Scott Bernhardt has worked for Huron Valley Ambulance Service for 8 years. Whether delivering babies or saving the lives of loved ones, Scott feels honored serving his community through his work.
In January 2015 Scott and his partner were the first to respond to a call with multiple pediatric patients, which unfortunately included one fatality and several children in critical condition. Scott was able to quickly assess and triage at the scene and relay to dispatch the resources needed to assure optimal patient outcomes. Calm, professional, and caring, Scott was able to provide excellent clinical care in an emotionally challenging environment.
Scott is loyal, honest, and committed to his company. He rarely misses a day of work and fills in when necessary for his fellow medics. In his time off, Scott enjoys vacationing with his family. Huron Valley Ambulance Service is proud to honor Scott as a 2016 Star of Life.
Lawrence “Larry” Billotto is recognized as a Star of Life this year for his dedication to the mission of MEDIC. Since 1998, Larry has kept MEDIC’s fleet in tip-top shape as a skilled mechanic. His knowledge of his job is unsurpassed. In fact, he serves
as one of the primary Road Safety System Controllers on all Agency vehicles, and participates in multiple Agency improvement project work teams.
When not at work, Larry continues to embody the principles of MEDIC. Larry works as an EMT for Novant Healthcare Special Events and as a volunteer firefighter in his community. Sacrificing his personal time to help others, Larry is also active in his church, participates in mission trips, and helps others that are less fortunate by showing them compassion and care. According to his coworkers, these are the qualities that embody the meaning of a Star of Life.
Jay is an exemplary Chair Car Attendant for LifeLine Ambulance Service. His passion and commitment to his patients is unparalleled; Jay truly treats each and every patient as if they were a member of his own family. He sets a great example for all other employees and raises the bar for the standard of patient care.
LifeLine’s mission is to provide respectful, dignified, and compassionate care to all persons entrusted to our care. Jay truly embodies this mission. On April 15, 2016, Jay will retire from LifeLine and travel the country with his family. He will forever be missed by his fellow employees and patients.
Lesyan and Liosdan Diaz are partners from AMR’s Miami Operations and have similar backgrounds. Both immigrated at a young age with relatives to the United States from Cuba. Their strong family values, along with a close knit childhood, have contributed to their success in EMS and in their abilities to help others in their times of need.
While on duty, these crew members discovered a horrific motor vehicle accident on the interstate. A stranded motorist, who had been trying to repair a stalled vehicle, was struck by a passing car and sustained life-threatening injuries. The crew immediately took charge and quickly responded. After radioing in a trauma alert, they rendered both BLS and ALS care, and provided treatment to the patient which has been credited as saving his life. Unknown to the crew at the time of the incident, the patient was an AMR co-worker who was on his way home from work.
Because of the partners’ quick thinking and their strong clinical abilities, they saved the life of a colleague.
Linda Brown started her LifeCare career more than thirteen years ago. Already an EMT-B and active member of her volunteer agency, Linda’s background in accounting enabled her to join our staff as a Billing Specialist. LifeCare leadership realized from the very beginning that they had hired a customer service gem.
Over the years, Linda has not only served as a Billing Specialist, but has been involved in many special events. These range from providing EMS coverage at the Boy Scout Jamboree to sharing her smiling face and gentle words with children and adults in attendance at health and safety expos throughout the Central Virginia Region.
Linda’s knack for customer service has proven invaluable to LifeCare when serving customers calling in regards to their bills. Additionally, Linda is a great cheerleader for LifeCare’s employees. She assists the President of LifeCare with the preparation and presentation of kudos letters to employees who have been recognized by LifeCare’s customers for outstanding service.
LifeCare would not be the same without Linda’s smiling face and excellent customer service.
Nicholas Brown is a full time Paramedic and Field Training Officer at LifeNet Inc. in Hot Springs, Arkansas. After graduating from high school, he joined the United States Navy and served as a parachute rigger attached to an FA/18 squadron. Following his Navy service, Nick returned home and worked for his father, a general contractor, for several years.
