Fit and Well: National Respiratory Care Week

TWIN FALLS, Idaho (KMVT/KSVT) — This week is National Respiratory Care Week, a yearly event focused on raising awareness of respiratory therapists' roles in patient care.

That is the focus of this week’s Fit and Well.

Roughly 25% of Idahoans are dealing with some form of lung disease, including asthma, COPD, chronic lung disease and lung cancer, according to data from the American Lung Association.

Ben Noble, a respiratory therapist at St. Luke’s, said his team is involved in all aspects of the hospital, from the NICU and the ICU to the emergency room and rehabilitation.

“When somebody needs an airway, when somebody can’t breathe on their own, we are happy to be there,” Noble said. “We deal with preterm babies with underdeveloped lungs. We work all the way up to older patients with maybe overly abused lungs, you can say. We are just happy to assist wherever we need to and give the therapy they need.”

With RSV season approaching, Noble also recommended getting your vaccine to help prevent any respiratory issues caused by the virus.

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