Last Updated on August 13, 2017 by cassnetwork
KOKOMO, Ind. — As Ivy Tech Community College works to help address the shortage of paramedics within Lafayette and surrounding communities, a new partnership with the accredited Paramedic Science Program on the Kokomo Campus will allow Lafayette students to obtain the training they need without having to travel to Kokomo twice a week – or more – for the two-year course of study.
The partnership allows Lafayette students to complete all general education courses and use distance education technology to complete the paramedic science courses at the Lafayette Campus, and spend one day a week at the Kokomo Campus for hands-on laboratory-based training.
“Currently, there are no Lafayette-based training programs available to those interested in a career as a paramedic,” said Connie Morgan, dean of the School of Health Sciences for Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Service Area. “This program gives students from the Lafayette area more convenient access to our accredited program here in Kokomo.”
“According to state economic data, there will be seven new and six replacement openings for paramedics every year through 2024 in the area that includes Lafayette, Kokomo, Logansport and Peru,” said Jolene Miller, dean of the School of Health Sciences for Ivy Tech’s Lafayette Service Area. “Paramedics are critical first responders in our community, and a valuable asset to the health care team. It is a great program of study for people who are interested in an active work setting in which they can use their skills and compassion to help those in need.”
Lafayette area students are required to complete standard admission and enrollment procedures at the Lafayette Campus. To be admitted to the program, students must have current Emergency Medical Technician certification and must have passed the first of two anatomy courses.
New students are admitted to the program every August and complete coursework in five semesters for a May graduation. Students are encouraged to see an academic advisor to take active steps toward program admission.
Current Indiana paramedics can apply directly to the Kokomo Paramedic Science program and complete general education courses and residency requirements at Lafayette to earn the Associate of Applied Science degree.
For more information on enrollment, students should come to the Express Enrollment Center on either the Lafayette Campus or the Kokomo Campus or call 765-269-5000 (Lafayette) or 765-459-0561 (Kokomo). For program information, call Mark Fair, Paramedic Science program chair, at 765-252-5576.
The Paramedic Science Program at Ivy Tech’s Kokomo Campus is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (www.caahep.org) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (www.coaemsp.org). At program completion, students are able to take the National Registry examination to become an Indiana paramedic. They also earn an Associate of Applied Science degree, which increases employment and educational opportunities.
The program offers a careful mix of lecture, demonstration, in-class skill practice sessions, and clinical rotations, Morgan said, adding classes are taught by some of the area’s finest paramedics. The program includes 360 hours of clinical experience and 400 hours of an internship using hands-on experiences in actual patient care settings. Students obtain the knowledge and skills needed to function in the ever-changing world of Emergency Medical Services, first as an emergency medical technician and later, with additional training, as a paramedic, in such settings as hospital emergency rooms, fire department services, and ground ambulance and air transport.
SOURCE: News release from Ivy Tech Community College