South Miami Hospital Earns Redesignation as a Quality Respiratory Care Facility

South Miami Hospital once again has earned Quality Respiratory Care Recognition (QRCR) by the profession’s national organization, the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC). The AARC, which represents more than 50,000 respiratory care health professionals nationwide, initiated the QRCR program in 2003 to help patients and families make informed decisions about the quality of respiratory services available in hospitals.

Hospitals earning the QRCR designation ensure patient safety by agreeing to adhere to a strict set of criteria governing their respiratory care services. This includes employing qualified respiratory therapists who are recognized by the state as competent to provide respiratory care services or hold the CRT (certified respiratory therapist) or RRT (registered respiratory therapist) credential. Additionally, QRCR hospitals must have respiratory therapists available 24 hours to provide care to patients.

“Our team of highly-skilled respiratory therapists is proud to once again earn this important designation,” said Mikki Thompson, director of respiratory services. “Patients who receive care at a QRCR-designated facility such as South Miami Hospital can be assured of receiving the highest standards of respiratory 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 life-saving response teams charged with handling medical emergencies.

The recognition award places South Miami Hospital in an elite membership group as only about 700 hospitals out of the 5,000 hospitals in the U.S. have been named a Quality Respiratory Care institution. A complete list of QCRC hospitals can be found at YourLungHealth.org, under the tab Finding Care.

South Miami Hospital is part of Baptist Health South Florida, the largest faith-based, not-for-profit healthcare organization in the region. It also includes Baptist Hospital, Baptist Children’s Hospital, Doctors Hospital, West Kendall Baptist Hospital, Homestead Hospital, Mariners Hospital, Baptist Cardiac & Vascular Institute, Baptist Outpatient Services, Baptist Health Medical Group and Baptist Health Enterprises. Baptist Health Foundation, the organization’s fundraising arm, supports services at all hospitals and facilities affiliated with Baptist Health. For more information, visit BaptistHealth.net/SouthMiami and connect with BaptistHealthSF on Facebook, Twitter and YouTube.

Contact: Tanya R. Walton; 786-662-4577, [email protected]