Rule 4765-7-02 | Accreditation of Ohio EMS training programs.
[Comment: For dates and availability of material incorporated by reference in this chapter, see rule 4765-1-03 of the Administrative Code.]
(A) The board shall issue a certificate of accreditation pursuant to section 4765.17 of the Revised Code and this chapter, to any applicant who is of good reputation and demonstrates that the EMS training program for which the applicant seeks accreditation meets the following requirements:
(1) Has submitted a complete "Initial Certification of Accreditation Application";
(2) Has an authorizing official with good reputation who assumes responsibility for the following:
(a) Serves as program director or designates a person of good reputation to serve as program director;
(b) Administers and operates the EMS training program;
(c) Complies with all rules and laws applicable to EMS training and the EMS training program;
(d) Performs ongoing review and maintains written evaluation of the program content and instructors;
(e) Maintains written documentation of regular evaluations of student performance and achievement throughout the course;
(f) Assigns faculty responsibilities and scheduling of program courses;
(g) Defines the role and objectives of student preceptors;
(h) Assures courses offered within an EMS training program are developed under the direction of a physician who specializes in emergency medicine and each course that deals with trauma care is developed in consultation with a physician who specializes in trauma surgery pursuant to section 4765.16 of the Revised Code;
(i) Prepares or approves all documents required to be submitted for accreditation pursuant to section 4765.15 of the Revised Code and this chapter;
(j) Issues a certificate of completion, pursuant to section 4765.24 of the Revised Code, to each student who successfully completes the EMS training program and passes the course final written and practical examinations. Such certificate includes, but is not limited to the following information:
(i) Certificate of accreditation number;
(ii) Program director's signature;
(iii) Student's name;
(iv) Date course completed;
(v) Number of hours completed;
(vi) Course title.
(k) Performs ongoing review and maintains written evaluation of clinical and prehospital internship sites.
(3) Has a program medical director who assists in the development of the medical components of the training program;
(4) Meets the curriculum requirements for certification as an emergency medical responder, emergency medical technician, advanced emergency medical technician, or paramedic as set forth in section 4765.16 of the Revised Code and Chapters 4765-12, 4765-15, 4765-16, and 4765-17 of the Administrative Code;
(5) Utilizes individuals who hold a valid and current certificate to teach in accordance with Chapter 4765-18 of the Administrative Code;
(6) Ensures any instructor who holds a certificate to teach is assigned to teach in training programs at or below the level of the holders' certificates to practice;
(7) Has a sufficient number of fire and emergency services instructors or assistant EMS instructors to ensure the ratio of instructors to students in all practical skills components of the EMS training program does not exceed one to ten;
(8) Has established an advisory committee consisting of the program director, program medical director, clinical experience and prehospital internship preceptors, instructors, and EMS providers that meets at least once each year, based on the accreditation cycle;
(9) Maintains financial resources adequate for the satisfactory delivery of the EMS training program as set forth in section 4765.16 of the Revised Code and Chapters 4765-12, 4765-15, 4765-16 and 4765-17 of the Administrative Code;
(10) Has and maintains one fixed geographic location where an EMS accredited institution operates and where EMS training is conducted, and one office in a fixed geographic location where records are maintained except as provided in rule 4765-7-05 of the Administrative Code. Unacceptable locations include, but are not limited to, a house trailer, residence, tent, temporary stand, rooming house, apartment, post office box, or a room in a hotel or motel;
(11) Has adequate classroom and laboratory facilities to accommodate the number of students participating in the program;
(12) Provides classroom environments that are safe, sanitary and conducive to learning;
(13) Possesses, or has affiliation agreements for use of, equipment to adequately train EMS students to meet the course requirements of section 4765.16 of the Revised Code and Chapters 4765-12, 4765-15, 4765-16, and 4765-17 of the Administrative Code;
(14) Possesses current and valid written affiliation agreements with each organization that provides an EMS student a clinical experience and/or prehospital internship required by the EMS training program;
(15) Possesses current and valid written affiliation agreements with clinical and/or prehospital organizations to assure sufficient training opportunities for EMS students to meet the course requirements of section 4765.16 of the Revised Code and the curriculum requirements of Chapters 4765-12, 4765-15, 4765-16 and 4765-17 of the Administrative Code;
