For Immediate Release: PRACTICE MODELS IN RESPIRATORY CARE
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
RE: PRACTICE MODELS IN RESPIRATORY CARE
June 1, 2026
The mission of the North Carolina Respiratory Care Board is to protect the public by ensuring that respiratory care services are provided by qualified, competent, and licensed practitioners.
The Board supports innovation that improves patient outcomes, enhances access to care, and promotes the effective use of healthcare resources. The Board recognizes that healthcare facilities continue to evaluate emerging technologies and alternative care delivery models, including the potential use of respiratory care via telehealth. Regardless of the model employed, healthcare facilities remain responsible for ensuring that patients have timely access to qualified personnel capable of providing the respiratory care services their condition requires.
Respiratory care extends beyond observation and monitoring. Many patients require assessment, clinical decision-making, airway and ventilator management, suctioning, tracheostomy care, and emergency intervention. These services frequently require direct patient interaction and the availability of competent practitioners prepared to provide timely clinical intervention when needed.
Consistent with its mission to protect the public, the Board will evaluate emerging respiratory care delivery models based on patient safety, practitioner competency, access to qualified personnel, and compliance with North Carolina law. Any model that substantially alters the delivery of respiratory care services should demonstrate its ability to maintain patient safety, preserve the capacity for timely clinical intervention, and ensure that respiratory care services continue to be delivered by qualified and competent practitioners. See the full white paper.
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Dr. William L. Croft, Ed.D, Ph.D., RRT, RCP, FAARC
Executive Director
North Carolina Respiratory Care Board
125 Edinburgh South Drive, Suite 100
Cary, NC 27511
Phone: (919) 878-5595
Fax: (919) 878-5565
E-mail: bcroft@ncrcb.org
