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.