For immediate release                                  January 11, 2001


Sharon Regional partners with Community College of Allegheny County for EMS education

Sharon Regional Health System and the Community College of Allegheny County have signed a partnership agreement to establish an educational program for EMS (Emergency Medical Services) personnel in Mercer, Crawford, and Venango counties.

The program, which will be based within Sharon Regional's Winner EMS Educational Institute, will provide educational tracts for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics, along with continuing educational courses for both.

The Community College of Allegheny County (CCAC), based in Pittsburgh, currently offers an extensive EMS educational program for EMTs and paramedics in the greater Pittsburgh area. As part of the partnership, CCAC will appoint a fulltime EMS educational program administrator for the region who will be based at Sharon Regional.

Representatives from Sharon Regional's EMS Educational Institute and CCAC are forming an advisory panel that will assist in the development of course offerings.

According to Wayne Johnston, president and CEO of Sharon Regional, the new partnership further expands the educational programs based at Sharon Regional. "We've operated both a School of Nursing and School of Radiography for a number of years at Sharon Regional and this new partnership with CCAC further strengthens the options individuals have in our region for pursing a health-related career," Johnston stated.

Knox Walk, director of the Public Safety Institute at CCAC, was excited about expanding their EMS educational program into the region. "We're very proud of the high quality and comprehensive EMS educational program we offer to our students in the greater Pittsburgh region," Walk stated. "We identified a strong need for this type of education in this region and feel fortunate to be able to partner with Sharon Regional's Winner EMS Educational Institute to offer the service."

The initial EMS programs to be offered include both EMT-Basic and EMT-Paramedic at Sharon Regional, and a second EMT-Paramedic course offered at the Meadville Central Fire Station.

For more information about the EMT or paramedic educational courses, contact Glenn Miller, BSAS, NREMT-P, director of Sharon Regional's Winner EMS Educational Institute, at 724-983-3980 or the CCAC Public Safety Institute at 412-237-2500.