St. Croix Regional Medical Center Earns Quality Respiratory Care Recognition

St. Croix Regional Medical Center has earned Quality Respiratory Recognition (QRCR) under a national program designed to help patients and families make more informed decisions about the quality of the respiratory care services available in hospitals. “We are pleased and gratified to receive this recognition, said Lenny Libis, SCRMC’s CEO. “It reflects our dedication to providing the highest level of care to every patient we serve.”

About 700 hospitals (approximately 15% of hospitals in the US) have applied for and received this award. SCRMC has received this award three times as of 2009.

The QRCR program was started by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) in 2003 to help consumers identify facilities using qualified respiratory therapists to provide respiratory care. Hospitals earning the QRCR designation ensure patient safety by following a strict set of criteria governing their respiratory care services.

To qualify for the recognition, St. Croix Regional Medical Center provides documentation showing it meets the following conditions:
All respiratory therapists employed by the hospital 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.
Respiratory therapists are available 24 hours/day. Other personnel qualified to perform specific respiratory procedures and the amount of supervision required for them to do so must be designated in writing. A doctor of medicine or osteopathy is designated as medical director of respiratory are services.

SCRMC and Rick Johnson, Manager of Respiratory Care should be commended for their commitment to quality care. Other SCRMC therapist staff also include Cheryl Hinnenkamp, Rene Weinzierl, and Margo Stewart.

A list of QRCR hospitals is maintained at the association’s website for consumers, YourLungHealth.org.