Lakeland's respiratory therapy program recently received the Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award

The Lakeland Community College respiratory therapy program has once again been selected by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) to receive the Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) Credentialing Success Award.

The award was recently presented as part of CoARC's continued efforts to value the RRT as a standard of professional achievement. This is the fourth year in a row that Lakeland’s program has been recognized.

CoARC 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 RRT credential must be submitted as part of the application for licensure to work as a respiratory therapist in the state of Ohio.

The CoARC board used objective criteria based on key accreditation metrics to select programs for the Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award. Among these were maintaining an RRT credentialing success of 90% or above among Lakeland's respiratory therapy graduates for the past three years.

In 2020 and 2021, Lakeland’s program was recognized by CoARC to receive the Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award. In 2022, the program was one of only 23 programs nationwide that were honored with CoARC’s President’s Award for Credentialing Success, the highest achievable award given by the commission.

Lakeland’s department is led by Catherine Kenny, Ph.D., RRT, director and professor of respiratory therapy, and David Goswick, RRT, associate professor and director for clinical education.

“As a current advisory board member, as well as a Lakeland graduate from the respiratory therapy program, I couldn't be more excited for Dr. Kenny to be recognized with CoARC’s distinguished award,” said Lorena Deyman, RRT, manager of cardiopulmonary/respiratory therapy for Cleveland Clinic's Hillcrest and Mentor hospitals.

Dr. Kenny has been teaching respiratory therapy at Lakeland since 1983, serving as director of clinical education and then program director since 1992. Prior to Lakeland she served in roles including research, diagnostics and clinical education. After 40 years of service to students and dedication to developing them into future health care professionals, she is retiring in August 2023. Goswick will assume the role of program director for respiratory therapy upon her retirement.

ABOUT LAKELAND’S RESPIRATORY THERAPY PROGRAM

Respiratory therapy students learn to help people of all ages – from newborns to elderly – who have heart and lung diseases. The program leads to an Associate of Applied Science degree and is completed in just five semesters; students are then eligible to sit for the national registered respiratory therapist exam. Lakeland's respiratory therapy program accepts a new cohort of students each fall. For more information, contact David Goswick, RRT, associate professor of respiratory therapy, at dgoswick1@lakelandcc.edu or 440.525.7181.

Students may opt for dual enrollment with Ursuline College. With this, courses are taken concurrently with both Lakeland and Ursuline programs, saving students time and thousands of dollars tuition toward a Bachelor of Science in respiratory care (BSRC). Beginning fall 2023, Ursuline’s BSRC will be available through Lakeland’s Holden University Center – creating a seamless transition from an associate degree to a bachelor’s – the industry standard by 2030. For more information about dual enrollment, students should contact an academic counselor.

By: Kerry Ann Jonke, Asst Director Market & Communi