All hospitals in the Carilion system have been awarded Quality Respiratory Care Recognition from the American Association for Respiratory Care. Carilion hospitals earned this recognition by meeting national standards and guidelines for respiratory care. Only 15 percent of hospitals in the nation were given this recognition.

Here is the press release from Carilion Clinic.

ROANOKE, Va. (April 20, 2012) – Carilion Clinic is proud to announce that all hospitals within the Carilion system have earned Quality Respiratory Care Recognition (QRCR). About 700 hospitals, or approximately 15 percent of hospitals in the nation, have received this award.

The QRCR program was started in 2003 by the American Association for Respiratory Care and is aimed at helping patients and families make informed decisions about the quality of the respiratory care services available in hospitals.

“QRCR hospitals provide a level of respiratory care consistent with national standards and guidelines,” explained Nikki Atkinson, MS, RRT, director of Respiratory Care Services and Neurodiagnostics at Carilion Roanoke Memorial Hospital. “This designation ensures patient safety by adhering to a strict set of criteria governing respiratory care services.”

To qualify, all Carilion hospitals provided documentation showing they met the following conditions:
- All respiratory therapists employed by the hospital to deliver 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.
- Hospital policy prohibits the routine delivery of medicated aerosol treatments utilizing small volume nebulizers, metered dose inhalers, or intermittent positive pressure treatments to multiple patients simultaneously. Circumstances under which this practice is permitted is defined by policy.
- Use of a process that periodically compares performance of the respiratory department on efficiency and quality metrics with similar departments for the purpose of identifying an achieving best practice.

Respiratory therapists are specially trained heath care professionals who work under physician’s orders to provide a wide range of breathing treatments and other services to people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, AIDS, and other lung or lung-related conditions. They also care for premature infants and are key members of live-saving response teams charged with handling medical emergencies.

For more information, please visit http://www.aarc.org/resources/qrcr/.