Please choose the type of recognition you are seeking:
Enrollment and Recertification Period:
January 1–March 31, 2008
CLOSEDThe purpose of this program is to help consumers make choices about their health care by recognizing hospitals that promote patient safety by providing access to respiratory therapists to deliver their care.
The AARC maintains and publishes a database of hospitals that meet the following requirements. This list is posted on our web site for consumers, YourLungHealth.org.
The requirements for participating in the program are:
- All respiratory therapists employed by the hospital to deliver bedside respiratory care services are either legally recognized by the state as competent to provide respiratory care services or hold the CRT or RRT credential.
- Respiratory therapists are available 24 hours.
- Other personnel qualified to perform specific respiratory procedures and the amount of supervision required for personnel to carry out specific procedures must be designated in writing.
- A doctor of medicine or osteopathy is designated as medical director of respiratory care services.
From January 1, 2007 until March 31, 2007, hospitals can recertify or make application to enroll in this program. Those hospitals that are eligible for recertification have been sent a letter in the mail.
First-time Enrollment
To enroll in the program for the first time, have your hospital CEO read the following letter and fill out the form. Please mail it back to the AARC at: AARC—QRCR, 9425 N. MacArthur Blvd. Suite 100, Irving TX 75063.
Hospital/Acute Care Letter
Hospital/Acute Care FormAdobe Acrobat Reader is required
Enrollment and Recertification Period:
January 1–March 31, 2008
CLOSEDThe criteria for inclusion in the DME/HHA QRCR program are:
- All respiratory therapists employed by the DME/Home Health Agency to deliver home respiratory therapy services are either legally recognized by the state as competent to provide respiratory therapy services or hold the CRT or RRT credential.
- Respiratory therapists are available to patients 24 hours every day.
- Other personnel qualified to perform specific respiratory therapy procedures, and the amount of supervision required for them to perform these specific procedures, must be designated in writing.
- The DME/Home Health Agency must be accredited by a nationally recognized, third party accreditation organization.
The AARC will maintain a database of DMEs and HHAs that earn the QRCR designation on its consumer web site, YourLungHealth.org. Qualifying DMEs and HHAs will also receive a certificate of recognition from the AARC and a press release they can use to publicize their inclusion in the program to their local media.
To enroll, have your company CEO read the informational letter and fill out the form, then mail the form to the AARC at: AARC—DME/HHA QRCR, 9425 N. MacArthur Blvd. Suite 100, Irving TX 75063.
Home Care Letter
Home Care FormAdobe Acrobat Reader is required
Enrollment and Recertification Period:
January 1–March 31, 2008
CLOSED
This program is open to skilled nursing facilities, long-term acute care hospitals, and other long-term care facilities that promote patient safety by providing access to respiratory therapists to deliver their care.
The requirements for participating in the LTC program are:
- All respiratory therapists who are employed or contracted by the long term care facility to deliver bedside respiratory care services are either legally recognized by the state as competent to provide respiratory care services or hold the CRT or RRT credential in non-licensed states.
- All respiratory therapy employees must have completed background checks.
- For routine care and patient assessment, respiratory therapists are available 24 hours a day.
- Respiratory therapists provide patient assessments and make clinical recommendations regarding the service needs and plan of care for the respiratory-impaired residents to respective physicians.
- A policy and procedure manual that is reviewed annually and addresses the provision of respiratory care and services is available at the facility.
- A competency-based training program shall be in place for personnel administering respiratory related care.
- A doctor of medicine (preferably a pulmonologist) or osteopathy is designated as a medical director of respiratory care services.
- A preventive maintenance program must be in place for all RT equipment.
- An established respiratory QA/PI program must be in place.
- The medical director reviews plan of care at least weekly in facilities providing ventilator care and at least monthly in facilities providing only routine respiratory care.
- In facilities that provide ventilator management, respiratory therapists are available 24 hours per day within the facility.
- All ventilator systems shall have a remote external alarm system and an emergency back-up power source.
The AARC maintains and publishes a database of long-term care facilities that meet these requirements on our web site for consumers, YourLungHealth.org.
To enroll in the program, have your hospital CEO read the following letter and fill out the form. Please mail it back to the AARC at: AARC—QRCR, 9425 N. MacArthur Blvd. Suite 100, Irving TX 75063.
LTC Letter
LTC FormAdobe Acrobat Reader is required
