There is high demand for respiratory therapists right now. We have far more retirements than graduates. It’s a great profession, and for a new graduate, the doors are wide open.
Respiratory Therapy students at Milwaukee Area Technical College are learning from the best.
Instructor Jessica George, who has taught at MATC since August 2024, was recently named the Wisconsin Respiratory Therapist of the Year.
She received the recognition in May at the 22nd annual North Regional Respiratory Care Conference, organized by the Wisconsin Society for Respiratory Care (WSRC) and the Minnesota Society for Respiratory Care.
George, who has served as manager for respiratory care at Froedtert Hospital since April 2020, was honored for her work with the American Association for Respiratory Care, for her teaching at MATC, for developing an internship program at Froedtert, and for mentoring young respiratory therapists.
She was nominated by three colleagues and selected by a WSRC committee.
“This is truly an honor, and I am humbled,” George said. “It means so much more when it comes from your peers. It’s touching.”
Respiratory therapists evaluate and treat people with lung and heart diseases in hospitals, diagnostic laboratories, rehabilitation facilities, clinics and home care settings.
For George, respiratory therapy is where the action is in healthcare. “It’s fast-paced. You are an expert on the heart and lungs,” she said. “You are at the head of the bed for every trauma and every emergency. You are the person who is always needed. The team leans on you.”
MATC’s Respiratory Therapy associate degree program prepares graduates to pass a state exam and obtain a license. George serves as an instructor for students during their eight-week clinical rotation assignments.
“There is high demand for respiratory therapists right now,” George said. “We have far more retirements than graduates. It’s a great profession, and for a new graduate, the doors are wide open.”
George started her career path at a technical college. She grew up in Oak Creek and started college at the University of Wisconsin in Madison. Her dream was to be a high school science teacher, but she pivoted to healthcare.
She enrolled at Madison Area Technical College and earned an associate degree in respiratory therapy in 2012. She later received a bachelor’s degree in respiratory care therapy from Boise State University, and a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Oklahoma State University, but appreciated her technical college experience.
“I really enjoyed the smaller, concentrated class sizes, the individualized attention, and the hands-on learning I received,” she said.
George started at Froedtert in June 2012. Before becoming a manager, she served as respiratory care education coordinator and respiratory care operations coordinator.
In 2019 she received a bachelor’s degree in respiratory care therapy from Boise State University. In 2022 she earned a master’s degree in healthcare administration from Oklahoma State University.
When MATC was looking for instructors, she decided to fulfill her dream of being a teacher. “For me, it was a slam dunk,” she said.
George has been a great addition to the college, said Dwayne Schlund, director of MATC’s program.
“She is an excellent role model, as well as an excellent educator, for our students,” Schlund said. “She exemplifies all of the traits we strive to promote within our students.”
Besides being honored as respiratory therapist of the year, George was also named president-elect of the WSRC. She will take over as president next year and serve a two-year term. As president, she hopes to develop a student chapter of the state association and create a student engagement program. She also would love to have potential respiratory therapist students shadow her. Anyone interested can contact George at georgj11@matc.edu.
“I want to try to help shape the profession on a state and national level,” she said.
Learn more about MATC’s Respiratory Therapy program
About MATC: Wisconsin’s largest technical college and one of the most diverse two-year institutions in the Midwest, Milwaukee Area Technical College is a key driver of southeastern Wisconsin’s economy and has provided innovative education in the region since 1912. More than 30,000 students per year attend the college’s four campuses and community-based sites or learn online. MATC offers affordable and accessible education and training opportunities that empower and transform lives in the community. The college offers more than 180 academic programs — many that prepare students for jobs immediately upon completion and others that provide transfer options leading to bachelor’s degrees with more than 40 four-year colleges and universities. Overwhelmingly, MATC graduates build careers and businesses in southeastern Wisconsin. The college is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission.