WINNEMUCCA - Humboldt General Hospital has announced a unique collaboration between its Emergency Medical Services Rescue Department and Truckee Meadows Community College.
Together, HGH EMS Rescue and TMCC will host the first ever "Rural Paramedic Program" in Winnemucca.
Classes begin in January 2012 and end in December 2012. Applicants must hold a current EMT-Basic or EMT-Intermediate certification.
Cost is $8,500 for the entire course and payment arrangements can be made.
"We are thrilled to have the opportunity to work with TMCC to bring this program to Winnemucca," said HGH EMS Rescue Director Pat Songer, "but I think we're even more thrilled for our participants. This is a one-of-a-kind opportunity to receive this instruction here in our hometown."
The Rural Paramedic Program will closely follow the highly successful model employed by TMCC, but participants will be taught by local instructors including Songer and HGH EMS Rescue Education Coordinator Ken Whittaker.
"This is about taking those people who have a serious career goal as a paramedic and getting them to that next level," said Whittaker.
"There are good people out there - competent EMTs - whose circumstances have not allowed them to access that next level of training," said Whittaker.
"Now, this changes everything."
Students will meet Mondays and Wednesdays from 6 p.m. to 10 p.m. Instruction will also take place one weekend each month.
A certificate of completion will be offered upon completion of the curriculum and successful passing of the National Registry Exam. This is a 12-month continuous program.
The Humboldt General Hospital/TMCC EMTP curriculum meets all requirements as outlined in the U.S. Department of Transportation (DOT) and the Emergency Medical Technician-Paramedic National Standard Curriculum.
The program is approximately 1,400 hours in length and is based on specific objectives.
A didactic/classroom phase will include more than 600 hours of instruction. Activities will include lectures, skills lab sessions, demonstrations and simulations.
A second phase will be completed at Humboldt General Hospital where students will, under the supervision of a physician or registered nurse, participate in direct patient care. Each student must complete at least 240 hours of clinical/hospital experience.
The third and final component of the paramedic program is a field rotation phase where students will apply the knowledge and skills they have gained in the classroom and hospital under the direct supervision of a preceptor paramedic. Each EMTP candidate will be required to complete a minimum of 480 hours of field rotation lab.
"This is a totally comprehensive program," said Whittaker. "Upon graduation, our students will be fully licensed paramedics, representing the highest licensure level in pre-hospital emergency care."
While Whittaker said the program will be personally beneficial to area EMTs, he acknowledged it will be advantageous to the agency as well.
"This obviously helps us greatly as it gives us a more highly trained force from which to draw," said Whittaker. "Certainly, having more paramedics at our disposal will allow us to raise the level of care we provide to our hospital and our community."
For more information on the Rural Paramedic Program jointly offered by Humboldt General Hospital EMS Rescue and Truckee Meadows Community College, please call HGH EMS Rescue Education Coordinator Ken Whittaker at (775) 623-5222, ext. 262 or e-mail kwhittaker@hghospital.ws.
All participants must formally apply to and be accepted into the program. Deadline to submit applications is 5 p.m. Friday, Dec. 30.
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