New faculty spotlight: Lisa Fuchs, EdD

Lisa Fuchs, EdD is the inaugural director of the Master of Respiratory Care Program at UNMC.

Name: Lisa Fuchs, EdD

Hometown: Nebraska City, Nebraska

Title and department at UNMC: Associate professor and director of the Master of Respiratory Care Program in the UNMC College of Allied Health Professions

Previous positions:

• Director of AS & BSRT Respiratory Care Program at Nebraska Methodist College
• Certification as a tobacco treatment specialist at Mayo Clinic
• Certification as a health and wellbeing Coach at Wellesley College

Professional and medical interests:

• Lung cancer
• Emphysema
• Interstitial lung disease
• Environmental air control pollution
• Tobacco disease and cessation
• Vaping and adolescent experimenting leading to tobacco use
• Palliative care and end of life
• Telemedicine and Case Management

How I fell in love with respiratory care:

I grew up in a small town, and my father set up an appointment to meet with a respiratory therapist at the local hospital. She was compassionate with her patients, and they trusted her care. I met a patient who was an elderly lady; her room was full of flowers. I said: “You must have countless people that love you.” The RT quietly smiled as the patient said, “I send them to myself, as I have no one.” The RT was her extended family. I love to take care of people of all ages and soon pursued a college visit to Kearney State College and enrolled in the RT program. Education is a gift; I often volunteer in the community to support the profession and educate on pulmonary disease and treatment. A respiratory therapist can serve as an advocate on so many levels, with developing policy, always looking out and growing scope of practice and finally working as part of an interprofessional team to provide the best care for patients.

Education:

• EdD in education and leadership, Nebraska Methodist College
• Master of Healthcare Administration, Bellevue University
• Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management, Bellevue University
• Associate of Science in Respiratory Care, Midland College

Memberships:

• American Association of Respiratory Care
• Nebraska Society for Respiratory Care
• National Board of Respiratory Care
• American Lung Association
• Wellesley College Wellcoaches
• The Coalition for Baccalaureate and Graduate Respiratory Therapy Education

Three things people may not know about me:

• I love to read British thrillers, such as Lucy Foley and Ruth Ware.
• I love to eat at small, local family-owned restaurants.
• I was the first girl to play on a class B boys tennis team in high school.