Respiratory Care Department Receives Accreditation

CONTACT: TOM BAXTER, EXT. 1354

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE 11/3/2003
(By Lisa Garrett)

PENDLETON --- Tri-County Technical College's Respiratory Care department recently garnered a perfect score and initial accreditation for three years from its national accrediting agency, the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).

In their report, on-site inspectors wrote that the department met the highest standards possible for its program and cited the self-study and student handbook as examples for other colleges to follow.

Accreditation is a three-year process, said Department Head Tom Baxter, beginning with a year-long self study followed by a two-day site visit from the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (COARC) who files a report and makes the recommendations to CAAHEP.

The Respiratory Care program prepares students to take care of patients with cardiac or respiratory diseases in hospitals, nursing homes, private homes and doctor's offices. Following graduation there is a licensure test a graduate must pass to be designated as a certified respiratory therapist. Students cannot take this exam unless they graduate from an accredited program. They also may take an optional two-part registry exam which increases their salary and employability, said Baxter, who has 30-plus years in education and as a respiratory care therapist.

Baxter says all of his 2003 graduates work in area hospitals in the ER, ICU, pediatrics, newborn ICU and the general floor and had multiple job offers prior to graduation.

When Tri-County opened its program three years ago, Respiratory Care was cited as one of the fastest growing professions. The U.S. Bureau of Labor and Statistics projected employment of respiratory therapists to increase faster than the average of all occupations through the year 2006. The need for respiratory therapists is expected to increase 42.6 percent from 1998 - 2006.

"I love working with students and seeing them develop into therapists," said Baxter. "It's invigorating to see a new group of enthusiastic students enter the program. It keeps me challenged to stay abreast of the changes in my profession," he said. Baxter serves as a site visitor for the accrediting agency, the Committee on Accreditation for Respiratory Care. He also is chair of the Educators Committee for the S.C. Society for Respiratory Care.

"We want our graduates to graduate with confidence and competence," he added. "Above all, someone entering the field must be a compassionate, people-oriented person who wants to make a difference in someone's life by improving his or her health."

For more information about the College's Respiratory Care program, contact Tom Baxter at 646-1354 or by e-mail at tbaxter@tctc.edu.
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