SUNY JCC, UPMC Chautauqua Sign Paramedicine Program Agreement

SUNY JCC, UPMC Chautauqua Sign Paramedicine Program Agreement
Monday, November 21, 2022
By Heather Gregory

SUNY Jamestown Community College and UPMC Chautauqua signed an agreement today that establishes a new paramedicine program in the region. 

Three people sit at a table with papers in front of them that they are signing while six more people stand behind them, smiling.
Pictured front row from left are Marilyn Zagora, vice president
of Academic Affairs at SUNY JCC; Cecil Miller, vice president
of operations at UPMC Chautauqua; and Brian Wilcox,
program director at UPMC Chautauqua. Back Row from left:
Lillian Vitanza Ney, board member and chair of educational
services committee at JCC; Ellen Lehning, professor
and advisor for the JCC-UPMC Paramedic Agreement;
Daniel DeMarte, president of SUNY JCC; Rob Smith,
JCC adjunct instructor, Emergency Medical Technology;
David Thomas, executive director at WCA services;
Kathleen Whitmore, adjunct instructor, Personal Health
and Safety at JCC.   

The partnership provides students the opportunity to earn 30 credits each from JCC and the UPMC Regional Paramedic program. Students who complete the JCC-UPMC program will be eligible to take the test for New York State or National Registry Paramedic certification and will earn an Associate in Applied Science in Individual Studies from JCC.

“A paramedic is the highest level provider of medical care in the emergency response field,” said Ellen Lehning, professor and advisor for the JCC-UPMC Paramedic Agreement. “This program will teach students how to assess emergency situations quickly and respond effectively.”

JCC courses can be completed on the Jamestown Campus, a combination of the Jamestown Campus and online, or a combination of the Jamestown Campus, Cattaraugus County Campus, and online. Students who already have a paramedic certification can continue their education and earn an associate’s degree in individual studies. Those with an EMT certification can earn their associate’s degree and paramedic certification.

UPMC training can be completed in Jamestown, Olean, or Belmont.

“The UPMC training is completed in 15 consecutive months,” said Brian Wilcox, UPMC program director. “The only prerequisite for the paramedic training is to complete the EMT training and certification at JCC.”

Students can get started in the program by applying to JCC’s Individual Studies A.A.S. degree.

Visit sunyjcc.edu/programs/partnerships/paramedic-upmc for more information.