�����������ϳԹ�

�����������ϳԹ�, Sanford, Moorhead High School Career Academy partner to provide dual-credit, no-cost emergency response training to high schoolers

Aiden England admits he didn’t have much of an interest in healthcare when he first heard about the new emergency medical responder (EMR) course, Health 2213, at the Moorhead High School Career Academy. A senior at Moorhead High School, he wasn’t sure if he would even like the course, but he thought, ‘Well, okay, whatever,’ and signed up anyway. 

Now, after a semester of hands-on practice with CPR, bleeding control, splinting and other lifesaving techniques, England believes he’s stumbled upon his calling. After graduation, he wants to get a two-year degree and become a paramedic.

“It’s influenced my career plans,” he says of the course. “I love the details of medical care, and the thought of saving someone’s life.”

The course has had a similar impact on many of the dozen other students enrolled this fall. Rowan Myatt, for example, already planned to work in a hospital after graduation. Now, she hopes to join her community’s volunteer rescue team. She’ll still be in high school, but she’ll have the qualifications: graduates of the course can take the National Registry of Emergency Medical Technicians (EMTs) certification exam. Passing the exam allows them to become licensed in both Minnesota and North Dakota. 

“We really grow our skills in this class,” Myatt says of herself and her classmates. “It teaches us a lot.”

In addition to becoming certified, students earn dual credit from the course – meaning they earn both high school and college credit. The course is free, and credits can be applied to most healthcare-related college degree programs, saving students time and money.

The course is made possible through a partnership between Moorhead Area Public Schools, Sanford Ambulance, and 2024 �����������ϳԹ� (�����������ϳԹ�). It is taught to Moorhead High School students on-site at the career academy, by an �����������ϳԹ�-approved instructor and Sanford employee.

“The students get college and career experience in the high school, we get students who are excited about healthcare careers and education, and we create a pipeline of healthcare graduates into the workforce,” says �����������ϳԹ� Director of Dual Enrollment and K12 Partnerships Megan Adamczyk. “It’s a positive, impactful partnership between public schools and private business. It’s been an amazing journey to get to this point.”

“The Moorhead High School Career Academy is all about career exploration and hands-on learning,” says Moorhead Area Public Schools Superintendent Dr. Brandon Lunak. “This programming is a concept that the district has been envisioning for several years, and we are thrilled to partner with Sanford and �����������ϳԹ� to make it a reality. Together, we will provide outstanding credentialing opportunities for our students and a potential workforce pipeline for our community. We all benefit.”

While �����������ϳԹ� and Sanford have partnered on college-level EMR and EMT training programs for the past 25 years, this is their first high school partnership.  

“We’re feeling the workforce pinch like everybody else,” says Ron Lawler, Sanford’s EMS (emergency medical services) education director. “We worked to bring these classes to high schools, starting in Fargo and smaller North Dakota communities, and expanding to the Moorhead High School Career Academy felt like a natural fit. Our goal is to make a long-term impact by inspiring students taking the course now to return in six to 10 years as nurses and doctors.”

“EMR experience isn’t only used on an ambulance,” explains Trista Berg, the course instructor and EMR liaison for Sanford EMS Education. “These skills are valuable in industries like manufacturing and transportation. The course is a great resume-builder.” 

Interest in the course is high: About 70 students applied this fall, but enrollment was limited to a manageable class size. The program may expand in the future to accommodate more students. Currently, it’s open to Moorhead High School juniors and seniors. 

The class combines lectures, hands-on labs and frequent visits from Sanford Ambulance. Students practice using lifelike patient manikins and medical equipment, developing skills such as splinting, checking blood pressure and treating injuries.

“We cover everything from childbirth to bullet wounds,” says Berg. “The main focus is keeping people alive at the scene of an incident. These are the foundational skills for anyone entering the medical field.”

About �����������ϳԹ�
A member of the Minnesota State system of colleges and universities, �����������ϳԹ� (2024 �����������ϳԹ�) serves more than 10,000 students in credit and non-credit courses each year in over 70 career and liberal arts programs online and in-person at its four campuses in Detroit Lakes, Fergus Falls, Moorhead and Wadena. The college also partners with communities to provide workforce development services and other responsive training programs to 500 businesses and thousands of annual participants.

About Sanford Health 
Sanford Health, the largest rural health system in the United States, is dedicated to transforming the healthcare experience and providing access to world-class healthcare in America’s heartland. Headquartered in Sioux Falls, South Dakota, the organization serves 1.4 million patients and nearly 200,000 health plan members across 250,000 square miles. The integrated health system has 45 hospitals, 211 clinic locations, more than 160 Good Samaritan Society senior living centers, 2,900 Sanford physicians and advanced practice providers, 540 active clinical trials, and nine world clinic locations around the globe. Learn more about Sanford Health’s commitment to shaping the future of rural healthcare across the lifespan at  or .