Respiratory Therapy Program Receives Second Distinguished Success Award
The Casper College Respiratory Therapy program, for the second year in a row, has been chosen by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care to receive the Distinguished RRT (registered respiratory therapist) Credentialing Success Award at the American Association for Respiratory Care’s Summer Forum in late June.
According to CoARC President Brad Leidich, the Casper College program is among a select group of programs to receive the recognition. “This award is presented as part of the CoARC’s continued efforts to value the RRT credential as a standard of professional achievement. From a program effectiveness perspective, the CoARC views the RRT credential as a measure of a program’s success in inspiring its graduates to achieve their highest educational and professional aspirations,” he said.
According to the group, the CoARC Board used objective criteria based on key accreditation metrics documented in the 2016 Annual Report of Current Status in selecting programs for this recognition. Programs awarded were required to: have three or more years of outcomes data; hold accreditation without a progress report; document RRT credentialing success of 90 percent or above; and meet or exceed established CoARC thresholds for certified respiratory therapist credentialing success, attrition, and positive (job) placement. “The CoARC extends its sincere congratulations to you, your faculty, students, and graduates for meeting these rigorous criteria,” said Leidich.
Dean for the Casper College School of Health Science, Tammy Frankland, noted that Doug Neubert, respiratory therapy program director, and Alexia Johnson Melling, respiratory therapy instructor, “are two of our finest faculty. They are here to serve students, and their results are powerful. Our respiratory therapy students graduate from one of the best programs in the country. Doug and Alexia should be commended for this achievement.”