McHenry County College’s Paramedic program prepares students for anything they might face on the job—from assessing and stabilizing patients to administering life-saving treatments and transporting them to emergency departments.
As part of their studies, students complete multiple clinical rotations at various local hospitals, fire departments, air medical services, and more. The rotations include everything from emergency departments and respiratory therapy to operating rooms and cardiac catheterization labs, giving students hands-on experience in a variety of high-pressure environments.
But recently, Scott Wessel, program coordinator for MCC’s Paramedic Program, noted that something was missing: experience working with developmentally disabled patients.
“While our students were getting great practice with emergency care in many different settings, they weren’t getting much experience working with this patient demographic,” he said.
Wessel had previously worked with Woodstock School District 200’s Life Skills program and was familiar with many of the unique medical challenges those patients offered. That insight led him to recognize that Sheltered Village in Woodstock, an intermediate care facility for adults with developmental disabilities, would be an ideal partner for helping students hone their skills.
“We wanted to give our students the chance to work with this population so they could develop the skills and confidence needed to care for them,” he said.
During their clinical rotation at Sheltered Village, students work closely with experienced care providers who offer guidance on how to engage with residents in a respectful and effective manner. They learn to tailor their assessment skills to meet the individual needs of each patient, communicate clearly and compassionately, recognize non-verbal cues, and provide care in a way that minimizes anxiety for both the patient and the EMS provider.
“Our residents greatly benefit from working alongside MCC’s EMTs in training,” said Lauren Schlendorf, the administrator at Sheltered Village. “Having the students engage with these residents in a compassionate, supportive manner fosters a sense of security and trust, helping to reduce anxiety during stressful moments. This collaboration allows EMT trainees to enhance their patient care skills, adapting to unique needs while ensuring the residents feel heard and supported, ultimately enhancing the emergency response experience for everyone involved.”
“All patients are deserving of quality and competent patient care,” Wessel added. “Although our instructional staff can provide a firm foundation of knowledge in the classroom, clinical experiences drive the students’ overall development. Offering diverse clinical experiences like these improves the quality of prehospital emergency care throughout our community.”
MCC is also expanding the program’s on-campus training facility, building out a new EMS lab and office space to better support hands-on learning. The new lab will be equipped with two state-of-the-art full-size ambulance simulators, immersing students into high fidelity simulations. In addition, the College is launching enhancements to its Paramedic Certificate and Prehospital Emergency Care AAS programs in Fall 2025. The program will recognize the hard work students put into earning their EMT and Paramedic certificates, allowing them to earn the Prehospital Emergency Care AAS by completing just five additional general education courses.
“As we continue to expand our offerings and partnerships, our main goal is to ensure that students are not just prepared for their first day on the job, but for a long and successful career in EMS,” Wessel said.
Learn more about the EMT program at MCC. Applications for the 2025-2026 paramedic cohort are being accepted through April 4, 2025.