We can’t say enough about the efforts of healthcare professionals during the COVID-19 pandemic- from the doctors and nurses tending the ICU, to staff in long-term care facilities, and of course to pharmacists now vaccinating patients. But if there’s a group of professionals that might get a little lost in the shuffle, it’s respiratory therapists. While it’s a given that respiratory therapists would play an important role in fighting a respiratory disease, what might not be so apparent is just how deeply the counsel and comfort of a respiratory therapist is woven into patient care.

Senior respiratory therapist Judy Tomayko from Diamond Medical Supply joins us to discuss the effect of the pandemic on her past year in the profession. She shares her experiences with improvising oxygen care for nursing facilities, infection control, workarounds for home visits, and much more. And we also talk about the positives to come out of the pandemic, including for the respiratory care field at large.