Fall 2011
Allied Health Department Overview
With two Paramedic cohorts, a myriad of online and on-ground classes, and more nursing students
than ever before, 2010 has been an excellent year for the allied health department. Having
experienced enrollment growth of 40% over the last two years and with state-of-the-art training
equipment and educational practices, the department continues to be a flagship for the college.
Program improvements continue to be made in all areas of the Allied Health department. The medical
coding program recently completed the curriculum alignment process with the Kansas Board of
Regents, and the paramedic and medical transcription programs will begin the alignment process in
the near future. We are dedicated to providing the most relevant, up-to-date, and highest quality
education available, and these updates allow us to provide our students with an excellent
educational experience. Many of these updates are driven by advisory committee recommendations
and from information received from our communities of interest. Please contact us if you would like to
see a new course or a change
made to an existing course.
One of the strengths of the
department is ou partnernships with
Barton, Butler, and Pratt Community
Colleges that continue to allow us
to offer much needed educational
programs at convenient locations.
Through our Butler partnership we
offer an paramedic class at
Andover that helps meet the needs
of students in the Wichita metro area. Utilizing our Barton and Pratt partnerships, we’re able to offer
nursing and MLT programs in our service area, both of which are in high demand by students and
employers. We also have several articulation partnerships with 4-year universities that allow our
students to seamlessly continue their education to the baccalearate level (and beyond). We are
working on several more partnerships for the 2010-2011 academic year that will offer even more
opportunities for our students and communities.
EMS Education
12 Month Winfield Paramedic Program Started in January, 2012
18 Month Andover Paramedic Program Started in August, 2012
12 Month Winfield Paramedic Program Starts in January, 2013
12 Month Chanute Paramedic Program Starts xxxxxxxxxxxxx
NOW IS THE TIME TO APPLY!
www.cowley.edu/mict
There are 24 paramedic students currently enrolled in the two Cowley
paramedic program cohorts. These students represent the 16th and 17th
paramedic cohorts taught at Cowley. We take great pride in our nationally accredited paramedic
program, and we are continually working to improve the program to make it more student-friendly
and to improve outcomes and success rates. Our paramedic graduates treat over 85,000 patients
every year in both the prehospital and in-hospital settings.
The Cowley EMS Advisory Committee met on April 16th at the Winfield campus. At this regular meeting,
the members of the committee heard updates on the program, and discussed the future plans for the
EMS division. Thank you to all of the committee members who donate their time and expertise to help
make our program successful.
There are currently two EMT-Basic programs in session, one each at our Winfield and Mulvane
campuses. Chet Ranzau and Dee Little are the lead instructors for these courses, and they continue to
produce excellent EMT-B graduates. We are currently recruiting and training more EMS instructors to
expand our EMT-B course offerings. To that end, we will offer a hybrid EMT-Basic course in June and
July this summer. This course will feature both on-ground and online assignments, in addition to the
normal EMS internship time.
Seven graduate from PARAMEDIC program
Graduation for seven students in
Cowley College’s Mobile Intensive
Care Technician (Paramedic)
program was held January 24, 2011 in
the Earle N. Wright Community Room
at the main campus in Arkansas City.
The program that finished on
December 9, 2010 completed the
AAS degree requirements for these
graduates.
The following are the graduating
members of the class: Jolene Davis,
Derby; Aaron Dixon, Wichita; Lucas Martin, Caney; Kaitlin McConnell, South Haven; Chris Nations,
Wichita; Alexandra Prilliman, Winfield; and William Waddell, Derby.
The evening began with Chris Cannon, Allied Health Department Chair, issuing the welcome and
discussing the education the graduates received while in Cowley’s program. Cannon thanked the
graduates for their extensive work during the program, and thanked the graduates’ families for
supporting them during a difficult year.
