MVH Earns Quality Respiratory Care Recognition in National Program

Monongahela Valley Hospital has earned the prestigious Quality Respiratory Care Recognition (QRCR) under a national program aimed at helping patients and families make informed decisions about the quality of the respiratory care services available in hospitals.

Only 700 hospitals or approximately 15 percent of hospitals in the United States received this award.

The QRCR program was started by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) in 2003 to help consumers identify those facilities using 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 this national recognition, Monongahela Valley Hospital met these requirements:

• All respiratory therapists employed by the hospital to deliver bedside respiratory care services are recognized by the state as competent to provide respiratory care services and hold the CRT or RRT credentials.
• Respiratory therapists are available 24 hours.
• 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 is designated as medical director of respiratory care services.

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 are to be commended for their commitment to quality care.

“The respiratory therapists at MVH are an integral part of our patient care team,” said Louis J. Panza, Jr., president and chief executive officer of Monongahela Valley Hospital. “They play a substantial role in diagnosing and treating patients with breathing problems and are active in our facility 24 hours a day – seven days a week. Their skills are required in every clinical department from the Emergency Department to the medical/surgical wings to the rehabilitation areas,” he said.

“They are unique individuals with very specialized skill sets. In addition to treating our patients, they also are required to manage life support systems, are key members of our lifesaving response teams charged with handling medical emergencies and they help educate patients and families on how to better care for themselves,” Panza noted. “At MVH, our respiratory therapy service’s medical director is Surinder Aneja, M.D., a board certified pulmonologist. Dr. Aneja works closely with the respiratory therapy staff to provide the best course of therapy for our patients.”

Respiratory therapists 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.