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Respiratory Services

Program Overview

Respiratory (breathing) services are delivered through the Therapies Department, which also includes physical, occupational and speech therapy, and cardiac-related services. Respiratory services include the Asthma/COPD (Chronic Obstructive Pulmonary Disease) Clinic, pulmonary rehabilitation, diagnostic lung function tests, invasive and non-invasive ventilation, bronchodilator therapy, and lung expansion therapy.

Asthma/COPD Clinic

This outpatient clinic teaches symptom-management skills to area residents who suffer from asthma, emphysema and other pulmonary disorders. By offering patients education and training, the clinic helps people develop, and carry through on, consistent management plans that will help them reduce their discomfort and health risks.

The clinic teaches patients about symptom triggers; how to use equipment such as inhalers, spacers and peak flow meters; medication interactions; the importance of staying on a consistent regimen; and how to gain an awareness of symptoms that require attention. Patients may come back to the clinic as many times as necessary for them to understand their disorder and feel comfortable dealing with it.

Data compiled by the clinic since 1996 show that emergency room visits, hospital admits and hospital days are significantly lower in respiratory-disorder patients who participate in the clinic than for those who do not. Clinic staff attribute this decline to the extensive time and education given to each patient and to the unlimited opportunities for follow up visits.

Patients enter the program through physician referral.

Pulmonary Rehabilitation

A two-phase program, this outpatient service offers education and training for those with lung diseases, including emphysema and chronic bronchitis. Patients enter the program through physician referral.

Phase 1, typically six to eight sessions, focuses on education and training to understand and enhance care of lung disease. Phase 2 is an ongoing exercise and conditioning program that follows Phase 1.

An on-going support group, "Better Breathers," meets monthly. This support group is open to anyone with chronic lung disease.

Smoke Free: A Community Education Class

To register, click on Health Info and Classes, or call (541) 451-7177.

For those who desire to be free from tobacco, this five-class smoking cessation program offers support in a small-group environment. It provides skills to conquer the urge to smoke, tools to build new healthy habits, and tips to find and change triggers. Classes begin the first Wednesday of each month and run from 7 to 8:30 p.m. The cost is $109, which includes an audiotape and a workbook. The class is covered by the Oregon Health Plan through InterCommunity Health Network (IHN) and some insurance carriers. Scholarships are available based on need.

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