Orange Coast College’s Respiratory Care Program will be recognized on July 26 by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) for its credentialing success. The Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award will be presented at the CoARC Awards Ceremony in Palm Springs, and recognizes programs that meet or exceed criteria based on several accreditation metrics, including documented RRT (Registered Respiratory Therapist) credentialing success of 90 percent or above for the three reporting years 2018-2020.
In the state of California, graduates cannot obtain a license to practice Respiratory Care unless they have the RRT credential, and must take two separate credentialing exams in order to be licensed.
“I believe our program’s success in meeting the rigorous criteria set by the CoARC can be attributed to several factors: the positivity, strength, and professional depth of program faculty, the hard-working, motivated students, and our graduates who are prepared and confident in their knowledge and skills and eager to enter the professional workforce,” says Director of Respiratory Care Alison Riggio. “Our program’s success is also bolstered by the strong support of OCC and our amazing community clinical partners.”
OCC’s respiratory care program has longstanding ties to the local hospital community in Orange County, with many serving as clinical sites for Coast students earning their certificates and licenses to practice as respiratory care therapists. In March 2020, the College returned the support, by loaning several ventilators to Saddleback Memorial as the hospital experienced a shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic.
OCC’s Respiratory Care program is a two-year program that prepares students with the knowledge, skills and behaviors of respiratory care practice as performed by a Registered Respiratory Therapist. Students who complete the program are the healthcare professionals that evaluate, treat, and manage patients of all ages with respiratory illnesses and other cardiopulmonary disorders. One of the main responsibilities of OCC’s respiratory care graduates in the care of the critically ill patient is management of the ventilator (breathing machine).