KLAMATH FALLS — Klamath Community College, Klamath Union High School and Sky Lakes Medical Center have joined forces under a $3.2 million Oregon Health Authority grant that will provide a significant boost to filling the void in Emergency Response Operations personnel.
The KU award is split among two projects over two years; the first in which KCC is a partner, and the second in which Sky Lakes Medical Center is the partner.
About 120 high school students are enrolled in the first ERO classes this fall at KU that will lead them to Emergency Medical Technician certification at KCC.
The Rural Health Transformation Program grant awarded in mid-July is for two years. It represents a huge investment in rural healthcare education, instructional staffing, new equipment ranging from a fully outfitted ambulance to Self-Contained Breathing Apparatus (SCBA) tanks and physical training equipment. The focus will be on career readiness for high school students.
“The need for EMTs and firefighters is the greatest in rural communities,” Dr. Steven Hobbs, KCC Dean of Allied Health and Science, said. “What’s exciting about this is in just two semesters, students will be able to earn industry-recognized certifications and have a direct pathway into healthcare careers.”
The program will initially train 122 high school students spread across four classes in EMT training, firefighting and criminal justice. The program could expand to other high schools in the Basin, too.
“When you look at where education in Oregon currently ranks nationally, it can be easy to focus on what isn’t working,” Carly Lynch, KU’s Rural Health Transformation Program Project Administrator, said. “But Career and Technical Education, or CTE, gives me a real sense of hope for where education can go. This investment allows us to put real resources behind opportunities that connect students directly to careers, college, industry certifications, and employers right here in their own community.”
A KCC instructor will help train KU teachers in the first project year on the high school campus. The fall class will give students a taste of what healthcare opportunities are available to them upon graduation. The second semester focuses on physical demands of the careers.
Students will receive high school and college credit, known as dual credit, and will train on both the KU and KCC campuses. Equipment purchased through the grant will be shared across the campuses, and stored in a centralized warehouse.
The grant will provide new equipment such as uniforms, medical bags, laptops, webcams, child and adult CPR mannequin kits, breathing apparatuses, workout equipment and search and rescue equipment as well.
“A certified student upon graduation will be able to drive an ambulance,” Dr. Hobbs said. “That is big for rural communities lacking drivers or even EMTs.”
Lynch added, “What makes this so exciting is that the impact goes far beyond one EMT program. The investment flowing through Klamath Community College, Klamath Falls City Schools and Sky Lakes Medical Center gives us the opportunity to strengthen multiple pathways and build something that can last long after the grant ends. We are not creating programs just to create programs. We are creating opportunities for students to see a future for themselves here in Klamath, gain real skills and ultimately grow our own workforce.”
The committee that pulled the grant together includes: Dan Stearns and Lynch of KU and Dr. Hobbs, and instructors Skooter Ortis and Treyson Robbins of KCC. Sky Lakes Medical center personnel were also part of the submission committee.
“City School District Superintendent Dr. Keith Brown and KU Principal Rod Heyen have been instrumental in making this investment possible by giving us the freedom to go ‘all gas, no brakes.’” Lynch said. “They saw the potential of what this could become and gave us the support to move quickly and think big.
“Vice Principal Adam Randall has been a driving force in believing in how far Health Occupations and CTE can go for our students, and Bryan Fix, Human Resources Director at Sky Lakes Medical Center, has helped connect that vision directly to the workforce needs of our community. Without leaders willing to see the future, trust the vision, and work across organizations, I truly don’t know if we would be in the position we are today.”
The partnership represents more than just a grant, according to the application. It is a long-term investment in the future healthcare workforce of the Klamath Basin. As the sole higher education subrecipient, Klamath Community College plays a critical role in delivering EMS and healthcare education alongside Klamath Falls City schools.
For more information about KCC and its programs, visit www.klamathcc.edu.
It is the policy of Klamath Community College to provide equal employment opportunities without regard to race, color, religion, sex, national origin, age, disability, marital status, veteran status, sexual orientation, genetic information or any other protected characteristic under applicable law.
_Submitted by Gerry O'Brien, Klamath Community College (OBrien@klamathcc.edu)._
