Palm Beach State College unveils expanded Respiratory Care Lab to strengthen workforce training

Palm Beach State College celebrated the opening of its expanded Respiratory Care Clinical Laboratory on Friday, Dec. 5, during a ribbon-cutting ceremony at the College’s Palm Beach Gardens campus. The upgraded facility in the Phillip D. Lewis Center will enhance clinical training opportunities for students entering one of the region’s most in-demand allied health professions.

Faculty, students, alumni, and community partners attended the event alongside U.S. Congresswoman Lois Frankel, who helped secure $700,000 in federal funding for the project in 2022.

“Projects like this and the work that is being done at PBSC make me proud to be a member of Congress,” said Congresswoman Frankel. “This lab provides not only additional space but the hands-on training and tools so that students can go into a fabulous profession that will not only allow them to provide for themselves and their families but significantly improve the health of our community.”

The newly expanded clinical lab now spans 2,372 square feet, complemented by a renovated 1,162-square-foot classroom. The original lab was 1,306 square feet.

Frankel also highlighted the program’s remarkable record of job placement since its founding. “Since the Respiratory Care Program began at Palm Beach State in 1990, every student graduate has obtained a job,” she said. “How many programs can brag like that?”

Program Chair Nancy Latimer, who has taught in the program for the last 25 years, underscored the significance of the renovation. “The program had not been expanded or modernized since it began, so these updates were needed,” Latimer said. “The larger space provides future students and faculty with the room and resources they need to perfect their clinical simulation skills before transitioning to a hospital setting.”

Among the attendees were five current PBSC respiratory therapy students preparing to graduate in May. Anthonette Thompson, one of the students, noted how the expanded lab bridges academic learning with real-world practice.

“The lab includes ventilators, oxygen delivery systems and other diagnostic tools that will bridge the gap between classroom theory and clinical practice,” Thompson said. “This practical area will allow future respiratory therapists to develop critical skills in patient assessment, equipment troubleshooting and emergency response before entering a real clinical setting.”

PBSC President Ava L. Parker, J.D., praised the project’s impact on the College’s mission to meet the workforce needs of area healthcare systems.

“Our hospitals and health care providers need skilled respiratory therapists now more than ever,” said Parker. “Thanks to this expansion, PBSC is answering that call. We’re not just training students—we are preparing life savers who will make a difference in our community every single day.”

Graduates of PBSC’s Associate in Science degree in Respiratory Care program are eligible for licensure as Registered Respiratory Therapists. The program is recognized by the American Medical Association and accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. 

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