Some 1,000 students attend classes at Georgia Northwestern Technical College’s (GNTC) Dalton campus. That includes 25 students in the college’s emergency medical technician (EMT) program.
“We moved our EMT program to Dalton from Ringgold (earlier this year) and enrollment has grown from five to 25,” GNTC President Heidi Popham recently told the Dalton City Council. “That’s a partnership with the Whitfield County Fire Department and the Northwest Georgia College & Career Academy. We couldn’t do this without their assistance. It serves both traditional students and dual enrollment students.”
The program offers both the EMT certificate and the advanced emergency medical technician (AEMT) certificate. It was moved to Whitfield County, in part, because many of the students were from Whitfield County and also because the Whitfield County Fire Department had begun firefighter training at the Northwest Georgia College & Career Academy, and the fire department and the career academy asked GNTC to move the EMT program to its Dalton campus, which is adjacent to the career academy.
Those certificates prepare students to provide emergency medical care and transportation for patients in critical condition.
GNTC’s emergency medical services and paramedicine programs recently earned reaccreditation by the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions.
The EMT program is the only health program offered at the Dalton campus, according to Catherine Edgemon, a marketing media specialist at GNTC.
GNTC offers nursing and allied health programs at five other campuses in Catoosa, Floyd, Gordon, Polk and Walker counties.
The EMT and AEMT programs are also offered at GNTC’s Floyd County and Walker County campuses.
Those programs also include an associate of science in nursing degree and a bridge program for licensed practical nurses to obtain an associate of science in nursing degree at GNTC’s Walker County campus.
GNTC offers associate of applied science degree programs in healthcare management and in medical assisting at its Floyd County and Walker County campuses as well as an associate of applied science degree program in paramedicine at its Gordon County campus and an associate of applied science degree program in surgical technology at its Walker County campus.
Students can earn diplomas in medical assisting and in practical nursing at GNTC’s Floyd County and Walker County campuses as well as a diploma in surgical technology at the Walker County campus. Diplomas require less time commitment and fewer general education courses.
And GNTC offers certificates in:
• Central sterile supply processing technician: Walker County.
• Clinical office assistant: Floyd County.
• Certified nurse assistant: Floyd County and Gordon County.
• Healthcare assistant: all campuses.
• Medical front office specialist: Floyd County and Walker County.
• Patient care assistant: Floyd County, Gordon County and Walker County.