Walking into the far-reaching corners of the Anderson Justice Center one will encounter more than just criminal justice classes.

The respiratory therapy program at Missouri Southern offers an entry-level associate of science degree program, an advanced-level upper-division certificate program, as well a an advanced-level, upper-division program for those who have previously graduated from an entry-level program.

Clinton Hudson, director of clinical education, said respiratory therapy students from Southern’s program often go straight to medical positions after graduating.

“Mt. Vernon (Missouri Rehabilitation Center) hired five [students] full-time and four of them were our students right out of school,” Hudson said.

Respiratory therapy students learn medical basics such as proper hand washing, drawing blood and reading EKGs (electrocardiogram) as well as therapies used in the respiratory field to go on to work in hospitals, nursing homes and medical clinics.

“My daughters both have a lot of medical problems and if I can understand that, I can help them better,” said Kim Manning, sophomore student of respiratory therapy (SRT).

The “highly competitive” respiratory program also sends students of campus to do numerous clinical sessions after having passed all competencies tests in the classroom. Students visit hospitals all around the four-state area such as St. Johns Regional Medical Center, Freeman Health System, McCune Brooks Hospital, Cox Health Systems and others.

With a new health center on the horizon, the respiratory therapy program said it can look forward to getting out of its little corner of the Anderson Justice Center.