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External Review and Accreditation

An advisory committee has been organized in accordance with the guidelines CoARC. Individuals comprising this committee consist of two program directors of current respiratory therapy programs, two physicians, four clinical managers of respiratory care departments from local hospitals, an associate dean from UVU’s College of Science and Health, and one professor from the Department of Biology. Each is listed below.

Debbie Forbush M.S. RRT Program Director of Dixie State University’s Respiratory Therapy Program

Stephen Minton M.D. Neonatologist, Medical Director Neonatal Intensive Care, Utah Valley Hospital

Matthew Sperry M.D. Pulmonologist, Medical Director of Respiratory Care (RC), Utah Valley Hospital

Kevin Wilkinson M.S.RRT Manager, Department of Respiratory Care at Timpanogos Regional Hospital

Kirk Topham RRT Manager, Department of Respiratory Care at Mountain View Hospital

Gordon Lassen, RRT Manager, Neonatal and Pediatric Division of RC, Intermountain South Region

James Hamilton, RRT Manager, Adult Division of RC, Utah Valley and Orem Community Hospitals

Robert Guenter, RRT Clinical Educator, Utah Valley Hospital, Adjunct professor, Weber’s Satellite

Jason Slack Ph.D. Associate Dean, College of Science and Health, Utah Valley University

Mark Bracken Ph.D. RRT Associate Professor, Department of Biology, Utah Valley University
Paul Eberle and Debbie Forbush bring their expertise and experience in the CoARC accreditation process and curriculum development. Each of the other members of the advisory committee is a stake holder in the program as a future employer of graduates of the proposed program. They will be instrumental in forming clinical rotation agreements with UVU’s Respiratory Therapy Program. Those from Utah Valley Hospital have been supervisors of the instructors and curriculum delivery of the current Weber satellite program. Those same instructors will be recruited to teach in the proposed Respiratory Therapy Program of UVU. The entire advisory committee is also charged with producing two self-studies required by CoARC for accreditation purposes.
UVU is in the process of applying for approval from CoARC for provisional accreditation to begin an entry-level program of respiratory care. Even with the transfer of a standing program from Weber to UVU, the Respiratory Therapy Program at UVU must apply as a new program. Once provisional status is granted, continuing accreditation is awarded based on the pass rates of the first three graduating cohorts from the new program. Submission of the Letter of Intent will be sent to CoARC for the January 20^th deadline. Approval is anticipated in March 2017. At this time a program director must be hired to organize the clinical agreements and prepare a Provisional Accreditation Self Study Report (PSSR).
The majority of the following paragraphs are taken directly from CoARC’s website on the policies of the national program accrediting agency.

“The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) accredits entry into Respiratory Care Professional Practice degree programs at the associate, baccalaureate, and master’s degree level in the United States.” “The accreditation process is voluntary and is initiated only at the request of an institution that meets the criteria for sponsorship as identified in CoARC Standards.” “CoARC conducts a comprehensive review of the program relative to these Standards. Accreditation decisions are based on the CoARC’s review of information contained in the accreditation application and self-study report, the report of site visit evaluation teams, the annual report, and any additional requested reports or documents submitted. Programs that have successfully undergone the review process are granted accreditation status by the CoARC, which provides public recognition of achievement. The CoARC delegates to its commissioners the responsibility for assuring that accreditation actions follow fair procedures and comply with the accreditation Standards. The CoARC has final decision-making authority for all accreditation actions.”

Provisional Accreditation:
“This status signifies that a program that has been granted an Approval of Intent and has

demonstrated sufficient compliance to initiate a program in accordance with the

Accreditation Self Study Report (PSSR), completion of an initial on-site visit, and other

documentation required by the CoARC. The conferral of provisional accreditation

denotes a new program that has made significant progress towards meeting the

CoARC approved 11-21-2015 Standards of Accreditation. The program will remain on provisional accreditation until achieving continuing accreditation.”
Continuing Accreditation:
“Continuing accreditation is conferred when 1) an established, currently accredited

program demonstrates continued compliance with the Standards following submission

of a continuing self-study report and completion of an on-site visit, or 2) a program

holding provisional accreditation has demonstrated compliance with the Standards

during the provisional accreditation period. Continuing accreditation remains in effect

until the program withdraws from the accreditation process or until accreditation is

withdrawn for failure to comply with the Standards.”
Students who successfully graduate from an accredited program are permitted to sit for the

credentialing exam offered by the National Board of Respiratory Care (NBRC), the credentialing arm of the American Association of Respiratory Care. Once credentialed, the student can then enter employment as a registered respiratory therapist and is eligible for licensure as a registered respiratory therapist under the Utah Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing.