2024 Noncredit Exemplary Award Winner
CREDIT WORKFORCE PROGRAM
Pima Community College, AZ
Air Force Medical Readiness Agency (AFMRA) Program
Pima Community College located in Tucson, Arizona in response to a United States Air Force (USAF) Request for Proposal (RFP), developed a project proposal for submission. PCC was awarded a competitive, 5-year government contract in 2014, and again, in 2019 to meet the Paramedic instructional needs of the Air Force Medical Operations Agency (AFMOA), now referred to as the Air Force Medical Readiness Agency (AFMRA).
The USAF identified a significant shortage in personnel who are appropriately certified to support Emergency Medical Services, such as Paramedics, who provide Advanced Life Support (ALS) medical care to patients. PCC entered into a contractual agreement with the USAF to create an innovative and dynamic instructional program to support the development, training, and certification of over 700 Air Force personnel to meet the demand for ALS credentialing.
Pima developed an accelerated and rigorous Paramedic cohort instructional model that meets National Emergency Medical Education Standards and prepares graduates for their National Registry of Emergency Medical Technician (NREMT) credentialing exams. The current program focuses on providing training to two cohorts per year, along with continued training to support 100 Air Force personnel annually to meet re-certification requirements. The challenging and comprehensive curriculum, for initial paramedic training, incorporates 560 classroom hours of instruction and a minimum of 500 clinical and field hours working in hospitals and local ambulances. The airmen complete the program in only 4 ½ months, cutting the typical completion time nearly in half.
The project has been incredibly successful to date with over 275 graduates, including 98% of participants passing their NREMT credentialing exam. Ultimately, the project is meeting the extreme need for more qualified Paramedics in the USAF, but is providing avenues for personnel to receive stellar instruction combined with nationally-recognized credentials from the American Heart Association (AHA), Pediatric Education for Prehospital Professionals (PEPP), and National Association of Emergency Medical Technicians. These graduates are not only able to serve as Paramedics in the military, but have earned civilian credentials, allowing them to seamlessly transition to serving their local community upon retirement or separation from the Air Force.
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