Cadia Rehabilitation Pike Creek Named Quality Respiratory Care Provider

For Immediate Release

Cadia Rehabilitation Pike Creek has been named a quality respiratory care provider under a new program aimed at making sure residents in long-term care facilities have access to respiratory care services provided by qualified respiratory therapists.

The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) started the Quality Respiratory Care Recognition (QRCR) program in 2003 to help consumers make informed choices about their health care. The program initially enrolled hospitals that agreed to ensure patient safety by adhering to a strict set of criteria governing their respiratory care services. Home care organizations were added to the program a year later, and this year the Association is adding long-term care facilities, including skilled nursing facilities, long-term acute care hospitals, and other long-term care facilities.

Recognized organizations are listed on the AARC’S consumer web site, www.YourLungHealth.org .

To qualify for the recognition, Cadia Rehabilitation Pike Creek met the following conditions:

• 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’s QRCR program grew out of growing concerns among health care leaders and the general public regarding the safety and quality of health care services provided to patients. Organizations that meet the QRCR requirements provide a level of respiratory care consistent with national standards and guidelines, and should be commended for their commitment to quality care.

Respiratory Therapists (RTs) are specially trained and licensed respiratory health care professionals assisting physicians in diagnosis, treatment, and management of respiratory diseases. RTs provide care in hospitals, outpatient centers, physicians’ offices, skilled nursing facilities, and patients’ homes.

The American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) is a not-for-profit, professional organization, consisting of 46,000 respiratory therapists, physicians, and other health care professionals. AARC is dedicated to assisting persons with respiratory diseases receive safe and effective respiratory care.

Please note: The full list of QRCR facilities will be posted on the website by April 15, 2011.