Ascension Saint Mary - Kankakee has been an EMS resource hospital for more than four decades, representing communities in Kankakee, Will and Iroquois Counties, two private providers and one non-transport agency. Our program is dedicated to providing high-quality pre-hospital education, including training and continuing education for emergency medical technicians (EMTs) and paramedics.

Paramedic and EMS Resources

As a designated Illinois Department of Public Health (IDPH) Resource Hospital, the Ascension Saint Mary - Kankakee EMS program collaborates closely with our Emergency Department (ED) and colleagues of our provider group to ensure quality education and practical application.

Our system is one of six EMS systems that are incorporated in Illinois EMS Region VII. Together, we cover a large geographic area starting at the Southern Will County border of Chicago extending east to the Indiana State Line, south to Iroquois County and west through Grundy County.

As a region, in coordination with the IDPH, we work together to serve multiple roles, including authorship of standard operating procedures, trauma policy/procedures, education standards, training practices and emergency disaster management. We also partner with:

  • Southern Illinois University
  • Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP)
  • Superior Air Ground Ambulance

Contact us

Kevin Bernard
EMS System Director
kevin.bernard1@ascension.org

Amanda Fagan
EMS System Coordinator
815-937-2495
amanda.fagan@ascension.org

Paramedic education program outcomes

CoAEMSP #600730 State Written Exam (≥70%) Retention (≥70%) Job Placement (≥70%)
2023 73% 88.00% 100%
2022 80% 85.20% 100%
2021 82% 88% 100%
2020 Course not offered; no graduates Course not offered; no graduates Course not offered; no graduates
2019 90% 78.60% 100%

Paramedic training program

High-quality pre-hospital care can be established only through a dedication to excellence in education. To achieve this, Ascension Saint Mary - Kankakee has joined with Southern Illinois University to form a paramedic program that far surpasses the minimum standards of paramedic education and offers our students the opportunity to earn college credit hours.

The Ascension Saint Mary - Kankakee paramedic program is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Allied Health Education Programs upon the recommendation of the Committee on Accreditation of Educational Programs for the Emergency Medical Services Professions (CoAEMSP).

As a valuable member of the community, Ascension Saint Mary - Kankakee participates in many programs, including the public access defibrillator program and emergency communications radio nurse and trauma nurse specialist courses.

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