Erik started as an EMT in the Metro West Wheelchair Transport Division back in 2011, then in 2014 he became a Nationally Registered Paramedic.
For the past two years, Erik has worked as a preceptor, mentoring Paramedic students throughout their internships, patiently sharing his knowledge and experience. Most recently, he has been promoted and is now serving as Metro West Ambulance’s newest Field Training Officer.
Metro West is celebrating Erik as the Star of Life for 2018 not only for his professional development in the organization but, more importantly, for his dedication to patient care.
This past fall, while off-duty and on the way to work, Erik came upon a serious accident where a pedestrian had been hit by a vehicle. Erik parked his car nearby and assisted with initial patient care, and he later ended up assisting the crews with the emergency intubation and transport to the trauma center.
On that call, and through his mentoring of new Paramedics, Erik has exemplified his dedication and service to EMS.
We are proud to have him as Metro West’s 2018 Star of Life.
Nicole is known for her positive outlook and willingness to assist anyone with questions, whether they are members of the public, ambulance crews and wheelchair van drivers, other billing specialists, or management personnel. She makes everyone feel welcome from the moment they meet her.
Nicole joined Medix Ambulance on May 21, 2007, and she is our primary ambulance biller, making sure all ambulance billing is completed accurately and promptly.
She is a member and the secretary of Medix’s Safety, Operations, and Quality Committee.
Her great attitude makes her a delight to be around and generates a friendly work environment, and she still produces high-quality work in a very fast-paced job.
Nicole is married to Joe, who is a member of the United States Coast Guard, and they have a 6-year-old son, Aiden, and a dog, Essie. In her free time, Nicole enjoys scrapbooking, working on her house, and enjoying the outdoors.
Nicole’s presence and cooperation are greatly appreciated, and Medix believes she is exactly what a Star of Life is and should be. We are proud to have her represent our company.
Laura joined Pacific West Ambulance as an EMT a little more than four years ago and has since become a Paramedic. During this time, she has proven herself to be a deeply compassionate caregiver for her patients as well as a true team player. She is always ready to help at a moment’s notice.
She started in EMS when she was working at the hospital in Poplar, Montana. The hospital had a volunteer ambulance service that often put on classes. At first she wasn’t too sure that EMS was where she wanted to be, but then she ran her first call. She says she immediately fell in love with the ambulance, the field, the constant newness…and the rest is history.
Laura is the chairperson for Pacific West Ambulance’s Safety, Operations, and Quality committee, which helps shape the day-to-day operations of the organization. She has been instrumental in advising management on different aspects of the operation and then making changes with the goal of producing better employee job satisfaction and patient outcomes.
In Laura’s off time, she enjoys spending time with her 9-year-old, Tristan, her other half, Chris, and their wiener dogs, Duck and Goose, along with an assortment of chickens. Her family enjoys outdoor activities including kayaking, fishing, hiking, hanging out at the ocean, beachcombing, reading, painting, and a bit of video-game playing.
Pacific West Ambulance is proud to name Laura T. Ballanger our 2018 Star of Life.
Randy has been serving our rural Oregon coastal community since 1994. He started as a volunteer firefighter at Coos Bay Fire Department and quickly discovered his passion for EMS. Randy then started his EMS career, first earning his EMT Basic then his EMT Intermediate while volunteering with the Coos Bay Fire Department.
Randy started with Bay Cities Ambulance in November 2002. He worked his first six years as an EMT Intermediate, often being the primary caregiver, and refined his skills and knowledge. Then in 2007, Randy started the hard work that resulted in his earning his AA degree in paramedicine in 2009.
Since becoming a licensed Paramedic with Bay Cities Ambulance, Randy has continued to advance in his chosen profession, progressing to Field Training Office and then Paramedic Supervisor.
Now in his 15th year with Bay Cities, Randy has advanced to Administrative Supervisor. In that role he has numerous different responsibilities, including helping to establish our Community Paramedic Program.
We are privileged to have Randy as part of our team here at Bay Cities Ambulance, and, as the organization continues to grow, we’re excited to watch Randy grow with us.
Briggett has been around EMS her whole life, as many of her family members volunteered with their fire department and ambulance service—her grandmother was a volunteer Paramedic for 40 years, and a great one at that. Believing that she wouldn’t follow in her family member’s footsteps due to her uneasiness around blood, though, Briggett decided to pursue a career in music at Oregon State University.
