Pictured left to right training on the new equipment: Chris Godber, Dee Nelson and Mike Simmons, Registered Respiratory Therapists at Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf

PORT ST. JOE, Fla. – Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf is pleased to announce the recent addition of pulmonary function testing. This diagnostic tool is commonly used to diagnose lung diseases, measure the severity of lung problems, and measure how well treatment for a lung disease is working.

Pulmonary function tests evaluate how well a patient’s lungs work by determining how much air the lungs can hold, how quickly air can move into and out of the lungs, and how well the lungs support putting oxygen into the blood. To capture the best results, patients breathe into and out of a special mouthpiece while sitting comfortably in a sealed, clear box that looks like a telephone booth. A registered respiratory therapist guides the patient through the diagnostic exam, explaining when to breathe normally and when to breathe more forcefully. 

 “Patients used to have to leave the community to receive pulmonary function tests, which would take up to half the day,” said Ruthie Rhodes, Respiratory Therapy Manager. “It is our privilege to offer these services closer to home now.”

Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf is a 25-bed hospital that opened its doors to patient care on March 15. The new hospital features 24-hour emergency services, inpatient services, surgical services, a full complement of diagnostic and laboratory services, and a helipad to be used by Sacred Heart's regional air ambulance service to provide rapid transport for trauma or critically ill patients.

Pulmonary function tests are availably by appointment, and a physician’s order is required for the procedure. For more information about pulmonary function testing, please call the Respiratory Therapy Department at Sacred Heart at (850) 229-5677 or the Scheduling Department at (850) 229-5802. For more information about Sacred Heart Hospital on the Gulf, visit www.sacredheartonthegulf.org.

###