Rowlett, TX - October 17, 2008 – Machines better known for helping people breathe easier in hospital intensive care units, are hitting the road on October 28, 2008 in an event being sponsored by the respiratory therapists from Tenet’s Lake Pointe Medical Center to raise money for local lung health issues.

Spearheaded by the American Respiratory Care Foundation (ARCF), the Ventilator 5K was officially launched last December at the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) International Respiratory Congress in Las Vegas, NV. Lake Pointe Medical Center’s event is one of hundreds that will be taking place all across the country over the course of the year.

“The goal is to give respiratory therapists a fun and productive way to raise funds that can then be applied to lung health concerns in their own communities,” says Michael T. Amato, BS, chair of the ARCF Board of Trustees.

“Mechanical ventilators literally breathe life back into people who cannot breath on their own. So we thought, what better machine to use in a fundraising event aimed at breathing new life into important projects that improve lung health right here in Rowlett, Texas,” says Rebecca Mikolai, Director of Cardiopulmonary at Lake Pointe Medical Center.

Ms. Mikolai says funds raised by the Lake Pointe Medical Center’s event will go to support LPMC’s local Better Breathing Club and to help launch an Asthma Education program to the local elementary schools in our community.

The 5K Ventilator race will kick off at noon at the Fire Wheel Mall. Each team will need to raise at least $500 in pledges.

“The objective is to push the ventilator five kilometers,” continues Rebecca Mikolai. “Each team consists of a crew chief and pit crew, which will take turns pushing the ventilator.”

The ARCF is tracking the events nationwide and will be awarding points for the most creatively decorated ventilator, best 5K course, most money raised, and other factors. Awards will be presented at the upcoming AARC International Respiratory Congress in Orlando, FL, this December.

Respiratory Therapists (RTs) are specially trained and licensed respiratory health care professionals assisting physicians in diagnosis, treatment, and management of respiratory diseases. RTs provide care in hospitals, outpatient centers, physicians’ offices, skilled nursing facilities, and patients’ homes.

The American Respiratory Care Foundation (ARCF) is a non-profit organization dedicated to furthering the art, science, quality, and technology of respiratory care. Specific activities of the Foundation include funding of clinical and economic research, scholarships, education activities, literary awards, and scholarly publications.

The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) is a not-for-profit, professional organization, consisting of 42,000 respiratory therapists, physicians, and other health care professionals. AARC is dedicated to assisting persons with respiratory diseases receive safe and effective respiratory care.

ABOUT LAKE POINTE MEDICAL CENTER

Lake Pointe Medical Center, a part of Tenet Healthcare Corporation, is a 112-bed acute care hospital located at 6800 Scenic Drive in Rowlett. Lake Pointe Medical Center has been serving the residents of Rockwall, Rowlett, Royse City and the surrounding communities since 1987. The hospital provides a wide spectrum of medical services, including an emergency department with Fast Track services, a 14-bed intensive care unit, women's services, a Level II Neonatal Nursery, diagnostic imaging, eight operating rooms and telemetry. Lake Pointe Medical Center also provides a number of specialty services, including cardiology and cardiac rehabilitation, vascular surgery, neurosurgery, neurology, orthopedics, gastroenterology, oncology, infectious disease, general surgery, spine surgery, thoracic surgery, ear nose and throat, pulmonary medicine, urology, obstetrics and gynecology, pediatrics and neonatal services. Lake Pointe also offers wound care, sleep medicine, physical, occupational and speech therapy as well as pulmonary rehabilitation. The Lake Pointe Imaging Centers in Forney and Rockwall provide extended imaging services to the community. The hospital is accredited by the Joint Commission on Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency, licensed by the state of Texas and certified for participation in the Medicare and Medicaid programs. To learn more about Lake Pointe Medical Center, visit www.lakepointemedical.com.