Relates to the license requirements for the practice of respiratory therapy

• Democratic6
• Republican2

◆ The sponsor's argument

Why Andrew Gounardes says this is needed

This legislation will improve the health, safety, and welfare of New York citizens in need of respiratory therapy services by requiring further education for both respiratory therapists and respiratory thera- py technicians. Respiratory Therapists are healthcare practitioners who play an integral part in diagnosing lung and breathing disorders, consulting with physicians on treatments, assessing patients, and recom- mending specific changes in therapy based on their patient assessments. Respiratory Therapists contribute heavily to managing patients on mechanical ventilation and artificial airway devices, and actively participate in rapid response teams to emergency situations such as the COVID-19 pandemic which significantly increased critical care patient load. Respiratory Therapy Technicians support Respiratory Therapists and physicians by administering basic treatments such as oxygen therapy, monitoring patients, and maintaining respiratory equipment playing a vital role in delivering frontline respiratory care under supervision in hospitals and other healthcare settings. New York first recognized the practice of respiratory therapy and respiratory therapist technician as licensed professions in 1992. Cardiopulmonary medicine, pharmaceutical treatment, and medical technol- ogy have significantly advanced since 1992, as has the academic prepara- tion and professional standards for Respiratory Therapists. A corre- sponding advancement in educational requirements for licensure to a bachelor's degree is necessary to ensure that future respiratory thera- pists are adequately academically prepared for this expanding role. Associate degree programs have a limited amount of time to deliver the curriculum while bachelor's degree programs have greater capacity for educational training and experience in more advanced clinical practice, teaching, management, and research. A national educational accrediting body report indicates that individuals who were baccalaureate prepared had a greater passage rate for Registered Respiratory Therapist creden- tialing than those who were associate degree prepared. Current educational standards for Respiratory Therapists require, at minimum, an associates degree from a valid respiratory therapy program. Under this bill, Respiratory Therapists would be able to reach initial licensure with an associates degree and then, within 6 years, be required to attain a bachelors degree from a valid respiratory therapy program to maintain continued registration within their practice. Simi- larly, new Respiratory Therapy Technicians will be eligible to practice under licensure for a single three year period after which they will be required to fulfill the requirements for, and obtain, a license as a Respiratory Therapist. There are no longer any Respiratory Therapy Tech- nician training programs in New York, and therefore, new applicants for the Respiratory Therapy Technician license are applying for licensure as a graduate of an associates degree program, but may not have satisfiedòthe necessary examination requirements for licensure as a respiratory therapist. Individuals currently licensed as Respiratory Therapists or Respiratory Therapy Technicians will not be impacted by this legislation. This licensure on-ramp created in this bill allows New York to maintain an associates level entry point for both respiratory therapists and respiratory therapy technicians maintaining the role of community colleges in respiratory therapy education while alleviating enrollment shortfalls in baccalaureate level respiratory therapy programs. Requir- ing a bachelor's degree, whether attained prior to practice or during, better equips applicants for therapist licensure to fulfill exam requirements. Those who do not meet the established benchmarks for Respiratory Therapists are still able to practice as Respiratory Therapy Technicians for an initial three year period. This provides both practi- tioners the flexibility to meet resp

This is the sponsor's own case for the bill, quoted from their memorandum. It is not Agora's description of what the bill does.