Eastern Connecticut State University’s Health Sciences Department has received a $75,000 John M. Biancamano Client Grant from the Connecticut Health and Educational Facilities Authority (CHEFA) to purchase medical simulation equipment. The state-of-the-art equipment will enhance the department’s Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Program and the development of the new Paramedic Science Program. 

Health Sciences Professor and EMT Program Coordinator Bryan Platt and Acting Department Chair Anita Lee are the primary proposal writers for this grant, which will be used to purchase two new medical simulation manikins from Gaumard Scientific.

“The medical simulation manikins are instrumental for our students to acquire the essential skills for certification exams and the healthcare career,” said Lee. “We are grateful for CHEFA’s generous support to allow our students to better serve Connecticut after their education at Eastern.”  

Platt added: “The ability for Eastern to acquire high-fidelity medical simulation manikins through the generosity of the CHEFA Client Grant allows our students to better prepare for real-life medical and trauma patient care events.”

CHEFA is a quasi-public agency that uses no State of Connecticut funding, and was created to help Connecticut-based nonprofit organizations improve health, education and childcare.

Eastern’s Health Sciences major provides outstanding experiential education to future healthcare and public health professionals, empowering them to address current issues in health through education, service, advocacy, research and scholarly activities. Students in this program continue clinical education in nursing, physician assistant, physical therapy, occupational therapy, cardiac sonography, pathologist assistant and more. Students have also entered public health related workforce in governmental agencies, non-profit organizations and health insurance companies. 

For more information on the Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) Program and the Paramedic Science Program in Eastern’s Health Sciences Department, visit https://www.easternct.edu/programs/health-sciences.html .