Triton College Chair of Allied Health Selected for Prestigious Advisory Role
Dr. Peter Jaswilko Traveling to Ghana this May
RIVER GROVE, Ill. – Triton College’s chair of Allied Health, Dr. Peter Jaswilko, is stepping into an exciting role this spring. Selected as an Advisory Board Member for the Africa Respiratory Care Association (ARCA), he will travel to Ghana this May, expanding his impact on global healthcare.
As part of a global health mission, Dr. Jaswilko will collaborate with healthcare professionals and students to provide labor and delivery training initiatives through the programs Helping Mothers Survive Bleeding After Birth (HMS-PPH), Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) and Essential Care for Every Baby (ECEB).
Dr. Jaswilko is one of 22 respiratory therapists worldwide to hold all board certifications offered by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). He is also certified in Helping Mothers Survive Bleeding After Birth (HMS-PPH), Helping Babies Breathe (HBB) and Essential Care for Every Baby (ECEB). Additionally, he is a board certified Neonatal/Pediatric Specialist, Adult Critical Care Specialist and Sleep Disorders Specialist.
“I will be teaching OB-GYN and midwives the best techniques to help women during childbirth,” he said.
While in Ghana, his responsibilities will include training healthcare professionals in labor, delivery and postpartum hemorrhage management. Although this is not a traditional focus for respiratory therapists, he noted that the work will help expand global health opportunities within the field.
“Respiratory therapists are always present during labor and delivery,” he explained. “I wanted to take the additional training to be even more effective.”
During his visit, Dr. Jaswilko will work in both major hospitals and small clinics. Because Cesarean sections (C-sections) are often not an option in Ghana, he will train providers on how to save a mother’s life without surgical interventions.
Due to barriers within the healthcare system, many women in Africa lose their lives during childbirth, explained Dr. Jaswilko.
“We want to save lives,” he said. “The focus is on building sustainable skills and improving maternal and neonatal outcomes.”
In addition to labor and delivery training, Dr. Jaswilko will help newborns breathe after birth and teach breastfeeding and childcare techniques to mothers and healthcare professionals.
Dr. Jaswilko will also provide basic oral care education, purchasing 600 toothbrushes to support the effort. In addition, dental clinics and hospitals in McHenry County have generously donated another 200 toothbrushes. This initiative will be carried out in local schools across Ghana, focusing on the importance of oral health among children. The students traveling with Dr. Jaswilko will lead and facilitate the activities.
Bringing this experience back to Triton, Dr. Jaswilko hopes his respiratory care students gain a deeper understanding of global health disparities and the knowledge needed to support labor and delivery.
“I want our respiratory therapist and nursing students at Triton to take steps forward and get them excited,” he said. “I want them to be as prepared as possible. We’re making a difference.”
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Media Contacts: Melissa Ramirez Cooper | melissacooper@triton.edu | 708-456-0300, Ext. 3496
Maryann Dibari | maryanndibari@triton.edu | 708-456-0300, Ext. 3691
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