Casper College Paramedic Program Earns Accreditation

The Casper College Paramedic Program has received initial accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs. The accreditation is good for the next five years.

Students in the Casper College program learn not only in the classroom and with the school’s recently acquired ambulance simulator, but also spend time at the Wyoming Medical Center in the center’s ambulance, emergency room, intensive care unit, respiratory therapy unit, labor and delivery unit and operating rooms. In addition, the students also spend time working with Mountain View Regional Hospital, the Salt Lake City Fire Department, the pediatrics care unit at Primary Children’s Medical Center in Salt Lake City, the Rapid City, S.D. Fire Department, and the AMR Ambulance Company in Cheyenne, Wyoming.

The first cohort for the Casper College Paramedic Program began with 10 students in August 2009. Six of those 10 graduated in May of 2011. Currently there are 15 applications for the fall 2012 class, which can only take 12 students.
Russ Christiansen, paramedic program director at Casper College said.

“This accreditation means that our program meets the standard of expertise that groups of experienced providers and professionals have determined is the minimum that a program needs to perform this service,The primary goal of this program is to produce competent, entry-level paramedics to serve in career and volunteer positions,”

The Casper College Paramedic Technology Program is designed to prepare students with the knowledge to provide immediate primary emergency care to people in health crises, and basic and advanced life support under the direction of a physician, to all age groups and populations. In addition, students are trained in injury prevention and incident management techniques and strategies. Finally, students who complete the Casper College program are prepared to successfully complete the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians-Paramedic certification exam.

It should be noted that after December 31, 2012, those who graduate from non-accredited programs will not be able to take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians-Paramedic certification exam.