If you are affected by respiratory illness, our 24/7 state-of-the-art Respiratory Therapy Department at Westerly Hospital specializes in treating you. Our professional respiratory therapists help you feel better and cope with chronic lung problems such as asthma, bronchitis, emphysema and COPD, as well as acute breathing problems associated with serious or life-threatening conditions such as traumatic injury, heart attack or stroke. Certified or Registered with the National Board of Respiratory care, and licensed by the state, our respiratory therapists are experts in managing life support devices, airway management, mechanical ventilation and other aspects of critical care medicine.
Westerly Hospital’s Respiratory Therapy Department additionally provides our physicians with accurate, timely and convenient diagnostic testing and treatments for the Hospital’s inpatients and outpatients including:
In collaboration with your physician, our respiratory therapists work one-on-one with you to develop a respiratory care plan that is best suited to your needs. To speak to a respiratory therapist, call 401-348-3251.
Patients may visit the pulmonary function laboratory when their doctor orders a pulmonary function test (PFT) to rule out various forms of lung disease including pulmonary fibrosis, emphysema, COPD, asthma and chronic bronchitis, or progression of a disease, or to monitor possible medication side effects on the lungs. Testing includes spirometry, diffusion capacity, thoracic gas volume, lung volumes, airway resistance and Methacholine challenge. To schedule a test call 401-348-3490.
Westerly Hospital’s Pulmonary Rehab program is a 9-week, 18 session medically monitored and supervised educational and individualized exercise program designed for patients with moderate to severe COPD, restrictive lung disease, or other lung conditions. The program’s goal is to improve the quality of life by better disease management and overall body conditioning. For more information, call the Pulmonary Rehab department at 401-348-3490.
Westerly Hospital's Respiratory Therapy Department offers a quarterly Tobacco Treatment Program held for eight consecutive weeks. The program is facilitated by our expert respiratory therapists and exercise physiologists, specially trained in tobacco treatment. The program provides counseling and a support group. There is no participation fee. For information on this program, contact Lisa Chatowsky, at 860-442-0711 ext. 2354.
