On Thursday, June 23, Mohawk Valley Community College President Randall J. VanWagoner, Ph.D., and Mohawk Valley Health System President/Chief Executive Officer Darlene Stromstad, FACHE, announced an agreement between Midstate EMS and MVCC that reinstates an EMS/Paramedic AAS degree program at MVCC, providing a pathway from an EMT-Basic certification to a degree as a paramedic and provides flexible payment options to those pursuing training through Midstate EMS. The Midstate EMS program is an affiliate of the Mohawk Valley Health System.
The program, which will be offered beginning this fall, will include technical instruction through Midstate EMS and general education coursework through MVCC. Students also will have access to MVCC’s Human Tissue Lab as part of their clinical education. Students who complete the program will be eligible to take certification exams to receive Department of Health endorsements to practice as paramedics.
“MVCC is thrilled to collaborate with MVHS and Midstate EMS in the development of a novel approach to overcome the critical workforce crisis facing regional EMS providers,” said VanWagoner. “The Mohawk Valley has a long history of relying on strong institutional partnerships to persevere through adversity, and we are honored to perpetuate this tradition by joining this partnership as a solution for the current paramedic staffing challenge.”
“Paramedics serve a crucial role in the health of our community – the reinstatement of the EMS/Paramedic degree program is a critical move for our community, and I am so proud to partner with MVCC and Midstate EMS to make this happen,” said Stromstad. “As a health system, we work hand-in-hand with EMS providers, relying on the expertise of paramedics to safely triage and transport the patient to the hospital all while communicating ahead to the Emergency Department team so they can prepare for the patient’s arrival. This is especially vital with our stroke and cardiac services, as time is crucial to saving lives. This partnership is so important to creating a paramedic community that can properly support the healthcare needs of the population we serve.”
“The future of prehospital medicine hinges on our ability to adapt to the rapidly changing environment that is our ‘new normal,’” said Matthew R. Yelton, FP-C, NRP, director of EMS at MVHS. “As part of our initiative to revitalize our EMS Education System, we’ve entered into this collaborative agreement with MVCC to offer a dual certificate degree Paramedic Program. This joint effort will provide the foundation necessary for our prehospital providers to professionally grow and develop.”
Students may enter the program as an EMT-B or Midstate EMS will provide such training as part of the student’s degree plan.
For more information about the program, prospective students should visit Midstate EMS’s website: midstateems.org.