Paramedic

A paramedic is an allied health professional whose primary focus is to provide advanced emergency medical care for critical and emergent patients who access the emergency medical system. They possess the complex knowledge and skills necessary for patient care and transportation, functioning as part of a comprehensive EMS response under medical oversight. Paramedics perform interventions using both basic and advanced equipment typically found on an ambulance, serving as a crucial link between the scene and the healthcare system.

Paramedics are equipped with the knowledge, skills, and attitudes that meet the expectations of the public and the profession. They recognize their essential role in the continuum of care, acting as connectors among various health resources. By delivering patients directly to appropriate facilities, paramedics strive to maintain high-quality, cost-effective healthcare. As patient advocates, they proactively work with other provider agencies, networks, and organizations to influence long-term healthcare outcomes.

The evolving roles and responsibilities of paramedics now include public education, health promotion, and participation in injury and illness prevention programs. As their scope of service expands, paramedics will facilitate access to care and provide initial treatment. They are accountable to medical direction, the public, and their peers, recognizing the importance of research and actively participating in its design, development, evaluation, and publication. Paramedics are committed to lifelong professional development, peer evaluation, and active involvement in professional and community organizations.

The paramedic training program is a postsecondary program for individuals who already hold a valid EMT national certification. The comprehensive classroom instruction covers anatomy, physiology, and pathophysiological processes, along with competency-based training in assessment and management skills for treating life-threatening conditions in adults, children, and the elderly. Clinical internships involve patient care in hospital emergency departments that provide medical control to ALS providers, as well as rotations in CCU, ICU, labor and delivery, operating rooms, psychiatric wards, pediatric wards, and geriatric wards, depending on availability. Field internships are conducted with ambulance and/or rescue services providing advanced life support to the community.

This training program is sanctioned by the Mississippi State Board of Health and meets or exceeds the standards established by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the U.S. Department of Transportation.