3 Your child has asthma. Your partner snores loudly and frequently gasps for air during sleep. Your friend has been diagnosed with COPD after smoking for many years. What do each of these have in common? They’re all scenarios in which respiratory therapy can help. Breathing specialists Grundy County Memorial Hospital (GCMH) recently added two respiratory therapists to provide care on an outpatient basis and for those who are hospitalized. Hayley Ragsdale, registered respiratory therapist, and Autumn Rolison, certified respiratory therapist, perform routine and advanced respiratory care to benefit patients with a wide range of conditions. “Patients who are admitted for conditions that include pneumonia, COVID-19 or other respiratory illnesses benefit from breathing treatments and the education we provide about their condition,” says Rolison, who has been a respiratory therapist for 25 years. Ragsdale has served patients with respiratory conditions for five years, after being inspired by the respiratory therapist who treated her infant daughter when she had pneumonia. Both professionals appreciate the opportunity to work in a small community hospital, where they enjoy the rapport with fellow caregivers and have an opportunity to develop relationships with the patients they serve. Respiratory conditions we treat ● Asthma. ● Bronchitis. ● Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). ● Pneumonia. ● Emphysema. Services offered by our respiratory therapists ● Respiratory therapy. ● Pulmonary function testing. ● At-home sleep testing—new! ● Airway management. ● Arterial blood gas analysis. ● Nebulizer therapy. ● Oxygen therapy. ● Pulse oximetry, including overnight testing. ● Methacholine challenge (asthma testing). If you’re currently traveling out of the area to receive respiratory care, you may benefit from the close-to-home respiratory therapy services now available at GCMH. 1Immunization is the No. 1 best way to prevent the flu. With rare exceptions, everyone 6 months and older needs a yearly flu vaccine. 2Influenza makes some people seriously ill. Every year, flu complications lead to hospital stays—and even deaths. 3Viruses tend to change each flu season. Scientists review U.S. flu vaccines yearly to make sure they best match circulating viruses. 4 Influenza spreads. Be ready—get vaccinated as promptly as possible to avoid missing work or school. 5Flu vaccines have a solid safety record. Vaccines can’t give you the flu—and serious side effects are very rare. 6Shot or spray? You can have it your way. Flu vaccines are available as shots or nasal sprays.* Flu season ahead Protect yourself and your family. Influenza is a respiratory illness that can bring severe symptoms and complications. Now’s the time to protect yourself with the flu vaccine. *The nasal spray is an option for healthy people ages 2 through 49 years who are not pregnant. Source: Centers for Disease Control and Prevention Without delay! 6 great reasons to get your flu vaccine What is respiratory therapy? BREATHE EASIER Call 319-824-5081 for outpatient scheduling information, or call 319-824-4186 with questions for the respiratory therapy team. Respiratory therapists Autumn Rolison, left, and Hayley Ragsdale meet the needs of patients at GCMH.
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