According to the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC), there is only one accredited respiratory (RESP) care program in Hawaiʻi, and that program is at Kapiʻolani Community College.
Kapiʻolani CC’s RESP program recently received its ninth Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) Credentialing Success Award from CoARC. In addition, Kapiʻolani CC was only one of 26 programs out of 448 programs nationwide to receive a President’s Award for Excellence in Credentialing Success.
CoARC’s mission assures that “accreditation provides consumer protection and advances and enhances the profession of Respiratory Care, and protects against compromise of educational quality.” To emphasize this importance, CoARC began the distinguished awards program 10 years ago. Kapiʻolani CC is focused on the need to assist in delivering quality healthcare by providing an excellent program to the state of Hawaiʻi. Lisa Radak, dean of health academic programs, applauds the dedication of the RESP faculty.
“Program Director Bob Vega and colleagues Jung Eun Kim, Aaron Koseki and Ed Borza provide unwavering support to their students. Success is an integral part of their bonding,” Radak said.
According to CoARC president Pat Munzer, the CoARC Board used objective criteria based on key accreditation metrics documented in the 2020 Annual Report of Current Status. Programs were required to: (1) have three or more years of excellent outcomes data; (2) document RRT credentialing success of 100%; and (3) meet or exceed established CoARC accreditation thresholds.
Vega added that 100% of Kapiʻolani CC’s graduates have been certified and registered as RRTs since 2008.
“This past year was challenging because of the pandemic,” Vega said. “We therefore want to gratefully acknowledge each of our clinical affiliates whose efforts to help our students complete their clinical training were extraordinary.”
