LIMA, OH (WLIO) - There will always be a need for EMTs and paramedics to help people in an emergency. Mercy Health-St. Rita's has a program in place to help train the new generation of those professionals. We learned more about that program for the latest in our "Growing STEM" series.
The sound of an ambulance siren is a common sound to hear out on the road, and it's certainly one that's heard every day at the LACP building on Spring Street in Lima.
For some, that very sound could be a call to action if they are thinking of taking on the mantle of an emergency medical technician or paramedic. Mercy Health Saint Rita's is offering a way for high school graduates to get their foot in the door of emergency medical training.
In partnership with Ohio Means Jobs and Apollo Career Center, Saint Rita's offers an EMT internship.
"You can work here as you’re going to school, where you'll get paid, get your schooling paid for, and then once you finish schooling, you just hop on the truck and run as an EMT," said paramedic Tyler Koontz. "Our last round of interns hopped on the truck, and they were just shadowing so that they could see firsthand what we do how we do it, so when they got to the time where it was their turn to take care of the patient, they would be able to hop right in and already have a feel for what it was."
Skylar Gutman started in the program back in 2021 while training at Apollo Career Center and says that she's gained a lot of experience over the last three years and is now a fully-fledged EMT. She's now headed to paramedic school at Rhodes State College with the hospital's guild program and is grateful for the opportunities that she's received through working with St. Rita's.
"I’ve learned a lot of my skills through here - this is my first job as a basic and I’m really enjoying it," said Gutman. "I plan to stay here for a pretty long time; I don’t see myself going anywhere else because I love the atmosphere here. The pay is great, all of our coworkers are really friendly, and it’s almost like a big family. We all like each other, and we all get along really great."
Mercy Health also offers more opportunities for their EMTs and paramedics as they go, affording them the chance to expand their credentials, including earning a bachelor's degree and even having the choice to become a physician assistant or attend medical school one day.
Paramedic Tyler Koontz says that starting as an EMT at St. Rita's was a good choice for him to get started on the job fairly quickly while still training at school.
"I took EMT as just a way to get my toe in the water and then I just kind of fell into it," Koontz said. "I figured that I kind of like this stuff and kept moving forward, and eventually progressed to be a paramedic. I was working mainly in sales, I was working at Foot Locker While I was going to EMT school, so I was working full-time, doing EMT, and then I just pursued my path as an EMT."
For more information on the internship, you can find its full listing here.
