LYNDHURST, N.J. – With a ceremonial pinning Aug. 25 marking the end of their studies, the inaugural Bergen Community College paramedic science program class will now enter a growing health profession expected to grow 23 percent by 2022 according to the U.S. Department of Labor. The ceremony took place at Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands – the exclusive home of the paramedic science program.
The class featured seven graduates who first entered last fall, christening the institution’s paramedic science laboratory at the Lyndhurst location. The program educates current emergency medical technicians seeking to advance their knowledge and employment prospects as licensed paramedics. Enrollment for the second class has doubled – 14 students will begin their path to an associate in science this fall. Director Jennifer McCarthy leads the administration, direction and instruction of the program.
Major support for the new program came from the federal government in the form of a Health Professions Opportunity Grant (HPOG), which seeks to enhance the nation’s healthcare education opportunities for in-demand careers. A portion of the $23.4 million grant awarded to the College and other partners helped establish the paramedic science program, funding construction of the laboratory, purchasing equipment and hiring faculty.
The laboratory includes a simulated residential apartment, an emergency department receiving area and an ambulance optimized for classroom instruction. Off-campus clinical rotations at local hospitals provide a practice-based learning environment to prepare students for immediate entry into the workforce.
Healthcare education remains a priority for Bergen officials. According to Census data, healthcare jobs employ nearly 71,000 people in Bergen County, making it the largest employment sector in the state’s most populous county.
More than 1,000 students currently enroll in health professions programs at Bergen.
To support careers in the sector, a $26 million state-of-the-art Health Professions Integrated Teaching Center will open at the Paramus main campus next spring. The facility will house most of the College’s health professions programs, such as nursing and dental hygiene. The building represents Bergen’s project as part of the 2012 voter-approved $750 Building our Future Bond Act. The initiative delivered state funds to colleges and universities for the construction of new academic facilities.
Also related to healthcare education, the College learned last year that it will lead the administration of a $15 million federal grant and consortium of partners to create a healthcare career pathways system that will train and place approximately 2,000 individuals in new jobs.
Based in Paramus, Bergen Community College (www.bergen.edu), a public two-year coeducational college, enrolls 16,000 students at locations in Paramus, the Philip J. Ciarco Jr. Learning Center in Hackensack and Bergen Community College at the Meadowlands in Lyndhurst. The College offers associate degree, certificate and continuing education programs in a variety of fields. More students graduate from Bergen than any other community college in the state.
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