MARIETTA, OHIO (September 17, 2019)– Washington State College of Ohio (WSCO) is proud to announce that its Respiratory Therapy program has been awarded continued accreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC).
The re-accreditation, which recognizes the program’s compliance with the nationally established accreditation standards, was issued for 10 years, the maximum possible. The announcement followed a comprehensive self-study review and site visit in February, which included a two-day campus visit by CoARC representatives who interviewed employees, students, and community members.
Respiratory Therapy program director Dr. Rob Kinker said that the re-accreditation is an ideal time to draw attention to the employment opportunities in the respiratory therapy field, where both local and national forecasts show significant growth. In fact, the Bureau of Labor & Statistics projects employment for respiratory therapists to grow 23 percent from 2016 to 2026, which is more than three times the average rate for all occupations. Respiratory therapists are a critical part of healthcare teams, serving a wide range of ages from premature infants to the elderly. Because respiratory therapists treat a variety of cardiopulmonary illnesses, they can work in numerous areas including home-care, long-term care, intensive care units, emergency rooms, neonatal & pediatric hospitals, and sleep, and other diagnostic laboratories.
Washington State’s selective admission program provides hands-on courses and clinical placements that allow them to gain real-world experience. Post-graduation, alumni of the program continue to receive on-going support from the highly engaged faculty at WSCO. Nearly a decade after earning her degree, Andrea Greynolds, class of 2009 alumna and Respiratory Therapist in cardiac and pulmonary rehabilitation at Camden-Clark Hospital, said she still finds occasions to reach out for advice. “Rob Kinker has continued to be there even post-graduation. I know I can shoot him a question about anything and he’ll take the time to answer.”
The Respiratory Therapy program at Washington State is a two-year program that results in an Associate of Applied Science degree and provides eligibility for graduates to take the licensure exam.
