MTC Respiratory Therapy Program Awarded for Distinguished Credentialing Success

The Midlands Technical College (MTC) Respiratory Therapy program has been awarded the highest level of distinction by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), the accrediting agency for all Respiratory Care programs in the country. The Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success Award is presented to signature programs as a measure of the program’s success in preparing and inspiring its graduates to achieve their highest educational and professional aspirations.

“MTC’s Respiratory Care program has been putting top-quality therapists into the workforce for more than 40 years,” said MTC President Dr. Ronald L. Rhames. “This is a testament to the dedicated faculty who teach these life-saving skills, as well as the students and graduates who meet such rigorous criteria.”

This CoARC distinction is only given to Respiratory Care programs that meet the highest levels of key metrics, including a threshold of 90 percent of students passing their professional board exams.

For the past four years, MTC graduates have had a 100 percent pass rate on their board exams in their first attempt. The program also has 100 percent job placement for the past ten years.

“Our graduates are highly sought after in the local healthcare community,” said Eddie Jackson, the program’s director. “In addition to the 100 percent job placement rate, 100 percent of the employers who hire our graduates report they are happy with their performance.”

Respiratory Therapists are members of the highly technical life-support teams who help diagnose, treat, and rehabilitate individuals suffering from breathing deficiencies. The curriculum blends classroom, laboratory, and hospital experience. Much of the time is spent in supervised patient-care learning while working with physicians, nurses, respiratory therapists, and other members of the healthcare team at clinical sites.

“Respiratory Care is one of the most exciting and diversified careers in healthcare,” Jackson said. “As a Respiratory Therapist, you can choose from a variety of exhilarating workplaces such as emergency rooms, intensive care units, diagnostic laboratories, neonatal intensive care units, pulmonary rehabilitation, and transport programs. Outside of the hospital, graduates find employment in several settings including tobacco cessation programs, sleep diagnostics, physician’s offices, and home care.”

The U.S. Department of Bureau of Labor Statics projects the employment of respiratory therapists to grow 23 percent from 2016 to 2026, making many more employment opportunities for MTC graduates for years to come. Respiratory Therapists in the Midlands earn an average of $45,000 annually. More information on the college’s Respiratory Therapy program can be found here on MIDLANDSTECH.EDU.