LEWISTON, Idaho – Lewis-Clark State College and Idaho State University (ISU) have signed another Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to help address healthcare needs in Idaho. This time the two leaders in Idaho healthcare education seek to address the critical shortage of paramedics in rural Idaho as well as to create pathways for more qualified applicants into other health professions programs.
The MOU was finalized and signed by administrators from both institutions on Thursday afternoon after the schools had gathered for the Idaho State Board of Education Meeting hosted at LC State.
“LC State is proud to continue strengthening and expanding its partnership with Idaho State University, Idaho’s leader in health sciences education,” LC State President Cynthia Pemberton said. “Collaborations like this are vital to our region’s healthcare needs and further cement LC State’s role over the past 60 years as north Idaho’s healthcare education leader.”
“As the lead institution in the state for health care education, ISU is committed to expanding our reach to meet critical healthcare needs through strategic and collaborative partnerships,” ISU President Robert W. Wagner said. “We are proud to continue leveraging our effective partnership with LC State to meet the workforce needs in Idaho.”
The agreement will expand ISU's existing paramedic science academic program to the LC State campus beginning fall of 2025, allowing students in the northern part of the state to have access to comprehensive paramedic education in their own community.
The partnership leverages ISU's existing expertise, accreditation, and resources while at the same time utilizing LC State's general education courses, local clinical training sites and partnerships, and 60-plus year history in healthcare education.
Students who complete the program can earn an academic certificate or an Associate of Science in Paramedic Science from ISU and can become certified to work as paramedics as well as have seamless transfer opportunities to LC State's Bachelor of Science Health Studies or Bachelor of Science in Nursing degree programs.
The demand for paramedics in Idaho is expected to increase 11 percent by 2030.
LC State President Pemberton (right) alongside attendees of the MOU signing event
ISU has a 20-year history in paramedic education, which includes a 98% pass rate on the national licensing exam. LC State has long offered a paramedic training program through its Workforce Training center, though this program is currently serving its final cohort of students.
The MOU continues a long history of healthcare education collaboration between the two schools. In July 2023, LC State and ISU signed an MOU creating a pathway for pharmacy students, then in December of 2023, a partnership for expanding the ISU physician assistant program to north Idaho was created. April 2024 saw another MOU creating a pathway for students seeking a master's in occupational therapy at ISU, and a new MOU is now in place to give LC State students a pathway to ISU’s Master of Science Athletic Training program as well.
Both ISU and LC State offer a robust portfolio of health professions degree options, awarding 70 percent of the health-related degrees in the state among four-year public institutions.
In addition to its paramedic program and physician assistant studies, ISU offers degrees in athletic training, communication sciences and disorders, community and public health, counseling, dental hygiene, emergency services, medical lab science, nursing, nutrition and dietetics, occupational therapy, physical therapy, radiographic science and rehabilitation and communication sciences. A family medicine residency program, pharmacy, dentistry, social work, health care administration, respiratory therapy, medical coding and a host of other health occupations programs round out ISU's commitment to health professions education in the state.
LC State healthcare-related programs include nursing, with a new master’s in nursing leadership in healthcare, as well as radiographic science, medical assistant, business administration healthcare management, medical administrative assistant, medical biller/coder, medical receptionist, medical transcription, exercise science, fitness, health, kinesiology, movement psychology, and sports nutrition as well as a number of Workforce Training programs and pre-professional pathways. Additionally, physical therapist assistant and dental hygiene programs are offered on the LC State campus in partnership with North Idaho College and a medical lab tech program is in development.