Dalton State College’s respiratory therapy program has earned the 2026 Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) Credentialing Success Award from the Commission on Accreditation for Respiratory Care (CoARC). The honor marks 12th consecutive year the program has been recognized for sustained success in preparing graduates to achieve the profession’s highest credential and successfully enter the workforce.
“The Dalton State College Respiratory Therapy Program is honored to once again receive the CoARC Distinguished Registered Respiratory Therapist (RRT) Credentialing Success Award,” said Stephanie Watkins, respiratory therapy program director at Dalton State. “This recognition reflects the hard work and dedication of our students, faculty, clinical partners and graduates. Our mission is to provide a high-quality educational experience that prepares students to excel in the profession while meeting the respiratory care needs of our community and region.”
The award recognizes respiratory therapy programs that consistently produce graduates who earn the RRT credential, achieve strong board examination results, maintain high retention and completion rates, and meet or exceed national accreditation benchmarks.
According to CoARC’s 2025 programmatic outcomes data, Dalton State’s Respiratory Therapy Program achieved a 97% job placement rate and a 100% employer satisfaction rate.
“These outcomes exceeded national averages and demonstrate the strength of our program and the preparedness of our graduates for professional practice,” Watkins said. “We are proud to see our graduates making an immediate impact in hospitals and healthcare facilities throughout the region.”
Students develop clinical skills through hands-on training in Dalton State’s state-of-the-art simulation lab, where they practice responding to realistic patient scenarios before entering clinical settings.
Respiratory therapy students also complete hundreds of hours of supervised clinical training before graduation, gaining the experience needed to transition confidently into professional practice.
Dalton State’s respiratory therapy program launched in 2009 and first earned the award in 2013, the first year it was eligible. Since then, the program has received the honor in 13 of its 14 eligible years.
To learn more about Dalton State’s respiratory therapy program, visit www.daltonstate.edu.
