Three Rivers EMS/Paramedic Programs Receive Accreditation Certificate
The EMS and Paramedic programs at Three Rivers College have been awarded a renewal of their five-year certificate of accreditation from the Bureau of Emergency Medical Services in Jefferson City after a site visit to the college’s facilities. The award completes part of the requirements necessary for the fledgling program to become fully accredited.
“We’re very proud of this accomplishment, and what it means for the program,” said Tami Cunningham, EMS Coordinator for the college. “We now have only one step left to complete for full accreditation. It’s been a long process, but we’re finally seeing the light at the end of the tunnel.”
Cunningham has been in the process of completing the accreditation requirements for the Paramedic and EMS programs since 2011, with the college’s Nursing and Allied Health department receiving temporary accreditation status from the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (COAEMSP) in December 2012. Satisfying accreditation standards has required the college to provide hundreds of pages of documentation, program and student records, create a curriculum that adhered to national standards, among other goals.
The college seeks to finalize the transition from provisional accreditation to full accreditation in May, when the program receives a site visit from COAEMSP to see that the qualifications for full accreditation have been met. Passing the site visit will accredit both the college’s EMS and Paramedic programs fully for five years.
“I’m confident that we’ll meet all of COAEMSP’s standards when they visit in May,” said Cunningham. “Three Rivers is fully committed to providing the highest quality instruction, and I believe that the site visit will only confirm that.”
Registration remains open for Spring classes at all of Three Rivers’ locations, including classes in the college’s EMT and Paramedic programs. For more information, or to begin the registration process, visit trcc.edu. For more information on the EMS and Paramedic programs at Three Rivers, contact Tami Cunningham at tcunningham@trcc.edu.
Three Rivers College is committed to contributing to the quality of life in Southeast Missouri with quality, affordable higher education opportunities and community services that support and encourage the economic, civic, and cultural vitality of the region. For more information about college and workforce programs and upcoming events, visit trcc.edu.