Pro EMS Center for MEDICS Paramedic Program Receives National Accreditation

The accreditation recognizes the Center for MEDICS' strict compliance to the highest standards of EMS education.

Cambridge, MA, October 2010 - The Pro EMS Center for Medical Education, Development, Improvement and Clinical Simulation (MEDICS) is the only EMS educational facility in Massachusetts to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP) upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).

CoAEMSP is the only, comprehensive National EMS education accreditation agency in the U.S. Its mission is to improve the quality of EMS education by implementing a rigorous accreditation process for qualifying service providers. Pro EMS Center for MEDICS' 8,000 square foot facility offers state-of-the-art EMS technology, and houses the first fully functioning Simulation Lab in the Northeast that is operated by an EMS agency.

"Pro EMS Center for MEDICS aims to create leaders in EMS. Students who enroll in our program understand that they are expected to put the patient first, and to find ways to continuously improve their skills so that they always provide the highest level of care," said Bill Mergendahl, Chief Executive of Pro EMS. Mergendahl also serves on the CoAEMSP Board of Directors as one of only two representatives for the American Ambulance Association.

In addition to classrooms, lecture rooms and a library, Pro EMS Center for MEDICS operates two Simulation Labs that include emergency room and apartment settings for its patient care scenarios; computer systems that record every step a trainee takes in treating patients; and a video screen for trainees and instructors to watch and evaluate the handling of each patient care scenario.

Led by Director Chris Kerley, the state-of-the-art lab also boasts lifelike adult and child patient simulators that can speak and demonstrate symptoms of illness and trauma, as well as the only "SimNewB," a high fidelity neo-natal human patient simulator, in the Northeast.

Pro EMS Center for MEDICS trains staff from Professional Ambulance and the Cambridge Fire and Police Departments, as well as members of other fire and police departments and doctors and nurses from area hospitals. The simulation center's programs include training on emergency medical procedures that are difficult to practice anywhere else because the equipment is not widely available.
The company has been consistently recognized by national organizations for its commitment to excellence. Pro EMS is the first ambulance service in Massachusetts, and one of only four in New England, to be accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Ambulance Services for its compliance with national standards. With the CAAS accreditation, Cambridge became one of only eight communities in the U.S. to be served by an ISO Class 1 Fire Department and a CAAS Accredited Ambulance Service. Pro EMS Center for MEDICS also has achieved accreditation from Massachusetts' Office of Emergency Medical Services.

For more information about the Pro EMS Center for MEDICS, visit www.centerformedics.com

CoAEMSP aims to serve the public, the emergency medical services professions, as well as the programs that provide professional education to EMS professionals, by acting as a national voluntary accreditation agency for paramedic programs in the U.S. Accredited Paramedic programs are generally sponsored by colleges, universities, hospitals, clinics, medical centers, U.S. armed forces, governmental educational or medical services, and by consortium.  Programs can vary in length and must include an appropriate sequence of classroom, laboratory, hospital, and field internship activities. More information about CoAEMSP can be found at www.coaemsp.org.

Information about Pro EMS can be found by visiting www.proems.com or by calling (617) 492-2700.

About Professional Ambulance Service

Professional Ambulance Service (Pro EMS) provides emergency medical services to the City of Cambridge, Massachusetts in conjunction with the Cambridge Fire, Police, Emergency Communications and Public Health Departments. Additionally, Pro EMS provides emergency medical services to Harvard University and the Massachusetts Institute of Technology.   Professional Ambulance has proudly served the citizens, students, and visitors of Cambridge for over 35 years. For more information, visit www.proems.com.

Media contact:
Christine Dunn
Savoir Media
617.484.1660
cdunn@savoirmedia.com