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I really think this speaks for it's self. . .
Indiana Paramedic Opens EMS School
- Frank Denzler, The Rushville Republican, Ind.
Jun. 25--On any given night a number of local residents, those from nearby and some from not so near counties may be found in the 100 block of West First Street in downtown Rushville. There is no need for alarm, they are simply taking a break from studies at the Tri-County Medical Academy, one of the county's newest businesses.
Director of the school and Fayette County resident Bill Hufford is no stranger to the emergency medical field, having logged more than 28 years of in-field medical care and more than 20 years as an instructor.
Originally from North Carolina, Hufford became an EMT in 1981 and later a paramedic.
A four year stint in the U.S. Navy, from 1987 through 1991, found Hufford serving during both Desert Storm and Desert Shield where he was tapped to be in division school as a trainer and became a primary instructor teaching military EMT training.
"I have basically been in the medical field and working for ambulance services my entire adult life," Hufford said.
After serving his country, Hufford settled in Ohio for a couple of years prior to relocating to Indiana and becoming the Director of EMS in Logansport. That move was followed to his current residence in Connersville, where he served as a flight medic on an air ambulance and followed that by again returning to the field and working for an ambulance service.
"About three years ago, I simply got tired of working for everyone else and wanted to go into business for myself. That is when I opened my own school, the Tri-County Training Academy," Hufford said.
The operation began in the converted garage of his home, to later holding classes in fire department training rooms and has since expanded to its current home in Rushville.
The medical training school currently has an average enrollment of nearly 150 students gaining instruction at various levels of in-field medical care: EMT-B, EMT-Advance and EMT-paramedic.
"I don't think that a lot of people realize the capabilities of an EMT or that of a paramedic. During a life threatening emergency such as difficulty breathing or a heart attack the paramedic ambulance has the capability to administer the exact same medications as that of an emergency room, the only difference is that they are administered right at the scene and not 20 to 30 minutes later at the hospital. That definitely increases the chance for survival. We more or less bring the emergency room to the patient," he said.
Completing the course is just one step in the process of becoming an EMT or paramedic. Specified ride time with trained medical personnel on an ambulance, hospital emergency room clinical time and successfully passing the State of Indiana exam are also required.
"Once the classroom instruction and the other requirements are met individuals are eligible to sit for the state boards. Just like nursing you are not a nurse when you complete nursing school, you still have to pass the state boards," Hufford said.
The instructor said Tri-County Training Academy has a high pass rate for those taking the state exam.
"We are an Indiana Department of Homeland Security advanced training center and offer the only state-based program that teaches the tactic-medic program. Once that training is complete it allows the EMT or paramedic to go with an area SWAT Team and act as part of that team. It also entitles the individual to be on an entry team at a state prison," the instructor said.
When asked about his concerns regarding opening a business in the current economic climate Hufford said that quality trained medical personnel have been, are and will always be needed.
"No matter how bad the economy is there are always going to be those individuals that are sick or become injured. The fields of EMTs and paramedics are actually evolving and growing. You will now find them working in emergency rooms at hospitals and medical clinics. Their rolls are really expanding," Hufford said.
Indiana Paramedic Opens EMS School
- Frank Denzler, The Rushville Republican, Ind.
Jun. 25--On any given night a number of local residents, those from nearby and some from not so near counties may be found in the 100 block of West First Street in downtown Rushville. There is no need for alarm, they are simply taking a break from studies at the Tri-County Medical Academy, one of the county's newest businesses.
Director of the school and Fayette County resident Bill Hufford is no stranger to the emergency medical field, having logged more than 28 years of in-field medical care and more than 20 years as an instructor.
Originally from North Carolina, Hufford became an EMT in 1981 and later a paramedic.
A four year stint in the U.S. Navy, from 1987 through 1991, found Hufford serving during both Desert Storm and Desert Shield where he was tapped to be in division school as a trainer and became a primary instructor teaching military EMT training.
"I have basically been in the medical field and working for ambulance services my entire adult life," Hufford said.
After serving his country, Hufford settled in Ohio for a couple of years prior to relocating to Indiana and becoming the Director of EMS in Logansport. That move was followed to his current residence in Connersville, where he served as a flight medic on an air ambulance and followed that by again returning to the field and working for an ambulance service.
"About three years ago, I simply got tired of working for everyone else and wanted to go into business for myself. That is when I opened my own school, the Tri-County Training Academy," Hufford said.
The operation began in the converted garage of his home, to later holding classes in fire department training rooms and has since expanded to its current home in Rushville.
The medical training school currently has an average enrollment of nearly 150 students gaining instruction at various levels of in-field medical care: EMT-B, EMT-Advance and EMT-paramedic.
