CSC launches Respiratory Care Partnership with Nebraska Methodist College

Dr. Wendy Waugh, Dean of the School of Business, Mathematics and Science, said one major advantage of the partnership is that students will not need to leave Chadron to complete the degrees. Students can complete clinicals at Chadron Community Hospital, the Gordon Hospital, or Box Butte General Hospital in Alliance. If students would like to, they can blend rural clinicals with the Methodist Health System, as well as clinical sites in Omaha. 

“Students will have the opportunity to gain specialized training in a health care field experiencing rapid growth. Students can begin now. In fact, we are hopeful that some of our current Health Sciences majors might choose to participate immediately,” Waugh said.

CSC students who declare a Health Sciences major will be advised by Dr. Ann Buchmann regarding the courses to complete the CSC degree program. The 3+1 partnership requires students to apply at Nebraska Methodist College Respiratory Program their sophomore year. 

After three years of CSC courses, students will take a blend of CSC courses and NMC Respiratory Profession courses advised by Dr. Lisa Fuchs, NMC Program Director. Students may take online courses if they choose to stay at CSC and attend clinical in their own community. Once students earn an Associate of Science they are prepared to sit for the national respiratory exam and become a Registered Respiratory Therapist.

Fuchs, Waugh, and former CSC Vice President for Academic Affairs Dr. Charles Snare collaborated for more than a year to develop the program.  

Fuchs said the demand for respiratory therapists results in students receiving job offers several months before they graduate. 

“There are opportunities for advancement. Respiratory Therapists can be travelers like nurses. Some health care organizations are offering a $5,000 to $15,000 sign-on bonus, and you can choose where you want to go. It’s good to know there’s a path to move forward,” Fuchs said. “There will be a demand for respiratory therapists to study the after effects and long-term effects of COVID-19 in patients, as well as research.”  

Dr. Megan Schuckman, a Chadron physician who completed the Rural Health Opportunities Program (RHOP) at CSC, said respiratory therapists possess a special skill set that is in high demand. 

“There is a shortage of respiratory therapists especially in rural areas. The pandemic has made it glaringly apparent that they are necessary in rural Nebraska. Respiratory Therapy is an integral arm of our health care team that often gets overlooked. They’ve always been important and never more so than now,” Schuckman said. 

Schuckman said some COVID-19 survivors lose some lung function and respiratory therapists are the ideal professionals to help these patients.  

Dr. Adam Wells, a 2006 CSC graduate and RHOP participant, is the Co-Medical Director of the NMC Respiratory Care Program.  

“I think this new program is an exceptional opportunity for future students to pursue and it is a tremendous honor to be able to help give back to the area, community, and school that helped launch my career. I am excited to help the future generation of healthcare providers also launch theirs,” Wells said. “I received exceptional instruction, guidance, and mentorship. When starting professional school, I felt ahead of the curve in comparison to my peers thanks to the preparation I had received during my time at Chadron State.” 

The Omaha-based Nebraska Methodist College of Nursing and Allied Health - The Josie Harper Campus is a private health professions institution that teaches The Meaning of Care through its certificate, undergraduate, and graduate degree programs, both on campus and online

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