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Lakeland Community College Respiratory Therapy program receives Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award

The Lakeland Community College Respiratory Therapy Program is among a select group of programs that have been recognized by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care to receive the Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist Credentialing Success Award.

The commission, headquartered in Bedford, Texas, accredits degree-granting programs in respiratory care throughout the country that have “undergone a rigorous process of voluntary peer review and have met or exceeded the minimum accreditation standards as set by the professional association.”

The award is presented as part of the commission’s continued efforts to value the Registered Respiratory Therapist credential as a standard of professional achievement, officials noted.

According to the commission, the success of Lakeland’s Respiratory Therapy program is measured by inspiring its graduates to achieve high educational and professional goals.

The department is led by Catherine Kenny, director and professor of respiratory therapy at Lakeland.

“I am so proud of our graduates and the respiratory community in Cleveland,” she said. “Cleveland therapists have a long history of leadership in the field of respiratory care and Lakeland’s program graduates hold many managerial and supervisory positions throughout the area.

“Therapists have worked extremely hard in the care of patients during this pandemic which has brought light to our services and the role we play in healthcare,” she added. “It is an honor to work with the professionals that have graduated from Lakeland’s program and to have watched their careers grow.”

Kenny has been at Lakeland since 1983 serving as director of clinical education and then program director since 1992.

She earned her doctorate degree at Kent State University and both her master’s and bachelor’s degrees from Cleveland State University. She later earned her graduate certificate from the University of Chicago in respiratory therapy.

Prior to Lakeland she served in roles including research, diagnostics and clinical education.

Respiratory therapists work in a variety of clinical settings to treat patients with heart and lung diseases.

The commission’s board used objective criteria based on key accreditation metrics to select programs for the recognition. Among these were maintaining an RRT credentialing success of 90 percent or above among Lakeland’s respiratory therapy graduates for the past three years.

Lakeland’s Respiratory Therapy program is currently accepting new students.

“My wish with each graduating class is that they serve their patients and employers well and are happy with their career choice,” Kenny said. “Our program award reflects the dedication of our clinical partners and preceptors, faculty and students.”

The state of Ohio and the Ohio Department of Higher Education recently awarded Lakeland a Choose Ohio First grant to provide scholarships to students in the critical field of health care.

Students in who enroll in Lakeland’s Respiratory Therapy program may be eligible.

Details on how to apply will be available in the coming weeks.

Fall semester begins Aug. 21.

For more information to register, contact counseling@lakelandcc.edu.