Ozarks Technical Community College’s respiratory therapy program received the Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success Award from CoARC, the Committee of Accreditation for Respiratory Care. OTC respiratory therapy staff accepted the award during the American Association for Respiratory Care Summer Forum, held June 26, 2016, in Jacksonville, Fla.
Seventy-eight programs received the award this year. OTC’s respiratory therapy program is the only associate-level program — out of 358 programs in the country — to accept the award a record number of six times.
“OTC’s dedication to high-quality education and our outstanding respiratory therapy faculty made all of these awards possible,” said Dr. Aaron Light, program director. “Additionally, with the majority of our graduates staying in the Springfield area, the real winners are local patients who will benefit from our graduates’ excellent care.”
OTC respiratory therapy graduates account for approximately 185 of the 250 respiratory therapists employed in southwest Missouri. Most provide care for critically ill patients in adult, pediatric and neonatal areas.
“Our primary goal is to educate students so they can serve as outstanding clinicians when they graduate,” said Brandon Burk, director of clinical education. “That’s what our program is all about.”
To learn more about OTC’s respiratory therapy program, please contact Aaron Light at lighta@otc.edu or 417-447-8824.