A veteran of the War in Iraq, AMR Paramedic Supervisor Mike Turcio is passionate about supporting and recognizing others who have served in the armed forces. Mike organized a ceremony last year to honor veterans working in his operation and designed a special challenge coin for veterans in Connecticut’s EMS industry. Mike also regularly leads efforts to create and send care packages to soldiers deployed overseas.

Mental health for first responders is another of Mike’s passions. Mike has been part of several panel discussions related to identification and treatment of first responder stress, and has organized team meetings with Yale’s Critical Incident Stress Management Team. Mike makes a point to check in with colleagues who have responded to critical incidents and to connect them with the initial and ongoing support they need.

Melinda Toy demonstrates excellent clinical skills, but it’s outstanding “people care” that sets this Paramedic apart.

Mindy and her partner were recognized last year for saving the life of a cardiac arrest patient. Not only did Mindy perform critical medical interventions, but she kept the patient’s husband fully informed of what was happening and comforted him until his family could get to the hospital. Mindy provided the same mix of deep compassion and excellent care to another patient who wanted to talk about his recently deceased wife. Mindy held the man’s hand and listened intently to his story; his heart stopped at the hospital, but Mindy was successful in helping resuscitate him.

Mindy provides a safety net for her neighbors who have special needs and has volunteered to ring bells for the Salvation Army’s Red Kettle Campaign.

During her 15-year career, Paramedic Katrina Scaife has made a huge difference in the world, one life at a time.

Last fall, a woman contacted a local newspaper about the kindness and compassion Trina and her partner showed to the woman’s sick, elderly father. After transporting the man and his daughter to a hospital 150 miles from home, Trina returned to the hospital with a change of clothing, toiletries and money to help with their transition. Trina did something similar for a homeless man who lost his few possessions and nearly drowned after a flash flood.

The “den mother” of her shift, Trina is known for educating co-workers and students on the qualities of a well-rounded caregiver. She is a role model for and frequent mentor to women who are new to the EMS field.

From the greatest tragedy rose the inspiration known as Deborah Rath.

In 2004, Debbi’s teenage son was killed by a drunk driver. Debbi arrived at the scene of the fatal accident shortly after it happened; instead of turning away from the tragedy, Debbi decided to lean in and has dedicated her time to drunk driving prevention programs and other community efforts.

Debbi is a regular speaker for the Every 15 Minutes and Mothers Against Drunk Driving programs. She also donates her time to a non-profit organization that provides funeral services for abandoned newborns.

Last year, Debbi was honored by the Sonoma County Paramedic Association for her part in a cardiac arrest save. She was also part of an AMR team sent last year to Trinidad and Tobago to provide ALS pre-hospital instruction to Global Medical Response crews.

When terrorists attacked our country on September 11, 2001, Paramedic Chris Page – then a high school senior – petitioned his principal for an early diploma. Two days later, he enlisted in the U.S. Army. Chris served two years before suffering a devastating injury in Iraq that ended his military career. He spent several months recovering, and a few years doing odd jobs, before finding his way into EMS about four years ago.

Last winter, Chris responded to a call for an extremely premature baby who was born at home, with the umbilical cord wrapped around her neck. The baby was unresponsive and had a slow, weak heartbeat. Chris removed the cord, provided chest compressions and successfully intubated the 1-pound patient. By the time they arrived at the hospital, the baby had a strong heartbeat. She is continuing her recovery today.

Paramedic Supervisor Jeff Odenthal’s EMS career spans nearly two decades. A lead Field Training Officer and prolific classroom instructor, Jeff jumps at the opportunity to teach new generations of EMTs and Paramedics. Jeff has a knack for instilling confidence in students and bringing calm to distressed patients. He is an effective and trusted leader who skillfully meets the needs of crew members under his supervision and the managers to whom he reports. Jeff’s colleagues say that he shows equal respect to everyone he encounters and treats his patients like family members.

In 2012, Jeff spent several weeks away from home, supporting the Super Storm Sandy response and recovery effort. His willingness to sacrifice for others is noticed and appreciated.

Susan Mohammed is passionate about health care. She joined the Global Medical Response team at its inception in 2005, having worked previously in public health. Early last year, Susan – who’d been working as an Emergency Medical Dispatcher – began her Paramedic training. She never missed a shift in the Communications Center while pursuing her professional development aims. Now a Field Paramedic, Susan relishes the opportunity to be involved in direct patient care.

Susan frequently mentors her peers and makes friends with everyone she meets. Her peers admire her strong work ethic, respect her expert opinion, and appreciate the shining example she sets. In addition to her multiple EMS certifications, Susan holds a National Nursing Certificate and works part-time as a registered nurse.

