Accredited PCP Bridging

With the announcement earlier this year that the Manitoba Emergency Services College would no longer be offering a rural PCP bridging program, many practitioners have been left wondering how best to pursue completion of Canadian Medical Association (CMA) accredited education to bridge to the PCP level. While this bridge education is not necessarily required to apply for licensing as a Technician-Paramedic in Manitoba ("grandfathering from EMT to Tech-P can be granted under specific conditions), there is significant benefit to obtaining education in a health profession that has that CMA "seal of approval" known as accreditation. Many employers and regulators, not only in Manitoba but across the country, require completion of CMA accredited education as a prerequisite to employment or licensure.

The rural PCP bridging program was accredited by the CMA as a partnership between the Manitoba Emergency Services College in Brandon and the Winnipeg Fire Paramedic Service. It recognized four regional delivery sites...Brandon, Interlake, South Eastman and Parkland. As such, it may be feasible that an agreement could be reached between interested regional health authorities and WFPS to deliver a rural bridging program for practitioners interested in pursuing a CMA accredited program. At the very least, the accreditation certainly allows WFPS to continue delivering this education in Winnipeg until the CMA expiry date in 2009.

I had some very preliminary discussions with WFPS around this concept yesterday. PAM will continue to pursue the possibility of working with various RHAs and WFPS to see if an agreement can be reached to deliver rural PCP bridging programs for interested regions and practitioners. I'm hopeful that this possibility might become a reality in the new year.