"I don't think that a lot of people realize the capabilities of an EMT or that of a paramedic. During a life threatening emergency such as difficulty breathing or a heart attack the paramedic ambulance has the capability to administer the exact same medications as that of an emergency room, the only difference is that they are administered right at the scene and not 20 to 30 minutes later at the hospital. That definitely increases the chance for survival. We more or less bring the emergency room to the patient," he said.
Completing the course is just one step in the process of becoming an EMT or paramedic. Specified ride time with trained medical personnel on an ambulance, hospital emergency room clinical time and successfully passing the State of Indiana exam are also required.
"Once the classroom instruction and the other requirements are met individuals are eligible to sit for the state boards. Just like nursing you are not a nurse when you complete nursing school, you still have to pass the state boards," Hufford said.
The instructor said Tri-County Training Academy has a high pass rate for those taking the state exam.
"We are an Indiana Department of Homeland Security advanced training center and offer the only state-based program that teaches the tactic-medic program. Once that training is complete it allows the EMT or paramedic to go with an area SWAT Team and act as part of that team. It also entitles the individual to be on an entry team at a state prison," the instructor said.
When asked about his concerns regarding opening a business in the current economic climate Hufford said that quality trained medical personnel have been, are and will always be needed.
"No matter how bad the economy is there are always going to be those individuals that are sick or become injured. The fields of EMTs and paramedics are actually evolving and growing. You will now find them working in emergency rooms at hospitals and medical clinics. Their rolls are really expanding," Hufford said.
Replies to This Discussion
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Permalink Reply by Joe P. on -
Ah. Education. Those that have it know how it's useful and those that don't have it don't understand. Probably the most useful thing about a university education is the ability to use outside and seemingly non-sequitar fields to explain topics of interest. Heck, just the other day I made a fluid dynamics argument why running lights and sirens on the freeway is stupid.
Understanding the basics (and by basics, I mean social studies and basic sciences, not EMT-B level knowledge), including but not limited to sociology, chemistry, physics, biology (intro, micro, biochem, genetics, anatomy, physiology, cell biology/histology at the very least. Histo I justify due to form=function. It reinforces anatomy and physiology) is critical to understand why our protocols and procedures work the way they do and how those protocols and procedures are applied to our patients. Especially the ones that fit multiple or between protocols.
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Permalink Reply by blair4630 on -
OK, I'm going out on a limb here even posting in this thread, because it's getting heated and I don't mind a good debate, but I won't get caught up in personal bashes and the likes.
I think we're talking about two things here....what do you learn in different types of programs, and secondly what type of professional respect from other medical/emergency industries and the public does each program generate.
This has been my experience with the first part; what do you learn?
My area (talking about several counites) has two programs. One is a 2 year associate's at an accredited college. The other, the one I went to, is hospital based, certificate issued (with associate's optional), non-accredited. I have worked with many providers from both, as probably 3/4 of the area's medics are from one of the two. Here's my observation over the years.....both schools have produced some excellent, excellent paramedics. Both schools have produced paramedics I wouldn't let treat my neighbor's dog. I can say nothing but the best about the lead instructor of my program (30yr ER command physician). He always insisted anyone can be trained to do monkey skills, he was there to educate us how to treat pt.'s based on understanding of how the human body does and doesn't work. His famous question, that I still hear 20yr medics recite is "why?". In his class, your answer was never sufficient, your scenario never complete, unless you told him (in great physiological detail) why your pt. was the way he was, why you're doing what you're doing, why they responded to treatment the way they do. The scenarios were impossibly hard, the tests he wrote for us throughout the course made national registry seem like a 3rd grade spelling test, and nothing pissed him off more than showing that you wanted the bare minimum and a patch. I have one year of nursing at Penn State, and this man was by far the best instructor I have ever learned from. Guess what, some of the best, and worst, medics I've ever seen have come from his course. Go figure. Although I can't speak personally of the other school's instructors, I have heard great things about them as well. And again, some shining stars and some polished turds have emerged from those doors as well. I think alot of it comes down to the person taking the course, they get out what they put in.
On the professional respect issue, I know in my area, in the local ED's, there's no difference. They (ED nurses and doctors) don't know who went to my school, the other one I mentioned, the Seattle medic 1 program, or billy-bob's parra-meddic skool. Some show the respect always, some never, but the vast majority show respect based on, again, the individual. Gain confidence in the doctor's you'll get any order you ask for, because they know that you know what you're doing. Show them you're a tool bag, and you'll get "continue transport, try not to touch anything".
That being said, I am a strong advocate for the profession's advancement on a unified, national level, for education, certification/licensure, protocols, scope of practice, and anything else which will make the U.S. a better place to be a provider or a patient. Although I do not have a degree, I do think that's the way to go. I think accredited schools are also the way to go, to provide uniformity. I know the school I went to is in the final stage of being accredited, and should be by the start of next class. I was curious, and asked one of the instructors, are there any big changes you guys had to make from when I went through to meet the standards? He said, no, not really. That makes me think that although the guys going through next year won't have a better education than me, they will have something I don't on their resume, and that may help them down the road. I think that a program like mine, which is a good one, will be brought to the national standard for equality and recognition, while ones that don't make the grade will be no more. Both of those are good things; for the public and the profession.
