The University of Vermont Health Network - Elizabethtown Community Hospital will soon launch updated technology to support its Paramedic Education Program. A $10,000 award from the Network of the National Library of Medicine helped make the new equipment possible.

Bob Ortmyer, president of Elizabethtown Community Hospital, said, “Our Paramedic Education Program is another way our hospital is able to positively impact lives in our community.  We are so grateful to receive this grant as it will expand our ability to train North Country residents to help their families, friends and neighbors.”

“The success of the Paramedic Education Program is due in part to its blended learning style, with classroom and hands-on learning available within a short drive for students across Northern New York,” said ECH Paramedic Education Program lead Bruce Barry. “Distance learning is a key component of our program model, helping to connect students across a 6,500 square mile region.”

Connected classrooms in Lewis, Queensbury, and Potsdam, New York facilitate opportunities to share faculty expertise and meaningful group interactions between sites. This model has allowed three cohorts complete the 18-month program since its launch in 2018. Nearly 40 graduates have gone on to serve 10 counties in New York State.

“In order to address the critical shortage of paramedics in our area, we need to continue to build a pipeline for emergency medical professionals certified at the highest level of pre-hospital care,” said Barry. “Given the remote nature of our region, we rely on high-functioning distance learning technology to help make that happen. The new equipment will help us better connect classrooms and build cohesion among cohorts despite the distance between classroom locations.”

As emergency department visits and wait times across Northern New York State increase, the demand for paramedics continues to rise. The Elizabethtown Community Hospital Paramedic Education Program serves a critical need for local paramedic education opportunities. To learn more about supporting this program, please visit Elizabethtown Community Hospital | Donate (ech.org) or contact Elizabeth Rogers, director of development, at (518) 873-3003.