This is just the second time in 15 years the Rowan College at Burlington County program has achieved a 100 percent passing rate.
All 26 students in Virtua’s Emergency Medical Technician course at Rowan College at Burlington County (RCBC) who took the state’s certification test passed it — marking just the second time in 15 years the program has achieved a 100 percent passing rate, according to college officials.
The exam is administered by the state Department of Health’s Office of Emergency Medical Services. This spring was the second time the course was offered in partnership between RCBC and Virtua, which expanded upon their Classroom to Career partnership last year.
“We are very proud of these students who will make a difference in the community’s response to health emergencies and their own careers,” RCBC President Paul Drayton said. “A 100 percent success rate is phenomenal and another sign that our partnership with Virtua truly represents the future of healthcare education.”
The EMT certification is required for students who wish to enter the Paramedic Science associate degree program. Virtua brought this program to RCBC a year ago and it enrolled 89 students from throughout the region this academic year.
“There is a real need for more highly trained first responders and we are happy that our partnership with RCBC is providing opportunity for more dedicated professionals to enter this rewarding field,” said Al Campanella, Virtua’s executive vice president of strategic growth and business analytics. “This is a real career path that can take someone from classroom to career at Virtua or healthcare providers throughout the region.”
Burlington County Freeholder Linda Hughes, who recently donated a kidney herself, said the success of Virtua’s Paramedic Sciences at RCBC will have an impact throughout the county and region.
“I was privileged to experience the impact of organ donation and get a real view of how important quality and training is in healthcare,” Hughes said. “Having more highly trained first responders will greatly improve the ability to save lives in our county and beyond. Congratulations to Course Coordinator Debbie McClintock and all of her students on this wonderful success.”
For more information on Virtua’s Paramedic Sciences at RCBC, please visit rcbc.edu/paramedic-science.
Virtua and RCBC partner in a number ways including, clinical learning opportunities for health sciences students, tuition benefits for Virtua associates and Health & Wellness Center benefits for RCBC associates, collaboration on curriculum and program development and community events that promote health, wellness and education.
College officials cite the Virtua partnership as one of the key initiatives that resulted in RCBC’s first enrollment increase in five years this spring, including a 14 percent increase in health sciences enrollment.