Sheryl Maia promotes a positive attitude everywhere she goes and is dedicated to her career and her colleagues. Eight years ago, Sheryl started her EMS journey as a call taker and later became a dispatcher; today, she is a Dispatch Training Officer.

In her role, Sheryl is responsible for dispatching multiple county divisions and ensuring that communications personnel consistently follow protocols and procedures. Sheryl also coordinates reviews of high-level emergency calls and is actively involved in quality improvement activities. Sheryl played a pivotal role in the Portland Communication Center’s successful re-accreditation bid last year.

As a member of her agency’s Angel Team, Sheryl helps provide meals, groceries, babysitting, and other materials to EMS colleagues enduring family emergencies and other crises. Sheryl also participates in a program designed to educate parents about the danger of shaking babies.

Christopher Lee has been a fixture in Hawaii’s EMS industry for more than a decade. Tippy, as he’s known, helped start AMR’s Hawaii air ambulance program four years ago and often assists on transports from Hawaii back to the mainland.

Tippy’s positive attitude is infectious and his ability to connect with others is remarkable. That includes the EMS students Tippy helps teach and his patients.

Several years ago, Tippy was part of a team that flew a man who suffered a spinal cord injury while on vacation back to the mainland. Tippy demonstrated incredible compassion toward the patient and forged a strong connection with him that has endured. Recently, Tippy was able to be present when this man realized his goal of getting back in the water at the site where he was injured.

EMT Lisa Johnshoy has spent more than 20 years in the EMS industry. A member of AMR’s disaster response team and Hawaii’s Kalawao Rescue Team, Lisa also volunteers for the Kauai Life Guard Association and serves on the board of the Kauai Paramedics Association.

In May 2016, Lisa was enjoying some time off when she witnessed a small airplane crash on takeoff. Lisa directed a friend to call 911, then grabbed a fire extinguisher, jumped the fence, and rushed to the crash site. Lisa and other bystanders pulled a victim from the plane, and she began CPR while directing others’ actions.

Despite Lisa’s quick action and heroic efforts, none of the five crash victims survived. While a tragic loss, we can all only hope that in our time of need that someone with Lisa’s bravery and talents will be there to respond.

When faced with a difficult situation, some people ask why. Cindy Hitchcock asks how she can help.

An EMT and Administrative Assistant for AMR’s Hunt County operation, Cindy also works standby events and street shifts on occasion. Cindy also teaches free community CPR classes and is the primary coordinator of a school-based CPR program. Cindy is a Child Passenger Safety Technician who spends considerable time teaching parents good practices and helping obtain car seats for underprivileged families. As president of a community-based drug prevention organization, Cindy has been instrumental in building community partnerships and increasing awareness of the dangers of drug use. If all that isn’t enough, Cindy organizes holiday food drives, breast cancer research fundraisers, and summer safety programs for kids in north Texas.

Last year, Cindy was awarded Hunt County EMS Employee of the Year.

Before joining the American Medical Response family two years ago, Kira worked in the public health sector. In fact, Kira continues to volunteer today with county-based HIV prevention and syringe exchange programs. Kira seeks to improve the quality and standard of health care provided in her community by bridging EMS, public health, education, and health policy. Kira is working toward realizing her goal of becoming a physician.

Frustration over an inability to meet patients’ unique needs drove EMT Kira Gressman to action. Kira devoted her own time to researching available community resources for people with socioeconomic needs. Kira then planned and gave a detailed presentation to her co-workers on the various social services to which patients could be referred. Kira also created and distributed referral cards to help team members link patients to appropriate resources.

Peter Hastings has had several different roles, including vehicle service technician, EMT, and Paramedic, during his 15-year career. Today, Pete serves as an Operations Supervisor in AMR’s Stanislaus County operation. Pete is an active participant in a pilot project designed to help Paramedics to assess psychiatric patients in the field and route them for further care.

On April 8, 2016, Pete played the role of neighborhood hero. Pete was at home working in his garage when heard a scream come from a nearby home. Pete investigated and found a one-year-old girl floating lifeless in a backyard pool; the scream had come from the child’s terrified grandmother. Pete jumped into the pool to rescue the girl. Pete checked for vital signs and then began CPR. When responders arrived, the girl was awake and breathing. Pete’s young neighbor made a full recovery and suffered no neurological deficits.

Advanced EMT Jamie Hassam has been described by his colleagues as many things – patient-focused, community-minded, and “one of the partners that Paramedics pray for.”

