Suffolk County Community College paramedic students are now participating in New York State’s first hospice-specific clinical rotation at the East End Hospice Kanas Center for Hospice Care. This new initiative is part of their broader training, which already includes over 600 clinical hours in various emergency service settings.
Matt Zukosky, EMS and Fire Programs Coordinator and Professor at Suffolk County Community College, explained the importance of this new experience: “Surveys show that emergency services personnel often interact with hospice patients. Yet students have fewer opportunities to fully understand the specialized needs of this population. This rotation offers hands-on experience alongside experts from the region’s leading hospice provider.”
The rotation aims to provide students with skills in end-of-life care, including an understanding of hospice philosophy, symptom management, medication administration, and directives such as Medical Orders for Life-Sustaining Treatment (MOLST) and DNRs. It also covers the Hospice Protocol introduced by the New York State Department of Health in July 2025, ensuring that students are prepared for situations specific to hospice emergencies.
Mary Crosby, President & CEO of East End Hospice, highlighted the significance of collaboration between emergency services and hospice providers: “Emergency services personnel are some of our most valued colleagues. This rotation will inform people about the important work they do in our communities and increase their comfort level in situations that are not lifesaving. We hope to give students tools and techniques they can employ to support family and loved ones.”
More than 100 EMS and fire agencies serve Suffolk County’s population of nearly 1.5 million residents. The college’s Paramedic Program is noted as the only degree-granting program of its kind on Long Island.
Peter C. Halstead, Chairman of East End Hospice, expressed enthusiasm for the program: “We are thrilled that students from our community will be better prepared to meet the unique needs of hospice patients. This is a groundbreaking concept, and it’s no surprise that two regional leaders in their respective fields are behind the idea.”
East End Hospice has been serving Eastern Long Island for over 35 years as an independent nonprofit organization offering home care, inpatient support, bereavement programming, and other services free of charge through licensed professionals and volunteers.
Suffolk County Community College enrolls more than 26,000 students across more than 100 programs and has approximately 145,000 alumni.