The Albany Herald, Ga.
ALBANY, Ga. — Albany Technical College hosted a presentation featuring the refresh of its EMT/Paramedicine Program Wednesday. Faculty, staff, employers and students were expected to be on hand during the event, highlighting a donation agreement of up to $30,000 from Phoebe Putney Health System to help cover cost for basic EMT students going through the program at Albany Technical College.
The event also will be live on Albany Technical College’s YouTube channel.
Instructors will be on hand to discuss what is new in the program as well as expected outcomes for graduates. The presentation will include information about the EMS diploma and advanced EMT as well as opportunities at the paramedic level and the Fire and Emergency Services Occupation degree.
“We are very excited about the scholarship opportunities that Phoebe has extended to our students, and we look forward to seeing the positive results of this donation in the next two years,” Albany Tech Pesident Anthony Parker said. “The demand for trained EMT and Paramedicine professionals is high in our state, and this underscores a greater need throughout the country for medical related graduates.”
As part of its ongoing partnership with Albany Technical College to expand the number of graduates in health care-related fields, Phoebe will fund scholarships of up to $30,000 for EMT students.
“Emergency medical technicians are vital health care professionals, and we need more of them,” Phoebe Putney Memorial Hospital Medical Director for Emergency Services Eddie Black said. “Every day in our ER, I see their life-saving work. At Phoebe, we want to do all we can to ensure we provide outstanding emergency care and improve the overall delivery of health care in southwest Georgia. We believe this partnership will help achieve those goals, and we look forward to students taking advantage of this opportunity.”
The program at Albany Technical College consists of EMT, Advanced EMT and Paramedic education courses. The EP12 EMS Professions Diploma is entry-level to the profession. It covers the EMT certification as well as the Advanced EMT certification. There is also the new FIE3 Fire and Emergency Services Occupation degree. This is for those who want to be cross-trained in fire and EMS.
“We make simulation in the lab as realistic as possible,” Tracie Naylor-Griffin, the chair/instructor of EMT/Paramedicine at Albany Tech, said. “Our department has an excellent faculty with veteran instructors and veteran paramedics that can make that training realistic and prepare students before they ever actually get out there and start working in the field.”
After two semesters, Albany Technical College’s EMT graduates are eligible to sit for their national certifying exam at the EMT level. Once they obtain that certification, they can finally get a Georgia license, and with that, start working with any of the EMS departments in the area.
Once students obtain their advanced EMT certification, they can roll into the Paramedic program. Albany Technical College offers a diploma and a degree at the paramedic level, and those students can take the national registry certifying exam and become a paramedic after four semesters.
For more information about the EMT/Paramedicine Program, contact Naylor-Griffin via email at tnaylor-griffin@albanytech.edu or by phone at (229) 430-3093.
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