UC Clermont Respiratory Care Students Win State Competition

UC Clermont College Respiratory Care students recently took first place in Ohio’s Sputum Bowl, held at the Annual Meeting for the Ohio Society for Respiratory Care in Columbus on July 27 and 28.

UC Clermont’s team competed against five other teams from colleges across the state of Ohio, answering questions that covered their academic and clinical knowledge, such as respiratory care treatments and life support interventions. Their final round was against Youngstown State, a four-year respiratory care program. The UC Clermont team consisted of Nick Soltau, Kara Evans, Brian Shipley and Dawn Jones. Their advisor is Assistant Professor Michael Mullarkey, academic coordinator for the college’s Respiratory Care program, and the team’s faculty coach is Jodi Kaminski, respiratory therapy instructor.

This year marks the second time a UC Clermont team has won the Sputum Bowl. The college also took first place in 2011. Winning the state competition qualifies the team to compete in the American Association for Respiratory Care National Championship in October.

“Having a winning team indicates that our students are prepared with medical knowledge in many areas,” Mullarkey said. “It is a tribute to their hard work and dedication that they were able to beat a four-year program in the final round. They are already preparing for the national competition.”  

Respiratory care is the evaluation, treatment and care of patients with breathing or cardiopulmonary disorders. Practicing under the direction of a physician, respiratory therapists assume primary responsibility for all therapeutic treatments and diagnostic procedures. Respiratory therapists also provide complex therapy requiring considerable independent judgment, such as caring for patients on life support in intensive-care units of hospitals.

For more information about the program, contact Michael Mullarkey at (513) 732-5298 or visit

www.ucclermont.edu/rt.html.