Columbia Basin College’s intention to offer a new bachelor’s of applied science degree in respiratory therapy as early as fall 2025 is a breath of fresh air for Tri-City area hospitals.

The college recently received approval for the new degree from the State Board of Community and Technical Colleges and is now awaiting approval from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care, said Elizabeth Burtner, CBC’s assistant vice president for marketing and research. The college expects to welcome an initial cohort of 18 students in the fall.

That’s welcome news to Michelle Twomey, manager of the step-down unit and respiratory therapy at Kadlec Regional Medical Center in Richland. The expanding presence of such specialists in caring for patients of all ages across various acute and chronic illnesses and conditions has made them critical in recent years.

“They touch nearly every patient in our hospital,” Twomey said.

Respiratory therapists are specialized health care providers that support patients using ventilators and other respiratory therapy equipment, which includes those diagnosed with everything from asthma and emphysema to sleep apnea and Covid-19.

Previously largely unknown, the Covid-19 pandemic thrust the profession, and the shortage of providers, into the limelight as countless people were placed on ventilators as part of their treatment.

“The providers really look to them to weigh in on critical situations,” Twomey said.

Despite the recent attention, Twomey says many still don’t know about the importance of respiratory therapists. During career outreach events at Tri-City high schools, she says most students say they thought the health care professionals overseeing ventilators and providing related care were doctors or nurses.

And that’s partly what led CBC to seek the new degree pathway.

“Local health care providers have reported ongoing challenges in recruiting qualified respiratory therapists, with many existing professionals nearing retirement,” Burtner said in a statement.

It would be the first time in 30 years that people could train as respiratory therapists in the Tri-Cities. The struggle to find qualified staff led Kadlec to start a hybrid program with Spokane Community College in 2023 to train two prospective respiratory therapists per year, supported by scholarships from the Foundations at Kadlec. The first two graduates of that program will have their degrees in December.

But a CBC program being available would open the opportunity for the hospital to redirect its respiratory therapist recruitment efforts locally.

“We partner with CBC with so many things and have such a great relationship that we’re so excited for this new program,” said Emily Volland, Kadlec’s spokeswoman.

And Twomey says she may have one of the new program’s first students already waiting in the wings.

“We actually had a Tri-Tech student who came and did a job shadow,” Twomey said. “She’s since told us that she’s changing her focus to pursue becoming (a respiratory therapist).”