Nick then became interested in the medical field and began working part time in physical therapy. Soon after, he elected to continue his education and obtained his EMT, then eventually his Paramedic, license. He worked in the Emergency Department at a local hospital for several years before beginning his full-time career with LifeNet.
Nick’s managers were pleased that his peers nominated him as our Star of Life. They appreciate Nick as an excellent problem-solver and noted that he digs deep to search for the root causes of issues. He finds pragmatic solutions that are successful and can be readily adopted by others. Nick consistently demonstrates a commitment to providing great service to both patients and other community members.
Nick is married to Cassi, a registered nurse who shares his love for healthcare. Nick enjoys spending time with Cassi and their children, and they especially love outdoor recreation activities.
Richard Allan Buckles, Jr. was born and raised in Visalia, California. At a young age, Richard was introduced to sports, and he has played football and baseball his entire life. Richard attended local schools and excelled at playing baseball while in high school. He met his wife, Erin, while in middle school and got married in June of 2002. To support his wife, Richard aspired to do something in public safety. As a first step, he went to an EMT class at a local college, and in 2003, he started working as an EMT. Richard also spent a short time as a volunteer firefighter with the Tulare County
Richard started with American Ambulance in 2005. Since then, Richard has continued to excel. He has been involved in various programs within the company, and has taken on restocking, ordering, and even leading the process for the annual California Highway Patrol inspection.
He has also reached out this year to help with one of American Ambulance’s initiatives for senior citizens, Heart of Seniors, a program to promote cardiac health in women. Earlier this year, Richard and several paramedics from American Ambulance even served as volunteer “escorts” for the ladies attending the event at the local senior center. This program is growing and becoming more popular every year in the senior community.
Richard and Erin have two boys who are very active in sports. Richard spends his off-time coaching his sons’ All- Valley Youth Football and Cal Ripken Baseball teams.
Amanda Campos has faithfully served her community with distinction for more than 12 years. In February of 2010, she was named Director of Operations at Matagorda County EMS and took command of one of the finest EMS agencies in Texas.
Her dedication to the community only grew in the wake of her promotion. Amanda has volunteered hundreds of hours of her personal time to cover ambulance shifts for her teammates when they needed time off, responded to countless calls in her command vehicle on nights and weekends, often with her family in tow, and served on numerous community service projects. She is a true public servant, a highly respected teammate, and the very definition of a leader.
These qualities came to life one busy evening in December of 2015. While on her way to the grocery store with her twin four-year-old daughters, she heard a call come in about an infant not breathing. Knowing that all ambulances had already been dispatched to calls, she responded without hesitation. While en route, Amanda radioed to dispatch and requested to have a crew member, who happened to be at the station without a partner, meet her at the patient’s address with an ambulance so that they would have transport capabilities.
Upon arrival, Amanda found the infant to be in full arrest with a Bay City Police officer attempting to provide respiration. Finding the infant to be apneic with poor perfusion, she began CPR and intubated while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Her resuscitation efforts were successful, and the infant was transported to the hospital without any delay. Chaplain Chad of the Bay City Police Department followed behind the ambulance with her daughters and stayed with them as she continued to provide care. The patient is alive today thanks to Amanda’s quick actions and tireless efforts.
Amanda’s selfless commitment to the health and safety of her community is just one of many examples of the spirit of caring at Allegiance Mobile Health. On behalf of the executive leadership team, all 1,200 employees, and the countless lives she has touched during her career, we are proud to nominate Amanda Campos for the 2016 Star of Life award.
It is with great honor and pride that Friendswood Volunteer Fire Department nominates Andrew Chalk for the 2016 Stars of Life Award. Andrew is being recognized in acknowledgement of his service to the citizens of Texas through his leadership in quality pre-hospital care and community-wide emergency response. Andrew has been at the forefront in the areas of patient care, public access, medical control, disaster preparedness, public education, and training.
