Incineración de desechos médicos

recommendations are involved with this position?

EMS is the most regulated program/certificates that we have. Regulations that we must follow are: Accreditation for EMS Professions (CoAEMSP) Standards, Title 22/EMSA and National Registry of EMTs (NREMT). All of which have their own view points and regs (of course none of them like each other). Keeping up with governmental changes is a full time job. Each governmental regulation looks at program success and faculty stability. It is difficult to maintain “best- practice” within a health occupations program when a

program is fragmented with part-timers who do not have the big picture understanding. EMS covers various levels of emergency care. All of which require faculty specializations. A Full-time EMS faculty has the big picture understanding to guide, nurture, and maintain the paramedic program and coordinate with the EMT program. Bringing continuity among all EMS levels is severely lacking in our division.

Our division has 4 advisory groups. The EMS advisory

committee is one of the most active. All are supportive. The EMS advisory is a requirement as a CTE program on campus but also an accrediting mandated Advisory committee for us. Bottom line, we listen when they speak! You will read 4

unsolicited letters of support for a dedicated Full Time EMS

faculty person. These community members are Chiefs, Administrators and Operations Directors who support Cuesta and the same ones who hire our students---SEE

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Rationale for Continuing the EMS Program---PRESENTED IN 2012 PROGRAM REVITALIZATION, SUSPENSION AND/OR DISCONTINUANCE

Modified Qualitative Indicators

The impact the action will have on the general education curriculum or the curriculum of other programs.

The EMS (Emergency Medical Services) program offers courses that train individuals to become Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) and Paramedics. EMTs and Paramedics are essential to our healthcare system. They perform highly specialized skills as part of rescue and pre-hospital teams. Aside from preparing people to work on ambulances, EMT certification is a requirement for most firefighters and other public safety personnel. We have the privilege of providing skill based education to public servants who dedicate their careers to protecting the public. Certification from Cuesta prepares students to take National Registry Exams which qualifies them to begin careers in the public and private sectors. Our program gives them the ability to enter the workforce, and earn a livable wage, after one semester of training. The discontinuance of the EMS could decrease enrollment in GE and Nursing/Allied Health courses.

EMS certificate courses feed into degree completion in other healthcare programs. The program provides pathways to our one and two year healthcare programs (RN, LVN, Psych Tech, and Paramedic).

The Paramedic Program has prerequisites from GE curriculum. EMT certification is a prerequisite to the Paramedic Program.

Some students take the 8.5 unit EMT course (EMS 201) for the transferable credits. Discontinuance has the potential to diminish degree and certificate completion.

The EMS program has high retention and success rates (83% annual success, 88.2% annual retention). Certificates were awarded as follows:

Su2011/Su12 Certificates Sp2010/Su2012 Certificates Paramedic 15 35 EMT 88 297 Other EMS 49 145 EMS Total 152 477

The potential impact on diversity at Cuesta College.

Aside from positively adding to Cuesta’s diversity, the numbers noted below are significant because they are representative of our program attracting non-traditional (diverse) students to careers in EMS which is a criterion monitored in CTEA funded programs.

Internal college data shows that the demographic composition of students enrolled in EMS courses in 2011/12 was as follows: 48.2% were between the ages of 25 and 64, 27.4% were academically disadvantaged; 25.3% were female, and 26.5% identified themselves as

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non-white. Of the 26.5%, 20.0% were identified as Hispanic/Latino.

EMS faculty and staff actively participate in district high school outreach events specific to Latino students (Educate Conference). This participation supports the college in attracting Latino students from local high schools. (Institutional Goal 2, Objective 2.2)

Effects on local business and industries- i.e., declining market/industry demand (local, regional).

Our Advisory Board indicates that our program serves a critical community need. Employers depend on our program to train their personnel.

Local training is valued because the employees who are most invested in our community are “home grown”.

Cuesta is affordable, accessible and the only EMS program in our county. The next closest Community College Paramedic Program is 150+ miles away and in 2014 Hancock’s EMT program is moving to Lompoc.

