Clinton County EMS officially received approval from the Committee on Accreditation for the EMS Professional to kick off its developing program to train nationally certified paramedics to encourage paramedics to remain within the county for employment.
Steven Deckard, EMS Director, approached the Clinton County Board of Commissioners and Clinton County Council earlier this year to discuss the logistics behind the program and receive approval for its implementation. With the receipt of national accreditation, the program has been slated to be implemented in January.
“As far as we know, we are the second county-based program nationally accredited in the state of Indiana,” Deckard said. “Having our own program not only allows us to set our own standards, train our own people and recruit new paramedics to Clinton County, but (it) ensures our healthcare services are delivered by a highly-qualified workforce.”
The program will be launched under a Letter of Review until it graduates its first class. The Letter of Review is an official document issued by the committee and indicates that the program is continuing its process of obtaining accreditation through the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. Deckard commented that the program will allow for emergency medical technicians within the county to continue their educational and training opportunities locally, which he expects will encourage the graduated paramedics to remain employed at Clinton County EMS.
“The program takes an emergency medical technician to a paramedic,” Deckard said. “Paramedics hold all the responsibilities of an EMT but have the additional responsibility of leading the team in the field, giving oral and IV medication, providing advanced airway management, reading EKGs, providing advanced cardiac life support and deciding where to take a patient for the best care.”
The first cohort of the program is expected to begin in January, and participants will be expected to meet on Mondays, Wednesdays and Fridays for 15 months to complete the required training. The participants will accumulate 1,200 hours of classroom learning and supervised field experience through the IU Health Arnett Hospital, IU Health Frankfort Hospital and Clinton County EMS to complete the requirements for paramedic certification.
County Council approved the hiring of a new program director at Clinton County EMS in June to allow for the paramedic program to kick off as soon as national accreditation was received. The position receives a $65,000 salary and will oversee the program. Deckard commented that around 4,500 paramedics were certified in Indiana and only 1,700 of the registered paramedics filed a patient report in 2021 based on a study conducted. Deckard continued to state that only 19 paramedic programs exist within Indiana with only 17 programs being active for applicants as of June 2023. The 17 programs were available at a college or university with limited options for paramedic certification seekers to receive their credits locally. Deckard expressed that the lack of programs and certified paramedics was causing issues at Clinton County EMS with its ability to maintain paramedics and budget for their salary.
“Low wages, a lack of work-life balance and burnout are driving emergency medical services personnel around the country to quit,” Deckard said. “Recent studies suggest we’ll need 40,000 more full-time emergency medical personnel nationwide by 2030.”
In June, Deckard stated that employing a paramedic would likely cost nearly $82,000 a year due to the number of hours the individual would be required to work overtime to cover the increasing number of 911 calls the department receives. Deckard proposed that the implementation of the paramedic program would allow for Clinton County EMS to reach certification seekers from across the region and create a cluster of paramedics, which would permit the department to select the most qualified of the candidates and avoid excessive overtime pay and extensive hours of work for the paramedics employed with the county.
“Our return is staffing and quality providers within our community,” Deckard said in June. “There is a significant more influence and a significant more burden to ensure that we’re producing the highest quality paramedic students at the end of this program.”
Jordan Brewer, Commissioner President, commented that Deckard and the team at Clinton County EMS have excelled in bringing the vision of the program to Clinton County.
“This program is a testament to the dedication of Steven and his entire team and underscores their commitment to the community they serve,” Brewer said. “They are dedicated to delivering exceptional healthcare services and fostering a well-prepared workforce within the emergency medical services field.”
Applicants for paramedic certification must hold a high school diploma or GED, CPR certification and an emergency medical technician certification to be considered. For more information or to file an application for the program, contact Deckard at 765-659-6310 or sdeckard@clintonco.com.