Sunbury Community Hospital & Outpatient Center Named Quality Respiratory Care Provider

Sunbury Community Hospital & Outpatient Center has earned Quality Respiratory Care Recognition (QRCR) under a national program aimed at helping patients and families make informed decisions about the quality of respiratory care services available to them.

About 700 hospitals or approximately 15% of hospitals in the United States have applied for and received this award.  Sunbury Community Hospital has earned this recognition every year since its inception.

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

To qualify for the recognition, Sunbury Community Hospital met the following conditions:

All respiratory therapists employed by SCH to deliver bedside respiratory care services either hold the CRT or RRT credential or are legally recognized by the state as competent to provide respiratory care services.

Respiratory therapists are available 24 hours a day.

Other personnel qualified to perform specific respiratory procedures and the amount of supervision required for personnel to carry out specific procedures must be designated in writing.

A doctor of medicine or osteopathy is designated as medical director of respiratory care services.

The services offered by the Respiratory Care Department at Sunbury Community Hospital include Respiratory Therapy, Sleep Laboratory, and Diagnostic Testing.

The AARC’s QRCR program grew out of growing concerns among health care leaders and the general public regarding the safety and quality of health care services provided to patients.  Hospitals that meet the QRCR requirements provide a level of respiratory care consistent with national standards and guidelines, and should be commended for their commitment to quality care.

Respiratory therapists are specially trained health care professionals who work under physician’s orders to provide a wide range of breathing treatments and other services to people with asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, cystic fibrosis, lung cancer, AIDS and other lung or lung-related conditions.  They also care for premature infants and are key members of lifesaving response teams charged with handling medical emergencies.

The AARC is a membership organization representing more than 34,000 health professionals involved in respiratory care nationwide.