Andrew Chalk has served as a mentor, supporter and advocate for EMS throughout the country. Andrew has been an integral part of many recent projects that directly or indirectly contribute to patient care excellence. For example, he recently spearheaded our migration to a new PCR system that has allowed Friendswood EMS to use tablets for PCR and allows access to our CAD system while on scene. He also has maintained and updated our computer and hardware system, assisted in the design and planning of a Kawasaki mule utility response vehicle for special events, assisted in the design and planning of a special operations/command trailer, aided in protocol updates, and helped to create a successful continuing education program that both kept members informed and allowed them to develop confidence regarding their abilities to provide excellent patient care. Andrew encourages FVFD to be active within the community and assists in bimonthly free immunization clinics, community CPR training, and other safety and injury prevention activities.
After 9/11 Andrew wanted to do more for his country, so he joined the Texas 3 DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistant Team) where he has risen through the ranks to the position of Assistant Team Commander.
As you can see, Andrew Chalk’s life revolves around his support and caring for Emergency Medical Services and it is with pleasure that we nominate him as a 2016 Star of Life.
Professional, reliable, and community-focused are the qualities that best exemplify EMSA Paramedic Chase Coates. Chase was nominated multiple times this year, and the same descriptors—leader, teacher and role model—came up repeatedly in the nominations. He is well-liked and deeply respected by his peers and supervisors.
Chase joined EMSA in July 2010 while he was completing his zoology degree at the University of Oklahoma. He had intended to become a physician, but fell in love with pre-hospital medicine and the EMS industry. In January 2013, Chase was promoted from EMT-Intermediate to Paramedic. He is a founding member of EMSA’s Community Ambassadors program and, as such, conducts dozens of presentations each year at schools, has organized clothing drives for the homeless, and represents EMSA at various public events. Chase also is a Field Training Officer and serves on both the honor guard and tactical EMS teams.
Benjamin “Ben” Cohen left a career as a heating and air conditioning mechanic to pursue his dream of serving in the medical field.
He began his medical career as a phlebotomist working in a busy emergency room. While observing the ambulances constantly moving in and out of the ER, he decided that was where he wanted to be. He obtained his EMT card in 2013 and began working at Northwell Health CEMS shortly thereafter.
While Ben is relatively new to EMS, he has developed a reputation as a role model to others, as someone who always has a smile on his face, and a leader who always demonstrates the highest level of compassion for his patients. Ben seeks ways to help out his department, accepts assignments without complaint, and consistently maintains a friendly demeanor. Ben was overwhelmingly chosen by his peers as a Star of Life.
When he is not working, Ben loves spending time with his two-year-old son, Dylan.
Stephen Colwell has worked for Bell Ambulance for the last ten years as an EMT- Basic. Stephen began his career with Bell providing care as an EMT for southeastern Wisconsin, primarily in the City of Milwaukee. For the last few years, Stephen has worked as an EMT Crew Chief with Bell Ambulance in collaboration with Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin Critical Care Transport Team to provide care and transportation to various hospitals throughout Wisconsin.
Bell Ambulance prides itself in giving excellent patient care and instilling in our employees our four operating priorities of Competency, Courtesy, Safety and Efficiency. From day one, Stephen has excelled in making sure our clients receive the best possible patient care and overall experience. This is evident in the numerous service awards he has received.
Stephen possesses the ability to positively interact with anyone. Whether it is co-worker or patient, Stephen makes them feel welcome and lets them know that they are important to him. Everyone that crosses paths with Stephen appreciates meeting and getting to know him.
Stephen served in the United States Army from 2002–2010 where he progressed to the rank of Sergeant. From 2004–2005 Stephen was deployed to Afghanistan. During his deployment, Stephen was the sole medic at the scene of a Humvee accident where he was responsible for triaging and caring for multiple soldiers until additional help arrived. This earned Stephen the Army Commendation Medal, an honor bestowed for heroism and meritorious service.
It is for the reasons above, coupled with Stephen’s outstanding work ethic and his efforts to make his workplace the best possible, that he is deserving of the Stars of Life award in 2016. We are proud to say that Stephen is an employee of Bell Ambulance.
Brian J. Connor has been employed in the ambulance industry for the past 36 years. Since beginning work as an EMT in 1980, he has served in many leadership roles and senior management positions at one of the oldest ambulance companies in Massachusetts.
