By Laura French
ROWLETT, Texas — The Committee on Accreditation of Education Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP) has shifted its requirements for paramedic programs to allow for more flexibility during the COVID-19 crisis.
The committee said in a statement this weekend that paramedic educational programs will be permitted to employ a broader array of methods for determining competency, including simulation, scenarios and case studies. The CoAEMSP also said it would be adjusting the minimum competencies required to satisfy the standards set by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) through Oct. 31, 2020.
The changes are meant to accommodate educational programs so they can continue to instruct and graduate paramedic students as training and testing sites close, and internship and field activities, such as ride-a-longs and working with live patients, become more difficult due to social distancing and PPE shortages.
Institutions will be required to document any modifications made to their programs and notify accreditors of temporary changes in training locations. Institutions will also need to create an action plan for determining students’ entry-level competency under the changes in requirements.
See the full statement below:
ADDITIONAL RESOURCES
Learn more about COVID-19 response and government actions with these resources:
- NREMT extends 2020 recertification deadline, modifies requirements due to COVID-19
- NREMT approves provisional certifications during national emergency
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Minn. executive order extends deadline for state EMS certifications
- Minnesota issues ‘5-day Emergency Suspension of Ambulance Services’ memo
- Minn. EMS agencies asked to maintain normal operations during emergency
- EMS Compact declared operational
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Centers for Medicare and Medicaid extends flexibility in transport locations, paperwork
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Texas governor suspends regulations to increase EMS workforce