ASUMH Named Top Arkansas College
by OnlineColleges.com
OnlineColleges.com, a leading resource for
people who want reliable information about
online colleges and degree programs, recently
named Arkansas State University-Mountain
Home as the #1 college in Arkansas.
TONYA
YOUNG
DIRECTOR - EMS PROGRAM
KEYSTONE FACULTY
Q&A
How did your career in Emergency
Medical Services (EMS) begin?
hundreds of others coordinating
the mass shelter of over 15,000
Katrina evacuees at Fort Chaffee in
Sebastian County.
Before getting into EMS I was into search
and rescue. I am a National Association for
Search and Rescue (NASAR) Search and Rescue (SAR) Tech II, and a K-9 SAR Tech III.
When I became a K-9 SAR Tech we worked search and rescue for live victims, but our
specialty was cadaver recovery, especially in the water. My main dog was a black lab
named Rhapsody.
After a few years as Deputy Director of Emergency Management and lots of experi-
ences in hazardous materials, mass sheltering, tornados, floods, massive fires, and
other disasters, I was promoted to the position of Director of Emergency Manage-
ment in Sebastian County.
I decided to become a Paramedic Instructor because I feel the field of EMS is
moving in the right direction and I wanted to help facilitate positive change.
I, along with others, am working hard to increase the awareness of the capabilities
and professionalism of Paramedics. EMS is still a young field, only beginning in the
early 1970’s in the U.S.
I absolutely love Emergency Management, but it is extremely stressful and I felt I
had lost the focus of why I got into the field. I know I was helping people, but my
job became extremely political and bureaucratic and so I decided to make a change.
What does/can an EMT/Paramedic degree lead to in a career?
Paramedics have so many opportunities available to them. Many Paramedics
continue to love working the streets as ground EMS providers, but some pursue
flight in a helicopter or fixed-wing aircraft after a few years of experience. In
Arkansas and across the nation, many hospital emergency departments have
realized the unique knowledge, critical skills, and rapid decision-making of
Paramedics and are hiring them to work in the emergency rooms alongside
doctors and nurses. Paramedics can also find jobs in industrial areas such as
large factories, oil fields, and even on cruise ships!
We teach our students to be strong academics and use critical thinking utilizing the
amazing technology and medications available to them in the back of an ambu-
lance, in an aircraft, or in an emergency room setting. Today’s graduates are top-
notch medical professionals.
CAREER CLUSTER CAMP
Cotter and Flippin high school students had a blast
exploring career options at the ASUMH Career Cluster
Camp in April. Facilitated by Paulette Hill, ASUMH’s
Career Coach, more than 75 students attended the
event to observe a day in the life of professionals in
health sciences and human services fields. Hands-
on activities were presented by local professionals
to help students make decisions about what careers
they are interested in pursuing, and what college
courses they want to focus on.
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You have emergency management in your background. Can you
tell us more about that? On April 19th, 1995 the Murrah Federal Building in
Oklahoma City was bombed. I had broken my arm the day before and was home
from work as I watched the event unfold all day. I realized then that I wanted to help
with THAT. So, I looked at my options and decided the road to get there was through
experience and education. I enrolled in the EMT and then Paramedic Program at
Westark Community College (now known as the University of Arkansas, Fort Smith).
During my years as a Paramedic I used the down time to continue my education
and obtained a B.S. in Emergency Management and a Master’s Degree in Emergency
Management and Homeland Security from Arkansas Tech University. In 2005, I
gave my thesis defense just after I worked with the Arkansas National Guard and
Because of the Paramedics intimate understanding of critical care equipment, some
even gravitate toward sales of this equipment or become trainers on equipment.
Due to the amount of simulation required in EMS training, some Paramedics go to
work for companies that sell or develop training equipment or software.
ASUMH also offers a Paramedic to RN bridge program for those wanting to expand
their knowledge and skills. In addition, pairing a Paramedic degree with a business
degree opens management opportunities for Paramedics.
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