2022-2023 Undergraduate Catalog [ARCHIVED CATALOG]
Emergency Health Services
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Faculty
Department Chair
Lauren Clay
Professor
Lucy Wilson
B.A., Johns Hopkins University, 1989; Sc.M., Harvard University, 1993; M.D., University of Maryland School of Medicine, 1996
Associate Professor
Lauren Clay
B.A., La Salle University, 2005; M.P.H., Drexel University, 2010; Ph.D., University of Delaware, 2014
Clinical Professor
Jeffrey Mitchell
B.S., St. Mary’s Seminary and University, 1971; M.S., Loyola College, 1975; Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, 1983
Clinical Associate Professor
Crista Lenk
B.S., Pennsylvania State University, 1997; M.P.A., West Virginia University, 1999
Clinical Assistant Professor
Kyle Bates
B.S., Rochester Institute of Technology, 1997; M.S., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2004
Senior Lecturer, Clinical Coordinator
Gary Williams, Jr.
B.S., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2004; M.S., 2019
Medical Director
Matthew Levy
B.S., University of Maryland, Baltimore County, 2000; M.S., 2008; D.O., Philadelphia College of Osteopathic Medicine, 2006
Program Management Specialist
Renee Decker
B.A., Western Maryland College, 1990
Professor Emeritus
Richard Bissell
B.A., University of California, Davis, 1973; M.S., University of Colorado, 1979; M.A., University of Denver, 1979; Ph.D., 1984
Bruce Walz
B.A., Western Maryland College, 1975; M.A., Hood College, 1982; Ph.D., University of Maryland, College Park, 1985
Senior Lecturer Emeritus
Dwight Polk
B.A., Virginia Polytechnic and State University, 1981; M.S.W., University of Maryland, Baltimore, 1996
Instructor Emeritus
John Ashworth
B.A., University of Virginia, 1967; M.H.A., The George Washington University, 1975
Courses in this program are listed under EHS.
Students gain a unique depth of experience in emergency health services through this baccalaureate degree. The program stresses academic and clinical abilities, interpersonal and leadership skills, and the capacity for appropriate judgment. The major objective of the degree program is to prepare students for work in various occupational settings relating to emergency health services systems. Primary emphasis is placed upon developing leadership skills and promoting personal and professional growth.
Graduates are prepared to:
- Coordinate and manage emergency health systems
- Interact effectively with other professionals in the emergency medical services system, as well as with community agencies and the general public
- Satisfy certification requirements for EMT or Paramedic
- Conduct or use research
- Pursue graduate study
The Department of Emergency Health Services offers a unique perspective for the education of future EMS professionals. This is accomplished by providing a broad liberal arts and sciences education, which enhances the graduate’s employment opportunities as prehospital providers and managers. The Department of Emergency Health Services also prepares graduates for advancement to graduate and professional studies.
Career and Academic Paths
Federal, state, and local efforts in the past three decades have resulted in innovative programs designed to improve the quality and efficiency of emergency health care services. As a result, several career fields have been created. Health professionals are needed at all levels in today’s emergency medical services system. Depending on experience and education, EMS health professionals serve as emergency medical technicians, educators, supervisors, coordinators, planners, consultants, managers, and directors. Additionally, EMS activities are relevant to ambulance providers, fire and rescue services, hospitals, industrial health services, military, and volunteer EMS organizations. The solid academic basis of the EHS baccalaureate degree also prepares students for advanced studies in the sciences, medicine, public health, hospital administration and other health management programs. Students completing a degree within the Department of Emergency Health Services may choose to specialize in the Paramedic Concentration.
Emergency Health Services Major
Admission to the Emergency Health Services major is concurrent with the general admission requirements at UMBC. Both first year and transfer students must submit university application forms to the UMBC Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Orientation. Students are able to complete this degree on a part-time basis. Students already possessing their National Registry Paramedic (NRP) license may be eligible for academic credit up to 30 credits for completion of an approved paramedic training program.
