At the time of this writing, I have been a respiratory therapist for over 40 years. I relocated from Adrian Michigan to South Florida in 1972 to attend Broward College to study respiratory therapy technology. From the time I graduated in 1974 until today, I have served as a staff therapist, shift supervisor, assistant director, and technical director for various cardiopulmonary services in South Florida. As a clinical therapist, I have worked in adult, pediatric, and neonatal intensive care units. I have been an instructor for pulmonary function technology in a collegiate respiratory therapy program and I have been an instructor for mechanical ventilation for critical care transport programs. Thanks to the patience and coaching from my editor and publisher, this book has been brought to press. I sincerely hope you find reading it worth your time, and that the information it contains might help you protect yourself and those you love while under the care of medical professionals.
