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Richard Wettstein | UT Health San Antonio

Contact

210-567-7966

wettstein@uthscsa.edu

Departments & Divisions

Richard Wettstein, MMEd, RRT, FAARC, FCCP

Associate Professor

Program Director

Associate Chair Department of Health Sciences

Since entering the health care field as a professional Richard Wettstein has had a passion to provide patients with the best respiratory care available anywhere. This naturally led him to become an educator to foster a new generation of professionals with a passion for excellent patient care and patient advocacy.

For more than 20 years he has been privileged to mentor students, medical residents and most recently junior faculty in becoming lifelong learners that provide only the best-evidence based medical care.

One of his greatest pleasures as the director of clinical education for our program is the testimonials regarding the skill, knowledge and professionalism of the graduates that he repeatedly encounters while visiting our clinical partners. The truly rewarding moments are when employers cannot offer enough praise for the graduates that were not academic stars but through encouragement and mentorship successfully completed the program and now provide care at the highest level.

He has now taught respiratory care in Canada, Saudi Arabia and the United States. Everywhere he travels he encounters graduates who have picked up the torch and now in their own positions of influence are promoting excellence in health care. This is what makes education such a fulfilling and enriching career.

  • Professional Background

    Education

    • 2009 - MEd - Medical Education - University of Dundee
    • 1993 - BS - Respiratory Therapy - Columbia Union College
    • 1991 - Certificate - Adult Education - University of New Brunswick
    • 1987 - DPL - Respiratory Therapy - Southern Alberta Institute of Technology

    Appointments

    • 8/2018 - Associate Chair for the Department of Health Sciences and Department of Health Sciences - UT Health San Antonio, Health Sciences, San Antonio
    • 6/2017 - Program Director and Responsible for all aspects of the Division of Respiratory Care, Reporting to the Chair of the Department of Health Sciences - UT Health (University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio), Health Sciences, San Antonio
    • 9/2013 - Associate Professor and Director of Admission (Dept. Respiratory Care) - UT Health Science Center, Respiratory Care, San Antonio
    • 9/2012 - Director of Admissions - UT Health Science Center, Respiratory Care, San Antonio

  • Instruction & Training

    • 1/2016 - Present, RESC 5031 Critical Care Mechanical Ventilation
    • 1/2016 - Present, RESC 5013 Management and Leadership in Health Professions
    • 7/2014 - Present, RESC 4010 Advanced Critical Care Management
    • 1/2013 - Present, RESC 3031 Critical Respiratory Care Management
    • 8/2001 - Present, Individual Instruction, UTHSCSA

  • Publications

      Abstract

      Alobaidi N, Wettstein RB, Ramirez E, Oliver B, Martinez A, Lakew R, Restrepo RD. Is APRV Set According to Current Recommendations for Adult Patients at a Large Regional Community Medical Center?: RC Journal; 2018 Oct. (RC Journal).

      Estrada R, Wettstein RB, Restrepo RD, Reyes L, Peters J. Pilot Study on Healthy Volunteers to Investigate the Implications of Expiratory Positive Airway Pressure Applied Via a Full-Face Mask on Capnographic Parameters and Subject Comfort Level: Copyright 2017 American College of Chest Physicians. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserve; 2017 Oct. (Chest; vol. 152, no. 4).

      Emily M Fischer, Richard B Wettstein, Steven Venticinque. THE IMPACT OF VARIATIONS IN BREATHING CIRCUIT LENGTH, PULMONARY COMPLIANCE, AND AIRWAY RESISTANCE ON DELIVERED TIDAL VOLUME USING THE DRAGER FABIUS? ANESTHESIA WORKSTATION: A BENCH STUDY; 2017 May. (International Anesthesia Research Society: IARS).

      Hand K, Wettstein RB, Gomez A, Guerrero D, Manassya K, Restrepo RD. ARE WE ROUTINELY USING A LUNG PROTECTIVE STRATEGY IN OUR MECHANICALLY VENTILATED PATIENTS WITHOUT ARDS?; 2015 Oct. (RC Journal).

      Hand K, Wettstein RB, Gardner DD. Measured fractional exhaled nitric oxide levels in elementary school children who have been diagnosed with asthma; 2014 Oct. (respiratory care; vol. 59, no. 10).

      Book Chapter

      Wettstein RB, Scanlan CL. Interpretation of Blood Gases. In: Wettstein RB, Scanlan CL. Wilkins' Clinical Assessment in Respiratory Care, 8 Ed. Canada: Elsevier Inc; 2017.

      Wettstein R, Restrepo R. Cardiac Output Measurement. In: Restrepo RD, Wettstein RB. Wilkins' Clinical Assessment in Respiratory Care, 8 ED. Canada: Elsevier Inc; 2017.

      Editorial

      Wettstein RB. Nasal Cycling Revisited Respiratory Care 2016 Apr;.

      Journal Article

      Wettstein RB, Gardner DD, Wiatrek S, Ramirez KE, Restrepo RD. Endotracheal cuff pressures in the PICU: Incidence of underinflation and overinflation Can J Respir Ther 2020 Jan;56:1-4.

      Gardner DD, Wettstein RB, Hart MK, Bhasin P, Tran K, Sanchez J, Restrepo RD. Using Standardized Patients as Part of a Preclinical Simulation Respiratory Care Education Annual Fall 2018 2018 Jul;27:43-55.

      Restrepo RD, Tate A, Gardner DD, Wittnebel L, Wettstein RB, Khusid F. Current approaches to the assessment and treatment of acute severe asthma Indian J Respir Care 2015 Jan;4(1):521-541.

      Restrepo RD, Hirst, KR, Wittnebel L, Wettstein RB. AARC Clinical Practice Guideline: Transcutaneous Monitoring of Carbon Dioxide and Oxygen: 2012 Respiratory Care 2012 Nov;57(11):1955-1962.

      Wettstein RB, Wilkins RL, Gardner DD, Restrepo RD. Critical-thinking ability in respiratory care students and its correlation with age, educational background, and performance on national board examinations Respiratory Care 2011 Mar;56(3):284-289.