Mission Statement

     The Department of Cardiorespiratory Care strives toward fresh approaches to courses in the program.  Emphasis is placed on producing graduates to function as professionals in various venues wherein the practice of respiratory therapy occurs.  The Department strives to broaden the scope of practice by teaching students certain components of cardiovascular technology.
 

The Department encourages and challenges students to develop critical-thinking and decision-making to improve their marketability and job security.  First and foremost, however, the Department fosters these skills to improve patient care.

The Department attempts to create an atmosphere wherein faculty can achieve their potential as scholars and teachers.  The faculty are encouraged to mold future direction of the Department in response to changes occurring in health care delivery.

William Wojciechowski, MS, RRT,
Chairman and Associate Professor

I am as excited about this program today as I was 27 years ago when I arrived here to start this program.  I am genuinely excited about the profession of respiratory therapy itself.  The profession offers numerous rewards and challenges.

What excites me about our baccalaureate degree program is how our faculty and clinical affiliates help our graduates reap the rewards and meet the challenges of respiratory therapy.

Employers from around the United States seek our graduates.  This high degree of marketability helps our graduates achieve their academic and career goals.  We are proud to have such sought-after graduates. 

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Since this program began in 1980, we have had a commitment to excellence. Over the years, many of our graduates have moved on to leadership positions in respiratory care and many other related fields of endeavor.

I enjoy working with our students. I enjoy working with all of the faculty in the program. We are all committed to providing quality education in the classroom, in the laboratory, and at the clinical sites. Students seeking an exciting health care career through an established and successful program should consider us.

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Students interested in a career in respiratory therapy should apply to this program because the program faculty are among the best in the country, and because our program provides a very broad opportunity within and outside respiratory therapy. The faculty have a combined experience of nearly 100 years - providing a depth and breadth of material in basic science, intensive respiratory care, neonatal respiratory care and cardiac care unheard of in many other programs.

Graduates of our program are prepared to practice respiratory therapy as advanced practitioners and as invasive and noninvasive cardiovascular technologists. Graduates may use their baccalaureate degree in Cardiorespiratory Sciences to gain entry into physician assistant studies, medical or graduate school, business, or education if they choose.

As one of the faculty members, I am committed to the profession, the program and the students. When my students are doing well, it is a positive reflection to me, so I have every reason to work for and with my students to assured their success. My goal is to be a role model for the graduates of the program so they too will enjoy the fruits of their labor and their status in this growing and prospering profession.

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I believe that students who are interested in a career in respiratory therapy can get an excellent, well-rounded, practical, and enduring education experience in this field by attending the bachelor’s degree program in Cardiorespiratory Care Sciences at the University of South Alabama. The faculty have broad yet deep experience in all aspects of the field and are recognized nationally as leaders in the academic realm.

The resulting depth of education and clinical experiences offered to the student carries a real impact when the student leaves the college life and launches into the health care work force. Students from previous classes have proved themselves to be valuable, successful, flexible, and well-prepared in the workplace. Several graduates have applied themselves to educational goals beyond respiratory therapy and are now managing hospital, operating home health businesses, practicing as physicians and physician assistants, or teaching in respiratory therapy programs.

I believe that respiratory therapists make a difference by having a caring compassionate approach, while working with patients who are on sophisticated life-support machines and monitors. Our students learn how to handle emergencies along with routine care, prioritize and organize their clinical assignments, perform research activities, work with patients of all ages, create a resume, and function as part of today’s healthcare team.

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The faculty of this program are dedicated to teaching and have strong academic credentials. Also, the problem-based curriculum is well suited for highly motivated students.

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Part of my deep respect for the clinical aspects involved in cardiorespiratory care results from personal experience with my brother-in-law who has ALS. He has been ventilator-dependent for over six years and his daily care at the Vencor Hospital in Louisville, KY, involves the expertise of respiratory therapists. The dedication and skill of the RTs I have watched over the years continues to inspire and motivate me as a teacher of future respiratory therapists.

My academic background includes the biochemical aspects of cardiovascular physiology and pathophysiology and I have taught in USA’s Cardiorespiratory Care Program for six years. At USA, the Cardiorespiratory Care Program offers students the opportunity to interact with faculty from diversified clinical backgrounds. Consequently, the extensive clinical experience of our faculty, blended with basic science expertise, provides a comprehensive and up-to-date program in cardiorespiratory education.

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