So, after a long ramble there, my opinion is that you can have great, OK, and lousy provider's from any program. That being said, if we are going to truly move forward with our profession, we need to up the standards with movements like the EMS agenda for the future and NR. Will all these things make every medic better? Do all those things in other professions make every nurse or doctor great? Certainly not, but the positions they sit in with the public and political realms are far beyond us, so maybe we should catch on and catch up.
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Permalink Reply by Joe P. on
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blair4630 said:OK, I'm going out on a limb here even posting in this thread, because it's getting heated and I don't mind a good debate, but I won't get caught up in personal bashes and the likes.
Good point. I'm now bowing out of this thread before I hurt someone's feelings with my "extreme views" and "aggressive tone." God forbid I advocate for something that hurts someone's feelings and I get another warning over it without even being given example of what is too "aggressive" or a "personal attack" (since those terms are now, apparently, interchangeable).
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Permalink Reply by Mike Rubin on
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I think you've made an important point about education: it doesn't have to be technical to be valuable. I believe that a broad-based education helps the recipient relate to people and make better decisions. The benefits aren't always evident when you're struggling with difficult subjects.
Faber College got it right: "Knowledge is good."
Joe P. said:Ah. Education. Those that have it know how it's useful and those that don't have it don't understand. Probably the most useful thing about a university education is the ability to use outside and seemingly non-sequitar fields to explain topics of interest. Heck, just the other day I made a fluid dynamics argument why running lights and sirens on the freeway is stupid.
Understanding the basics (and by basics, I mean social studies and basic sciences, not EMT-B level knowledge), including but not limited to sociology, chemistry, physics, biology (intro, micro, biochem, genetics, anatomy, physiology, cell biology/histology at the very least. Histo I justify due to form=function. It reinforces anatomy and physiology) is critical to understand why our protocols and procedures work the way they do and how those protocols and procedures are applied to our patients. Especially the ones that fit multiple or between protocols.
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Permalink Reply by Robert Sullivan on -
Before we get to the stuff that Skip mentioned, (which I agree with 100%) how about training our people how to pull someone out of a bathtub without hurting your back? How about safe driving and map reading? Simply talking to patients effectively? These were never covered in my EMT or paramedic program, and I didn't realize how ill prepared I was. I really didn't think I was cut out for this, but fortunately I survived. A lot of good people don't.
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Permalink Reply by Skip Kirkwood on -
Great points, Robert!
What do we do on every call?
Drive to the call, and sometimes to the hospital. As best I can tell, we've cut ambulance driving out of the EMT and paramedic curricula.
Interview patients and family. Do we teach interviewing techniques? How about techniques for dealing with hostile interviewees? How do we get a proper history with all those initials (SAMPLE, etc.) when the patient's response is (*&* yourself to each formal question. Do we know "verbal judo" or something similar?
I'm not sure how this happened, but it seems like some of even the "technician" curriculum has been watered down to "what is easy to each." Is that it? It's resource-intensive to teach EVOC, and some special skills not possessed by your typical "EMS instructor" to teach. Hmmm.....
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Permalink Reply by Duncan Hitchcock on -
In the rush to provide the industry with "Paramedics" we have seen the rise of similar training "institutes" in Florida. They have been successful in producing an increased number of state certified Paramedics. But, at what is in my opinion, is a significant decrease in the quality of Paramedics.
I am of the opinion that Paramedic training needs to be provided in a credentialed, accredited, recognized school of higher learning; at minimum a community college.
But I've stated my opinions and positions and reasons in previous posts. No need to beat a dead cat.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on -
I completely agree with requiring a college degree for paramedics. I was the 2nd degree paramedic in the state where I worked at the time, and I've been an advocate for the degree ever since. My statement above just recognized what most employers want - someone that can pass the exam. If a degree requirement reduces the pool and provides better-qualified applicants, does that mean that we'll - GASP - have to actually PAY them?
The NREMT push for accredited agency training doesn't limit EMS education to colleges and universities. If a private entity (Ben's Garage School of EMS) can obtain the required accreditation, then the upcoming NREMT requirement isn't going to mean much unless we have a national degree requirement from an accredited institution of higher learning.
I'll freely admit that my question above was Devil's Advocacy, but the question did beg the follow-up question.
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Permalink Reply by Robin Renfrew on
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Wow! What an insightful dialogue!