Brandon Russell, Butler County EMS Deputy Director and Chair of the Cowley College Paramedic
Advisory Committee, delivered the keynote address to the graduating class. Russell stressed that being
a good Paramedic and providing excellent patient care is not enough to improve EMS as a career.
“The need to be actively involved at the regional, state and national levels by serving on committees
and being members of professional organizations is just as important as providing quality patient care”
Russell said.
Malachi Winters, Paramedic Instructor, conferred the certificates and presented the honor awards for
the class. William Waddell was the program honor graduate, Chris Nations was the Lyle Echart award
winner and Kaitlin McConnell was the Patrick J. McAtee award recipient. A certificate of appreciation
was also presented to Stefani Jones, Coordinator of Allied Health Support Services, for her outstanding
work and dedication to the EMS program. Dr. Patrick J. McAtee, president of Cowley College, then
presented the class of 2010 to the gathering of about 100 people who came to honor the graduates.
During the course of their schooling, the graduates assessed over 4,000 patients and administered
over 2,000 medications during the year. With this 16th graduating class, Cowley paramedic graduates
now treat approximately 80,000 patients each year.
The national job outlook continues to be greater than average, and the local job outlook looks
promising. All graduates passed their written certification examination on the first attempt, and are
Kansas certified paramedic.
Cowley currently has two paramedic programs in progress – one in Winfield at the Allied Health
Education Center and another in partnership at Butler Community College at the Andover campus.
For more information please contact 620-221-3392 or go to www.cowley.edu/allied
Fifteen graduate from Cowley College Paramedic Program
Graduation for 15 students in Cowley College’s Mobile Intensive Care Technician (Paramedic)
program was held March 31, 2011 in the Earle N. Wright Community Room at the main campus in
Arkansas City. The program that finished on February 25 completed the AAS degree requirements for
these graduates.
The following are the graduating members of the class: Lanna Allen, Wichita; Ellen Bayhyll/e, Andover;
Jason Bowker, Mulvane; Collin Engraf, El Dorado; John Erie, Chanute; Brian Foltz, Andover; Katherine
Glenn, Derby; Brandon Grimmett, Wichita; Jonathon Halley, Rose Hill; Kaitlyn Heitman, Belle Plaine;
Scott Higgins, Oswego; Michael Lynch, Wichita; Malarie Umscheid, Wichita; Drew Vogt, Udall; and
Nichlous Whitehead, Derby.
The evening began when Chris Cannon, Allied Health Department Chair, issued the welcome and
discussed the education the graduates received while in Cowley’s program. Cannon thanked the
graduates for their extensive work during the program, and thanked the graduates’ families for
supporting them during a difficult year.
Mark Terry, Deputy Chief of Operations for Johnson County Med-Act, delivered the keynote address to
the graduating class. Terry emphasized the need for students to not only be competent clinicians, but
to also value patient safety and compassionate care.
Deryk Ruddle, lead paramedic instructor, conferred the certificates and presented the honor awards
for the class. Drew Vogt was the program honor graduate, Kaitlyn Heitman was the Lyle Eckhart
award winner and Ellen Bayhylle was the Patrick J. McAtee award recipient.
Cannon presented a certificate of appreciation to Ruddle for his outstanding work and dedication to
the EMS program. Dr. McAtee, president of Cowley College, then presented the class of 2009-2011 to
the gathering of about 120 people who came to honor the graduates.
During the course of their schooling, these graduates assessed over 4,000 patients and administered
over 2,500 medications during the year. With this 17th graduating class, Cowley paramedic graduates
now treat approximately 90,000 patients each year.
The national job outlook continues to be greater than average, and the local job outlook looks
promising.
Cowley currently has two paramedic programs– one in Winfield at the Allied Health Education Center
and another in Andover through a partnership with Butler Community College.
