Wallace State Respiratory Therapy program marks 100 percent pass rate for graduating students
HANCEVILLE, Ala. — Wallace State Community College’s Respiratory Therapy program continues to prove itself as a top-notch program, with all of the students in the 2015 graduating class successfully completing the National Certification Exam.
2015 is the second consecutive year for a 100 percent pass rate from the program. It also holds the highest pass rate in the state and is one of only 12 in the nation with a 100 percent pass rate for programs that graduate 15 or more students per cohort.
Dr. Paul Taylor, chair of the WSCC Respiratory Therapy program, credited his faculty for preparing their students. “Dr. Ken Crow and Matt Maples do a wonderful job,” Dr. Taylor said. “We would not be as successful as we are without these two excellent faculty members.”
The students also get credit. “We have a great student population here at Wallace State, and that is why we do what we do with so much compassion.”
Wallace State’s Respiratory Therapy program prepares its students to work in a branch of the healthcare field that aids patients during what can be stressful and in some instances life-threatening situations. From helping to treat asthma patients, to newborn infants with underdeveloped lungs, to emergency care, respiratory therapists help patients of all ages breathe easier.
The program also boasts high marks for job placement, with 100 percent rankings for overall employment and in-field employment of its graduates from the 2013-2014 academic year. The program is affiliated with about 30 healthcare institutions that play a major role in the success of its students.
According to U.S. Department of Labor’s Bureau of Labor Statistics, employment of respiratory therapists is projected to grow 19 percent from 2012 to 2022, faster than average for all occupations. The median annual wage for respiratory therapists was $55,870 in May 2012, with the lowest 10 percent earning less than $40,980 and the top 10 percent earning more than $75,430.
For more information about the Wallace State Respiratory Therapy program, contact Dr. Paul Taylor at 256.352.8310 or visit www.wallacestate.edu.