Powell Valley Hospital’s ambulance donation could just lead to a better prepared future health care workforce. 

At its July meeting, the Powell Hospital District Board of Trustees approved the disposal of a number of old, unneeded vehicles, including the district’s 2000 Ford ambulance. 

PVHC’s ambulance coordinator, Joshua Campbell, recommended donating the vehicle to Northwest College’s EMT/paramedic training program.  

“I’m grateful for the board’s decision to donate the ambulance to NWC.  The vehicle will make a great training tool for the instructors and students in the program,” Campbell said. “Having a solid education program to prepare our future EMS force here in rural Wyoming is essential, and I think it’s great that we can support NWC with the contribution of the ambulance.”

The board approved the donation at its August meeting and on Wednesday delivered the ambulance to the college. NWC President Lisa Watson said at the Sept. 8 board meeting it would be beneficial for a program that already goes to great lengths to educate students in a variety of settings. 

“Having an ambulance, and being able to use a live ambulance for transport, for work at the hospital, for staging scenarios, all of that’s really possible,” she said, thanking the hospital for its donation.

Northwest College staff and board members were joined by Powell Hospital District board members and PVHC staff on Wednesday to celebrate the donation of the ambulance.  

“We all appreciate this, and the ambulance will get used quite a bit,” said Steven Haggard, instructor for emergency medical services, in a release. “It’s going to alter our students’ perception of the field as we do our scenarios and put them in an environment that’s similar to what they will see in the field. It really matters to us.”