Motlow Selected as Bellwether Finalist
November 26, 2024
Motlow State has been selected as a finalist for the prestigious Bellwether Award for their Emergency Medical Services programs in the area of Workforce Development. This nomination comes from the excellent work that EMS faculty and staff have done in addressing local workforce shortages through innovative and successful program offerings with certificates in EMT and AEMT and an Associate of Applied Science (AAS) in Paramedics. Representatives from Motlow State will travel to San Antonio in February to formally present the program and compete with finalists throughout the nation for the win.
The Bellwether Awards were established in 1995 and exist to acknowledge the innovative work of community colleges. It is sponsored by the Alamo Colleges District, which is comprised of five community colleges in Texas. Colleges can receive awards in three categories: Instructional Programs and Services; Planning, Governance, and Finance; and Workforce Development.
The submission outlining the development and success of the EMS program comes from the efforts of Houston Austin, Director of EMS Education; Kenny Moffitt, Assistant Director of EMS Education; Dr. Amy Holder, Dean of Health Sciences; Dr. Meagan McManus, Vice President of Academic Affairs; and Dr. Regina Verdin, Executive Vice President of Academic Affairs. They identify that the EMS field will need six percent more staff by 2033 but that most areas cannot stay on track with the demand. Motlow's solution is to expand on-campus offerings on the Moore County, Smyrna, Sparta, and McMinnville sites as well as expand offerings to high schools and fire departments within the College’s service area. Students also may begin their careers while taking classes so they can immediately apply their new abilities to the field.
EMS students at Motlow have access to high-tech medical equipment in the classroom so that they can gain hands-on experience and leave the program feeling confident about what they have learned. This includes ambulance simulators as well as manikins that link with augmented reality systems to provide realistic training scenarios.
According to Dr. Verdin: “We are proud to announce that Motlow State has been chosen as a finalist in the category of Workforce Development for the prestigious Bellwether Awards for our submission by our Emergency Medical Technology department entitled ‘Combatting EMS Shortages through Education, Technology, and Personalization.’ This outlines the excellent work our faculty and staff have done over the course of the past few years to address the workforce shortage of EMT’s, AEMT’s, and Paramedics. It is exciting to be recognized for the great work Motlow EMS is doing to impact our community. I especially commend our faculty and leadership in EMS and Health Sciences Houston Austin, Kenny Moffitt, and Dr. Amy Holder for their dedication to student success and to bridging the workforce gap with innovation and passion.”
The EMS Program offers a quick route to beginning a career in the medical field with plenty of options for advancement. Students who choose this path can earn an Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) license after only one semester and immediately begin working while earning an Advanced EMT license and a Paramedic degree. Paramedics who choose to transfer their skills from the ambulance to the clinic can enroll in Motlow State’s Paramedic to RN program, and all programs are eligible for state scholarships.
To learn more about how you can play a part in meeting the medical needs of Tennessee, visit Motlow.edu/ems today.