In 2006, he ventured on his own and became the Founder, President, & CEO of LifeLine Ambulance Service. LifeLine became the fastest growing ambulance service in New England. Today, with 13 satellite offices located throughout Massachusetts and New Hampshire, 125 vehicles and 350 employees, LifeLine transports over 350 patients daily. In addition to LifeLine, Brian served as President of the Massachusetts Ambulance Association for 14 years and served on many state and local Boards and Commissions.
Under his direction, LifeLine’s commitment to its employees, including creating tuition-free career paths to those who wish to advance from chair car operator, EMT, or Paramedic to RN is trendsetting and unmatched in the industry.
Brian’s commitment to his employees and the ambulance industry is noteworthy and therefore recognized by this nomination from his staff.
One of four original team members chosen to staff the City of San Diego’s Resource Access Program (RAP), Leto has been instrumental in RAP’s efforts to conduct crisis intervention with repeat 911 users and assist other vulnerable populations experiencing medical or social issues. Leto holds the record for most home visits for patients under this nationally recognized program. She has also led Rural Metro’s SWAT Medic Team.
In addition, due to her training as both a Paramedic and Physician Assistant, she was selected to teach medical students how to identify “hot spots” in underserved communities that need coordinated care. A 30-year veteran, devoted clinician, and community member, Leto embodies all that a Star of Life should be.
Brian started with REACT in 1996 as an EMT. He continued his education, earning his Paramedic license in the fall of 1998. Brian has worked in many roles from Medic to Supervisor, but his true passions are patient care and teaching new Paramedics.
Brian currently works as a Senior Field Training Officer and Critical Care Paramedic.
A common fear of most EMS providers is the fear of being called to care for a family member. Brian’s story has a bit of a twist. Brian was working on Valentine’s Day 2009 when his unit was dispatched to an pediatric inter-facility transfer, the result of child abuse. Always a hard call to manage, the patient’s condition was critical as he had severe head trauma. Brian also recalls the emotions of caring for a child that was hurt as a result of adults’ actions. As always, Brian did an excellent job during the transport. However, you never really forget those calls.
Skip ahead a couple of months. Brian and his wife, Lindsey, had been trying to have a baby for a long time. A friend recommended that they consider adopting a child who had been placed in the care of the state. Solomon, a three-year-old, was a delightful young man and they knew in an instant that he was meant for them. The adoption process— applications, interviews, home visits and court proceedings—went on for what seemed like forever.
Finally, Solomon came to live with them.
The State of Oklahoma realized what a great home Brian and Lindsey offered Solomon. Everyone was happy. It wasn’t long before the couple answered a phone call; the State had another young boy, about 16 months old, who needed an adoptive home. Brian says they couldn’t say no, not without knowing more and meeting the boy. It was only a short time before Brian realized that the boy he could offer a home was the same young patient he had cared for months earlier. Zach had recovered from his injuries, and had some more therapy in his future, but he was obviously a perfect match for this young family.
Within the next year, the State called again. This time a lovely little girl, Gracey, needed a home. Brian and Lindsey thought that a daughter would complete their family and be a great addition to the boys’ lives. She was just as precious as the boys, and they agreed to go through the process again.
Then, (as if you couldn’t see it coming), came the news that after so many years of trying to have a biological baby, Lindsey was expecting. Their family was to grow by one more. Asher was born on March 14, 2011. Seventeen months after Solomon came into their lives, their family is complete.
Brian spends the majority of his off-duty time being a great dad—helping the boys work off all their energy, treating his little princess like a princess, and watching favorite videos for the 100th time. These are his favorite things to do.
But perhaps the most commonly admired attribute of Brian is his constantly positive attitude. Brian can make friends quickly, with anyone from the clerk at the store to the surliest patient to the busiest physician. He never complains about a call, no matter what time of day.
REACT appreciates Brian for everything he does for his patients, for being a great role model, and for inspiring all of us who are privileged to work with him.
Pamela is being recognized as a Star of Life for an act above and beyond the call of duty, as someone who risked personal injury to assist a community member in need.
On Thursday, September 17, 2015 at approximately 16:00, Pam was grocery shopping off duty when she heard a page over the store intercom announcing the need for anyone with medical training to run to the bakery area. Without hesitation, Pam responded.
