 September 26, 2005
Ketchikan, Alaska - August's Employee of the Month at Ketchikan General Hospital was ten-year employee Ronnie Walker, Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT). Walker describes Respiratory Therapy as "a rewarding, recession-proof career where you can start working in two years." She states "not all RTs work in hospitals, but what all RTs do is help people breathe easier." A day in the life of an RT might include managing therapy to help patients recover lung function; monitoring artificial ventilation and airway devices for patients who can't breathe normally on their own; cardiac testing including EKGs, stress testing and electro-encephalograms (EEGs). There are approximately 115,000 RTs in the United States, and the demand is growing. " I really enjoy my career and hope that others will hear about what I do and consider becoming an RT," Walker said. September's Employee of the Month is Betty Schill, Physical Therapist. The co-worker who nominated her stated "Excellence in customer service in a spirit of compassion is her primary focus in her almost four years as a KGH employee." Six years of university study, the last three years in the physical therapy program and clinical rotations, were required to prepare for this position. Schill's job includes evaluating patients that are referred by their physicians for musculoskeletal, wound, or neurological diagnoses. "I work with the patient to discover what deficits are affecting their daily life. Then I provide treatment including manual therapy, postural or ergonomic (proper body mechanics) training, pain relief techniques, and exercise to resolve the problem or find alternate methods to deal with it," she stated. Her current focus is imbalance disorders and vertigo, helping people recover from dizziness or improve their walking safety. The award of Employee of the
Month at KGH recognizes those who regularly go above and beyond
what is required, to provide high quality service to patients,
visitors and co-workers. Source of News & Photographs:
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