Last week, the Cooper Respiratory Therapy team was presented with the American Association for Respiratory Care’s (AARC) 2023-2024 Apex Recognition Award. During the virtual meeting, our team met with Claire Aloan, MSEd, RRT, RRT-NPS, FAARC, Chairman of the AARC Apex Award Committee, where she offered the following accolades.
“It’s my great pleasure to officially present Cooper University Health Care with the AARC’s 2023-2024 Apex Recognition Award. The award symbolizes the dedication, talent, and heart of respiratory therapists, as well as the devotion to excellence and high-quality, evidence-based patient centered care in a collective commitment to continuous professional growth and development,” Aloan said. “This designation represents that the respiratory care provided by the therapists at Cooper, under the leadership of David Orloff, MBA, RRT, Administrative Director of Respiratory, achieves the stringent quality and clinical practice criteria of the award.”
“You are the essence of what makes us proud to be the national and international professional association for respiratory care. You work with our teams to encourage, promote, and facilitate professional excellence by advancing the science and practice of respiratory care and advocating for patients, families, and the public.”
The Cooper Respiratory team was recognized for many aspects of their practice, including team member credentials and education, professional involvement, appropriate staffing practices, evidence-based policies and protocols, and quality and safety measures. Cooper is one of only seven acute care hospitals to achieve the Apex designation for 2024-2025, joining 19 additional hospitals who hold the Apex Acute Care Award for 2023-2024.
Additionally, Robert “Bob” Gregory, Clinical Educator of Respiratory, was recognized as Clinical Instructor of the Year by West Chester University.
Congratulations to our respiratory teams on these well-deserved achievements.