Upon arrival, she found a group of people encircling a male in his late 60s. He was unconscious, unresponsive, apneic, and pulseless. Pam immediately took control of the situation. She directed the bystanders to call 911, then began performing CPR for approximately six minutes by herself, before backup arrived to assist. Due to her efforts, the patient is alive today.
Pam jumped right into providing patient care, although her job role is in EMS communications and dispatch. Additionally, she did so when she was recovering from recent abdominal surgery where she had fresh sutures and had been instructed not to perform any rigorous activities at risk of great bodily harm to herself.
This is not the only instance when Pam has gone above and beyond the call of duty. She strives each day to assist 911 callers to the very best of her ability. She aids her fellow co-workers whenever she can, and is always willing to do whatever it takes to better the situation. She is polite, reassuring, ready to learn, and is truly the person you want on the other end of the phone if you need to dial 911 for assistance.
The first thing many people notice about Christina is her enthusiasm and “can do” attitude. This wonderful approach makes her a pleasure to work with and a comfort to her patients in the nearly 14 years she has been with MedicWest.
On December 20, 2015, Christina was working at an event at a hotel on Las Vegas Boulevard when a woman in a car began running over pedestrians in front of the hotel. The hotel personnel notified Christina who rushed to the scene and began providing medical care to the injured. Because of conflicting reports of “shots fired,” all responding EMS personnel were staged waiting for an all clear from law enforcement. Christina single-handedly provided triage and treatment to all patients for 15 minutes until the all clear was given. More than 30 patients received care from Christina and were quickly transported because of her actions.
Her actions, positive attitude and infectious smile are an inspiration to all.
Ryan Davis has been a Life EMS associate since April 2007, and has held various operations roles from Paramedic to Field Supervisor. Ryan is an exceptional role model for his associates and has a passion for field training equaled only by his drive for continual improvement. His work has produced a variety of success stories at Life EMS and he consistently seeks to raise the bar in education. Ryan is a critical deliverer and developer of training in the field training tracker platform.
Beyond his role in associate training, Ryan is active in coordinating clinical third riders among KVCC, WMED, and KCC. Even with his additional responsibilities, Ryan still finds a way to carve out time to coach associates in their day-to-day work life, to serve as a Kalamazoo County Medical Examiner Investigator, and to complete his bachelor’s degree at Western Michigan University. Ryan is one to count on in times of crisis—always calm, level- headed, and hard-working yet approachable.
Ryan holds his critical care certification and is been a key link in the chain of success at Life EMS.
Liosdan and Lesyan Borges are partners from AMR’s Miami Operations and have similar backgrounds. Both immigrated at a young age with relatives to the United States from Cuba. Their strong family values, along with a close knit childhood, have contributed to their success in EMS and in their abilities to help others in their times of need.
While on duty, these crew members discovered a horrific motor vehicle accident on the interstate. A stranded motorist, who had been trying to repair a stalled vehicle, was struck by a passing car and sustained life-threatening injuries. The crew immediately took charge and quickly responded. After radioing in a trauma alert, they rendered both BLS and ALS care, and provided treatment to the patient which has been credited as saving his life. Unknown to the crew at the time of the incident, the patient was an AMR co-worker who was on his way home from work.
Because of the partners’ quick thinking and their strong clinical abilities, they saved the life of a colleague.
Walter is being honored as an American Ambulance Association Star of Life for his commitment to his community and to his fellow first responders. Serving as volunteer Field Chief for the Regional Ambulance Castleton First Responders, he manages the team by coordinating scheduling, completing paperwork, and ordering and maintaining supplies, equipment, and uniforms, in addition to responding to calls. Walter has served on the RAS Castleton First Responders since its creation in 1992. Walter is also an AEMT at Regional Ambulance, serving since 1999.
Walter is an instructor for EMT and EMR courses, and he works to train the Castleton police officers to be first responders. Over the past twenty-four years he has consistently demonstrated a devotion to others, serving the public as an Emergency Medical Technician and exemplifying the Regional Ambulance Service motto of “Serving People First with Pride, Proficiency and Professionalism.”