During a break from school, Briggett attended two events where her friends needed medical attention, and that led her to realize that EMS, not music, was her true calling.
Briggett has been a Paramedic for three years now, and she is truly loving it. She enjoys the people she works with every day—the hospital staff, fire department, police department, and her coworkers. She is proud to serve her community, and everyone at Bay Cities Ambulance is proud of her.
When she’s not serving her community, Briggett enjoys spending time with her daughter, Carryn, and niece and nephew, Ireland and Crew. She also enjoys hunting, fishing, softball, and playing the piano.
Briggett received the Paramedic of the Year award, and we are excited to nominate her as a 2018 Star of Life.
Michele Connolly became an EMT in 2009, and her first assignment was working for a local transport company on Staten Island, New York.
In 2011, she decided she’d like to experience the 911 aspect of Emergency Medical Services, so she joined Northwell Health Lenox Hill hospital to learn more about that area of the service.
Michele is being nominated as a Star of Life for her dedication and her compassionate nature—she demonstrates these qualities every day, not only with her patients, but in all her interactions with her peers as well.
In addition to her career, Michele keeps busy as a single mother to two daughters: Noelle, 18, who is attending college, and Madison, 15, who is a sophomore in high school. Family is important to Michele, and she tries to spend as much time as possible with her loved ones.
Bob has been working in the field of Emergency Medical Services for 32 years. He began his career as an EMT in 1986 and became a Paramedic in 1989. He plans to enjoy his well-earned retirement at the end of 2018.
During his career, Bob has received numerous commendations, and he has been named Paramedic of the Year six times. He has also been recognized with three citations from New York City borough presidents for his dedicated service to the community.
Bob has been nominated as a Star of Life for his 32 stellar years of service in EMS. He has helped so many people over the years, and he is known for mentoring new EMS professionals, generously sharing his experience and knowledge as well as his time.
Bob was born and raised in Staten Island, New York, the community that he serves. He is a veteran of the United States Navy, an accomplished bowler, a member of the New York and New Jersey Bowling Halls of Fame, and an avid dart player and a member of the USA Ryder Cup of Darts team.
Chris has been chosen by his peers to be honored as a Star of Life for his commitment to his patients and his community.
A dedicated EMT for Regional Ambulance Service for the past 14 years, Chris always provides exceptional patient care. Chris is also a loyal employee who goes above and beyond our expectations and is consistently compassionate towards others.
No matter how difficult the situation may be, Chris not only treats the medical needs of his patients, he also exhibits a positive attitude and is uplifting and caring to everyone.
Chris is well known for his exemplary caring behavior to his community—in addition to working with Regional Ambulance Service, he has volunteered at his local fire department for 31 years.
We are proud to have Chris “Jake” Jakubiak representing and living up to our motto of “Serving People First with his Pride, Proficiency and Professionalism.”
Ty has been in the EMS industry since he earned his certification in 2001, and he has worked with Gold Cross Ambulance for three years.
Ty was selected as a 2018 Star of Life because of his selfless service to the citizens of his community. He has always demonstrated top-notch clinical skills, but on December 25, 2017, however, they were truly put to the test.
While Ty and his partner were returning to the county from a long-distance transport, they heard the call go out for a 13-year-old cold-water drowning victim. They had just driven by the scene and quickly turned around. The victim was found after he had been underwater for 30 minutes. Ty assisted in bringing the boy out of the water then staring CPR and quickly resuscitating him. The boy has fully recovered, thanks to the skilled response and determination of his rescuers.
When he’s not providing excellent pre-hospital care to the people of Iron County, Utah, Ty enjoys spending time with his wife, Holly, and their four kids, two of whom he adopted from an abusive situation that he had responded to as the Paramedic. He also enjoys woodworking and going camping.
Brian began his EMS career as a volunteer EMT in 1998 in Patchogue, New York. After a career in retail management, he decided he needed to do something more fulfilling and made a career change to EMS.
In 2011 Brian joined Northwell Health, and he obtained his Paramedic certification in 2013. He enjoys the daily challenges of paramedicine and the opportunities to help those in need.
