Advanced Care Hospital of Southern New Mexico is the first hospital in New Mexico to have earned The Joint Commission’s Gold Seal of Approval for Respiratory Failure. We are proud to be a “Center of Excellence” for all respiratory failure patients, including those who require prolonged ventilator management and weaning.

Respiratory failure occurs when there isn’t enough oxygen passing from the lungs into the body’s blood stream to help the body’s organs – such as the heart and brain – function properly. We treat numerous medical, surgical, or traumatic conditions that can potentially result in respiratory failure, including:

• Chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD)
• Pneumonia
• Acute respiratory distress syndrome (ARDS)
• Other medical or surgical complications that require prolonged mechanical ventilation
• Interstitial lung disease and other pulmonary diseases that require high-flow oxygen
• Conditions that affect the nerves and muscles that control breathing such as stroke, spinal cord injuries, and muscular dystrophy

To achieve the best possible results for our patients, we utilize best practices and evidence-based clinical practice guidelines. These include:

• Prolonged mechanical ventilation
• Mechanical ventilation weaning
• Patient nutritional requirements
• Patient positioning program
• Sleep/wake cycle
• Pharmacy guidelines
• Case management guidelines
• Early mobility guidelines and pathways

By implementing these guidelines into our respiratory failure program, we’ve been able to improve how quickly and safely we can wean patients from ventilators. These guidelines also help us successfully prevent hospital-acquired wounds and pressure ulcers. In addition, family involvement also is promoted in conjunction with the clinical practice guidelines. It is key to a patient’s recovery process, helping to increase the chance that patients will be discharged back to home.