RIDLEY PARK, Pa. – For the second year in a row, Taylor Hospital, a member of Crozer-Keystone Health System, 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.

Taylor is one of only 500 hospitals in the United States to receive the recognition, bestowed by the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) to help consumers identify those facilities using qualified respiratory therapists to provide respiratory care. Hospitals earning the QRCR designation ensure patient safety by agreeing to adhere to a strict set of criteria governing their respiratory care services.

“Receiving the AARC’s Quality Respiratory Care Recognition is a big honor for us,” says Eileen Censullo, manager for Respiratory Care at Taylor. “The distinction means our facility’s name and information will appear on the Association’s web site, which allows patients and physicians to learn more about the services we provide. We’re pleased that the hard work of our dedicated therapists has been recognized in this manner.”

To qualify for the recognition, Taylor Hospital provided documentation showing that 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, seven days a week.

Other personnel qualified to perform specific respiratory procedures and the amount of supervision required for personnel to carry out specific procedures are designated in writing.

A doctor of medicine or osteopathy is designated as medical director of respiratory care services.

Respiratory therapists are specially trained health care professionals who work under physicians’ orders to provide a wide range of breathing treatments and other services to people with conditions such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), 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.

The AARC is a membership organization representing more than 39,000 health professionals involved in respiratory care nationwide. Hospitals that meet the AARC’s QRCR requirements provide a level of respiratory care consistent with national standards and guidelines and are committed to quality care.

Taylor Hospital is a member of Crozer-Keystone Health System. We’re 5 hospitals, 2,600 doctors and nurses, and 7,100 caring people with 1 vision. Crozer-Keystone. Something to feel good about.