Brian is always looking for new challenges to take on, and he took his commitment to serve a big step further when he deployed to Florida with the department FEMA response team to assist in Hurricane Irma relief efforts in 2017.
Back home, Brian recently became a part of the Northwell Health Center for EMS Community Paramedic program, and he is currently studying for his CCEMT-P certification.
Brian is nominated as a Star of Life in recognition of his dedication to his profession and the empathy he shows both to his patients and to his coworkers.
He is the proud father of three children, eight-year-old twins Abigail and Jack, and four-year-old Madison.
Rebekah Garcia was born and raised in East Greenbush, New York. She had been working in the healthcare field for several years as an Albany Medical Center ED Patient Care Technician when she made the move over to Mohawk Ambulance Service as an EMT. In the three short years since joining our team, Rebekah has come to embody the core spirit of the job. Rebekah has time and again proven herself to be an asset.
Rebekah challenged herself to complete her certificate of Paramedicine at Hudson Valley Community College. She now serves as Paramedic and as a well-respected Field Training Officer for our newer employees. Her exemplary work has earned her our Distinguished Service Award, which while prestigious is unremarkable in comparison to the multiple compliments and regards she receives from her patients.
In addition to providing superior and compassionate healthcare for her own patients, Rebekah has indirectly impacted the lives of many others by being a leader and always setting a good example. She has proven to be an exceptional role model to her colleagues, and has become an invaluable member of our family. Rebekah has demonstrated that a combination of hard work, dedication, and resilience is an unstoppable force leading to a bright future.
Mohawk Ambulance Service is proud to announce Paramedic Rebekah Garcia as a 2018 American Ambulance Association Star of Life.
Caroline Cooper became a member of the Nature Coast EMS team in 2014 as an Ambulance Accounts Specialist. She completed the EMT program in 2017, and she is currently enrolled in the Paramedic program with an expected graduation date of December 2018.
Caroline is outstanding in every aspect of EMS. Her dedication, compassion, and empathy are shown with each and every one of her patients and team members. She is a great mentor to new EMTs, and is in EMS for all the right reasons. Caroline was selected by her colleagues as a Star of Life as she is always positive and courteous, and gives 110%.
Nature Coast EMS is proud of Caroline’s achievements and honored to have her as a member of our team!
Richard is the type of Paramedic who always serves his patients and coworkers with respect, understanding, compassion, and dignity. Richard started his career with ETMC EMS in December 1991, and he is still rocking the streets to this day with the same demeanor he started with.
Not only has Richard touched the lives of countless patients, he has also gained countless friendships with the everyday folk he comes in contact with. His addictive humor makes it easy to get caught up in his stories, no matter how many times you’ve heard them.
Over the past years, Richard has had a great influence on new and seasoned EMS personnel as a Field Training Officer. Richard enjoys sharing his past experiences, whether they are good or bad, to help the crews stay safe. As he talks about the past, you will always hear him say, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”
Richard has always been a great asset to his EMS family and deserves recognition for going above and beyond in an effort to make every day better for the future.
As a child, Kathy loved swimming, and as soon as she turned 16 and could earn her lifeguard certification, she did. She became a lifeguarding instructor/trainer and a first aid and CPR instructor in the late 1970s. Swimming has remained a focal point of Kathy’s life, and she has managed the city’s swimming pool since the early 1980s and still gives swimming lessons.
Kathy’s connection with Hillsboro started when she decided to further her medical training and enrolled in an EMT class in 1980—she had barely started the course when she found herself a member of Hillsboro Ambulance Service. She served for 14 years as an EMT, then in 1995 she passed the NREMT-Intermediate exam.
Throughout her years of volunteer service, Kathy has held several roles. She’s a certified EMS instructor teaches numerous EMS courses. She served as the squad training officer and as president for over 10 years, and she has assisted on the ND EMS testing team. Kathy even began a program—volunteering her time—to teach all local high school sophomores CPR.
She continues to work as an EMT for Hillsboro Ambulance Service today and remains a key figure in the organization. Kathy is known to take a spare AED home many evenings and respond on calls, even while not on duty, when a train is passing through town and delaying an ambulance response. She covers numerous call shifts and is always available as a backup crew member.
Kathy has been a strong supporter and leader over the years, and her continued dedication and commitment have helped the service move forward not only in EMS but during changes with the structure and administration of the ambulance service.
