc. TaeKim prepares an Adult 840 Ventilator used for respiratory failure.Photo by Robert ShieldsProgramoffers studentscertification,associate’s degreeBy Lori NewmanJBSA-Fort Sam Houston Public Affairs(Editor’s Note: This is the second in a seriesof articles highlighting some of the consolidatedenlisted medical training programs offeredby the Medical Education and TrainingCampus at <strong>Joint</strong> <strong>Base</strong> <strong>San</strong> <strong>Antonio</strong>-Fort SamHouston.)The Medical Education and TrainingCampus Interservice Respiratory TherapyProgram, in consortium with Thomas EdisonState College, offers students the ability tobecome nationally credentialed respiratorytherapists and graduate with an associate’sdegree in applied science in respiratory care.The Army’s respiratory therapy programbegan in 1975 at Brooke Army Medical Centerand moved to the Army Medical DepartmentCenter and School in 1985.In 2011, the program transferred to METCas a result of the 2005 <strong>Base</strong> Realignment andClosure Commission’s decision to co-locate allenlisted medical training for the Army, AirForce, Navy and Coast Guard.The IRTP is open to Army and Army ReserveSoldiers and Navy hospital corpsmenPhoto by Robert ShieldsSAMMC’s Medical Intensive Care Unit Instructor and Registered Respiratory Therapist Miguel Calvillo, evaluates X-rayswith Interservice Respiratory Therapy Program students.and is accredited by the Commissionon Accreditation for Respiratory Care.“Because of this accreditation, ourstudents can not only get their certificationthey can also become registeredrespiratory therapists,” said HarryRomán, IRTP director.“Everybody wants to come to thiscourse because they can get an associatedegree and take the test andbecome a certified respiratory therapist,”he said.The program is only for in-servicepersonnel and is not open for initialentrytraining.Soldiers must have a minimumof six semester hours of college, toinclude three hours of English CompositionI and three hours of humanities,from a regionally accredited collegeor university, or submit a passingCLEP score in both subjects. Sailorsmust have all 15 semester hours ofacademic pre-requisite courses beforeacceptance into the program.The course is 11 months for Armypersonnel. The first three months,Soldiers take classes in college math,psychology and English Composition IIand receive a general medical orientation.After that, they join their Navycounterparts for four months of didactictraining at METC and four monthsof hands-on clinical training throughBrooke Army Medical Center.Students learn aerosol/humiditytherapy, ventilation therapy, pulmonaryfunction testing, infection control,cardiopulmonary drug administrationand critical patient care performedunder the direction of a physician.During the clinical phase, studentsrotate to different locations within <strong>San</strong><strong>Antonio</strong> Military Medical Center andthey visit other local medical facilities.The students must perform everythingthey learned in the classroom on actualpatients.“They spend approximately twoweeks working the floors, then do twoweekrotations in the medical intensivecare unit, surgical intensive care,the burn unit and the pediatric ICU,”Román said.“Sometimes it’s easier for the studentsto do things in the classroom,because they don’t have a real patientwith feelings, family members, doctorsand nurses and the instructors,” saidLuis Medina, Phase II clinical supervisor.“The instructors really don’t touchthe patients, the students do.”“It’s a tough course, but by the timethe students finish the clinical phasethey are ready,” Medina said. “I havea lot of pride in the program.”Spc. Asofaafetai Tukia, an ArmyReservist from American Samoa, saidhe chose the program because theydon’t have respiratory therapists in thehospital at home.“This will be a new addition to thePhoto by Robert ShieldsElliot D. Buffington, a patient in SAMMC’s Surgical Intensive Care Unit, receives trach care from SICUstudent, Army Sgt. Richard McCollough as SICU Instructor and Registered Respiratory Therapist, RaulQuestell oversees the cleaning.hospital and I’m serving my country,”he said.Petty Officer 2nd Class ChristianLoving has been interested in respiratorytherapy since he came into theNavy.“I love this field,” Loving said.“From the moment I got here untiltoday, I feel like I’ve learned a wholelot more than what I came in with. Itjust makes me want to do even biggerand better things after I leave. It’s agreat program.”The program culminates with Soldiersand Sailors taking the NationalCertified Respiratory Therapy exam.Román tracks the success of theprogram through student, supervisorand instructor surveys.“We are always looking at the curriculumand try to make changes toimprove it,” he said. “It’s an ongoingprocess.”Since the program moved to METC,the success rate for the nationalcertification exam continues to rise.In 2011, 91 percent passed the CRTexam, this year they are tracking at a100 percent pass rate.“Our goal is to make sure everybodygraduates from this course,” Medinasaid. “A lot of these students go onto physician assistant school, nursingschool or even medical school.”For more information about thisprogram, visit http://www.metc.mil/academics/irtp/.Photo by Lori NewmanInterservice Respiratory Therapy Program students Navy PettyOfficer 1st Class Eugene Nixdorf, Navy Hospitalman ShawneeVan Damme and Army Spc. Brandon Rhodes apply a nasal continuouspositive airway pressure device on an infant patient simulatorduring a practical exercise for the RESP 110 Neonatal andPediatric Respiratory Care course.
PAGE 14 NEWS LEADER SEPTEMBER 13, 2013
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