Respiratory Care, which has been a program at Ivy Tech Community College Northeast since 1978, received reaccreditation this semester.

Every 10 years, the national Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care visits the College for a site visit and sorts through 10 years of data to assure the College’s program is up to its standards. It considers details including

· Attrition

· Graduation rates

· College support

· Library availability

· Tutoring

· Financial support

· Equipment

· Curriculum requirements

· Advisory boards

Of the 11 Respiratory Care programs in Indiana, nine are through Ivy Tech Community College; in order to become a professional respiratory therapist, students must graduate from an accredited program.

“You can’t work in the profession if you don’t,” says Jennifer Brink, the program’s chair. “And you must have an associate degree at minimum.”

Once students graduate with their associate degree from an accredited program, they are eligible to take their national board exams, giving by the National Board for Respiratory Care.

The media salary for respiratory therapists in Indiana is nearly $26 an hour, and there are a projected 140 job openings in the field annually, through 2020. Learn more about the College’s program at IvyTech.edu/respiratory-care.

Ivy Tech Community College is the state’s largest public postsecondary institution and the nation’s largest singly accredited statewide community college system. Ivy Tech has campuses throughout Indiana. It serves as the state’s engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission and a member of the North Central Association.