Our Paramedic Program Celebrates Its 30th Anniversary! 

Hospitals are equipped with professionals who can provide the care you need, but who cares for you when you’re outside the hospital? Enter paramedics. Paramedics are highly trained medical professionals who provide emergency care outside of the hospital. As part of the emergency medical services (EMS) system, they respond to 911 calls and provide critical care when and where it’s needed most.

The Southern Utah Vision 

Thirty years ago, two nurses, Ursula Davies and Betty Wallis, alongside Dr. Ron Larsen, dedicated their time and energy to creating a program that would prepare students for careers in the paramedic field. Students who enrolled in the program graduated equipped with the knowledge and skills needed to provide critical care to those who needed it most.

“Because of Ursula, Betty, and Dr. Larsen's leadership and commitment, countless people in Southern Utah have received a level of emergency medical care that simply did not exist here before,” EMS Program Director, Malinda Whipple, said. “Their legacy lives on in every graduate who answers the call to serve.” 

Putting in the Work 

Our paramedic program has been preparing students to do more than pass exams.

They are preparing them to make a difference when people need it the most. 

Our students devoted nearly 8,000 hours to caring for patients in hospitals and clinics, and more than 15,000 hours serving on ambulances. Along the way, they cared for more than 6,000 patients. As you can see, the standard for graduating this program is high, and there is a clear desire for those enrolled in this program to have ample experience before they enter the workforce. 

“We believe excellence begins with excellence,” Malinda said. “We maintain rigorous standards for our EMS instructors because our students deserve educators who model the very best of the profession.”

By setting high standards for both students and instructors, we give our Trailblazers the foundation they need to meet the challenges they will ultimately face in their career. 

The Impact

For three decades, this program has prepared more than 300 graduates to serve people and communities across Utah and beyond. These graduates have become trusted professionals that provide compassionate care when it matters most.

Their accomplishments reach far beyond the classroom. Their influence can be seen in the people they serve, the families they support, and the communities they strengthen. After 30 years, their greatest legacy is not just the number of graduates, but the difference they have made in the lives of others.

It Takes a Team

Our faculty and clinical instructors have high expectations and spend countless hours investing in the next generation of paramedic professionals.

Our hospital partners, ambulance agencies, physicians, nurses, and preceptors all opened doors for students so they would learn what it is really like in the field. Opportunities like these give Trailblazers the hands-on, polytechnic education that we promise them. 

“To our current students, thank you for choosing a profession where every day offers an opportunity to make a profound difference in another person's life.” Malinda said. 

Here’s to the past 30 years of lives that will be saved and communities that will be helped! 

For more information about our EMS program, click here.