Voluntary AEMT accreditation: A ’game-changer’ in EMS education

CoAEMSP’s Executive Director, George W. Hatch Jr., discusses the EMS accreditation journey

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The Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP) plans to launch a voluntary programmatic accreditation for Advanced Emergency Medical Technicians (AEMTs) by January.

In this episode of Inside EMS1, cohost Chris Cebollero sits down with George W. Hatch Jr., EdD, LP, EMT-P, FAEMS, CoAEMSP’s executive director, to discuss the program.

Top takeaways

• AEMT is not just an EMT with additional skills; it requires a broader skill set, including understanding pathophysiology and critical thinking.
• The decision to introduce voluntary accreditation for AEMT programs wasn't preplanned but came about due to discussions within the EMS community.
• This accreditation process is voluntary, and programs that choose not to pursue it can continue operating as they do currently.
• Accreditation will help standardize AEMT programs, improve pass rates on the national registry exam, and enhance the quality of EMS education.
• The process involves benchmarking programs against a set standard, and programs must satisfy sponsorship requirements.
• While there is no plan to extend this accreditation to EMT programs at the moment, it may be considered in the distant future if deemed necessary.
• Accreditation is part of the journey to elevate EMS to a profession and should be supported by those in the field.
• It's essential to stop complaining about the state of EMS education and start actively contributing to its improvement.

Memorable quotes

• "It's about a process of improvement, a continual process of improvement." — Dr. Hatch
• "EMS may or may not be the choice that a lot of people want to make. We have to make it attractive and say, this is what you have to do to be in our profession." — Dr. Hatch

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