Classrooms and facilities for Marywood’s new Respiratory Therapy Program in the O’Neil Center for Healthy Families have been left vacant for an entire semester due to its late accreditation.

According to Interim Dean of the College of Health and Sciences Dr. Lori Swanchak, the program will not be accredited until March and will not be a full functioning program until the fall 2020 semester, a full year from its anticipated start date. Swanchak also said the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care site visit team was on campus in January and identified no concerns.

Founding Director of the program and Assistant Professor Joy Hughes said the program, which is one of only 20 offering a four-year degree for respiratory therapy in the entire country, is not finished and open for students to apply yet because the accreditation process dragged on longer than expected.

“The hope was to have it start at the beginning of this year,” said Hughes. “Unfortunately, things took a little longer than anticipated.”

According to Hughes, the program is looking to eventually include roughly 12 students and grow to around 24. As of now, Hughes mentioned being in contact with about a half a dozen students who are interested in transferring into the program; however, she has yet to meet any of them.

Despite the four-year program being unfinished, Marywood currently offers an online two-year program for working respiratory therapists who want to earn their bachelor’s degrees.

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