Respiratory Care Program Receives Provisional Accreditation

The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) has granted provisional accreditation to Edison State Community College’s Respiratory Care program. This approval allows the College to admit its first class of up to 14 students into the program.

“We’re proud as a program to have the CoARC accreditation, which points to our level of commitment and quality of service that has been a staple of Edison State,” said Zeke Wiechart, Edison State Director of Respiratory Care. “We look forward to offering another career opportunity to our students and potential employees to our clinical partners.”

CoARC is the accrediting body for Respiratory Therapy programs across the country. The process of receiving provisional accreditation has been a yearlong endeavor, including a site visit from inspectors, as well as countless documents and action plans developed not only by Edison State but also by its clinical and community partners.

“The inspection went without a hitch. The members of the CoARC site visit team had nothing but good things to say about how the program was set up, the Edison State campus, and everyone involved with their site visit,” said Academic Coordinator of Clinical Education and Instructor of Respiratory Care Drew Dukes. “I’m beyond excited to start the program in January and to get new Edison State respiratory care graduates into the world! We hope to continually graduate respiratory therapists that Edison State will be proud of and offer a program that students are proud to be a part of.”

Edison State’s Respiratory Care program consists of sequential courses that require five consecutive terms to complete. Students will complete courses in classrooms and laboratories and gain clinical experiences that build skills and allow for the demonstration of proficiency in real-life settings.

Students participating in the Respiratory Care program will learn the use of treatment processes, ventilators, and other equipment that make respiratory therapists a valuable part of a patient’s care team. After completing the program, students will receive an Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Care and will be eligible to take the Respiratory Therapist Multiple-Choice (TMC) exam required for licensure as a Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT).

Learn more about Edison State’s Respiratory Care program at www.edisonohio.edu/health. For more information on the CoARC, visit www.coarc.com.