By Elisabeth Costanzo Stewart

SUNY Broome always feels safer when Joshua VanSteenburg (EMT ’23; EMTP ’23) is on campus. As Director of the Southern Tier Paramedic Program (STPP), he funnels 20 years of experience in emergency medical services (EMS) to training the community’s upcoming frontline healthcare responders in partnership with the New York State Department of Health, Guthrie Lourdes, and SUNY Broome. VanSteenburg describes himself as STPP’s lead puppeteer, coordinating three organizations to create a cohesive program that uniquely blends classroom, hospital, and field training. A proud product of the program he now directs, VanSteenburg is honored to instruct and mentor the highly-skilled paramedics who care for his community. 

VanSteenburg hails from Bainbridge, NY. He was raised by a single father and spent his childhood on the move. At age three, a local couple, Alan and Karen Springett, took an interest in the father-son duo and welcomed the little family under their wing. Coincidentally, the Springetts also had a son named Josh, so “Big Josh” and “Little Josh” navigated boyhood together. 

Switching schools every few years made it difficult for VanSteenburg to keep up academically. Though he tried his best, he had limited resources for additional support. In ninth grade, a teacher told him that he was “a drain on society” and “would only amount to being a welfare bum.” Heartbroken by his teacher’s cruel statements, a defeated VanSteenburg dropped out of high school. While his peers were in class, VanSteenburg spent his days folding hospital linens for a local dry cleaner. Looking for more out of life, “Little Josh” hoped to follow “Big Josh” into the Army National Guard. 

“This was right after 9/11, so my desire to serve our country was extra-heightened,” VanSteenburg reflected. “When I met with the recruiter, he thanked me for my interest, but explained that I would need to earn my high school diploma first. With his help, I got connected to the local Job Corps chapter and completed a joint training program for cement masonry while studying for the GED.” 

With his GED in tow, VanSteenburg was officially welcomed into the United States Army National Guard as a heavy equipment operator. After completing advanced individual training in heavy equipment operations at Fort Leonard Wood, MO, he returned to the Southern Tier, honing his skills at monthly drills within the region. 

Searching for a way to continue serving his community while on reserve, VanSteenburg stumbled upon an emergency medical technician (EMT) certification course offered by the Bainbridge Fire Department.  He instantly connected with the hands-on nature of the program and enjoyed learning how to assess, stabilize, and transport patients to more advanced care. With that, the young man who was expected to be “a drain on society” was now devoting both his military and civilian careers to serving his local community and his nation.

“The National Guard caught wind that I was certified as an EMT and asked if I wanted to re-class as a medic,” VanSteenburg said. “It was early in my career, and I didn’t feel ready. I joked with my superiors that ‘I just want to play with Tonka trucks.’ I eventually agreed to get certified as a Combat Lifesaver (CLS).” 

Private First Class VanSteenburg remained in the Army National Guard for seven years, and was deployed to support Broome County during the 2006 flood. 

After spending a few years working full-time as an EMT, VanSteenburg admittedly was “sick of being the driver.” Longing to be in the back of the ambulance managing airways, administering life-saving medications, and performing CPR, he felt that the time was right to access his GI Bill and enroll in SUNY Broome’s Paramedic: A.A.S. program. 

SUNY Broome’s hands-on Paramedic A.A.S. program uniquely blends classroom, hospital, and field training.
Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers

Each semester, SUNY Broome’s paramedic program attracts an eclectic mix of students. Some are EMTs looking to enhance their scope of practice, others are ex-military. Some come straight from high school, while others are adult learners retooling for a career change. Regardless of their status at the beginning of the program, by the end, they all melt into a collective fleet of proficient emergency responders.

VanSteenburg graduated from SUNY Broome in 2013, but stayed connected to the on-campus paramedic community. Over the following few years, calls would come out of the blue asking, “Would you be a preceptor?” “Would you teach a lab?” and finally, “Would you become a certified instructor coordinator?” Though not typically “booksmart,” VanSteenburg dutifully studied to earn each advanced certification. His tenacity paid off, and he assumed the role of the Director of the STPP in 2024. 

“For someone who grew up struggling in school, I picked a career that demands that I remain a lifelong learner. EMS providers are constantly required to complete continuing education courses to build upon our pre-existing knowledge base,” VanSteenburg explained. “But I love it! What I learn today may save a patient’s life tomorrow.” 

Unquestionably, SUNY Broome students benefit most from VanSteenburg’s decades in an ambulance. Every technique and treatment modality taught in class is accompanied by a real-world experience in the field. Whether he is describing how to spot the signs of a transient ischemic attack (TIA) or how to assess a suspected spinal injury, VanSteenburg has seen it all, and admits that patients don’t always present the way textbooks describe. This fact alone is why, even with all of his on-campus responsibilities, he still covers shifts as a paramedic per diem and volunteers with the Bainbridge Fire Department.

“I’m a firm believer in the power of mixed instructional methods. Our team uses a mix of traditional lectures, case-based learning, and flipped classrooms, where the students teach us the material.” VanSteenburg explained. “I love to shout out an ailment and have my students respond with the signs and symptoms, organs impacted, stabilization treatments, and a fun fact about the disease. Then I describe real cases that I have treated in the field.” 

When VanSteenburg isn’t in the front of the classroom, or in the back of an ambulance, he is quietly working on his next emergency management degree from SUNY Broome’s partner transfer institution, Bellevue University. He and his wife, Sadie, have a blended family of five children under age 12, making life extra busy, but extra happy. (The VanSteenburg children kindly serve as standardized patients for the program’s pediatric unit.)

When asked to share advice with prospective emergency medical services students, VanSteenburg didn’t hesitate. “Everyone wears different uniforms, but we all have the same end goal. Continue to be a lifelong learner, come back, and teach me something new!”

Inspired by Joshua’s story? Consider earning a FREE associate degree in high-demand programs like Paramedic: A.A.S.! Find out if you’re eligible for SUNY Reconnect at SUNY Broome.

SUNY Broome’s Paramedic: A.A.S. program is a SUNY Reconnect approved program! Photo Credit: Matt Ebbers

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