March 28, 2022 – Kent State University at Ashtabula and Cleveland Clinic are partnering to offer an associate degree program in respiratory therapy at the hospital’s main campus in Cleveland later this year.
The program provides access for participants to train for the in-demand profession of respiratory care. It also supports career growth for program graduates and practicing respiratory therapists with a path to admission for the online Bachelor of Science degree in respiratory care offered by Kent State Ashtabula.
Courses in the respiratory therapy program will be delivered live and remotely through online instruction by Kent State Ashtabula faculty. Laboratory instruction and clinical rotations will be completed at Cleveland Clinic, where students will learn alongside experienced respiratory therapists. Prerequisite coursework can be completed through a combination of online and in-person classes through the Kent State system, or credits can be transferred from another institution.
Students can begin prerequisite coursework beginning in summer or fall 2022. The first respiratory courses will be offered in spring 2023.
“We are pleased to collaborate with Kent State University at Ashtabula to offer a respiratory therapy training program at our Cleveland Clinic main campus location,” said Umur Hatipoğlu, M.D., MBA, enterprise medical director of Respiratory Therapy, and the section head of Respiratory Therapy, Department of Critical Care Medicine. “This program will contribute to our mission of educating those who serve by providing our local community with an opportunity to enter a high-demand licensed healthcare profession after completing two years of training.”
“Kent State Ashtabula is thrilled to partner with this world-renowned health care organization to meet their healthcare provider needs,” added Julie Senita, Ph.D., MSN, RN, Kent State Ashtabula senior program director, Nursing and Allied Health. “These types of partnerships are essential to prepare Kent State students in an outstanding healthcare environment leading them to employment in well-paid, professional positions upon graduation.”
Kent State Ashtabula respiratory therapy graduates have excelled at professional placement, with each member of the most recent graduating classes landing a registered respiratory therapy position prior to graduation. Those positions are in great demand for the foreseeable future, with 19 percent expected job growth between now and 2029. Median pay for registered respiratory therapists is $62,810 according to the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.