BREATHE-SD Project and SDSU Respiratory Care program at HRMC

Respiratory Care is a specialized field of healthcare focused on providing treatment for patients suffering from cardiac and pulmonary diseases. Respiratory therapists assess patients for lung and breathing disorders and provide a variety of care related to cardiopulmonary diseases and breathing.

• Analyzes breath sounds, measures vital signs, draws blood to determine oxygenation and ventilation status
• Manages ventilators and artificial airway devices
• Develops and manages care plans
• Collaborates with other healthcare professionals to design treatment plans
• Consults with physicians to recommend therapy changes
• Educates patients and families
• Assesses patients for lung and breathing disorders
• Performs diagnostic cardiopulmonary testing

Respiratory Therapists don't just work in hospitals, they are also found performing cares in Long term care facilities, in Home Care, clinics, Sleep Labs, Pulmonary Function labs and pulmonary rehabilitation programs.

SDSU Respiratory Care Program

SDSU Instructor of Respiratory Care, Ranae Phinney, 
students, Anna and Zoey and SDSU adjunct faculty
and director of RT at HRMC,Mike Strubel
in the BREATHE-SD lab at HRMC

The South Dakota State University (SDSU) Respiratory Care Program at HRMC is currently accepting applications for new students for the 2025 program year, beginning in May 2025. 

Now is a great time to become a respiratory therapist. From 2021 to 2031, the respiratory care profession is expected to grow by 14%, with around 9,400 job openings projected each year. A number of sign-on bonuses, sponsorships, and scholarships are available, including the BREATHE-SD scholarship, which covers half of tuition for respiratory care students interested in working in rural areas. The BREATHE-SD grant-funded project is offering half-tuition paid to students in their professional year who choose to participate in the rural clinical sites of Huron, Madison or Brookings.

Those interested can contact Marissa Trosen, MPH, RRT, Interim Program Director, for more information at marissa.trosen@sdstate.edu or 605-333-6477. Click here to learn more: https://www.sdstate.edu/allied-and-population-health/community-practice-innovation-center/breathe-sd

BREATHE-SD

One component of the BREATHE-SD grant is bringing SDSU's Respiratory Care education to rural communities by establishing three new rural clinical sites in Huron, Madison and Brookings in addition to the already existing Sioux Falls and Rapid City clinical sites.

Students in their professional year of the Respiratory Care program (second year) will attend lecture via zoom, perform hands-on lab and clinical rotations all at the clinical site of their choice. Students in all clinical sites will join lecture via zoom being delivered by instructors from any of the clinical sites.Students in the rural clinical sites will receive the same experiences as those students in the larger facilities, as well as the same number of critical care shifts as students in the larger facilities. While most of the students' time is spent in their local community there will be minimal travel for experiences in the large facilities for critical care shifts.

Respiratory therapists provide a much-needed service to their communities. Once students complete their associate degree, they are ready to work in their communities as respiratory therapists. If students wish to continue their education in the program, they may continue to take online classes to obtain their bachelor's degree in respiratory care.

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Meet Our BREATHE-SD Team

Ranae Phinney

Ranae is a Registered Respiratory Therapist and Registered Polysomnogram Sleep Technologist from Mitchell, SD. Ranae has 30 years as an RRT; 20 years as a RPSGT, and has worked both in a large metro hospital facility as well as most of her years in a small rural hospital. She joined SDSU as a Clinical Instructor for the Respiratory Care program in May 2023 as part of the BREATHE-SD grant.

Mike Strubel

Mike is a Registered Respiratory Therapist from Huron, SD and is adjunct faculty with the SDSU Respiratory Care program. Mike is also the director of respiratory therapy at Huron Regional Medical Center. Mike is a volunteer firefighter and is invested in the heath of the community in which he lives.