NEW MARTINSVILLE, W.Va. -- Wetzel County Hospital has earned Quality Respiratory Care Recognition (QRCR) under a national program aimed at helping patients and families make informed decisions about the quality of the respiratory care services available in hospitals.

The hospital had to provide documentation showing it meets the following conditions:

"All respiratory therapists employed by the Wetzel County Hospital to deliver bedside respiratory care services are either legally recognized by the state as competent to provide respiratory care services or hold the CRT or RRT credential, meeting or exceeding the AARC requirements," said Rick Pancake, RRT and Director of Respiratory Therapy for Wetzel County Hospital. The AARC is the American Association for Respiratory Care and started this recognition program in 2003.

Respiratory therapists are available 24 hours per day at the Wetzel County Hospital.

Hospitals that meet QRCR requirements provide a level of respiratory care consistent with national standards and guidelines and can be viewed at www.yourlunghealth.org.