(16) Utilizes a sufficient number of preceptors to provide appropriate supervision and written evaluation of students in both the clinical experience and or prehospital internship components of the EMS training program;
(17) Has an established office area for use by program faculty and instructors;
(18) Has informational resources available to all students and faculty that contain comprehensive, current publications, media materials, and electronic resources relating to emergency medical services;
(19) Requires a student to possess and maintain a current and valid Ohio certificate to practice as an emergency medical technician, at a minimum, prior to the start of any advanced emergency medical technician, or paramedic training program;
(20) Shall allow a student who is at least seventeen years old, who is enrolled in the twelfth or final grade in a secondary school program and who otherwise meets the requirements for admission into the EMS training program to be admitted and to complete the emergency medical technician training program;
(21) Has written policies that are made available to students identifying all of the following:
(a) Admission requirements;
(b) Prohibition of discrimination in acceptance of students on the basis of race, color, religion, sex, sexual orientation, military status, or national origin;
(c) Costs associated with the training program, including tuition, materials, and fees;
(d) Refund of tuition payments;
(e) Information regarding course schedules, subject areas content, and objectives approved by the board;
(f) Criteria for successful completion of each component of the curriculum;
(g) Criteria for successful completion of the full training program;
(h) Methodology used in determining grades;
(i) Attendance requirements;
(j) Requirements or restrictions regarding student attire;
(k) Procedures for voluntary student withdrawal from the program;
(l) Grounds for dismissal from the program;
(m) Disciplinary and grievance procedures including mechanism for appeals;
(n) Health care services available to students by or through the accredited institution;
(o) Requirement that students are not used to meet minimum staffing requirements or in substitution for essential personnel in a clinical experience or prehospital internship setting;
(p) Requirement that all students are notified of the process and deadlines for obtaining a certificate to practice under section 4765.30 of the Revised Code and Chapter 4765-8 of the Administrative Code, and that an Ohio certificate to practice may not be granted if the individual fails to meet the qualifications for a certificate to practice set forth in rule 4765-8-01 of the Administrative Code;
(q) Requirement that all students are notified of the process for renewing a certificate to practice under section 4765.30 of the Revised Code and Chapter 4765-8 of the Administrative Code;
(r) Security parameters protecting the students' financial and personal information in accordance with state and federal laws.
(B) In addition to meeting the requirements set forth in this rule, an EMS accredited institution authorized by the board to operate a paramedic training program shall, except as provided in paragraph (C) of this rule, meet all of the following:
(1) Has been accredited by CAAHEP or issued a letter of review from CoAEMSP no later than January 1, 2018;
(2) The requirements as set forth in sections 4765.16 and 4765.17 of the Revised Code and rule 4765-7-13 of the Administrative Code and this chapter;
(3) Provide written notification to current and prospective students that applicants who graduate from a non-CAAHEP accredited paramedic training program that began on or after January 1, 2013, and who successfully pass the national standard paramedic examination, may not be eligible for national certification, but will be eligible for an Ohio certificate to practice provided the applicant meets the requirements under section 4765.30 of the Revised Code and Chapter 4765-8 of the Administrative Code.
(C) To be accredited as a new EMS paramedic training program, an institution shall apply for a provisional status and meet all of the following:
(1) The requirements as set forth in sections 4765.16 and 4765.17 of the Revised Code and rule 4765-7-13 of the Administrative Code and this chapter;
(2) Concurrently submit an application to CoAEMSP for a letter of review and an application to the board for provisional status;
(3) Receive provisional status from the board;
(4) The program may not promote or initiate a course until the letter of review from CoAEMSP is received;
(5) Provide written notification to prospective students that applicants who graduate from a non-CAAHEP accredited paramedic training program that began on or after January 1, 2013, and who successfully pass the national standard paramedic examination, may not be eligible for national certification, but will be eligible for an Ohio certificate to practice provided the applicant meets the requirements under section 4765.30 of the Revised Code and Chapter 4765-8 of the Administrative Code; and
(6) Upon completion of the first class, the program may petition the board for Ohio accredited status if the program remains compliant with sections 4765.16 and 4765.17 of the Revised Code and rules 4765-7-02 and 4765-7-03 of the Administrative Code and if the program maintains a valid CoAEMSP letter of review until the final disposition of the CAAHEP accreditation is determined.