For more information on Cowley’s paramedic programs go to www.cowley.edu/mict or call 620-2213392
Cowley Paramedic Student Honored
Chris Nations, a student in the 2010 Winfield paramedic class, was recently honored for his dedication
to the Sedgwick County EMS Reserves. Chris received the Silver Presidential Volunteer Service Award
and was named the Sedgwick County EMS Reserves 2009 Technician of the Year. Congratulations,
Chris!
Summer EMT success
Cowley College summer EMT
(Emergency Medical Technician)-Basic
students Amanda Vandyke, Britt
Hazen, Cody Doane, and Jacob
Perryman practice their spinal
immobilization and fracture
management skills on fellow student
Brant Calvin. The summer EMT class ran
from June 1 to July 31, and was
comprised of classroom, skills lab,
online, and field internship sessions.
This accelerated class is truly
remarkable as it is only half the length
(2 months versus 4 months) of a regular
EMT class and it boasts a 93% retention
rate. Students in this class will
challenge the Kansas EMT certification exam in early August.
The class was taught by Chris Cannon, Allied Health Department Chair and Director of EMS Education.
“The students are doing exceptionally well. I have been very impressed with their motivation to learn
and succeed,” Cannon said.
The purpose of the Emergency Medical Technician-Basic (EMT-B) course is to provide students with an
academic and working knowledge to become state certified and to provide basic life support patient
care. It provides the basic concepts of emergency care which are needed to function as an EMT-B.
This class will be helpful for other healthcare fields and is a prerequisite for the Mobile Intensive Care
Technician (Paramedic) course.
The class will be held at Cowley College’s Mulvane and Winfield Centers at the start of the fall
academic semester.
For more information on the EMT-Basic course contact Cowley College’s Allied Health Department at
620-221-3392 or alliedhealth@cowley.edu.
Pediatric Symposium
Cowley helps Pediatric Symposium reach
individuals throughout the state.
Thanks to the knowledge of some hard
working Cowley College employees, the
Pediatrics Symposium held March 3 and
4, 2011 in the college’s Earle N. Wright
Community Room, was filmed and sent
out as a video teleconference feed to 38
sites around the state of Kansas.
The symposium, which was sponsored by
the KDHE (Kansas Department of Health
and Environment) and the EMSC
(Emergency Medical Services for Children), brought in national and regional speakers to conduct four,
four-hour blocks of information. There were speakers from Kansas, New Jersey, and Iowa.
“It is always great when you can get the best, up to date information, and improve child care,”
Cowley College Director of EMS/Allied Health Department Chair, Chris Cannon said.
More than 20 individuals attended the sessions on Cowley College’s main campus in Arkansas City,
while the video teleconference was able to reach between 300-500 individuals at hospitals, schools,
and libraries across the state.
After conducting three separate pediatric symposiums to over 300 people last year, Sarah House,
EMSC program manager, was glad Cowley could help them reach the same number of individuals
through a two-day symposium, housed at one location.
“We wanted to deliver high quality pediatric specific information to as many providers around the
state as possible,” House said. “Things went really well and the feedback we have gotten across the
state has been very positive. The staff here at Cowley has been exceptional and we look forward to
being back at Cowley in 2012 as well.”
Bryan McChesney, ITV coordinator/technology specialist at Cowley College, as well as Adam Borth,
director of communications/sponsor of the Media Club, helped things run smoothly with the video
teleconference.
Clay Cox, program development manager at Life Team, was impressed by the work done by
McChesney and Borth.
“Nobody in the state of Kansas has been able to accomplish what we have done over the last two
days in being able to send the feed out to that many sites.”
CCEMTPSM Program
June 2012 will mark the second offering of the CCEMTP program at Cowley. There are currently over
40 students registered for this course, including students from the local area
and from as far away as New Jersey, Washington, and Alaska. Cowley has
partnered with UMBC, Midwest Lifeteam, Wesley Medical Center, and
Wichita State University to bring this one of a kind educational experience to
you. Course cost is $1,000 plus books, and the Cowley dorms and cafeteria
will be available for use at a very reasonable rate during the program. Paul
Misasi, Cowley College CCEMTPsm Coordinator, has been instrumental in
setting up this program. If you are interested in CCEMTPsm, please contact
Chris Cannon at cannon@cowley.edu.
