UPJ Respiratory Care Program

03/22/2022

✨ Alumni Spotlight ✨

Isabella (Ruixue) Xu is a 2020 graduate from Pitt-Johnstown, who graduated with her Associate of Science Degree in Respiratory Care and Bachelor of Science Degree in Healthcare Management and Supervision. Isabella attended Pittsburgh main campus for a Master's of Public Health (health policy and management). She currently works at Philips as a patient support specialist. She recalls her favorite memory at UPJ being her clinical rotation in the NICU. Isabella thinks Kurt and Terri influenced her the most at UPJ. She shared that Kurt, "is hilarious!"

Overall, Isabella thinks UPJ gave her a solid foundation of healthcare knowledge and the important clinical experiences for pushing her to step into the healthcare field and pursue a higher level of education. Isabella's advice for current respiratory students is to be passionate and to be prepared! For new therapists entering the work field, she thinks you should focus on practicing your skills and listening.

Thank you, Isabella for sharing your experience in the Respiratory Care Program!

03/19/2022

Pulmonary Rehabilitation week is celebrated from March 13th to March 19th. Pulmonary rehabilitation helps to educate patients with chronic lung diseases, help improve their physical conditions, and develop the best plan of care. Patients are able to focus on improving their health by targeting physical exercise in a group setting and becoming educated on their diseases. RTs help these patients along their journey and are credited with keeping patients healthy and out of acute care settings. For more information on how to become involved, please visit the link by the AARC below.
https://www.aarc.org/week-celebrate-pulmonary-rehabilitation/

02/28/2022

✨ Alumni Spotlight ✨

Meet Jennifer Roxby, a 2021 graduate from Pitt-Johnstown! Jen graduated with an Associate of Science Degree in Respiratory Care and is currently working on a Bachelor of Science Degree in Healthcare Management and Supervision here at UPJ. Jen hopes to attend graduate school in the future. She currently works at WVU Medicine at J.W. Ruby Memorial Hospital.

Jen's favorite memory while being a student in the respiratory program is Bruce's school bus analogies while learning about gas exchange and blood flow. Terri Price and Angie Stiffey influenced her the most.

Jen states that UPJ gave her a strong base of knowledge and understanding to feel confident and is able to build upon this. She wants current students to not be afraid to do more at clinical and make connections with people. For new therapists entering the work field, her advice to you is that people are going to have your back and help you learn and grow when first starting out and don't be afraid to ask questions!

Thank you, Jen, for all that you do and sharing your point of view!

02/23/2022

Did you know you can work towards a Bachelor of Science Degree in Healthcare Management and Supervision (BHMS) while obtaining your Associate of Science Degree in Respiratory Care?

UPJ enables you to graduate with two degrees in four years, and the BHMS is a great stepping stone for graduate school, such as a Masters in Health Administration, Masters in Business Administration, and Physician Assistant. You are able to graduate from UPJ to take your boards and obtain your RRT, but with the BHMS, the opportunities are endless! Our classes are also very flexible, as we offer night classes and utilize the affiliation agreement with Pennsylvania Highlands Community College (PHCC) to fill in any gaps that arise.

Do you know someone who may be interested in the BHMS? UPJ is able to take any Associate Degree in a healthcare-related profession (radiology technician, MBC, RT, ST, histo tech, etc.) and can accept as many credits as possible for the student (up to 48 credits)! If you are or anyone you know is interested, please feel free to contact the Allied Health Department at UPJ using the phone number below!
(814) 269 - 2960

02/07/2022

✨ Alumni Spotlight ✨

Meet Andrew Paros, who graduated in 2020 from UPJ with a Bachelor of Science Degree in Healthcare Administration and an Associate of Science Degree in Respiratory Care! Andrew currently works at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center. His favorite memory from clinical was his first rotation for critical care. He believes Terri Price, a previous clinical instructor, influenced him most during his time at UPJ.

Andrew said, "UPJ prepared me for real world situations that no book could provide an answer to. It helped not only by giving me clinical experience but being able to critically think and problem solve as well." Andrew's advice to current students would be to make connections with the places they attend clinical. He said, "a staff member at one of the facilities might just be your coworker one day." For new therapists entering the workforce, Andrew wants you to know that it may be a little overwhelming at first, but don't be afraid to ask questions when you're unsure of something, and senior staff can be a great resource. He wants you to remember that everyone used to be a new hire at some point.

Thanks, Andrew, for all of the hard work you do and sharing with our fellow students!

01/26/2022

Last week, our second year respiratory students prepped for their next clinical rotation in the NICU at Conemaugh Memorial Medical Center! They learned about fetal circulation, APGAR, the neonatal resuscitation algorithm, and many other other topics about neonates. 👶🏻 Alumni, do you remember when you learned this for the first time?

01/16/2022

The AARC just released a new initiative called Be An RT in hopes to reach the next generation of respiratory therapists! Be sure to check the website and share with others that may be more interested in learning about what a respiratory therapist is and how to get there!
https://be-an-rt.org/

11/30/2021

Help keep up with the demand by studying to become a Registered Respiratory Therapist!

Retirements are outpacing growth in . More than 92,000 RTs will leave by 2030, and the industry must retain more than 155,000 RTs to keep up with demand. Join us in our shared partnership to reverse the trend: https://bit.ly/3zYIWQR

11/15/2021

Are you interested in learning more about the respiratory care program? Message us to hear more!

Our program helps to prepare students in order to pass their boards through the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC). We go to various clinical locations to acquire real-life experience. We offer an Associate’s Degree in Respiratory Care, and students can obtain their Bachelor’s Degree in Healthcare Management and Supervision (all within 4 years)!