As a relatively new EMT instructor, I can agree with some comments...and as a seasoned provider with 14 years experience, I can agree with some comments. If I might, please allow me to interject my perceptions on the subjects noted:
1) In respect to the degree vs. certification route, I can see advantages to both. We complain that we receive less than desirable pay...but we also dress inappropriately at times - shirts untucked, dirty clothes, ball caps on backward, etc. - and ACT inappropriately at times. Does a degree make that happen any less frequently? I don't think so. Does a degree give you advanced knowledge that will help you in the field? Maybe so. Does the certificate program bear any less weight than the degree program? Not necessarily. I agree with the aforementioned comment stating that you will get shining stars and polished turds from ANY program, no matter which type it is. It does depend on the students' dedication to the program - their reason for being there. If they genuinely want to help people, they will be attentive, do the homework, excel at the skills and become great providers. If they are there because it's an "easy job" that takes little schooling, they will not succeed. Remember also that our society is becoming more technologically advanced, and with the advancement comes social isolation. Today's young student communicates electronically, not face-to-face. Text messages, IM's, and email do not take the place of an old fashioned handshake and a hug. They do not understand the complexities of social disparity and emotional issues. Can we teach them this in our programs? We can certainly make a valiant attempt. Will our efforts pay off in the long run? Only time will tell.
2) Along with this, I see quite a few EMTs making the transition to paramedic with very little or NO time on an ambulance. How in the world can these people be good medics if they aren't good EMTs first?? I firmly believe that any EMT that wants to transition to medic should have a minimum of 2 years on the trucks first. Now, with that said, some will argue that these folks will have an opportunity to pick up some habits that could be detrimental to patient care. That may be so, but we as providers need to be responsible to these "newbies", just as the instructors are responsible for the education they provide. WE are the mentors that these people will remember, and I don't want to be one of those remembered for my poor patient care!
3) Speaking of patient care, if you are one of those who is genuinely interested in being the best at what you do, you will take advantage of any/all continuing education opportunities that are presented to you. We are still fighting the technology issue, in that on-line classes are beginning to trump the classroom. I don't feel that the on-line experience is as valuable as the classroom - in the classroom, you have the opportunity to communicate ideas back and forth with peers and get immediate answers to questions.
Some of you following this thread may agree with me, some may not. That is your choice, and everyone is entitled to their opinion. I personally want to be the best that I can be, whether I am treating patients or teaching students.
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Permalink Reply by Ben Waller on
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Robin,
We've had lots of previous discussion here about how long an EMT should be certified as a basic or intermediate prior to completing paramedic school, and the consensus seems to be "no time at all".
Nursing doesn't require their students to spend time as a patient care tech or LPN/LVN prior to completing an RN degree. Nursing is the in-hospital analog to paramedicine, and I, for one, firmly believe that better education and better clinical requirements at the paramedic level will do more to professionalize EMS than any number of years practicing as an EMT.
Ditto for physicians not requiring med students to practice as PA's before recieving their medical licenses, dentists not requiring their students to first practice as dental hygenists, etc.
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Permalink Reply by Gul Dukat on -
While I understand the thoughts about an RN being an RN without being an LPN or a Doctor being a Doctor without being a PA.
However you can’t be a Cardiologist without becoming a Physician first. Or since some of you guys also like to pick and choose between medicine and public safety you can’t go from the Police Academy to being a Detective without having worked on the streets as a patrol man. You can’t be a Hazardous Materials Technician on most major Fire Departments without being a line Firefighter.
In reality this is all going to boil down to what you believe a Paramedic is. Some of us believe that a Paramedic is the base line of what EMS should be and others of us believe that a Paramedic should be a specialist who should be called on for more acute patients and situations.
In my opinion both of these points of view have validity. In my experience I will state though that the Paramedics that I have worked with that have been outstanding and long term Medics are the ones who spent a year or two as a BLS provider and understand what the job is and is not.
However I am not so arrogant as to say that this is the only or even the best way. It’s just something that I have experienced over the years. Others have had a different experience and have far more qualifications and credentials to make this call than I do.
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Permalink Reply by Jim Mahoney on -
Not every EMS training program provides college credit. As long as an "EMS Training Program" meets all local and state requirements it should be allowed to provide such training. Each school should also have medical direction, from a qualified physician, and an affiliation with a EMS provider and hospital. Once these requirements are met, lets teach and learn. Just because a program is from a healthcare institution or college, doesn't make it a good program. I would rather receive my education from professionals who love the field and have a true passion to teach. As far as national accreditation, well, more and more states are becoming disenchanted with the national registry. The initial concept of a national registry was a good idea. However, it has now evolved into a combination of political and legal requirements that make the "exam" out of touch with reality. Many state directors, physicians and providers are now scratching their heads. What happened? Regardless, there is much room for innovation and improvement in our field. I applaud any effort to improve the futire of EMS. Always remember to be open minded and objective.
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