FORT WAYNE, IN - The Paramedic Science program at Ivy Tech Community College Northeast received its national accreditation on July 25, 2008 by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
Due to a decision by the State EMS Commission, all paramedic programs must be accredited in order to receive approval to offer a training program. Any programs who have not received accreditation will not be permitted to begin paramedic level training courses until such accreditation is received.
The Paramedic Science program at Ivy Tech – Northeast is a rapidly growing program. With more than 40% increase in enrollment over last fall, Ivy Tech continues to grow to meet the needs of the communities. “The amount of EMT basic courses has been doubled to meet the needs of the increase in program enrollment,” states Matt Shady, Paramedic Science program chair.
The process for receiving accreditation is a lengthy one. It begins with an exhaustive self-study of the program, meant to identify all aspects of the program from personnel to resources to communities of interest and even the current students and graduates of the program. Upon completion of the self-study, Ivy Tech was able to apply for accreditation. A site-visit is then required by members of an evaluation team to review the program. A report was then filed by the team. The final two stages of the process were then handled at the national level. Ivy Tech’s program was first presented to the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the EMS Professionals (CoAEMSP) for review. After reviewing the school’s status, CoAEMSP voted to recommend the program to CAAHEP for accreditation and the program was granted accreditation.
Ivy Tech Community College is the nation’s largest statewide community college system and the state’s second largest public post-secondary institution serving more than 115,000 students a year. Ivy Tech remains Indiana’s most affordable option to earn a college degree, as students can earn an associate degree from Ivy Tech for less than $6,000. Those degrees result in good-paying jobs and students can transfer their credits to four-year colleges and universities in pursuit of a bachelor’s degree, saving half the cost annually.
It serves as the state's engine of workforce development, offering affordable degree programs and training that are aligned with the needs of its community along with courses and programs that transfer to other colleges and universities in Indiana. It is accredited by the Higher Learning Commission of the North Central Association of Colleges and Schools.
Source: Ivy Tech
