SPRINGFIELD, Mo. – For a record 17th consecutive year, the Respiratory Therapy program at Ozarks Tech has earned national recognition for exceptional student outcomes.
The Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care honored Ozarks Tech with the Distinguished RRT Credentialing Success Award, which acknowledges programs with high success rates on the Registered Respiratory Therapist credentialing exam.
Ozarks Tech is the only community college in the nation to receive the award every year since its inception in 2009.
The program was recognized this week during the American Association for Respiratory Care Summer Forum in Bonita Springs, Florida.
Ozarks Tech made state history in 2024 as the first community college in Missouri to graduate students with a Bachelor of Science in Respiratory Therapy. The program provides students with an affordable, accessible four-year pathway to a four-year degree without the need to transfer.
Demand for respiratory therapists continues to grow. According to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of respiratory therapists is projected to increase12% by 2034. The median annual wage exceeds $80,000, outpacing many other health care fields.
Ozarks Tech graduates work in hospitals, clinics and emergency settings throughout southwest Missouri and beyond.