Stafford joined the Cardiopulmonary Services team at Prairie Ridge Health in 1989. As a Respiratory Therapist, she is responsible for performing assessments designed to gather data relevant to the patient’s individual respiratory care needs, developing a plan of care, implementing the plan, providing treatment and diagnostic services, organizing care and evaluation of effectiveness of the treatment/care provided. She is also responsible for patient, family, and staff education as it relates to pulmonary health, and provides community education by leading smoking cessation classes based on the American Cancer Society curriculum.

In addition Stafford has participated in the American Cancer Society Relay for Life as a team captain, school presentations, community health fairs, informational programs on the radio, provides job shadow experience for high school students, and serves as the PRH representative on the RWHC roundtable for respiratory therapists, sharing and learning about best practices and innovations in the industry to improve respiratory health of patients in the rural areas of the state

Incorporated in 1979, the Rural Wisconsin Health Cooperative receives national recognition as one of the country's earliest and most successful models for networking among rural hospitals. RWHC serves as a catalyst for regional collaboration and as an aggres­sive, creative force on behalf of rural communi­ties and rural health. Owned and operated by 29 acute, medical-surgical hospitals, RWHC offers its members a wide range of shared services that meet local community health needs, including: staffing, consulting, management, networking and education. Prairie Ridge Health is an active member of RWHC; their employees support the shared mission of “strengthening and sustaining rural health”.