Wallace State Respiratory Therapy Program Celebrates National Respiratory Care Week

CONTACT: Dr. Paul Taylor, Wallace State Community College, Respiratory Therapy Program Director, paul.taylor@wallacestate.edu, 256.352.8310.

HANCEVILLE, Ala.–The Wallace State Respiratory Therapy program celebrated National Respiratory Care Week (October 21 – 27) by launching a month long campaign declaring October, “Stoptober”.
The Respiratory Therapy program has partnered with the American Lung Association, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., COPD Foundation and NASCAR in a multi-year public health initiative, DRIVE4COPD, which aims to reach millions of Americans about the need for early detection of COPD. An estimated half of the 24 million people in the United States who may have COPD remain undiagnosed. The serious, progressive disease – which includes chronic bronchitis, emphysema, or both – robs people of their ability to breathe and kills more Americans each year than breast cancer and diabetes combined.
“Most people believe their symptoms, such as shortness of breath, are just normal signs of aging so they are not diagnosed until they have already lost half of their lung function,” said Dr. Paul D. Taylor, Program Director and licensed respiratory therapist. “It is important to recognize symptoms and see a doctor early before the lungs become severely damaged. We believe DRIVE4COPD will encourage people to take action when it comes to this progressive disease.”
In addition to providing information about the dangers of smoking, secondhand smoke and tips for “Stopping” throughout the month, the program joined the Healthy Campus Initiative in support of Wallace State’s Year of the Healthy Campus. Each month, members of the Healthy Campus committee organize a “Health Link Tent” to provide information about health and wellness issues. The October tent was sponsored by the Respiratory Therapy program to provide COPD awareness screening.
For more information about COPD, visit drive4copd.org.
To learn more about Wallace State’s Respiratory Therapy program, visit www.wallacestate.edu.
 

Members of the Respiratory Therapy program at the COPD Awareness Health Link tent.
______________________________
Kristen Holmes
Director, Communications & Marketing
Wallace State Community College
P.O. Box 2000, Hanceville, AL 35077
1-866-350-9722 256-352-8118 direct
256-352-8314 fax 256-339-2519 cell
Visit us online at www.wallacestate.edu