Emergency Medical Services: Program overview
About
Welcome to PCC and the HEP Pathway
Welcome to Portland Community College and the start of your path to a rewarding career!
The Healthcare & Emergency Professions (HEP) pathway provides opportunities for students to gain certificates, degrees, licensure, and/or credentials to further their careers in healthcare and emergency services fields. Many of our programs provide hands-on learning opportunities with advanced technology, practical training in clinical settings, and instructors with industry experience. Program graduates are in high demand in the healthcare and emergency professions industry and have the potential to earn excellent wages and benefits.
For more information about the Healthcare & Emergency Professions pathway, see the programs offered. See the Healthcare programs comparison chart to compare degrees and certificates offered, program costs, and potential salaries offered in each career path.
About Emergency Medical Services
Welcome to the Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program at Portland Community College. Emergency Medical Services providers respond to medical emergencies by providing immediate care and transportation to the ill and injured. EMS providers are employed by EMS companies, fire departments, hospitals, health clinics, and various other industries requiring emergency medical services.
PCC’s EMS program stands as the most extensive EMS training and education in the state of Oregon. The program provides career training for those seeking entry-level positions in emergency medical settings. It offers a range of EMS courses designed to prepare students for roles as EMTs and Paramedics. Through a combination of classroom lectures, hands-on skills labs, and relevant clinical and field experiences, the program equips students with the necessary cognitive, psychomotor, and affective skills to excel as competent EMS providers.
The program offerings present abundant educational opportunities and role models to help students acquire the knowledge, skills, and attitudes essential for success in the EMS field. We recognize the significance of the program’s role in this pursuit, as well as the student’s responsibility in education. Active participation in the learning process is anticipated from all students. We urge students to approach this challenge with determination, self-motivation, and enthusiasm.
Mission and values
The mission of Portland Community College’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) program is to train and educate EMS professionals to excel in meeting the needs of the community.
Goals and objectives
PCC’s Emergency Medical Services program goal is to prepare EMTs and paramedics who are competent in the cognitive (knowledge), psychomotor (skills), and affective (behavior) learning domains to enter the profession.
Graduate achievement
The following achievement data was reported to the Committee on Accreditation for the EMS Professions (CoAEMSP) for the calendar year 2022.
| Outcome | 2022 | 2021 | 2020 |
|---|---|---|---|
| NREMT cognitive exam first time pass rate | 57% | 65% | 78% |
| NREMT cognitive exam pass rate within 3 attempts | 76% | 94.1% | 100% |
| NREMT practical exam pass rate | 100% | 100% | 100% |
| Program retention rate | 95.5% | 91.7% | 90.5% |
| Graduate positive job placement rate | 85.7% | 72.7% | 94.7% |
Accreditation
Portland Community College is regionally accredited through the Northwest Commission on Colleges and Universities (NWCCU). For more information, see the college’s Accreditation webpage.
Portland Community College’s Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) courses and paramedic program are accredited by the Oregon Department of Education, Higher Education Coordinating Commission (ODE/HECC), and designated by the Oregon Emergency Medical Services and Trauma Systems Program to provide training at these levels.
The Portland Community College Paramedic program is 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).
- CAAHEP
355 – 113th St. N, #7709
Seminole, FL 33775
- CoAEMSP
8301 Lakeview Parkway, Suite 111-312
Rowlett, TX 75088
214-703-8445
To file a complaint with CAAHEP, see complaints regarding CAAHEP-accredited programs.
Costs
In addition to the costs of attending Portland Community College described on the paying for college webpage, there are costs associated specifically with the EMS program. Refer to the Emergency Medical Services program costs webpage.
Leadership
Janeen Hull
PCC – Academic & Career Pathways Dean
See the PCC Organizational Guide for information about college administration.
Contacts
- Lisa Regan-Vienop: Program Dean
- James Gray: Faculty Department Chair and Full-time Faculty
- Jacki Williams: Paramedic Program Director and Full-time Faculty
- Robert Victorino: Academic Professional and Clinical Coordinator
- Faculty
Portland Community College
Cascade Campus
Public Services Education Building, Room 133
909 N. Killingsworth St.
Portland, OR 97217
971-722-5284
College mailing address:
PO Box 19000
Portland, Oregon 97280-0990
Advisory Committee
The PCC EMS program has an advisory committee consisting of members from the EMS agencies, clinical affiliates, a community member, PCC EMS staff, recent paramedic graduates, and current paramedic students. This committee acts as a steering committee to ensure the program meets the needs of the community as well as ensures the program is up to date and class offerings are in line with the industry standards.