The Muskegon Community College Respiratory Therapy (RT) Program has been awarded a 10-year unqualified reaccreditation by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). The program has remained nationally accredited on campus since its inception more than three decades ago.
“It is impressive to be reaccredited without any citations because typically the visitation team will find something that needs to be addressed,” said Deb Grube, who directs the MCC Respiratory Therapy Program. “It’s a reflection of our dedicated faculty, our students’ exam pass rates, our strong administrative support, our alumni in the workforce, and our exceptional facilities which underwent a nearly half-million dollars in renovations a few years ago.”
More than 80 percent of the registered respiratory therapists working in the greater Grand Rapids/Muskegon are graduates of MCC’s RT Program, noted Grube.
“We have an articulation agreement with Grand Valley State University, where students can attend GVSU to complete their pre-requisites, then come to MCC to earn an Associate’s Degree in Respiratory Therapy before returning to GVSU for 40 more credits to finish their bachelor’s degree.” she explained.
One of only three respiratory therapy programs in west Michigan, MCC provides RT instruction to students across northern Michigan, as well, through its articulation agreement with Northwestern Michigan College (NMC). Students attend NMC for their pre-requisite courses and then complete their RT instruction through real-time, distance learning classes between the MCC main campus in Muskegon and Munson Medical Center in Traverse City.
In June 2019, the MCC Munson Medical Center Satellite Program was notified by CoARC that it had exceeded all of if its three-year annual report thresholds and would be recognized for its accomplishment during the CoARC Conference in Fort Lauderdale, FL, in July.
MCC’s respiratory therapy graduates are in high demand. All 27 members in the Class of 2018 – MCC is limited to accepting 30 RT students each fall – found jobs, with recent employment rates averaging 94 percent for those who have completed the 28-month program, explained Grube.
“The Bureau of Labor Statistics show there is a 19 to 22 percent growth for the field of respiratory care,” she added. “Over the next 10 years, there will be a shortage of trained respiratory therapists.”
For more information on the MCC Respiratory Therapy Program, call (231) 777-0223.