Jerry King, program director of the University of West Alabama’s respiratory program, explains the operation of a mechanical ventilator to Karee House, administrator to the dean of the College of Natural Sciences & Mathematics, during a recent open house of the new respiratory lab at UWA. The ventilator, often referred to as a ‘life support machine,’ helps patients breathe when they are unable to do so on their own.”

Story: Lisa Sollie | Photo: Cody Ingram

The University of West Alabama is moving forward with its new health sciences comprehensive respiratory therapy track and is accepting students in January for the Spring 2025 semester.

The School of Health Sciences and Human Performance has announced that the Health Sciences Comprehensive Respiratory Therapy Track Program now holds Provisional Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com) according to program director, Jerry King, an associate professor at UWA. King notes that the program has also been approved by the Alabama Commission on Higher Education (ACHE), the Southern Association of Colleges and Schools Commission on Colleges (SACSCOC).

According to King, the program equips students with the necessary skills to excel as Registered Respiratory Therapists (RRT). Upon completion, graduates will qualify to sit for the Therapist Multiple-Choice Examination (TMC) and Clinical Simulation Examination (CSE), leading to the attainment of Certified Respiratory Therapist (CRT) and RRT credentials accredited by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC). Throughout the program, students will rotate through various hospital/clinical affiliates in Alabama and Mississippi to obtain the knowledge and skills necessary to function as registered therapists. The demand for respiratory therapists is at an all-time high, especially in the wake of the pandemic. As highly skilled healthcare professionals, they play a crucial role in providing life-saving care and support to patients during these challenging times. 

Contact Program Director Jerry King at (205) 652-3475 or jking@uwa.edu for information regarding program admission requirements, prerequisites, course offerings and more.

Click https://www.uwa.edu/news/uwa-sets-sights-on-respiratory-therapy-degree-program/ to read more.

The University of West Alabama Respiratory Therapy Program – CoARC #200669, awarding a Baccalaureate of Science in Health Sciences Comprehensive Respiratory Therapy Track in the School of Health Sciences and Human Performance, holds Provisional Accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (www.coarc.com). This status signifies that a program that has been granted an Approval of Intent, has demonstrated sufficient compliance to initiate a program in accordance with the Standards through the completion and submission of an acceptable Provisional Accreditation Self Study Report (PSSR), completion of an initial on-site visit, and other documentation required by the CoARC. The conferral of Provisional Accreditation denotes a new program that has made significant progress towards meeting the Standards of Accreditation. The program will remain on Provisional Accreditation until achieving Continuing Accreditation. It is recognized by the National Board for Respiratory Care (NBRC) toward eligibility to the Respiratory Care Credentialing Examination(s). Enrolled students completing the program under Provisional Accreditation are considered graduates of a CoARC accredited program. CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States.