To help foster a greater learning experience for respiratory therapy (RT) students, Dräger donated 12 V-Series ventilators to respiratory therapy schools in the US during AARC 2017, October 4-7, 2017, in Indianapolis.

“The company is honored to provide the latest mechanical ventilation technology to RT professionals, who are critical to the future of healthcare,” the company said in a press announcement.

RT students at 12 institutions can now train on modern Dräger ventilators, which are well-known around the world for quality and reliability, the company noted.

The RT programs were: Arkansas State University, Blessing-Rieman College of Nursing & Health Sciences, Jefferson College of Health Sciences, Laurel Business Institute, Louisiana State University (LSU), Manchester Community College, Middle Georgia State University, Midwestern State University, Palm Beach State College, Salt Lake Community College and St. Catherine’s University.

A twelfth ventilator was donated to Lone Star College-Kingman after Hurricane Harvey destroyed the cardiopulmonary teaching lab in the Houston area.

Hospitals face enormous challenges attracting qualified RTs to meet the increasing demands of an aging population and an evolving healthcare marketplace. Demands on institutions of higher learning that offer respiratory care education are on the frontlines of training the next generation of dedicated respiratory professionals. Key to preparing new RTs is the ability to provide advanced training on modern-day mechanical ventilators within a simulated lab setting.

“As a corporate partner of AARC, and a company dedicated to life-saving technologies, Dräger takes pride in its corporate and social responsibilities,” said Ed Coombs, MA, RRT-NPS, ACCS, FAARC, director of marketing for Intensive Care, Draeger, Inc. “By providing leading innovations in respiratory care to the next generation of RT professionals, we hope to play a part in improving patient outcomes while maintaining cost effectiveness.”

More information is available on the Dräger website.