Illinois Eastern Community Colleges (IECC) and Wabash General Hospital (WGH) have reached a major milestone in their efforts to expand healthcare education in southeastern Illinois. Their newly developed Paramedic Education Program has received a Letter of Review from the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP)—an endorsement that clears the way for the first student cohort to begin this fall.
The Frontier Community College Paramedic Education Program, housed at the WGH EMS Education Building in Mt. Carmel, received the green light following a successful site evaluation on June 12th. The approval caps more than two years of strategic planning, collaboration, and preparation between IECC and WGH.
“Our commitment to excellence and graduate readiness is really at the heart of our new Paramedic Certificate Program,” said Sharmilla Kakac, Dean of IECC Business and Industry. “This program would not have been possible without the incredible partnership of Wabash General Hospital. By leveraging IECC’s academic strength and WGH’s healthcare expertise, we’ve built a program that will truly prepare students to serve their communities with skill, confidence, and compassion from day one.”
The Letter of Review confirms that the program is in substantial compliance with nationally recognized standards. While full accreditation remains a goal, the designation allows graduates to be eligible for the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (NREMT) Paramedic certification exam.
Program Highlights Include:
In-depth classroom instruction
Hands-on training in state-of-the-art simulation labs
Clinical and field internships
Instruction by highly experienced EMS professionals
Career pathways and placement opportunities in emergency medical services
Enrollment for the Fall 2025 semester is now open. Once the first class completes the program, IECC will apply for full accreditation from the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs (CAAHEP).
“This has been a project we have worked on for a few years to get approved, and we really appreciate IECC working with us,” said Jeana Trimble, Director of the Paramedic Education Program. “We are very excited to be able to offer a paramedic class in Mt. Carmel to produce highly skilled and highly competent paramedics. Our goal is to have the paramedics completing our program become the best of the best to serve our rural area.”
For more information or to apply, prospective students can contact Frontier Community College or visit the IECC website.
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