New York Institute of Technology (NYIT) and Arkansas State University have signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) for NYIT to take over the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) and Paramedic programs previously offered by Arkansas State University.
“We’re thrilled to have the opportunity to lead this outstanding program and ensure that we continue to train these much-needed medical professionals in Northeast Arkansas,” said Shane Speights, D.O., dean of NYIT’s Arkansas campus. “Since opening our Arkansas campus in 2016, NYIT has been committed to community health, specifically to improving access to healthcare and health education. This new endeavor in emergency medical services fits perfectly with that mission.”
NYIT will begin offering EMT and paramedic certificates on the Jonesboro campus in the fall of 2024.
A-State had previously announced that its Emergency Medical Services programs would no longer be offered on the Jonesboro campus. NYIT, which operates its College of Osteopathic Medicine on the A-State campus through a private-public partnership, expressed interest in absorbing the programs, leading to the preliminary agreement.
Sara Walker, M.S./N.R.P., who has been with A-State’s EMS program since 2015, will join the NYIT faculty this summer and continue her role as program director during and after the transition.
“I’m very proud of the program we’ve built at A-State, and the transition to NYIT will only help improve it,” Walker said. “By partnering with an institution that operates a medical school, we will now have access to resources like advanced simulation equipment and a gross anatomy lab. We have the ability to provide our future EMTs and paramedics with an extremely high level of training, and I’m very excited about that.”
The EMT program, which requires 12 credit hours to complete, prepares students for entry-level practice as Emergency Medical Technicians. It includes training in basic lifesaving skills, such as CPR. The Paramedic program, which requires 51 credit hours for a technical certificate, prepares students for entry-level practice as paramedics, including advanced lifesaving procedures like intubation, IV medication administration and advanced cardiac life support.
For more information on the EMS programs, click here.
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