Evangelical Community Hospital Granted Funds for EMT Training and Support

Evangelical Community Hospital was recently awarded a grant of $20,000 from the Greater Susquehanna Valley Community Fund at the First Community Foundation Partnership of Pennsylvania (FCFP). The funds are designated to support an EMT training program of Evangelical Regional Mobile Medical Services (ERMMS) that allows for expansion and growth of the Hospital’s Emergency Response program.

The ERMMS EMT Training Program is designed as an eight-week program. Each week of the program, trainees undergo four days of classroom instruction at the EMT Training Center in Selinsgrove and one day of supervised, hands-on training working on an ambulance in the community. Participants accepted into the program are immediately employees of ERMMS receiving payment for the time they put into learning how to care for the area’s patients.

“The grant dollars provided by FCFP enable us to take individuals who have a desire to be emergency responders as Emergency Medical Technicians and continue to nurture that passion into a healthcare career,” said Jonathan Bastian, Chief, Evangelical Regional Mobile Medical Services. “A training program like this one requires substantial resources including a dedicated learning location as well as supplies, materials, and instructors.”

The Greater Susquehanna Valley Community Fund offers nonprofits that serve the residents of Montour, Northumberland, Snyder and/or Union counties an opportunity to apply for funding for the charitable, educational, cultural, recreational, or economic welfare of the community.

An EMT provides emergency medical care to individuals in need—they assess, stabilize, and transport patients who need routine medical care or who are experiencing life-threatening emergencies. EMTs on scene may provide basic life support services.

Classroom instruction and curriculum content is provided by Harrisburg Area Community College EMT instructors. The field work on local ambulance calls is supervised by an ERMMS preceptor. At the conclusion of the eight-week training program EMT trainees will have met all requirements and certifications for employment as an EMT except the Pennsylvania EMT Certification. This final level of certification requires sitting for a two-phase examination that is comprised of a hands-on demonstration of skill and a written test.

To qualify for ERMMS education program, a candidate must be 16 years of age, have an interest in becoming an EMT, and be willing to make a commitment to 18 months of full-time employment with ERMMS upon receipt of certification.

For more information on the EMT Trainee Program, visit www.EvanHospital.com/Careers.