CoAEMSP News | June 2026

CoAEMSP Strategic Plan Released 

In 2026, CoAEMSP wrapped up one strategic plan and launched a new one. Highlights of CoAEMSP ongoing work include:

• Program Directors Focus Group launched in May 2023 to provide a forum for gathering insights to improve accreditation services. As of this May, 96 program directors have participated.  Click here for the list of the 24 members of the 2026 – 2027 PDFG.  

• Voluntary AEMT accreditation launched in January 2025, and one year later, Durham Technical Community College became the first AEMT education program in the nation to receive its voluntary accreditation from CAAHEP. To date, 24 programs have received the LoR, and more are in the inquiry phase.   

• At ACCREDITCON, we announced the selection of a new Accreditation Management System (AMS) partner, JETPACK by Virtual Atlantic. JETPACK is the leading AMS platform designed for programmatic and institutional accreditors. Our goal is to launch when we are confident the platform is fully ready to support programs effectively, which we hope will be the summer of 2027.

Our new strategic plan guides our work moving forward – stay tuned for more updates. 

Podcasts Highlighting Sessions from ACCREDITCON

Registry Insider Episode 82 – Kentucky’s Worker Shortage recorded at ACCREDITCON (June, 2026)

How do we address Paramedic shortages in rural communities?

In this episode of Registry Insider, Bill Seifarth speaks with Deputy Chief Phillip Ferguson and EMS Educator Michael Cornett of Hopkinsville Fire and EMS about an innovative training model that expands access to Paramedic education across Kentucky while maintaining rigorous educational standards.

By bringing instruction closer to where students live and work, their program has helped develop more than 60 new Paramedics in just over a year and created a sustainable pipeline for rural EMS agencies.

Registry Insider Episode 83 – Affective Domain Feat. Kim McKenna recorded at ACCREDITCON (June, 2026)

What truly separates an exceptional EMS professional from the rest of the field? While technical expertise and quick clinical decision making are vital, the interpersonal behaviors and professional habits displayed by a Clinician often dictate their ultimate success.

In this episode of Registry Insider, host Bill Seifarth sits down with Dr. Kim McKenna. They explore the critical concept of the affective domain in EMS education, highlighting how empathy, communication, and teamwork are just as essential as passing a cognitive examination. Dr. McKenna notes that most professional workplace issues stem from behavioral breakdowns rather than clinical errors. By establishing clear expectations on day one and providing structured mid-semester feedback, educators can guide students to build strong professional habits early in their careers.

Second Recipient of Douglas K. York Scholarship to Attend ACCREDITCON

We were delighted to present Steven Haggard, program director of Northwest College’s paramedic education program in Powell, Wyoming, with the second annual Douglas K. York Scholarship, which covers all costs for attending ACCREDITCON.

"I took over our program in 2023 and attended ACCREDITCON before our initial site visit and before attending the Fundamentals of Accreditation Workshop. I had no idea what I didn't know and couldn't have known. Now that we have attained CAAHEP accreditation, this year's ACCREDITCON meant so much more to me. I understood where we are at and how to improve moving forward in a way I did not before. Thank you, CoAEMSP, for the scholarship and the opportunity to continue to have a positive impact on my students." 
- Steven Haggard

New FAQs!

Check out these new FAQs in the CoAEMSP Resource Library!

• FAQ: Consortium
• FAQ: Letter of Review Process

Discover. Learn. Implement.

CoAEMSP Webinars

New webinar recordings have been added to the website:



• From Findings to Follow – Through: Strategies for Successfully Preparing a Progress Report
• Substantive Changes – Where Do I Begin-Navigating Key Program Changes
• Getting Summative Evaluation Right
• Orientation for New Program Directors

Milestones

Congratulations on these outstanding academic accomplishments.

Debra Bevins, MSN, RN, EMTP, ECRN, program director of the paramedic program sponsored by Ascension Saint Joseph-Elgin, Elgin, IL, earned the Master of Science in Nursing conferred on August 10, 2025, by Northern Illinois University.

Jennifer Goodson, MSHL, EMTP, program director of the paramedic program sponsored by East Central College, Union, MO, earned the Master of Science in Higher Education Learning conferred on May 2, 2026, by Missouri Baptist University.

Joshua Tanner, MPSA, NRP, program director of the paramedic program sponsored by Kilgore College, Kilgore, TX, earned the Master of Public Service & Administration degree conferred on December 18, 2025, by Texas A&M University.