About Health Career Institute

HCI’s President is Tina Palermo. Mrs. Palermo started her career in EMS in 1983 as an EMT for a local ambulance company. Shortly thereafter, she received her Paramedic license and began working for a local Fire department. In 1992, she became deeply involved in EMS education and in 1993 when the American heart Association de-centralized their education division she opened the predecessor of HCI HELP Technologies.

Health Career Institute began as a modest provider of American Heart Association programs in 1993. Initially, courses were conducted on a custom basis for physicians, nurses and EMS providers. HCI did not have an office or staff other than the owner and a few instructors that had worked with her in other venues. 

A few years later HCI open its first location on Military Trail near 10 ave in Lake Worth. At that time, the AHA programs were conducted weekly and open to the public. Always on the move, HCI then began its EMT programs in 2002 followed by its Paramedic program in 2005. 

As existing programs expanded,  HCI purchased The College of Health and Public Safety, a Division of ATEC in West Palm Beach Florida. This acquisition fostered the continued growth of HCI’s EMS programs and enabled HCI to offer a variety of Fire service programs. HCI provides continuing education for many of the local Fire departments/ EMS systems. 

Today, HCI is a premier provider of Emergency Service Education in South Florida. Our offerings include but are not limited to: EMT, Paramedic, Fire Officer, Fire Inspector, Fire Investigator, ACLS, PALS, BLS - CPR, BTLS, EKG Interpretation, IV Therapy, EMT/Paramedic exam reviews, Protocol evaluations, as well as custom programs tailored to our customers needs.

IN THE BEGINNING

“My career initially began as a veterinarian, but an EMT Class that I took during college changed my life forever. I saw how dynamic the EMS Profession could be, and enjoyed how challenging it was both mentally and physically.  Soon after, I became a Firefighter and coordinator at a local community college. It was there that I noticed that large impersonal classes could, and in this case did, restrict the quality of learning and masked the reality of the medical profession.

What providers and professionals do is so important that the knowledge shouldn't just be memorized in order to succeed. I thought, there had to be a way to teach, in an academic setting, where students could actually remember and assimilate the information better. In other words, it had to make sense why we do something, not just how.

I was frustrated, with people being herded through large impersonal classes.  I branched out on my own, teaching people how to really learn, and what it actually meant to be in the medical & public safety field before they were. I started out teaching differently than the traditional colleges, changing the programs around, setting up less stressful environments. It was much more conducive to learning, and people seemed to retain the knowledge better.

This field is instrumental in saving human life. How many of us want the person who’s supposed to be trained to save us when we’re sick or dying to be a robot; not knowing what it really means to understand the systems behind the life we are treating. I tried to make it real, and people responded to that. Classes were smaller, more comfortable and personal, all the while concentrating on the reality of what the academics world then applies to.
I’m whole heartedly part of what we do here, and believe the latter is of great importance. ” (Back to Top)

HCI, NOT JUST EDUCATION

"The faculty and support staff is the most important part of the school.  This is not just a job to them or me; this is who we are and what we want for our students.  We don’t just teach at HCI, we help the student to understand through practice, skills and scenarios.

It takes a lot of energy to be as involved as we are, and I can’t help but wonder sometimes if we are making a significant impact.  Then I see and hear the students come back and say that if it wasn’t for us nurturing and caring, they never would have made it.  When I hear that, it’s all worth it.

It’s not that everyone makes it through HCI, but we do not dismiss students who have the right attitude.  We look at the whole person, and who belongs in this field, student and instructor alike.  At HCI, we’re like a family, each department works as a team, and we instill that concept to the students as well.  We truly care and give the student the opportunity to succeed and have a rewarding career.  Sometimes we even help the student to find out early on if this is the right career for them, instead of spending valuable time and money to figure it out.

It’s not a career that everyone can handle. My kids once asked me, “Why do you do the Paramedic work, isn’t it hard to see people sick or dying?” I responded, “Who would you rather come to your aid, someone just doing a job, or someone who really cares about making a difference?”  As simple as it sounds, this is what’s so compelling about our school and what separates us from the rest.  We care not only about simply enrolling students, we care most about the student’s feelings and educational outcome as well as the patients they will one day be caring for. It’s a whole system that’s taken into careful consideration. 

At HCI, we empower the student with the knowledge to become the best public health& safety and medical professionals they can be. Students are the people who walk in the door, medical professionals are the people who have flourished and leave HCI with a certificate or diploma. "(Back to Top)

UP AHEAD FOR HCI

"HCI will continue to offer quality education in different and innovative ways so that students can have the opportunity to establish a career or advance their current one.  HCI looks forward to offering pod casts of its lectures, slide lectures for studying at home, and practice exams on our learning resource web site to enhance the book life is around the nearest corner.  In the classroom or out on the street, we have a vast network of support systems. These are real life clinical settings with preceptors in the EMS community to teach students how it should and should not be done.

With this invaluable educational experience, we encourage students to take advantage of additional educational opportunities at four year institutions.  Nothing would please us more than to enable a student to receive an AS Degree from HCI and apply for a BS Degree with a four year University.  2007 finds us working diligently, with confidence towards achieving accreditation status.  While our degree programs and certifications are currently licensed by the Commission for Independent Education (C.I.E), from the Department of Education (D.O.E), The Bureau of EMS, and the Florida State Fire College, accreditation will put this school on the map like it never has before.

Accreditation is in our immediate future, and will open many doors for past, present and future students.  It has given me great pleasure to run this school, and I’ve dedicated countless hours, and the rest of my normal hair color, to give students an opportunity to succeed in the public safety sector and will continue to do so.

I suppose that when I get old and need care, suffering from a mentally debilitating disease, I’ll feel confident that my caregiver is well trained and cares.  I guess that’s the benefit of knowing you send great professionals out into the community.  It reminds me of the time I was bucked off my horse and broke both of my legs.  The 911 respondents that showed up to help laughed, they were past students at HCI, and because we are all part of the same small community the quality of care was outstanding.

Take a look around on the web site, if you can’t find something you’re looking for about HCI, feel free to call me 561-586-0121"(Back to Top)

Sincerely,

President - Tina Palermo

HCI's Degree Programs and Certifications are currently licensed by the Commission for Independent Education (C.I.E), from the Department of Education (D.O.E), The Bureau of EMS, and the Florida State Fire College.

"Health Career Institute is dedicated to providing the highest educational quality to students to meet the growing needs in all aspects of the public safety sector. Health Career Institute is dedicated to provide a stimulating and supportive environment in which students can develop academically. Health Career Institute enforces standards and practices which contribute to student development to become highly trained students and enables them to be a competitive entity in seeking the employment or advancing in their level of professionalism."

Health Career Institute Associates Degree Programs prepare individuals who are seeking career advancement and or increased employment opportunities in the fields of Emergency Medical Services and Fire Science. Upon successful completion of all requirements for an Associates of Science Degree graduate, who now have a strong educational base on which to build, are eligible to apply those credits towards a BS Degree furthering their education at a four year institution

Health Career Institute offers each degree and certificate program’s general education requirements online through our web site .These courses can be taken, depending on availability, at the student’s convenience. This allows students to pursue degree programs that they otherwise might not be able to.

Through general education students will gain the skills and knowledge they desire for personal enrichment and career advancement. Students wishing to register for these classes may do so by consulting the schedule online and registering there, consulting with Admissions and their Advisor and registering with them and or at the school. Students must be conscious of the fact that to successfully complete online courses they must not only be Computer literate and disciplined but self motivated as well. ( Back to Top)