Welcome to the College of Health Professions
Department of Respiratory Care
Although the RC world continues to demand great numbers of credentialed therapists, the number of RRTs with bachelor’s degrees remains at less than 20% nationwide. We continue to see a number of transfer students from community colleges and returning Texas State alumni with associate degrees seeking to complete their BSRC at Texas State. For Advance Standing RRT applicants, the remaining seven junior/senior-level courses are still a “bargain” when it comes to BSRC completion. State requirements for general core requirements are followed and depending on transferred course work, many returning students find that they complete their degree within 3-4 semesters. The seven senior courses are “blocked” to one day per week to accommodate the working therapist’s schedule, as well. We are always pleased to be a part of the future success of our BSRC grads as new career opportunities are made possible through the completion of their bachelor’s degree.
The Department of Respiratory Care at Texas State remains the largest enrollment of BSRC degree students located in a university setting in the country. Our national board pass-rates continue to represent the excellent students, faculty and curriculum at Texas State. With national NBRC pass-rates for the RRT at less than 60% for first-time takers, the Texas State “first time takers” pass-rate is consistently above 90% with 100% job placement, and 100% credentialing within 6 months of graduation. We are proud of our hard-working students as they accomplish their career goals to make a professional difference in the healthcare team.
Our website at www.health.txstate.edu/RC is filled with introductory information, downloadable applications and forms, news and pictures of the faculty and student body, and contact information. Please take a moment to check out our website.
Polysomnography/Sleep Medicine Course of Studies
In 2006, the Texas State RC Department began the first polysomnography (PSG) course of studies offered at the graduate-level in the country. This fully CoARC accredited PSG post-bac curriculum is a 9-month course of studies that begins each September and completes in May. Students completing the post-bac track may sit for the national PSG board exam immediately and the course of studies at the graduate-level provides 18 graduate hours applicable toward several master’s degree programs at Texas State. Although the Department of Respiratory Care does not currently have a master’s degree program, it is certainly part of the university, college and departmental strategic goal to implement a complementary graduate program in Respiratory Care.
For individuals with a CRT/RRT credential without a bachelor’s degree, the PSG program is also offered at the undergraduate-level. This course of studies also begins each September and completes in May awarding 18 undergraduate hours. Like the post-bac PSG students, those completing the course of studies are able to immediately sit for the national sleep board exam.
Both the undergraduate and the graduate PSG course of studies require applicants to be credentialed in respiratory care or licensed in any allied health/nursing profession that involves patient care. This “Bridge Option” provides an excellent opportunity for healthcare providers wishing to fast track into sleep medicine. There is increasing PSG interest by our BSRC students and alumni in graduate education and the post-bac PSG option is attracting many toward a master’s degree.
Most recently, a special track has been created for senior BSRC students lacking only 12 hours of course credit to simultaneously enroll in the PSG graduate program. By completing their senior RC year and the PSG course of studies, these students will receive their BSRC and be eligible for RC and PSG board exams with 18 graduate hours the following May.
Texas State Outstanding Woman Alumna Award
This spring, an alumni from the Department of Respiratory Care, Mrs. Shawn (Humphries) McCormick from the class of’ ’78, was recognized by President Denise Trauth as the Distinguished Alumni from the College of Health Professions. Shawn also received her BS in Health Administration at Texas State following her respiratory care degree. Her areas of clinical expertise include respiratory home care services, neonatal, pediatric and adult respiratory care, and pulmonary rehabilitation.
Shawn is Chairman and CEO of Zoey LP. She founded the company in May 2001 to develop fun, creative, and educational tools that will help children and their families learn how to gain control over asthma. She is concurrently the Owner and President of Summit DME of San Antonio LLC, a home medical equipment provider, and Owner and President of Pulmonary Therapies, LLC, a respiratory disease management company.
Her professional affiliations include the American Association of Respiratory Care, the Texas Society for Respiratory Care, the Asthma Coalition of Texas, and she is the current 2007-08 Chair of the National Asthma Educator Certification Board. She has also served Texas State and the College of Health Professions as a past member of the Ambassadors Council. In this role, she worked with members of the Council to provide valuable insight and direction to the College of Health Professions on various donor activities.
