Emanuel Receives National Quality Respiratory Care Recognition

Turlock, CA— Emanuel Medical Center has earned the Quality Respiratory Care Recognition 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 about 700 of the approximately 5,000 hospitals in the United States, some 15%, have applied for and received this award.

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

“Our priority at Emanuel is delivering high-quality care and services to our patients throughout the hospital,” said Emanuel CEO Sue Micheletti. “This respiratory care recognition is another indication of the high quality of services patients receive and can expect at Emanuel.”

To qualify for the recognition, Emanuel Medical Center provided documentation showing it meets the following conditions:

• All respiratory therapists employed by the hospital to deliver bedside respiratory care services are either legally recognized by the state as competent to provide respiratory care services or hold the CRT or RRT credential
• 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
• Hospital policy prohibits the routine delivery of medicated aerosol treatments utilizing small volume nebulizers, metered dose inhalers, or intermittent positive pressure treatments to multiple patients simultaneously
• Use a process that periodically compares performance of your respiratory department on efficiency and quality metrics with similar departments for the purpose of identifying an achieving best practice 

Hospitals that meet the Quality Respiratory Care Recognition requirements provide a level of respiratory care consistent with national standards and guidelines.

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.

About Emanuel Medical Center

Emanuel Medical Center is a 209-bed acute care hospital located in Turlock, Calif. It provides emergency, critical care, pediatric, cardiovascular services, cancer diagnosis and treatment, women’s health services and surgical services. To search for a doctor by specialty or location phone (209) 250-5350. For hospital information, visit www.emanuelmedicalcenter.org.