North Fulton Regional Hospital has earned 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. About 700 hospitals or approximately 15% of hospitals in the United States have applied for and 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 help ensure patient safety by agreeing to adhere to a strict set of criteria governing their respiratory care services.

To qualify for this recognition, North Fulton Regional Hospital 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;
• 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.

“I am very proud of my department and staff for receiving this recognition,” said North Fulton Regional Hospital Director of Respiratory Therapy Jack Rogers. “Our quality is not only reflected in our exceptional technical skill but in our compassion for our patients.”

The AARC's Quality Respiratory Care Recognition program grew out of growing concerns among healthcare leaders and the general public regarding the safety and quality of healthcare services provided to patients. Hospitals that meet the QRCR requirements provide a level of respiratory care consistent with national standards and guidelines.

Respiratory therapists are specially trained healthcare 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.

Jack Rogers recognizes the value these healthcare providers bring to the community.
“Our mission to deliver the highest quality patient care is at the core of our values, and this award publicly recognizes what our team does every single day...not for an award, but simply because they are passionate about what they do.”

The AARC is a membership organization representing more than 46,000 healthcare professionals involved in respiratory care nationwide.

North Fulton Regional Hospital (NFRH), part of Tenet Georgia, is a 202-bed, acute-care hospital located on Highway 9, Alpharetta Highway, in Roswell. Opened in 1983, NFRH serves North Fulton and surrounding counties through its team of over 1000 employees, 400 staff physicians and 200 volunteers. NFRH is a state-designated Level II trauma center and provides a continuum of services through its centers and programs, including neurosciences, orthopedics, rehabilitation, surgical services, bariatric surgical weight loss, gastroenterology and oncology. The hospital is fully accredited and also is certified as a Primary Stroke Center by the Joint Commission on the Accreditation of Healthcare Organizations, the nation’s oldest and largest hospital accreditation agency.

For more information about North Fulton Regional Hospital and its numerous quality programs, call 770-751-2500, or visit www.northfultonregional.com.