Q: Why doesn't Bakersfield have a long-term care facility for patients with respiratory problems considering Kern County had an increase in the number of patients with respiratory problems?

-- Arman Domingo

A: Bakersfield does not have a long-term care facility that solely treats respiratory problems because we don't have enough patients to support it, said Dr. Hans Einstein, renowned local physician and expert in respiratory conditions and valley fever.

"It's economics," Einstein said. "In order to make it economically viable, you have to have a large critical mass of people."

Los Angeles, which has a population of roughly 10 million, only has two such facilities including the Barlow Respiratory Hospital and Research Center, where Einstein has worked, he said.

Many of the most critical pulmonary patients in Kern County are transferred to those facilities.

Many local long-term care facilities bring in respiratory therapists to work with patients, said Sharon Borradori, program director of the Kern County branch of the American Lung Association.

The organization also offers monthly Better Breathers classes that focus on lifestyle changes for people with respiratory problems, she said.

Lessons include breathing techniques and "how to live without expending more breath than you have to."

For more information, call the local American Lung Association branch at 847-4700.

While it doesn't offer long-term care, the HealthSouth Bakersfield Rehabilitation Hospital offers rehabilitation for people with severe cases of diseases like asthma, emphysema, bronchitis and pneumonia, said Marla Bradley, registered respiratory therapist and supervisor at the facility.

Physicians refer patients to the facility, where they learn about their medicines, energy conservation and how to accomplish everyday activities while managing their conditions.