(D) An EMS accredited institution or applicant for a certificate of accreditation shall:
(1) Allow access by the division, during regular business hours and at all other reasonable times, to conduct an inspection of students' EMS training records and all instructor records for accreditation purposes;
(2) Allow the division to review the program materials and monitor the testing process utilized by the EMS training program;
(3) Maintain written documentation, to include documentation of compliance with this chapter, of all EMS training programs including the following:
(a) EMS continuing education programs;
(b) Instructor training programs, to include documentation of all requirements set forth in Chapter 4765-18 of the Administrative Code;
(c) EMS courses taught at an offsite location.
(4) Must submit a course request in the division's course management system database prior to conducting any certification training courses, and the request must be approved by the division;
(5) Enter all data for each course in the timelines required by the division into the division's course management system database, including but not limited to the following:
(a) Course level;
(b) Course start date;
(c) Course projected end date;
(d) Course total hours;
(e) Course location;
(f) Course lead instructor;
(g) Required course documents;
(h) "National Incident Management System Course IS-100" and "National Incident Management System Course IS-700" results for each student;
(i) Course practical exam pass/fail results for each student;
(j) Course written exam pass/fail results for each student;
(k) Course completion date for each student;
(l) State/national registry of emergency medical technicians (NREMT) practicals pass/fail results for each student;
(m) NREMT written examination pass/fail results for each student;
(n) Program director attestation for each student.
(E) An EMS accredited institution shall retain written or electronic files in a secure location with the following documentation for each course offered by the institution:
(1) Course schedules, lesson plans, and policies in compliance with this rule;
(2) Record of a valid and current certificate to practice or license and valid and current certificate to teach for each instructor utilized in the EMS training program;
(3) Written affiliation agreements as outlined in this rule and documentation of compliance with terms therein;
(4) Minutes of advisory committee meetings including an agenda and attendance record for each meeting that is conducted in accordance with this rule;
(5) Attendance records for each EMS training course conducted by an EMS accredited institution which demonstrate completion of the required hours and standards by the EMS training program in accordance with written policies that are made available to students;
(6) Evaluations of student cognitive performance;
(7) Evaluations of student in-class and final practical skills performance;
(8) Preceptor evaluations of student performance;
(9) Records of clinical skills requirements;
(10) Documentation of program director and program medical director approval and credit given to a student for previous training by an advanced emergency medical technician or paramedic training program in accordance with rule 4765-6-02 of the Administrative Code;
(11) Student evaluations of course and instructors;
(12) A summary of student evaluations of course content, facility, and instructor(s);
(13) Accident and injury reports.
(F) A certificate of accreditation issued under paragraph (A) of this rule shall be valid for up to five years pursuant to section 4765.17 of the Revised Code and may be renewed pursuant to rule 4765-7-07 of the Administrative Code.
(G) The EMS accredited institution shall maintain all documentation required in this rule for the duration of the current accreditation cycle and for the previous accreditation cycle.
(H) An accredited institution that provides an EMS training program or EMS continuing education program through the online or distance learning delivery systems shall comply with all requirements set forth in rules 4765-7-11 and 4765-7-12 of the Administrative Code and maintain documentation of compliance.
(I) An accredited institution shall only provide an EMS training program through online education or distance learning delivery systems when first approved by the board and compliant with all requirements set forth in rule 4765-7-12 of the Administrative Code.
Last updated January 2, 2024 at 9:18 AM
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