Program Spotlight

Respiratory Care Profession

Respiratory Care is the assessment, diagnosis, and management of patients with cardiopulmonary deficiencies or abnormalities.  Respiratory therapists work in hospitals, clinics, homecare agencies and other healthcare settings under the direction of a physician.  Respiratory therapists use sophisticated equipment in the assessment and treatment of patients with such lung disorders as asthma, emphysema, pneumonia, and bronchitis. 

The Mission of the Respiratory Care Program
To prepare students for beginning practice as Registered Respiratory Therapists through committed, quality education, meeting the needs of the medical community of the surrounding areas.

The Program
The AAS in Respiratory Care program has received a Letter of Review from the Committee on Accreditation of Respiratory Care.  Students completing this program satisfy the academic and clinical eligibility requirements to apply for the Advanced Practitioner Examination offered by the NBRC.  Successful candidates earn the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credentials.

The professional portion of the curriculum is five regular semesters and 2 summer semesters in length, beginning in the fall semester.  Students completing the program will receive an Associate of Applied Science in Respiratory Care.  A variety of area health care facilities are utilized for clinical education, as well as health care facilities in Little Rock within the last fall semester of the program.  The program is offered entirely on the Mountain Home campus through a consortium with the University of Arkansas for Medical Sciences (UAMS), with the exception of the final clinical rotation in Little Rock.

For more information, please contact:
Department of Respiratory Care
ASU-Mountain Home
Janie Castro-Rios
Director of Clinical Education
(870) 508-6137