By Bill Carey
EMS1
RED ROCK, Texas — The International Board of Specialty Certification (IBSC) has announced the finalization of an agreement to have the International Paramedic Registry (IPR) join the IBSC.
The IBSC is a U.S. nonprofit organization delivering board certification examinations for specialty paramedic practice. The IBSC has been in practice for over 20 years and is accredited by the National Commission for Certifying Agencies, the accreditation body of the Institute for Credentialing Excellence.
“Certification is the cornerstone of validating competency. Working together, we will fortify and strengthen the global EMS community with a psychometrically valid and legally defensible standard for both entry-level and Board certification,” IBSC President and CEO Graham Pierce stated. “The synergy of the IBSC’s Board certifications and the IPR’s certifications enhance the professionalism while improving patient care.”
The IPR has been operational since 2018 and has a robust network of EMS partners to enhance patient care through collaborative efforts with stakeholders to define and assess competency in the international practice of paramedicine.
Eight countries currently use the IPR exam process to certify providers as Emergency Medical (First) Responder, Emergency Medical Technicians (Basic) or Paramedic (Advanced).
“We have enjoyed a long history of collaboration with the NREMT. The National Registry is the nation’s EMS certification, providing tens of thousands of US EMS providers with entry-level certification while the IBSC is focused on Board certification in specialty areas of EMS practice,” Pierce stated. “The International Paramedic Registry will not be an alternative to domestic EMS certification to the NREMT but will only function outside the USA.”