Grady Launches Advanced Critical Care Paramedic Course

As part of its continued commitment to clinical excellence, workforce development and the safe transport of the most critically ill patients, Grady has launched a new Critical Care Paramedic Course through our EMS Academy.

This comprehensive program is intentionally designed to meet and exceed national standards for critical care and transport education, with a curriculum grounded in advanced physiology, evidence-based practice and structured competency validation. Key focus areas include advanced hemodynamic monitoring, mechanical circulatory support, invasive monitoring, advanced ventilator management, complex airway techniques and high-risk procedural skills essential to modern transport medicine.

A defining feature of the course is its competency-based structure. Learners are evaluated through formal skill checkoffs, high-fidelity simulation and direct faculty assessment to ensure not only knowledge acquisition, but reliable, reproducible performance in high-acuity transport environments.

“By combining expert faculty, structured assessment and immersive simulation, we are building a program that supports both professional growth and operational excellence for our transport teams,” said Barbara McLean, program co-director.

While the initial focus is on serving Grady’s air and ground transport professionals, the long-term vision is to expand the program into a regionally recognized and ultimately nationally registered Critical Care Paramedic course, further positioning Grady as a leader in critical care transport education.

“This program reflects how Grady approaches education – practical, rigorous and directly tied to bedside and transport realities,” said Keith Blalock, program co-director. “Our goal is to ensure paramedics caring for the sickest patients have the depth of knowledge and the hands-on competency required to deliver safe, high-quality care across the entire continuum.”

This initiative represents a significant investment in Grady’s paramedic workforce and reinforces the system’s mission to deliver world-class care, wherever the patient may be.