Fire agencies primarily hire Paramedic-Firefighters. Many jobs are opening in California because of changes in retirement guidelines. It is anticipated that 319 positions will open from LA to SLO within the next 6 months.

Our graduates are being hired!

o 90% of last year’s paramedic class is employed.

o 33 of the 44 EMTs and 7 Paramedics at Atascadero Fire are Cuesta graduates. o ½ of the EMTs and 1/3 of the Paramedics at San Luis Ambulance (SLA) are Cuesta

graduates.

o 5 students in our current class work for SLA and upon graduation will become their paramedics.

o 6 of our recent graduates were CalFire firefighters and are now permanent Paramedic/Firefighters.

Our EMT refresher course is essential to our county because EMTs must recertify every two years to stay employed.

EDD projects that between 2008-2018 EMS jobs in California are expected to increase by 30.8% - an average of 730 new jobs per year. Our county need for EMS professionals is increasing as our elderly population is the fasting growing group.

Other indicators in current IPPR via the APPW, CPPR or CTER

39.4% of the students enrolled in EMS are between the ages of 25 and 39 (plus another 34.7% between the ages of 20 and 24). This supports increasing the capture rate of the local 24‐ 40 age cohort. (Institutional Goal 2, Objective 2.1)

The program prepares students to take state and National Registry certification exams. o NREMT 2011-2012 pass rates: 80% first attempt (84% by second attempt), above

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o NREMT-Paramedic 2011-12 pass rates: 86% first attempt (100% by second attempt), above the national average of 72% first attempt (83% within three attempts).

The support received from the community is testament to the programs commitment to

strengthening its partnerships with local educational institutions, civic organizations, businesses, and industries. (Goal 5, Objective 5.1)

Community EMS and medical personnel regularly donate their time as Teaching Assistants, guest lecturers and advisory members.

The EMS program benefits from generous financial donations from the community. o The Paramedic Program Director’s salary is completely paid for by one of our

community partners.

o The Hoag Family has given $200,000 to support general EMS education.

o The Clarke family has given $50,000 to support general EMS education which was partially used to bring current technology into a classroom used by the EMS program and others on campus.

o The Cuesta Foundation has awarded grants of more than $20,000 for EMS equipment.

o The Christopher Meadows Foundation recently donated $2,500 to the paramedic program.

Explanation of program’s discontinuance on the district’s ability to fulfill institutional goals and objectives

Possible impact on Cuesta’s ability to achieve institutional goals and objectives:

Goal 1, Objective 1.2: Increase the percentage of degree‐ or certificate‐ directed students who complete degrees or certificates.

o We have high completion rates, are dependent on GE courses, and EMS is a pathway to other healthcare degrees.

Goal 2, Objective 2.1: Increase the capture rate of the local 24‐ 40 age cohort.

o 39.4% or the students enrolled in EMS are between the ages of 25 and 39 (+ an additional 34.7% between the ages of 20 and 24).

Goal 2, Objective 2.2: Increase the local high school capture rate.

o EMS faculty and staff frequently participate in high school outreach activities (CTE college/career fair, Connect@Cuesta, Educate Conference, College night, Grizzly Academy, K-6 Public Safety events).

Goal 5, Objective 5.1: Increase participation at district events for business and civic Leaders.

o EMS faculty and staff are very active in the community. We attend monthly EMSA meetings and community events, host advisory meetings, and interface with affiliate agencies on a regular basis (hospitals, ambulance companies, and fire departments). We are very visible because our students train in internships throughout the county and are highly respected.

Cuesta College |Emergency Medical Services Comprehensive Program Planning & Review 2013-2014 64 Goal 5, Objective 5.2: Increase participation at district events for K‐12 districts and

Universities.

o Options to establish ROP pathways with local high schools are currently being evaluated. As a SLOHS site council member, the associate director added an action step to SLOHS’s initiatives that encourages collaboration with Cuesta.

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Letters Written in Support of Paramedic Program and Support for a Full Time EMS Faculty

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SAN LUIS OBISPO COUNTY