2009 SWCC News

Respiratory Care Celebrates 35 years

After receiving Appalachian Regional Commission funds, the Respiratory Care Program was born and accepted its first class in August 1974. This fall marks that birthday. What began as a technician program, evolved into a comprehensive, two year, five semester Associate in Applied Science Degree curriculum with a satellite campus at Wytheville Community College (the Southwest Virginia Community College/WCC Cardiopulmonary Sciences Consortium) preparing advanced practitioners to evaluate, treat and manage individuals with lung and heart diseases.

“What a moment in time,” said Dr. Joe DiPietro, program director, “that we’ve completed this 35-year journey. It’s especially gratifying to me that I began my journey in cardiopulmonary sciences the very same month and year as this program did. I’ve witnessed incredible changes in what we do throughout all these years in health care delivery and the technologies we use to give the breath of life,” said DiPietro.

With nearly 47% of the nearly 1,000 graduates becoming line supervisors or department heads and nearly 38% achieving BS degrees, the graduates work in Level One, Two and Three medical centers all over the country. Some 15% have earned Master’s degrees and MD degrees, as well as many have become multi-skilled on sister health professions as nursing, radiography.

“We’ve an incredible shortage in respiratory therapists nationally and regionally—and with such a high percentage of the American population having heart or lung disease, we need competent, focused providers in cardiopulmonary sciences,” DiPietro said.

The program requires intense focus, learner self-respect and self-discipline to complete the program’s professional requirements. In addition to DiPietro who serves as program director, other educators in the program include: Mark Mustard as the director of clinical education; Jim Tolbert as the coordinator of the WCC Satellite; and Cathy Blevins who serves as a part-time instructor at WCC . “Add up all our years in the profession and teaching and it is equivalent to 125 years of experience in giving the breath of life,” DiPietro said, “and that’s incredible, too.”

For further information about the program, contact Dr. Joe DiPietro at 276.964.7306, or email him at Joe.DiPietro@sw.edu