Tag: Life EMS Ambulance

Aaron Wainwright began his journey in EMS in 2011 and soon after, in 2012, he joined Life EMS as an EMT. Demonstrating a commitment to continuous growth, Aaron achieved his Paramedic certification in 2019. In 2021, he progressed to Supervisor in the Northern Operations in Mason County.

As a leader, Aaron stands out as a true visionary. He possesses a unique ability to communicate his expectations with both clarity and precision, ensuring that every team member comprehends their specific duties and responsibilities. This style of leadership not only nurtures unity within the team but also boosts overall efficiency and productivity.

Beyond his leadership skills, what truly distinguishes Aaron is his authentic and respectful care towards his patients. The warmth of his demeanor combined with his innate empathy establishes a comforting atmosphere for those in need of medical assistance.  Patients consistently express their gratitude for his attentive and compassionate approach, underscoring his commitment to providing exceptional care.

In addition to his professional achievements, Aaron is an exceptional human being. He treats everyone with kindness and respect, regardless of their role or background. His willingness to lend a helping hand and offer guidance to colleagues further solidifies his reputation as a remarkable leader and team player.

Life EMS Ambulance is proud to recognize Aaron Wainwright as a Star of Life.

Veronica launched her EMS career in 2002 as an EMT in the Mobility Division at Life EMS Ambulance. She switched gears and joined the Life EMS Control Center team in 2009. Here, she rose through the ranks and became a Supervisor in 2016, a position she excels in to this very day.

Veronica has always been incredibly kind and helpful to the associates in the Control Center. Veronica’s dedication to professionalism, leadership, and compassionate care is truly exemplary. Her impact on our team, the associates in the field, and the communities served by Life EMS cannot be overstated.

Veronica is well deserving of recognition given her extraordinary efforts and attributes. The Life EMS Control Center celebrates Veronica as a 2023 Star of Life.

Stephanie launched her EMS career in 1994 in Ontario, Canada. She worked at Toronto Paramedic Services in numerous roles including Commander.

In 2019, Stephanie joined Life EMS in the Mobility Division. Since then, she has progressed through several roles, including working on the ambulance. She was promoted to Supervisor in 2021. Today, Stephanie is the Mobility Supervisor and Behavioral Health Transport Liaison for Life EMS Ambulance

Stephanie is hard-working, reliable, and thoughtful. She consistently exceeds the expectations of her colleagues, patients, and customers. She is deeply kind, and always checks in with coworkers to see how they are doing. The associates rely on her for advice and help.

Stephanie is truly deserving of this recognition, and Life EMS Ambulance is proud to celebrate her dedication, skill, and compassion.

Chris Kapla received his Paramedic license in 2006 and joined Life EMS in 2009.

Chris is a dedicated Paramedic who excels in training staff. He is also a member of the CISM team. Chris upholds the values of Life EMS by delivering skill and passion with dignity and respect.

Matt Hapner joined Life EMS in 2014, and is currently a Medic, Supervisor, and Education Coordinator (Medic Instruction).

Matt brings a strong drive and dedication to the Education Department every day. He has grown through the ranks at Life EMS, beginning as an EMT, then a Paramedic, and now a Supervisor. He has served the community with skill and compassion, and has earned the respect of his colleagues with his willingness to help each associate gain the knowledge they need to better themselves every day on the road.

As a result of his passion to help others, Matt transitioned to the Education Department and became the lead Paramedic educator. He has brought the same skill and compassion that he displayed in the field to the classroom, and goes above and beyond for every student. He will make time for anyone who has a question or who is struggling with learning, including coming in on his days off to help students prepare for tests. Matt is passionate about setting his students up for success with the skills and knowledge they need before starting their clinicals on the ambulance.

Tim Dickinson earned his Paramedic license from Montcalm Community College in 1996. He started out working as an EMT and Paramedic for Newaygo County/Gerber Ambulance, and also served as a firefighter in the county for several years. 

In February of 2000, Life EMS took over EMS operations in Newaygo County, and Tim began working as a part-time EMT and Paramedic, while working full-time at the Sappi paper plant in Muskegon. Tim began full-time work for Life EMS in 2011 after the paper mill closed. Currently, Tim serves as a Paramedic Field Supervisor in the Newaygo County operation; a position he has held since 2015. Tim lives in the Fremont area with his wife, Louise, and they have three grown children and four grandchildren.

Tim has earned the respect of his coworkers who nominated him as a Star of Life. He demonstrates a lead-by-example approach in his commitment to the associates, patients, and facilities he serves. Tim works tirelessly to make sure the schedule is fully staffed and often fills shifts himself, even at other operations. One nomination wrote, “Tim is highly organized and takes care of issues in a timely manner, which is noticed by associates and keeps morale on the right side of the scale. I cannot think of a better choice to represent Life EMS than Tim Dickinson.” Life EMS Ambulance is proud to recognize Tim Dickinson as its 2019 Star of Life.

Life EMS Ambulance is pleased to recognize James Hadley as our 2014 Star of Life. James began his career at Life EMS Ambulance in 1997 as a mobility (wheelchair transport) associate. James obtained his basic EMT license in 2002. James has served effectively in many different roles, including as a mobility associate, as a basic EMT working on an ALS ambulance, and for many years as the support services coordinator at our Grand Rapids Central Support Facility. James demonstrates reliability, a strong work ethic, and resourcefulness no matter what role he was filling. However, James has earned his recognition as our Star of Life for the outstanding ancillary work he has done that goes beyond his typical duties. James has represented Life EMS on the planning committees for community events such as the Grand Rapids Festival of the Arts and for many athletic events such as the Grand Rapids Marathon and Iron Man Triathlon. James has done a great job helping plan and organize the medical component of these events, and he often is present during the events to oversee and coordinate the EMS medical coverage. In this role James has developed many great relationships with key community leaders and groups and has been an excellent ambassador for EMS in general and Life EMS Ambulance in particular. James has also served as an installer for our Life Extra Care personal response system (PRS). He has done a great job in this role, providing skilled customer care in not only installing the system in customer’s homes but carefully explaining the service, answering questions, and making sure the needs of our elderly customers are met. In these roles James displays caring for his customers and provides feedback and assistance to his teammates to make improvements in our services. In everything James does, he makes a significant contribution to our company, our customers, and the communities we serve. James is truly 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.

John began his EMS career at Life EMS Ambulance in 2008 after 25 years working in another field. John began as an EMT-Basic, working in mobility and as a ReadiMedic before becoming a Paramedic. John received his paramedic license in 2009 and was promoted to a level II in 2011. Recently, John has spearheaded the new ICP role, working closely with Tandem 365 to service clients through the integrated care system. John feels that this is his most rewarding career experience to date. John said, “Seeing what EMS can be and will be has been the most rewarding experience.” John has also made LPGA standby a success the past two years.

John’s humility, actions, and performance point to his love of EMS and dedication to his career. Life EMS Ambulance is proud of John, who truly is deserving of the Star of Life award.

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.