Respiratory Care Program Meeting Critical Local Need

Eastern Florida State College is accepting students into its Respiratory Care Therapist program to meet a critical need for new healthcare workers to help battle the COVID-19 pandemic.

Students will study in the college’s state-of-the-art Health Sciences Institute on the Melbourne campus while earning an Associate in Science Degree in the program.

Respiratory Care Therapists perform airway and pulmonary procedures to help patients breathe. They are on the front lines of the pandemic because the virus attacks the lungs along with other organs.

“There’s a significant demand in our area hospitals. I can’t graduate students fast enough. They have no trouble securing a position,” said Joe Helme, an Assistant Professor of Allied Health.

Normally, therapists would earn $25 an hour. Now, they are earning $80-$100 an hour, said Helme. He added the need for new therapists will remain great even if the pandemic ebbs because many are leaving the profession or retiring.

“This is a very rewarding career because therapists help save lives. They’re heroes,” said Helme.

The application deadline is June 1, 2022. The program’s next new class will start in August 2022 and graduate in December 2023.

Visit the program's web section for more information and details on how to apply.

For more information, contact EFSC health science advisors at (321) 433-7575.

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