At American Career College, faculty do more than just lecture in the classroom; they know the subject matter because they are experts in their fields and are active in professional organizations. Joshua Cosa, MA, RRT-NPS, RCP, is a good example of the ‘real world’ experience that ACC faculty bring to the classroom. Cosa, who is the Director of Clinical Education for Respiratory Therapy (RT) in Ontario, has been with ACC for over five years and RT is not just a career – it’s his passion. That passion for the profession is what led him to testify in front of the Texas state legislature recently.
“I guess you could say RT is a family affair for me,” Cosa said, noting that he is one of five in his family who work in the field. He even created his own channel on YouTube that features this video about what a respiratory therapist does, and manages an online blog about the RT profession at www.RTfocus.com.
Cosa recently published a paper on proposed changes to RT licensure in the state of Texas. Essentially, a government-appointed staff known as the ‘Sunset Staff’ investigated the Texas Department of State Health Services (DSHS), the licensing body that regulates respiratory therapy and other occupations. The investigation revealed that the DSHS has too many responsibilities and essentially, is too overwhelmed to get tasks done effectively. One of the recommendations made by the Sunset Staff was to alleviate the burden of licensing respiratory therapists. It felt that respiratory therapists did not need to undergo a thorough licensing review since they felt RT’s do not provide “in-depth” patient care. In his paper on the subject, Cosa argued that the Sunset Staff was wrong and this proposed change could negatively impact patients – he urged the Texas Legislature to reconsider.
Along with the published paper, Cosa created an online petition and asked RT professionals from around the country to join his efforts; the results were astounding. In just two weeks’ time, more than 13,000 professionals signed the online petition and that caught the attention of Texas legislators, who invited to Cosa to come to Austin and testify. He gladly obliged.
“I addressed the Senate, testifying to the exact opposite of conclusions made, and questioned the Sunset Staff as to whether or not they were even familiar with the respiratory ‘scope of practice,” he said.
Cosa told the Texas Senate that “the skills and responsibilities necessary to treat patients are extremely high. The public has every right to ensure every respiratory care practitioner has undergone a thorough licensing review. A respiratory therapist has access to pertinent patient information. The responsibilities of a respiratory therapist may include, and are not limited to (and I’ll be very brief): patient education, recommendations and modifications in therapy, life-saving parameter changes on a mechanical ventilator (which is life support), blood draws, medication delivery, and a lot more. So we respectfully ask to rescind the proposal of deregulating and de-licensing respiratory therapy.”
The end result? Cosa and his supporters made a huge difference in Texas.
“The Senate made it known that they heard our voice loud and clear,” Cosa said. “In fact, Respiratory Therapists will now be regulated and licensed under the Texas Medical Board, which has created a new Board, the Texas Board of Respiratory Care, consisting of nine members appointed by the Governor to six-year staggered terms.”
Cosa also explains that “the Board will consist of four respiratory care practitioners licensed in this state with at least five years’ experience; two physicians licensed in this state who supervise respiratory care practitioners; and three members of the general public not licensed in a healthcare profession.”
For Cosa and his RT colleagues, this was a major victory for respiratory therapy and public safety.
“I am very proud to hear about the efforts of Joshua and his RT colleagues for patient advocacy – he represents the best and brightest in the RT field and we applaud his leadership,” said ACC Ontario Executive Director Scott Wardall. “Josh’s commitment to excellence, both on and off campus, is a wonderful motivation to students and other faculty alike.”
