Riverwood Healthcare Center welcomes Respiratory Therapist Erica Parmeter to its Respiratory Care team in Aitkin.
Parmeter brings over 20 years of experience in the medical field, including more than 13 years as a respiratory therapist. Her clinical background spans a wide range of specialties, including critical care in cardiac surgical OR and ICU (with experience in heart transplants), neuro ICU, pediatric ICU (PICU), medical ICU, and assisting in difficult neonatal care. She is certified in BLS, ACLS, PALS, and NRP, performs pulmonary function tests (PFTs), and is currently working toward her Registered Pulmonary Function Technologist (RPFT) certification.
Before joining Riverwood, Parmeter worked at Abbott Northwestern Hospital for nine years, serving as a charge therapist, preceptor for students and new hires, and High Reliability Organization (HRO) teacher. She then joined Cambridge Medical Center, where she managed the PFT lab, led equipment upgrades, and served on the safety committee. Most recently, she worked at St. Luke’s Hospital in Duluth, where she advocated for new protocols and procedures to help streamline respiratory care.
Parmeter shares “I truly love my job. I believe in advocating for my patients’ needs—whatever they may be.”
Her medical career began as a nursing assistant at St. Luke’s Hospital, where she worked in a variety of departments including oncology, hospice, ER, OR post-op observation, orthopedics, cardiac, rehab, pediatrics, and more.
Outside of work, Parmeter enjoys off grid living and a self-sufficient lifestyle. She and her husband—whom she’s known since junior high—recently celebrated their first wedding anniversary. Together, they share a blended family that includes twin daughters, age 27; a 16-year-old son; and two stepdaughters, ages 24 and 19.