Respiratory Care Program Receives Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award

Manchester, Conn. (July 15, 2016) – Manchester Community College has received the Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) Credentialing Success Award from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). MCC’s program is one of the few programs in New England to receive this recognition.

Professor Nancy LaRoche-Shovak, who serves as program director, and Professor Kerry McNiven, who serves as clinical director, recently accepted the award at the American Association for Respiratory Care’s Summer Forum in Ponte Vedra Beach, Fla. The award recognizes MCC’s superb pass rate on the RRT credentialing exam, which averaged 94 percent last year. The national average is 70 percent.

The award is an endorsement of the MCC program, according to LaRoche-Shovak. “We have very experienced clinical and classroom instructors, and we have great clinical sites like Hartford Hospital,” she said. “This award really shows the quality of the program our students are getting.”

McNiven added, “It’s very exciting to receive this award. The hard work put into the program has paid off.”

MCC’s program also has 100 percent job placement after certification for the past year. Alumni have landed employment at Hartford Hospital, St. Francis Hospital and Medical Center, Connecticut Children’s Medical Center, Massachusetts General Hospital, Johns Hopkins Hospital and other prestigious medical providers.

The CoARC Board uses objective criteria based on key accreditation metrics documented in the 2015 Annual Report of Current Status in selecting programs for this recognition. Programs awarded were required to have three or more years of outcomes data, hold accreditation without a progress report, document RRT credentialing success of 90 percent or above, and meet or exceed established CoARC thresholds for certified respiratory therapist credentialing success, attrition, and positive job placement.