The AARC Apex Recognition Award is a recognition program for respiratory care departments in acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, home medical equipment (HME) companies, educational programs, and dedicated transport teams.
= Multiple Year Recipient
= 100% AARC Membership
= 100% RRT Credential
= 100% Master’s Degree or Higher
2026–2027 Recipients
Acute Care Hospital Category
- Emory Decatur Hospital
- Cincinnati Children’s Hospital Medical Center
- Emory Saint Joseph’s Hospital
- Cooper University Hospital
- Advent Health for Children
- University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center
- Houston Methodist Continuing Care — TMC
- The University of Kansas Health System
- Houston Methodist Continuing Care — Katy
- UT Southwestern Medical Center
- Dell Seton Medical Center at The University of Texas
- Emory Hospital — Midtown
- Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital
Acute Care International Category
- King Faisal Specialist Hospital and Research Centre
Dedicated Transport Category
- Advocate Children’s Hospital Neonatal and Pediatric Transport Team
- Medstar Georgetown University Hospital Respiratory Transport Team
Education Category
- Southern Connecticut State University AS-to-BSRT Program
- Middle Georgia State University — Department of Respiratory Therapy and Health Sciences
- University of Kansas Medical Center Respiratory Care and Diagnostic Sciences BSRC Degree Advancement
- The Ohio State University
- Daytona State College
2025–2026 Recipients
Acute Care Hospital Category
- Arkansas Children’s Hospital
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- Children’s Hospital Orange County Respiratory Department
- ChristianaCare
- Dr. P. Phillips Hospital Orlando Health
- Emory University Hospital
- Houston Methodist Hospital West Campus
- Inova Fair Oaks
- Inova Fairfax Medical Center
- Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center
- Massachusetts General Hospital
- Medstar Georgetown University Hospital Respiratory Care Department
- Nemours Children’s Hospital — Delaware
- New York — Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
- North Shore University Hospital, Northwell Health
- Orlando Health St. Cloud Hospital
- Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
- Piedmont Atlanta
- Reading Hospital-Tower Health
- Rush University Medical Center
- The Valley Hospital, NJ
- University Health Pediatric Respiratory Therapy Department
- University of Maryland Medical Center
- University of Maryland Shore Regional Health
- VA Maryland Healthcare System
- Vanderbilt University Medical Center
- WellSpan York Hospital
Acute Care International Category
- Ministry of National Guard Health Affairs, King Abdulaziz Medical City
- Respiratory Care Administration at King Fahad Medical City, Riyadh Second Health Cluster
Education Category
- Boise State University Master of Science in Respiratory Care
- CHI/UMary Respiratory Therapy Program
- Georgia State University
- Gwynedd Mercy University
- Loma Linda University
- Rush University
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences: College of Health Professions
- University of Missouri @200033 Entry to BHS Program
- University of Missouri #510020 RRT to BHS Degree Advancement Program
- University of Texas Medical Branch
Transport Category
- University of Missouri Hospital
2024–2025 Recipients
Acute Care Hospital Category
- AdventHealth for Children
- Wellstar Hospital
- AdventHealth East Orlando
- Dell Seton Medical Center at the University of Texas at Austin
- Children’s Hospital Colorado
Education Category
- Midwestern State University, Respiratory Care Program
- University of Kansas Medical Center Department of Respiratory Care and Diagnostic Science Respiratory Care Bachelor’s Degree Advancement Program
Transport Category
- Advocate Children’s Hospital Neonatal-Pediatric Transport Team
- MedCenter Air Atrium Health
2022–2023 Recipients
Acute Care Hospital Category
- Arkansas Children’s Hospital (third award term)
- Children’s Healthcare of Atlanta
- Children’s Health of Orange County (third award term)
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia — Respiratory Care Department (second award term)
- ChristianaCare (third award term)
- Emory University Hospital
- Luminis Health, Anne Arundel Medical Center (third award term)
- Medstar Georgetown University Hospital
- Nemours Children’s Health — Delaware
- North Shore University Hospital — Northwell Health (third award term)
- New York-Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital (third award term)
- Penn State Health Milton S. Hershey Medical Center
- Rush University Medical Center (fourth award year)
- University Health System — Pediatric Respiratory Care Department
- University of Maryland Medical Center (second award term)
- The Valley Hospital (fourth award term)
- VA Maryland Health Care System — Baltimore VA Medical Center
- WellSpan York Hospital (third award term)
Education Category
- Boise State University, program #520007 (second award term)
- Georgia State University, program #200162 (third award term)
- Gwynedd Mercy University, program #200274
- Loma Linda University, program #200161 (second award term)
- The Ohio State, program #200167
- Rush University, program #220572 (third award term)
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, program #200176 (second award term)
- University of Missouri Respiratory Therapy Program, program #200033 (second award term)
- University of Missouri Respiratory Therapy Program at Mercy Hospital, program #300006 (second award term)
- The University of Texas Medical Branch, School of Health Professions Department of Respiratory Care, program #200413
- West Chester University/Bryn Mawr Hospital Respiratory Care Program, program #200313 (second award term)
2021–2022 Recipients
Acute Care Hospital Category
- Arkansas Children’s Hospital
- Barnes-Jewish Hospital
- Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
- CHOC Children’s Hospital
- ChristianaCare
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
- Jersey Shore University Medical Center
- Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center
- New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
- North Shore University Hospital
- Rush University Medical Center
- University of Maryland Medical Center
- Valley Hospital
- WellSpan Health York Hospital
- WellStar Enterprise Support Team West
Education Category
- Boise State University, program # 520007
- Georgia State University, program #200162
- Loma Linda University, program #200161
- Rush University, program #220572
- SUNY Upstate Medical University, program #200066
- University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences, program #200176
- University of Missouri, programs #200033 and #300006
- West Chester University/Bryn Mawr Hospital, program #200313
Long Term Care
- Kingsbrook Jewish Medical Center/Rutland Nursing Home
Dedicated Transport Teams
- MedCenter Air
- University Hospital
2019–2020 Recipients
Acute Care Hospital Category
- Anne Arundel Medical Center
- Arkansas Children’s Hospital
- CHOC Children’s Hospital
- Christiana Care Health System
- Jersey Shore University Medical Center
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania
- North Shore University Hospital
- New York Presbyterian Brooklyn Methodist Hospital
- Piedmont Atlanta
- Rush University Medical Center
- Valley Hospital
- WellSpan York Hospital
Entry Level Educational Program
- Georgia State University
- Rush University
- SUNY Upstate Medical University
Long Term Care
- LifeCare Hospitals of Chester County
2017 Recipients
Acute Care Hospital Category
- Piedmont Healthcare-Atlanta, Atlanta, Georgia
- Hospital of the University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, Illinois
- The Valley Hospital, Ridgewood, New Jersey
- Boston Children’s Hospital, Boston, Massachusetts
Long Term Care
- Lifecare Hospital of Chester County, West Chester, Pennsylvania
= Multiple Year Recipient
= 100% AARC Membership
= 100% RRT Credential
= 100% Master’s Degree or Higher
