Cleveland Clinic, well known for its contributions to medical science, innovative therapeutics and medical education, offers an exciting work environment for respiratory therapists. Cleveland Clinic respiratory therapists are considered part of a team whose practice model exemplifies unbounded collaboration between services. The Department of Cardiothoracic Anesthesia’s (CTA) respiratory therapists partner with the Institute's critical care medicine physicians, anesthesiologists, surgeons, certified nurse practitioners and nurses to deliver world-class care and service to all Cleveland Clinic perioperative patients in need.
CTA respiratory therapists are given a unique opportunity to work almost exclusively in an intensive care setting, which includes a 76-bed cardiovascular intensive care unit (CVICU), one of the largest of its kind in the country, and a 40-bed surgical intensive care unit (SICU), plus 55 adult post-anesthesia care unit (PACU) beds and 10 pediatric PACU beds. The CVICU supports more than 18,000 patient days per year. Our intensivist staff are board-certified critical care physicians and anesthesiologists. They provide daily clinical management in the CVICUs for patients requiring ventilatory support, sedation, nutrition and monitoring.
The SICU averages 9,000 patient days per year. It is overseen by staff anesthesiologists who are board-certified in anesthesiology and critical care medicine. They provide specialty services to patients recovering from surgery with acute postoperative management needs, or those with post operative complications. Our SICU intensivist staff also support critical care units at our regional locations throughout Northeast Ohio.