Kathy owns Uniquely Yours, an antique and craft boutique store in Hillsboro. When the pager goes off and additional help is needed, she closes her store without a second thought and responds.
She has cared for countless patients throughout her career, and she has taught and mentored many people who have entered the field of EMS.
She is married to Dennis Duval, and they have three grown children, Audra, Jared, and Jenessa. In her spare time she enjoys swimming, painting, going to concerts, and traveling the upper Midwest to visit her children, grandchildren, and family.
Wendy joined Mohawk Ambulance Service in October 1987 as a part-time in-house collections agent. She’s proved invaluable to the company from day one, and she developed not only Mohawk’s first in-house collections department but also the company’s first front-end verification department.
Wendy’s exceptional leadership skills led to her promotion to Business Office Manager in 2004. Four years later, she was appointed as Compliance Officer for Mohawk, and she has provided outstanding guidance and attention to this important role for the company.
Ambulance providers in New York State and across the country value Wendy as a resource, getting to know her through her involvement in both the state and national ambulance associations. Wendy has held leadership roles in the American Ambulance Association (AAA) and the United New York Ambulance Network (UNYAN).
She was the chairwoman of the AAA Medicare Regulatory Work Group and continues to be an active member of this group. In addition, she has been the Reimbursement Chairwoman for UNYAN since 2010.
Each and every day of Wendy’s 30 years of service with Mohawk she demonstrates her dedication to improve ambulance services, and she is a valuable member of the Mohawk Ambulance management team.
When she’s not working, Wendy enjoys spending time with her three daughters and her husband of 38 years, and she is anxiously awaiting the arrival of her first grandchild.
Lori Richardson has been a valuable member of our EMS team since 2006, when she joined us immediately after completing EMT school. She became interested in serving the community after getting married to Pafford paramedic David Richardson, who is also her ambulance partner.
Lori is dedicated to serving patients in the Marianna community to the best of her ability, and she often follows up with people after the call. That might mean cooking and delivering meals to patients who are homebound, or dropping off medications for people who can’t get to the pharmacy themselves.
She and David have delivered gifts to children after particularly rough calls and attended parties for patients they’ve grown close to.
Lori is especially proud of her ability to reassure pediatric and psychiatric patients and to have a positive impact on their lives.
As an FTO, Lori helps prospective EMTs understand the challenges and rewards of the job. She also helps other crew members to ensure the units are properly cared for and supplies are stocked. Her efforts have not gone unnoticed—she has been honored with the Road Warrior and #Pafford Strong Team Member awards.
Off-duty, Lori is continuing her education, working toward a veterinary technician degree. She and David volunteer at local animal rescue organizations and visit nursing and foster homes with their dogs to provide comfort to residents.
It’s quite rare to find an EMS team, let alone a married couple, who work together and both show a dedication and commitment to EMS that spills over from the work schedule into their everyday lives.
Lori and David Richardson have earned the trust of their whole community because of their sincere care-giving “after the call.” They also enthusiastically advocate for our company and EMS, and that fills the Pafford leadership team with pride.
We are very grateful for this wonderful couple, whose knowledge, skill, and dedication mean their friends, neighbors, and our company are so well served. The Star of Life designation is deserved by Lori and David, and it reflects the appreciation everyone at Pafford has for their past, current, and future efforts.
David has been a valuable member of our EMS team since 2000, working as an EMT for one year before transitioning to Paramedic. He knew he wanted to serve the community while he was still in high school—he attended EMT school as a senior and worked as a telemetry technician until he was old enough to join our team.
David is dedicated to serving patients in Pafford’s Marianna, Arkansas, service area, with its population of 4,115. He often goes the extra mile in his rural community to ensure residents have “over-the-top” care. He and his EMT wife, Lori, have cooked and delivered meals and picked up medications for homebound patients, delivered gifts to children after particularly rough calls, and attended parties as honored guests for patients with whom they have close relationships.
Because David has lived in the community his entire life, he knows almost all the people he cares for. Taking care of a patient’s dog while he was hospitalized for three weeks or spending hours on the phone helping patients gain access to needed items such as air-conditioners, fans, ramps, and other resources are routine for him. He also carries blessing bags to deliver to homeless people he comes across while on duty.