Cowley the site of Kansas’s first ever The
Difficult Airway course
Providing an intensive two-day, national
level course designed for Paramedics,
critical care transport nurses and other
advanced EMS providers, Cowley
College is hosting Kansas’s first-ever The
Difficult Airway course, June 13 and 14,
2011 in Arkansas City.
The course is designed to help
individuals learn the important airway
algorithms and mnemonics. Individuals
in the course will also use all of the
proven airway devices in small group
sessions, while practicing decision
making and airway techniques in Code
Airway Stations.
Participants will then face challenging patient scenarios such as elevated ICP, pulmonary edema,
cardiogenic shock, status asthmaticus, foreign body in the airway, direct airway trauma, and multiple
trauma with shock.
The didactic and hands-on training will cover RSI (Rapid Sequence Intubation), prediction of the
difficult airway, difficult airway evaluation using video laryngoscopes designed for EMS, and surgical
airway techniques. The group used robotic mannequins to mimic airway problems.
The instructors, consisting of Paramedics and physicians, were flown in from Oregon and Utah to
conduct the 16-hour course. Jeff Birrer, The Difficult Airway course director and Paramedic in Portland,
Oregon, has been leading the course for the past three years.
“The biggest benefit is the student and community will gain new knowledge and the best clinical
practices of placing breathing tubes in a difficult airway,” Birrer said. “We are using the best, proven
technology available.”
Along with 13 Cowley College instructors, individuals from the Arkansas City Fire Department, Winfield
EMS, Sedgwick County EMS, and Butler County EMS also took part in the course. A total of 35
individuals enrolled for the course, which has plans to be offered at the college every other summer.
“This has been a very engaged, highly motivated group of professionals to work with,” Birrer said. “I
have taught this course to the entire Western United States and I can say this has been one of the best
classes in terms of educated, motivated people.”
Chris Cannon, Cowley College’s Director of EMS Education, helped bring the course to Arkansas City
and also served as a student in the two-day event.
“We wanted to have people in the area get the most up to date training and what better way than
to have the experts here,” Cannon said. “The faculty is top notch and it is a real benefit to have it here
for the EMS providers in this area.”
Medical Careers Day
Students interested in a medical career
had an opportunity to take part in Medical
Careers Day held October 13, 2011 at
Cowley College’s main campus in
Arkansas City. A record turnout of 75
students took part in the event, which is
now in its fourth year of existence.
Participants consisted of area high school
students as well as students from Pioneer
Technology Center in Ponca City, OK.
Lory West, director of admissions and one
of the organizers of the event, was happy
with the turnout.
“It is exciting see the interest of high school
students in the health care field,” West said.
Deryk Ruddle, Allied Health Department Lead Paramedic instructor, discussed the programs and
degrees offered at Cowley College. While, Natural Science Department Chair, Michelle Schoon,
shared information about the college’s pre-professional programs.
There were Career Fair booths displaying information about specific programs for the students to view,
as well as transfer information regarding four-year institutions.
Students also had an opportunity to visit with representatives from South Central Regional Medical
Center, William Newton Memorial Hospital, Ark City Fire-EMS Department, Ark City Emergency Medical
Services, Winfield Emergency Medical Services, Eagle Med, Hospice of Kansas, Pratt/Cowley LPN-RN,
Workforce, and Charlee Wilson (transfer information).
“We received great support from community organizations, which showcased what they had to
offer,” West said. “It took a lot of people to come together and make the event a success.”
Students from the 2011, 12-month Cowley Paramedic program, were also on hand to answer any
questions and assist with the day’s events.
