Stillwater Medical Center Donates $65,000 System to Autry

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASEContact: Mary Katherine Henley

January 9, 2015Media Relations Marketing Coordinator

(580) 242-2750, Ext. 226

STILLWATER MEDICAL CENTER DONATES $65,000 SYSTEM TO AUTRY

ENID,Okla.  Stillwater Medical Center donated a $65,000 body plethysmograph to Autry Technology Center’s respiratory care program.

“We’ve always had an excellent relationship with Stillwater Medical Center,” Dr. DerylGulliford, respiratory care instructor said. “We take care of each other, our graduates work there and they see the benefit of our program.”

When the medical center was able to upgrade their equipment, Patty Decker, director of pulmonary services at Stillwater Medical Center, requested that the old system be donated to Autry. Only one other technology center in the state has a body plethysmograph—Francis Tuttle in Edmond.

“Autry’s goalis to have any equipment our students might encounter in the field here for them to train on,” Gulliford said. “I would say that now that is pretty near 100 percent true for most respiratory therapy procedures.”

The enclosed system is used to measure the residual pressure in patients’ lungs to diagnose diseases like emphysema, pulmonary fibrosis and chronic bronchitis. Older machines used for the same purpose did not enclose the patient and were much less accurate.

“The patient most of the time comes in with shortness of breath,” Gulliford said. “This machine is used to get to the bottom of it.”

Respiratory care students at Autry have the opportunity to participate in clinicals at a variety of medical facilities, includingOU Medical Center, St. Mary’s Hospital, Integris Bass Hospital, Stillwater Medical Center, Mercy Hospital of Logan County, St. John Hospital of Tulsa, and Hillcrest Hospital of Tulsa.

“We continue to be the one of the best respiratory therapy programs in the state,” Gulliford said. “Every year we have the best results on our board exams.”

Graduates of this program have gone on to be employed at many hospitals in Oklahoma, Dallas, Witchita and even as far as South Carolina. Autry is the primary supply of trained respiratory therapists for both hospitals in Enid, St. Mary’s and Integris Bass.

Autry Technology Center has been a part of the Enid community since 1967 and is one of 29 CareerTech schools across Oklahoma. The center has more than 25 career programs and offers a wide variety of evening and weekend short-term courses and certifications for many diverse career fields. Autry serves nearly 13,000 individuals each year, including many area employees who receive training through the Business and Industry Services Department that works with over 500 local businesses each year.

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