Respiratory Therapy Program

Respiratory therapists are highly skilled professionals qualified by education to evaluate, treat, rehabilitate, and educate to prevent and manage cardiopulmonary diseases. Procedures performed by therapists include drug therapy, bronchopulmonary clearance techniques and administration of medical gases. Therapists also provide ventilator support, pulmonary rehabilitation and CPR. They are skilled in airway maintenance, procurement and analysis of arterial blood gas samples and in the performance of pulmonary function tests. Respiratory therapists work primarily in hospitals caring for patients in nurseries, medical and surgical units, adult and pediatric intensive care units and emergency rooms. Employment opportunities are also available in nursing care facilities, rehabilitation hospitals, home care, physicians' offices, clinics, companies that manufacture and distribute medical supplies and equipment and in education and management.

What They Do

Respiratory therapists are highly skilled professionals qualified by education to evaluate, treat, rehabilitate, and educate to prevent and manage cardiopulmonary diseases. Procedures performed by therapists include drug therapy, bronchopulmonary clearance techniques and administration of medical gases. Therapists also provide ventilator support, pulmonary rehabilitation and CPR. They are skilled in airway maintenance, procurement and analysis of arterial blood gas samples and in the performance of pulmonary function tests. Respiratory therapists work primarily in hospitals caring for patients in nurseries, medical and surgical units, adult and pediatric intensive care units and emergency rooms. Employment opportunities are also available in nursing care facilities, rehabilitation hospitals, home care, physicians' offices, clinics, companies that manufacture and distribute medical supplies and equipment and in education and management.

Three central Indiana universities have joined IU Health in a consortium to offer a bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy. Students complete prerequisites and University Core Curriculum courses at their home university and then come together for two years of professional courses at IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Students remain enrolled in and receive the respiratory therapy degree from their home university.

Prerequisite and University Core Curriculum (UCC) courses: 2 years of specific college courses with an affiliated university (Ball State, Indiana University or the University of Indianapolis).
Respiratory therapy courses: 21 months; primarily full-time days

If you are a graduate of an associate degree program in respiratory therapy and want to earn your bachelor's degree, contact Christopher Porter at IRTEC@iuhealth.org.

For specific information on the program, please go to Prospective Student Information.

Duration of Education

Three central Indiana universities have joined IU Health in a consortium to offer a bachelor's degree in respiratory therapy. Students complete prerequisites and University Core Curriculum courses at their home university and then come together for two years of professional courses at IU Health Methodist Hospital in Indianapolis. Students remain enrolled in and receive the respiratory therapy degree from their home university.

Prerequisite and University Core Curriculum (UCC) courses: 2 years of specific college courses with an affiliated university (Ball State, Indiana University or the University of Indianapolis).
Respiratory therapy courses: 21 months; primarily full-time days

If you are a graduate of an associate degree program in respiratory therapy and want to earn your bachelor's degree, contact Christopher Porter at IRTEC@iuhealth.org.

For specific information on the program, please go to Prospective Student Information.

Application Deadline

First business day of February

Program Start Date

July

Key Dates

Application Deadline

First business day of February

Program Start Date

July

University tuition plus books/uniforms/fees

Cost

University tuition plus books/uniforms/fees

Students may complete the required respiratory therapy prerequisite and UCC courses upon admission to the university. Admission to the professional phase requires a separate application and is competitive. Admission to the university, satisfactory completion of the prerequisite and UCC courses and fulfillment of program admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the professional phase of the program. The respiratory therapy program designates the number of students admitted to the professional phase each year based on clinical setting capacity. Preference in admission will be given to applicants who are residents of the State of Indiana. The number of non-resident applicants accepted into the program will be limited to a maximum of 10% of each class. Students may apply for admission to the professional phase of the program when the following requirements are met:

Successfully complete 28 hours of prerequisite and UCC courses
Earn a minimum of 2.5 overall GPA
Complete 10 hours of the required math/science courses
Earn a grade of "C" or higher for all required math/science courses

An admission interview is required. Overall grade point average (GPA) must be 2.5 or greater. It is the primary criteria for admission purposes. All undergraduate college credit attempted will be included in the computation of the GPA, including all attempted transfer hours. Additionally, applicants must maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA, earn a "C" of better in all math and science prerequisites, and complete all prerequisite and UCC courses by the end of the summer semester prior to beginning the professional phase of the program.

Due to the vulnerable nature of the patients treated by respiratory therapists, admitted students must pass a criminal background check and drug screen and provide documentation of required immunizations. A valid social security number is necessary to facilitate the background check and allow students access to hospitals that serve as the programs' clinical partners.

