Kerry Barnard Feature

Kerry Barnard’s family has suffered the heartbreak of heart disease.

He has lost many family members to the illness, including some who died suddenly at young ages.

“Heart disease is the number one killer and I definitely wanted to do something about that,” Barnard said.

During 22 years directing and supervising cardiopulmonary rehabilitation programs, Barnard has worked hard to help forward the field towards savings more lives.

Now, as an instructor at Bryant & Stratton College, Barnard is ensuring that generations of medical professionals after him will continue the fight.

Barnard teaches Medical Terminology, and Anatomy and Physiology.

“I have always worn two hats,” Barnard said of teaching. He has taught at several universities, both online and in a brick and mortar setting for the last 20 years. He said his time in the classroom is beneficial to both students and his own professional growth.

“I always want to keep sharp and one of the ways to do that is to teach those skills to others,” he said.

In his classroom Barnard said he strives to “bridge the gap” between what students learn in books and what they need to do in the clinic.

“I try to make the information we teach relevant to what they will need in their careers,” he said. “Everything in my curriculum is something they will use on a regular basis in the health care setting.

“That cannot be emphasized enough,” he said. “There is definitely a reason we teach these specific classes. They will rely heavily on the information we give them when they head out on their career path.”