HENDERSONVILLE – This fall, Blue Ridge Community College’s Transylvania County Campus in Brevard will serve as a satellite location for a new Associate Degree in Respiratory Therapy program through Sylva’s Southwestern Community College. With accreditation for the satellite campus received in mid-March, Blue Ridge and SCC are now accepting applications for respiratory therapy programs at both locations for the fall semester. 

“Our primary goal in partnering with Blue Ridge Community College is to streamline the process for students entering this vital healthcare field,” said Melissa Hyatt, SCC’s dean of health sciences. “With this accreditation in place, we are hoping to fill all our classes at Southwestern and at Blue Ridge. That way, we can effectively double the amount of graduates while simultaneously addressing the severe shortage of healthcare workers throughout Western North Carolina.”

According to the Bureau of Labor Statistics, respiratory therapist employment is projected to grow 14% through 2031, revealing a rapidly increasing need in this segment of the local workforce.

Last summer, the partnering colleges formed the Western North Carolina Respiratory Care Consortium, and this accreditation ensures that students in Henderson, Transylvania and surrounding counties can pursue a Respiratory Therapy education closer to their homes.

For more information, visit BlueRidge.edu/Respiratory-Therapy.