LARNED — Melanie Urban, Pawnee Valley Community Hospital administrator, is pleased to announce that Dusty Thacker, director of Cardiopulmonary Services, and Chantell Richmeier, registered respiratory therapist, recently earned Pulmonary Rehabilitation certifications.
“These dedicated individuals successfully completed coursework to enhance their skills in pulmonary rehabilitation and passed the required test to earn their new credentials,” Urban said.
Thacker noted, “This course has given us additional tools necessary to ensure we are up-to-date with the most recent information in pulmonary rehabilitation. Chantell and I have also acquired additional skills and knowledge necessary to provide high-quality care to our pulmonary-rehab patients.”
Pulmonary rehab is considered the standard of care for patients diagnosed with chronic lung disease, he added.
“This rehab program entails education and exercises that help people with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) and other lung diseases,” Thacker commented. “We can help them manage their breathing problems, increase stamina and improve their overall quality of life.”
Despite these advantages, only about 1.5 percent of patients who are hospitalized with COPD exacerbation start pulmonary rehab within 90 days of being discharged from the hospital.
Richmeier noted that with the completion of this certification, “we now have a better understanding of patients that we believe would benefit from pulmonary rehab. Dusty and I have advanced our skills and knowledge to educate patients and prevent hospital re-admissions.”
The recent certifications were awarded by the American Association for Respiratory Care and American Association of Cardiovascular and Pulmonary Rehabilitation.
Coursework topics included: exercise assessment, prescription and training in pulmonary rehab; nutrition and pulmonary disease; psycho-social assessment and intervention; and assessment and management of patients with something other than COPD.
About PVCH
Pawnee Valley Community Hospital, 923 Carroll in Larned, is a 25-bed facility, offering many services not typically available in a smaller facility. Included are 24/7 emergency care; acute, skilled and specialized nursing; surgery; high-tech imaging and laboratory tests; wound care; rehabilitation; and sleep and diagnostic center. PVCH Family Medicine provides the full range of family-medicine services; physician-assisted weight loss; and women’s health services. The hospital’s number is 620-285-3161; the clinic’s number is 620-804-6007.