Respiratory Care Research
The RC faculty has been very involved with students in several areas of research. A respiratory care research course has been added to the senior RC year in compliance with CoARC accreditation standards and it has provided excellent opportunities for faculty and students to accomplish many interesting studies. Several studies in sleep, athletic fitness, the effects of inspiratory muscle training with wheelchair athletes, pulmonary rehabilitation research, and sleep medicine have been completed. The department is responsible for the creation of the Texas State Sleep Wellness Program for football players and athletes to assess the sleep health needs of athletes and coaches. Student presentations of research produced is presented at the annual College of Health Professions Research Forum each spring semester with oral and poster presentation to the college faculty and student body. This year, three different RC student presentations were nominated to the top five outstanding college presentations with the most outstanding presentation award going one of those RC student groups.
Respiratory Care Faculty
Our faculty has grown to six fulltime tenure/tenure-track faculty and twelve clinical adjunct faculty. Nancy Hinson, our Administrative Assistant, continues to keep us all in line and provide a professional point of contact for prospective students and our department. The total longevity of our current full-time faculty for teaching RC at Texas State adds up to just over 100 years of collective teaching experience. Our newest addition to the faculty is Mr. Josh Gonzales, MEd, RRT-NPS. Josh comes to us with expertise in adult, pediatric and neonatal areas. Three faculty members, Bill Wharton, Chris Russian and myself, are also dually credentialed in sleep as Registered Polysomnography Technologists (RPSGT), as well. There are many hats to be worn in this department and we certainly know how to do that as a team! What a great faculty—we have the best jobs ever!
Round Rock
In case you have not yet heard, Texas State has a campus at Round Rock. The Avery family donated the beautiful site to Texas State and the Avery Building is already being utilized day and night on that campus. Several degree and certificate programs are offered at the Round Rock campus with more development planned. The College of Health Professions will be breaking ground for the newly state funded nursing building on the Round Rock campus. You can read more about the Round Rock campus at http://www.rrhec.txstate.edu.
An exciting part of Texas State’s master plan includes the relocation of the entire College of Health Professions to the Round Rock campus. This transition will be phased and the college will likely be contained in three buildings on that campus, including the nursing building.
To this end, the Respiratory Care Department has been busy planning student, faculty and facility needs through 2017. Following the nursing building that is scheduled to be completed in 2010, the timeline for the remainder of the college is tentative, but should be following in about 2012 or 2013. Meanwhile, we are working with architects to make sure the new facility meets the needs of a growing department with a vision for increased student growth, faculty research and grants, the addition of a master’s degree program, and an expansion of our sleep lab services to increase research and education. It is a very exciting time for the department as we think and dream of all the possibilities for our faculty and students. By the way, if you are interested in “naming rights,” the new building and labs would look outstanding with your good name associated with the department, labs or college! We will keep you posted on these changes with updates on the Round Rock campus.
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Health Professions |
| Persons in Family or Household | 48 Contiguous States and D.C. | Alaska | Hawaii |
| 1 | $10,210 | $12,770 | $11,750 |
| 2 | 13,690 | 17,120 | 15,750 |
| 3 | 17,170 | 21,470 | 19,750 |
| 4 | 20,650 | 25,820 | 23,750 |
| 5 | 24,130 | 30,170 | 27,750 |
| 6 | 27,610 | 34,520 | 31,750 |
| 7 | 31,090 | 38,870 | 35,750 |
| 8 | 34,570 | 43,220 | 39,750 |
| For each additional person, add | 3,480 | 4,350 | 4,000 |
Deadline:
• FAFSA completed and all tax forms submitted to Financial Aid and Scholarships at Texas State University by November 1, 2007
To Apply
• Complete the 2007-2008 Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA) on line at www.fafsa.ed.gov. Include both your and your parents’ income information even if you are considered an independent student for federal financial aid.
• Include Texas State University school code on the FAFSA (003615)
• Submit a signed copy of your and your parents’ 2006 Income Tax Return to Financial Aid and Scholarships at Texas State University by November 1, 2007.
These scholarships are available for Speech Pathology - Baccalaureate and Graduate, Physical Therapy - Graduate, and Medical Lab Technology - Baccalaureate