Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital’s (RWJUH) respiratory care program has received the American Association for Respiratory Care (AARC) 2026-2027 APEX Acute Care award.
Robert Wood Johnson University Hospital, an RWJBarnabas Health facility, is only the third New Jersey hospital to ever achieve this award and one of only 64 in the United States.
The Apex Program requires facilities to provide comprehensive documentation on various factors essential for delivering care considered top notch. Apex honorees excel in areas such as staff education, credentialing, and implementation of protocols that ensure safe and effective care delivery.
Facilities earning the Apex award have demonstrated a commitment to excellence in professional development, evidence-based care, patient safety, and quality improvement.
“As an academic medical center with a broad range of advanced specialty care services and programs addressing many complex illnesses with many patients experiencing some degree of difficulty breathing, respiratory care is the foundation for the care we provide,” said RWJUH President Alan Lee. “We’re proud that our team has been recognized for its commitment to quality and providing exceptional care in a safe environment for our patients.”
The Apex award is a recognition program for respiratory care departments in acute care hospitals, long-term care facilities, home medical equipment (HME) companies, educational programs, acute care international, post-acute care and dedicated transport teams.
AARC developed the award to recognize the contribution of respiratory therapists and highlight best practices in respiratory care that are aligned with evidence-based medicine. This program also helps consumers choose health care facilities that enhance patient safety and outcomes by providing access to respiratory therapists delivering high-quality, evidence-based care.
RWJUH’s respiratory therapists cover RWJUH’s entire campus treating all patients who have some difficulty breathing, which includes premature infants, asthma and cystic fibrosis patients in pediatrics, accident victims in the emergency department, patients with COPD on medical care units, sleep apnea patients needing CPAP, and patients in the intensive care units (ICUs) who need mechanical ventilation.
