Skip to Content

Sarah Bush Lincoln Alerts

Respiratory Therapy Services

Pulmonology Clinic in The Heart Center
1000 Health Center Drive • Entrance H
Mattoon, IL 61938
217-238-4960

Hours:
8 am to 4:30 pm
Monday through Thursday
8 am to 4 pm – Friday

Inpatient Respiratory Therapy
1000 Health Center Drive
Mattoon, IL 61938
217-238-2560

What is a respiratory therapist?

A respiratory therapist (RT) is a specially trained healthcare provider. They help treat and restore function for people with airway and breathing problems. They assess and treat people with many conditions, including:

  • COPD
  • Asthma
  • Pulmonary Fibrosis
  • Congestive Heart Failure
  • Pneumonia
  • RTs are also present in the nursery and pediatric floors to help manage various respiratory conditions

RTs help people understand their medical condition and how to cope with it. They also show them how to take medicines correctly. They may give people medicines through a nebulizer or an inhaler. They also help people to use equipment, such as:

  • Tracheostomy tube. This is a special type of breathing tube that is put in through the neck. It's for people unable to breathe through their mouth and nose.
  • Ventilator. This is a machine that breathes for people who can't breathe on their own due to certain conditions, such as spinal cord injuries.
  • CPAP/BiPAP. These machines are often used to treat conditions like sleep apnea and shortness of breath.
  • Bronchial hygiene therapies. These therapies help people clear secretions and keep the lungs clean.