Admission

Students may complete the required respiratory therapy prerequisite and UCC courses upon admission to the university. Admission to the professional phase requires a separate application and is competitive. Admission to the university, satisfactory completion of the prerequisite and UCC courses and fulfillment of program admission requirements does not guarantee admission to the professional phase of the program. The respiratory therapy program designates the number of students admitted to the professional phase each year based on clinical setting capacity. Preference in admission will be given to applicants who are residents of the State of Indiana. The number of non-resident applicants accepted into the program will be limited to a maximum of 10% of each class. Students may apply for admission to the professional phase of the program when the following requirements are met:

Successfully complete 28 hours of prerequisite and UCC courses
Earn a minimum of 2.5 overall GPA
Complete 10 hours of the required math/science courses
Earn a grade of "C" or higher for all required math/science courses

An admission interview is required. Overall grade point average (GPA) must be 2.5 or greater. It is the primary criteria for admission purposes. All undergraduate college credit attempted will be included in the computation of the GPA, including all attempted transfer hours. Additionally, applicants must maintain a minimum 2.5 GPA, earn a "C" of better in all math and science prerequisites, and complete all prerequisite and UCC courses by the end of the summer semester prior to beginning the professional phase of the program.

Due to the vulnerable nature of the patients treated by respiratory therapists, admitted students must pass a criminal background check and drug screen and provide documentation of required immunizations. A valid social security number is necessary to facilitate the background check and allow students access to hospitals that serve as the programs' clinical partners.

Our program's mission is:

To prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive, psychomotor and affective learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists.
To prepare leaders for the field of respiratory care by including curricular content related to the acquisition of skills in management, education and research.

Program Mission

Our program's mission is:

To prepare graduates with demonstrated competence in the cognitive, psychomotor and affective learning domains of respiratory care practice as performed by registered respiratory therapists.
To prepare leaders for the field of respiratory care by including curricular content related to the acquisition of skills in management, education and research.

Christopher Porter, MPH, RRT, RRT-NPS; Program Director
Peter Bischoff, MHA, RRT, RRT-ACCS; Educator
Tammy Hunt-Dimirsky, MS, RRT, RRT-SDS, RPFT; Educator and Clinical Coordinator
Debbie Koehl, MS, RRT, AE-C, FAARC; Lecturer
Ashley McClain, BS, RRT, AE-C, TTS; Educator
Terran Newby, BS, RRT; Educator
Jay Sears, BS, RRT, RRT-ACCS; Educator

Faculty

Christopher Porter, MPH, RRT, RRT-NPS; Program Director
Peter Bischoff, MHA, RRT, RRT-ACCS; Educator
Tammy Hunt-Dimirsky, MS, RRT, RRT-SDS, RPFT; Educator and Clinical Coordinator
Debbie Koehl, MS, RRT, AE-C, FAARC; Lecturer
Ashley McClain, BS, RRT, AE-C, TTS; Educator
Terran Newby, BS, RRT; Educator
Jay Sears, BS, RRT, RRT-ACCS; Educator

The Indiana Respiratory Therapy Education Consortium (program #200039), which grants a bachelor's degree with Ball State University, Indiana University, and the University of Indianapolis, is located in Indianapolis. It is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care.

CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States. To achieve this end, CoARC utilizes an "outcome based" process. Programmatic outcomes are performance indicators that reflect the extent to which the educational goals of the program are achieved and by which program effectiveness is documented.

Find outcome data for the program on the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care website.

Accreditation

The Indiana Respiratory Therapy Education Consortium (program #200039), which grants a bachelor's degree with Ball State University, Indiana University, and the University of Indianapolis, is located in Indianapolis. It is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care.

CoARC accredits respiratory therapy education programs in the United States. To achieve this end, CoARC utilizes an "outcome based" process. Programmatic outcomes are performance indicators that reflect the extent to which the educational goals of the program are achieved and by which program effectiveness is documented.

Find outcome data for the program on the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care website.

Interested applicants must apply to the program through one of the affiliated universities. For more information please contact the appropriate university.

To request information:

Email: learning@iuhealth.org

Phone: 317.962.5470

IU Health Methodist Hospital
Wile Hall, Room 629
PO Box 1367
Indianapolis, IN 46206-1367

Respiratory Therapy Program Director
Christopher Porter, MPH, RRT, RRT-NPS
317.962.8475

Application/Contact Information