Accrediting Organization Honors Respiratory Therapy

WINTERVILLE—The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) has recognized Pitt Community College’s Respiratory Therapy program with a Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) Credentialing Success Award.

The honor, which was announced in June, recognizes the program’s success with inspiring graduates to achieve their highest educational and professional aspirations. This is the fourth consecutive year PCC’s respiratory therapy program has earned the accolade.

“We are very honored to have received this prestigious award once again,” said PCC Respiratory Therapy Program Director Rusty Sugg. “Our success can be attributed to outstanding students, dedicated faculty, and clinical partners who provide needed resources that allow PCC’s Respiratory Therapy program to be the best it can be.”

Sugg says there is great demand for skilled respiratory therapists and graduates of PCC’s program are being highly-recruited by health care organizations throughout North Carolina to meet the need.

“Demand for respiratory therapists is the highest I have seen in almost 30 years,” he said. “Our program is preparing students for these important health care openings and will continue striving for excellence in doing so for many years to come.”

In selecting programs for credentialing recognition, CoARC utilized objective criteria based on key accreditation metrics outlined in its 2022 Annual Report of Current Status. PCC and this year’s other honorees were required to meet several rigorous standards, including an RRT success rate of 90 percent or better and meeting or exceeding established thresholds for Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination cut scores and retention.

Based in Telford, Tenn., CoARC’s primary responsibility is to accredit respiratory therapy programs based on their compliance with established accreditation standards. The Credentialing Success Award is part of the organization’s efforts to emphasize the RRT credential’s value as a standard of professional achievement.

The next accreditation review for PCC’s respiratory therapy program is scheduled to take place in 2025.

07/17/2023