When Sam Baldwin was a young child, his grandfather passed away from lung cancer. Baldwin was too young to really understand what had happened to his beloved relative, but it had a huge impact on his life. “Growing up I always wondered what had happened to my grandfather,” he said.
Years later he had the opportunity to find answers when he enrolled in the Respiratory Therapy program at Southwest Virginia Community College.
Baldwin attended Grundy High School where he excelled in wrestling. As a senior, he was making plans for the future. “I moved out right before graduation and was making plans to get a job and go to college.” However, life had another plan for him. A week before graduation, Baldwin was involved in an automobile accident that left him on life support for two days. It was in the hospital that he had his first interaction with respiratory therapists while they worked with him when his was on a ventilator. He knew then that respiratory therapy was his calling.
After he was released from the hospital, he moved back home and when he recovered he began coaching wrestling at Grundy High School. He has served as an assistant coach at GHS for four years.
However, going to college was always in the back of his mind. “I have always been interested in the healthcare field. I just didn’t know how to go about getting into it. I knew someone in the respiratory therapy field. I called and asked them questions and shadowed them on a couple of shifts.” Baldwin believes that job shadowing is one of the most important things that a potential student can do before entering the program. “I think it gave me a better idea of what I was walking into.”
Baldwin began taking classes at Southwest. “I was taking anatomy and Georgia Householder, the professor, directed me to the right path. She sent me to see Dr. DiPietro.” Dr. Joseph DiPietro is program head of Cardiopulmonary and Neurophysiologic Sciences programs at SwVCC.
“My wife Tiffany, a teacher in the Buchanan County school system, also motivated and encouraged me to go to college. I was still really scared to make a commitment, scared of failure. However, once I was on campus, Dr. DiPietro and Jim Tolbert took over from there,” said Baldwin.
“The faculty is awesome, top notch. They are extremely professional. Once a student leaves this program, they have the knowledge and skills they need to be successful as a respiratory therapist. My experience at Southwest has been great!”
Baldwin graduated in May 2007 with an Associate of Applied Science degree in Respiratory Care. He was named outstanding clinical student of his class for his clinical performance. He was also the recipient of the Phyllis Harrison Memorial Scholarship for high academic achievement and compassionate care. According to Dr. DiPietro, Baldwin’s ability to handle all situations made him stand out in a clinical setting. “Sam excelled in patient care because he was able to really relate to patients. That is a gift that cannot be taught in a classroom.”
Baldwin has earned Certified Respiratory Therapist title (CRT) and is preparing to take the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) exam. He is employed as a respiratory therapist at Clinch Valley Medical Center in Richlands. “It is everything I thought it would be and more. Lifepoint is a good system to work for and the people have made me feel right at home. I love that I found a great job so close to home.”
For more information about the Respiratory Therapy program, contact Dr. DiPietro at 276.964.7306.