As a leader, David is passionate about working with his coworkers to ensure everyone is on the same page and able to provide the best care. He even routinely assists EMTs with ambulance maintenance, station upkeep, and protocol review. His efforts have not gone unnoticed—he was honored twice in 2016, receiving the Johnny Gage Award and the Pafford Strong Team Member Award.
It’s quite rare to find an EMS team, let alone a married couple, who work together and both show a dedication and commitment to EMS that spills over from the work schedule into their everyday lives.
David and Lori Richardson have earned the trust of their whole community because of their sincere care-giving “after the call.” They also enthusiastically advocate for our company and EMS, and that fills the Pafford leadership team with pride.
We are very grateful for this wonderful couple, whose knowledge, skill, and dedication mean their friends, neighbors, and our company are so well served. The Star of Life designation is deserved by David and Lori, and it reflects the appreciation everyone at Pafford has for their past, current, and future efforts.
Marcy Dawson is a registered nurse and a Paramedic, and she has worked in emergency nursing for most of her career.
She has worked at Jacobson Memorial Hospital in Elgin and at both Medcenter One (now Sanford Health) in Bismarck and St. Alexius Emergency Room, and she was a flight nurse when both hospitals shared a helicopter.
Marcy has a total of 16 years of flying experience. She managed Angel Air Care and was nurse manager for Minot Air Medical, which was part of Bismarck Air Medical. Marcy has also volunteered with Carson Ambulance, and she did critical care transport from the Elgin Hospital to Bismarck with New Leipzig/ Elgin ambulance.
Currently Marcy is a flight nurse with Sanford AirMed, Dickinson Base. She volunteers for both Hebron and New Salem, and she is an EMS instructor with Sanford EMS Education in Bismarck. She is certified in emergency nursing, flight nursing, and trauma nursing.
In 2017, Marcy was awarded EMS Provider of the Year by the NDEMSA.
Pam Gohn initially studied nursing, but she soon discovered EMS and switched her career’s focus. Pam completed her EMT training in 1994, and enrolled in Paramedic school in 2003. She has also attained certification as a Critical Care Paramedic.
In 2005, Pam joined LifeCare Ambulance Service. She is now the Team Leader of the Cassopolis operation for LifeCare. Her coworkers describe her as compassionate, understanding, knowledgeable, and trustworthy. She excels at mentoring other employees. Gohn is a consistent and very competent Paramedic who has compassionately impacted many lives over the course of her 14-year career. Pam’s next goal is to become a licensed EMS Instructor/Coordinator.
Pam and her husband, Jim, have been married for 14 years. They share a blended family which now includes four children and five grandchildren! Gohn enjoys spending time with her grandchildren, camping, and home improvement projects.
LifeCare Ambulance is proud to honor Pam as a Star of Life.
Rich is a Paramedic Field Supervisor in our Ionia County operation, and he exemplifies the best of Life EMS through his professionalism, dedication, and compassion.
He joined Life EMS in 2008 as an EMT, and two years later he earned his Paramedic certification. Fast-forward two more years, and Rich obtained his critical care Paramedic certification, and in 2013 he was promoted to field supervisor.
Always smiling, Rich presents himself in a confident and professional manner. He maintains a calm, reassuring demeanor with his patients and a cheerful, educational attitude with coworkers.
Rich is supportive of his coworkers both in their personal lives and professionally. He is always ready to help a new associate, and shares his knowledg as a very patient trainer. As a supervisor, he listens to all sides, and he doesn’t mind if someone calls him at home to trouble-shoot an issue when the on-duty supervisor is out on a call.
Over all, Rich leads by example and keeps the best interest of the communities we serve front and enter at all times. In the past, he has covered countless hours as an on-call supervisor when needed, and he continues to step up and fill partial shifts to make sure staffing levels are maintained.
Rich was instrumental over the last many months as we worked to implement HealthEMS Mobile Touch. He was one of our original beta testers and worked tirelessly on documenting using Mobile Touch to help identify issues and improve the product as we prepared it for roll-out. His feedback to Life EMS and to the vendor was very helpful. Rich also helped train his fellow associates.
Rich is a true family man. He drives the Belding Band, supports the drama arts, and encourages his children in all that they attempt. In addition to all the community activities he participates in, Rich is also an active firefighter with the Belding Fire Department.
