Health Care Professionals Receive Airway Training

Monday, November 23, 2009

Contact Vanessa Molden - 601.266.4198   

Medical professionals from across the state of Mississippi and beyond received expert training in airway management during a day-long workshop held earlier this month at The University of Southern Mississippi.

Dr. William Rosenblatt, professor of anesthesiology and surgery at Yale University School of Medicine, directed the workshop which was sponsored by the Southern Miss Office of Professional Development and Educational Outreach (OPDEO). Those attending included doctors, nurse anesthetists, nurse practitioners, respiratory therapists, anesthesia residents and nursing students.

 Vanessa Molden, program promotions and communication manager at Southern Miss, said the OPDEO strives to provide services that will enhance training and education for workforce professionals.

“Prior to providing the airway management workshop here at Southern Miss there wasn’t a workshop of this nature offered in Mississippi,” said Molden. “Professionals had to travel to large metropolitan areas like Atlanta or Las Vegas, which adds to the cost of their training.”

For the past 10 years Rosenblatt has conducted airway management training throughout the United States and in five countries. In the seminars he stresses the importance of the decision making process coupled with the appropriate equipment and methods to ensure the best possible patient outcome.

“Airway management is the most critical skill in emergency medicine and poses one of the greatest challenges for emergency and critical care health professionals,” said Rosenblatt.

Molden said feedback from the participants was overwhelmingly positive. Part of the seminar involved soliciting comments and evaluations from the attendees about the entire program. Workshops such as these also allow Molden and fellow staffers with OPDEO to showcase the department’s capabilities.

“One of the biggest challenges faced by organizations is maintaining a well-trained workforce and the costs associated with it,” said Molden. “We recognize that we have a large healthcare and medical community, particularly from Hattiesburg to the Gulf Coast. We are always looking for ways we can assist individuals and organizations with professional development and training needs.”