Respiratory Therapy Program At U-Mary Continues to Rank Among the Elite in the Nation

February 20, 2012

BISMARCK, ND-Outcomes data recently released by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC) places the respiratory therapy program at the University of Mary, America's Leadership University, in the top 5 percent of respiratory therapy programs in the United States for graduate credentialing success. Credentialing success is computed as the number of graduates earning the Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) credential, divided by the total number of program graduates over the last three years. The RRT is the highest credential in the profession.

The three-year national average for RRT credentialing success is 61 percent; the success rate of the program cosponsored by the University of Mary and St. Alexius Medical Center in that same time period is 93 percent. This puts the university's program at 152 percent of the national mean.

Dr. Will Beachey, professor and chair of the Respiratory Therapy Department states, "Of course our teaching faculty and clinical instructors at St. Alexius are in large part responsible for the program's success, but the strong North Dakota work ethic of our students is probably just as responsible."

U-Mary RT Program graduates earn the Bachelor of Science degree; a Master of Science option is available for students with pre-existing B.S. degrees in other fields if they have satisfied the program's prerequisite courses. The program has been in existence since 1972.

Media interested in an interview should contact Tom Ackerman at (701) 355-8002.