Brooke Stanford is a respiratory therapist at OSF HealthCare Sacred Heart Medical Center in Danville.
Brooke Stanford
JENNIFER BAILEY
[email protected]
As the employees go to and
from their shifts at OSF
HealthCare Sacred Heart
Medical Center in Danville,
they’ve been greeted with colorful signs
these past several months declaring the
community’s grateful support for these
essential workers and everyday heroes.
One of these hospital employees is
38-year-old respiratory therapist Brooke
Stanford of Danville.
22 OUR COMMUNITY 2020
She’s been a respiratory therapist for
16 years.
“We deal with the lungs, obviously,”
she said.
Patients can breathe easier with respiratory
therapy services.
Respiratory therapy is the treatment of
lung disease and other acute and chronic
conditions of the pulmonary system.
Stanford is equipped to treat patients
of all ages who require respiratory interventions.
Respiratory therapy conditions treated
include: acute respiratory failure; asthma;
PHOTO PROVIDED
Respiratory therapist helps people breathe
COPD (chronic obstructive pulmonary
disease), such as chronic bronchitis and
emphysema; carbon monoxide poisoning;
chronic cough; dyspnea (shortness of
breath); and pulmonary fibrosis (scarred
lungs).
A therapist can help patients return
to normal breathing levels. They work to
pinpoint environmental issues that contribute
to breathing issues. They also provide
education, motivation and rehabilitation
to help manage and maintain a person’s
breathing levels on a long-term basis.
“I knew I wanted to do something in