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Respiratory Therapy Program Receives National Award

‘Ville receives Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success Award.

Not many know that Millersville University’s (MU) Respiratory Therapy program is one of the longest continuously accredited Respiratory Care schools in the nation. Initially started in 1963 with a training course, this program has since transformed into a concentration in the Biology and Allied Health Technology majors.

Most recently, this program received the Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) Credentialing Success Award from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). This award is evaluated through three or more years of outcomes data, documented RRT credentialing success of 90 percent or above and by meeting or exceeding established CoARC thresholds for success, retention and graduation rates.

MU’s program went above and beyond in these evaluations, achieving a pass rate of 96.7 percent. By comparison, the national average is 75.1 percent. Even more impressive, the RRT pass rate in the state of Pennsylvania is 65.4 percent.

“It is an honor to receive the Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care,” said Elaine Chrissos, program director. “Of over 430 programs, only 17 percent have achieved this recognition and the Millersville University Program in Respiratory Therapy has achieved this honor annually.”

The success of the program is a multifaceted effort between faculty and sponsors, Chrissos said. Students complete all requirements for a bachelor’s degree and prerequisite courses in the Math and Sciences prior to acceptance into the professional phase of the program.The administration and its consortium, UPMC, work behind the scenes to provide students with an environment conducive to learning in the classroom, lab and clinical areas. The Program Director and Director of Clinical Education are both graduates of the program and very invested in the overall success of the program and its graduates, Chrissos said.

UPMC has aided in providing classroom facilities, lab facilities and hospitals for clinical rotations that students get to utilize. By being able to learn general floor therapy early in their program, students are able to quickly advance to critical care practice. The hands-on experience has proved successful to MU’s program.

For more information on MU’s Respiratory Therapy Program, please visit: https://www.millersville.edu/programs/respiratory-therapy.php

 

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