Paramedic Concentration
The UMBC Emergency Health Services - Paramedic Concentration is a four-year bachelor of science degree. The first two years focus on completing the program’s prerequisites (including EMT Certification), such as biology, chemistry, anatomy, and physiology. During the spring semester, generally around January, the department begins taking applications for the core paramedic program which occurs during a student’s last two years in the degree.
Applicants will be considered if they can meet the following criteria by the following August:
- All EHS paramedic concentration lower-division requirements must be completed with a grade of “C” or higher before taking any paramedic clinical courses. (Years 1 and 2)
- A valid Maryland EMT certification or valid EMT certification from another state (NREMT and provisional certifications are not accepted)
- Documentation of 100 patient contacts as a certified EMT
- Current CPR (BCLS) certification
- Acceptable verification of the status of physical health and immunizations
- Four recommendations as suggested by the program
- Actively engaged in patient care with a Maryland fire or EMS agency is strongly encouraged.
To be admitted to the Paramedic Concentration, students must first apply and be accepted to UMBC.
Academic Advising
Successful completion of the EHS program requires thoughtful sequencing and careful attention to the program requirements; therefore, early and continuous advising is necessary. Students are assigned a permanent EHS faculty advisor upon receipt of application forms. Transfer students should seek pre-transfer advising from the UMBC Office of Undergraduate Admissions and Orientation and the EHS Department. The Department of Emergency Health Services welcomes high school students to contact an advisor for information. All UMBC students are required to complete the General Education Program (GEP). Students must take elective courses in science, humanities, social science, culture, and foreign language to fulfill the GEP. Some GEPs coincide with EHS degree requirements. Students are encouraged to work closely with their EHS faculty advisor in selecting GEP courses that will satisfy their individual interests.
Graduate Programs
Emergency Health Services (EHS) graduate study at UMBC encompasses all EMS system components, with the program primarily focused on preparing professionals for leadership roles requiring skills in planning, research and development, and organizational operations. The curriculum is designed to provide graduate level training and education to health care providers, researchers, educators, policy makers and administrators.
Three master’s degree track options are available:
- Track I: Administration, Policy & Planning
- Track II: Epidemiology & Preventive Medicine
- Track III: EHS Education
Also offered:
Post-Baccalaureate Certificate
The certificate courses can be taken as a standalone program or it can be taken concurrently with the Emergency Health Service degree and the courses count towards completion of the M.S. degree requirements.
UMBC School of Public Policy Ph.D. Program with Concentrations in Emergency Health Services: (Must apply to the School of Public Policy)
- Emergency Health
- Emergency Management
This course work is a concentration focus within UMBC’s School of Public Policy Ph.D. degree.
All Emergency Health Services courses are offered as on-campus/hybrid or via distance education (fully online) formats. The EHS degree sequence is designed to fit the needs of part-time as well as full-time students.
Combined B.S./M.S.
Students in the EHS undergraduate program who meet specific qualifications may opt for a combined B.S./M.S. degree that can, under optimal conditions, be completed in five years total time for both degrees.
Part-Time Option
The Emergency Health Services degree can be completed on a part-time basis. The paramedic concentration requires full-time status during the junior and senior years.
Special Opportunities
UMBC’s close proximity to and cooperative arrangements with the University of Maryland, Baltimore (UMB) professional schools and the Maryland Institute for Emergency Medical Services Systems (MIEMSS) provides students unique opportunities for contacts and experiences. Included in the possibilities are: Maryland’s internationally renowned R Adams Cowley Shock Trauma Center, the National Study Center for Trauma/EMS, the University of Maryland School of Medicine, and the Johns Hopkins Hospital.
Student Organizations
EHS majors, minors, and graduate students are encouraged to participate in the Council of Majors.
ProgramsMajorMinorCoursesEmergency Health Services
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