From medical office support to pre-professional medical programs, Cowley College offers a range of
degrees and programs, including:
Allied Health programs: Paramedic, EMS-Education, EMT-Basic, EMS-Leadership, CCEMTP, Medical
Office, Medical Transcription, Medical Coding, CAN/CMA, RN/LPN, Long Term Adult Care,
Phlebotomy, Health Services Management and Community Development, Pre-Nursing, Medical Lab
Technician, Pre-Athletic Training and Leadership.
Pre-Professional programs: Chiropractic, Dentistry, Dietetics, Forensics, Medicine, Mortuary Science,
Nursing/Dental Hygiene, Pharmacy, Physical Therapy, and Veterinary Medicine.
For more information or to enroll for these programs, contact 620-441-5583.
Leadership Program
We offer online leadership courses starting every 8 weeks. Students may complete the entire
leadership program online. Emphasis areas in EMS and Business leadership are available, and several
articulation agreements with universities allow you to continue your education to the baccalaureate
level or beyond.
If you would like to enroll in a successful, proven program contact Chris Cannon,
cannon@cowley.edu.
Medical Office Division News
The Medical Office Division of Allied Health encompasses the Medical Coding, Medical Transcription,
and Medical Front Office Professional programs. Our goal is to produce highly qualified, experienced
students from this program that will benefit the facilities where they will eventually provide patient
care. To this end, we are currently reviewing and updating the curriculum for several of our courses
and look forward to offering even better classes in the future.
CNA and Related Education
Janet Bogle and Lindsey King were the instructors for the first ever Cowley hybrid CNA class that
finished in April. This course was offered in conjunction with a KAN-GO grant that allowed students
pursuing their CNA and GED to receive extra funding assistance. The students performed very well,
and most are already certified and working in the field.
If your organization would like to sponsor Allied Health Education to include CNA, CMA, HHA, or RA
students please contact us for further information.
Athletic Trainer Program
The athletic training program continues to do well at the Cowley main campus. All students, along
with both instructors/trainers, have been very busy with classes and with taking care of our student
athletes this year.
Nursing Home Administrator (AIT) Program
The health care industry is currently experiencing a nationwide shortage of qualified health care
workers, including administrators of long term care facilities. Cowley College offers the Administrator in
Training Program (AIT), designed to accommodate the flexibility students need today. Students can
start the program whenever they desire and have two years to complete the required 680 clock hour
practicum required by Cowley at a KDHE approved long term health care facility in Kansas. Students
are also required to complete two online leadership classes (three credit hours each for a total of six
hours) of their choice offered by Cowley College. Following the tenets of adult education, students
pick the most appropriate classes for their individual needs.
Pratt Community College RN Program at Winfield Allied Health Center
Pratt Community College recently started both first and second year nursing classes at the Winfield
Allied Health Center. Interested future students are encouraged to contact Janet Bogle, PCC Winfield
Coordinator/Instructor at 620-229-5993.
The first cohort of students began the Pratt PARAMEDIC to RN bridge program in August, 2009. This
program has both online and clinical learning components. More information, including prerequisites
and curriculum information is available by contacting the Pratt nursing office at
nursinginfo@pratcc.edu.
Hybrid 1+1 program……
Allied Health Faculty and Staff
Name/Position:
Chris Cannon, Department Chair
Janet Bogle, Nursing Coordinator
Jeff Fluty, Athletic Trainer
Stefani Jones, Coordinator of Support Services
Bruce Irwin, AIT Coordinator
Loretta Heft, Lead Medical Office Instructor
Deryk Ruddle, Paramedic Instructor
Malachi Winters, Paramedic Instructor
Phone:
620.229.5985
620.229.5982
620.441.5270
620.229.5981
800.296.3633
620.582.2825
620-229-5984
620-229-5986
Email:
cannon@cowley.edu
boglej@cowley.edu
fluty@cowley.edu
jones@cowley.edu
irwinb@cowley.edu
heftl@cowley.edu
ruddled@cowley.edu
wintersm@cowley.edu