Last summer, Jamie and his partner responded to a call involving a child who had been struck by a pickup truck. The scene was described as “complete and total chaos” – but not for long. Jamie managed to focus the efforts of other agencies’ responders and calm the child’s parents and bystanders, all the while providing essential support to his Paramedic partner. Once the child was under the care of hospital staff, Jamie disappeared to find a stuffed animal for the boy and then provided comfort and information to the frantic parents.

A consummate team player, Jamie is a natural leader who takes pride in the EMS profession and leads by example.

Paramedic Theresa Hartman’s EMS career began seven years ago. In addition to demonstrating excellent clinical skills, Theresa is known for showing incredible kindness and deep compassion to everyone she encounters – patients, their family members, hospital staff, and first responders – regardless of their station in life. Theresa is working toward becoming a Field Training Officer and Critical Care Paramedic.

Theresa, fellow Star of Life nominee Tracy Allen, and their partners, responded last August to the call that no one wants to receive – members of their EMS family had been involved in a serious accident while on duty. Theresa and Tracy provided life-saving care to their colleagues and, later, volunteered to transfer their most critically injured teammate from the initial receiving hospital to a higher-level trauma center.

When a clinical question arises, Paramedic Ivan Gonzales is the first person other paramedics and first responders approach. Though he has only been in the EMS industry for four short years, Ivan holds deep knowledge and inspires those around him to continue their growth.

Ivan is an adept Field Training Officer and highly principled caregiver. Many of the students and new employees Ivan helped teach have gone on to become excellent clinicians in their own right.

An exceptional caregiver, Ivan received three proclamations from county leaders within the span of two years. One of those came last year, when he was recognized for resuscitating a teenager who suffered a cardiac arrest. The boy made a full recovery, thanks in large part to the interventions Ivan performed.

Lynn Flores is known for being highly prudent in her decision-making, passionate about her work, and deeply caring. An enthusiastic EMS professional, Lynn consistently seeks opportunities to drive improvement.

This February, EMT-Intermediate Lynn Flores and her partner noticed something strange on their way back to base: a man was on the shoulder of the highway, hitting a limp baby across the back. Lynn immediately pulled over and rushed to help the family. Lynn and her partner took turns giving the baby back blows until the obstruction was dislodged from his throat. Lynn and her partner transported the baby to the hospital, where he made a full recovery.

A local news station learned about the rescue and recognized Lynn and her partner in one of its “Pay It 4ward” segments. Each person featured receives $400 from the station, which the recipient gives to a charity of their choice. Lynn donated her $400 to Carrie Tingley Children’s Hospital.

Charismatic, energizing, and inspiring are words that Christopher Dobson’s colleagues have used to describe him. During Chris’ two years at MedicWest, he has become a paramedic preceptor and an ACLS/PALS instructor. Chris hopes to obtain his critical care certification later this year.

Chris and his partner recently responded to a serious, high-speed crash in rural Clark County, far outside of Las Vegas. With only his partner, volunteer firefighters, and bystanders as support, Chris assessed the two patients and began care of a critically injured woman. Chris intubated the woman while she was still trapped in her vehicle and handed her off to a helicopter crew when they arrived. Chris then turned his full attention to the other patient and transported him more than 50 miles to the nearest trauma center. The man made a full recovery.

Michael Collums was doing the work that he loved and had done with excellence when he was killed in the line of duty on February 21, 2017. An EMT with more than 20 years of service, Mike was responding to an emergency patient when his ambulance collided with another vehicle. Mike was 54 years old.

Mike’s greatest passions were his sons, grandsons, and protecting the community as an EMT. Mike’s co-workers valued his reliability, attention to detail, and good humor. Mike was meticulous in all he did and he held others to that same high standard. Mike’s pride in his work showed in the crisp uniform he always wore.

As with many of us, Mike had a second occupation. Mike was also the safety coordinator and part of the office staff at a welding company.

Mike encouraged his wife, Gwen, to become an EMT. Gwen is now in her 12th year of service.

Mike left a legacy as a model EMT, devoted public guardian and beloved husband, father, grandfather, friend, and co-worker. A most humble man, Mike would have said, “I was just doing my job.”

Paramedic Hugo Badillo has been a member of the American Medical Response team for five years. Hugo earned his EMT certification in 2011 and completed his Paramedic studies last year. Hugo’s positive attitude and uplifting spirit inspire those around them.

Hugo is known for having a strong work ethic and can-do attitude, regardless of whether he is on or off the clock. Last December, Hugo was dropping a family member off at home when he heard a woman screaming. Hugo was off-duty but investigated anyway – and found an unresponsive toddler in the woman’s arms. Hugo assessed the situation, performed back blows and chest thrusts, and then began CPR on the pulse-less child. After approximately two minutes, the child began to breathe on his own and regained consciousness.