Trevor Harris came to work at LifeCare Ambulance Service as a newly trained EMT in January of 2009. He performed very well on an ALS unit right up until a fateful morning. On September 1, 2010,Trevor was involved in a significant car crash on his way to work. He was severely injured and his return to the workforce was not a given. Trevor was finally able to return after eight months of healing and rehabilitation. Through perseverance and dedication, Trevor was able to adapt quickly into our dispatch center. His performance since the transition has been remarkable. Below are some excerpts from the three nominations received for Trevor Harris: “I would like to nominate Trevor Harris for the Star of Life. Trevor has overcome great obstacles in his personal life to get to the point he is at with this company. Trevor does an excellent job at dispatching and is a voice of calm and reason when it comes to the hectic dispatching and dealing with us road crews”. “I would like to nominate Trevor Harris for this honor. He is a very effective dispatcher who always keeps tension at a low key. He is a hero in our radio dispatch center in my opinion”. “Trevor always has a positive attitude, even when the system is slammed and he is getting phone calls with crews complaining. He watches out for the well-being of the crews and listens to their suggestions. He has been a great asset to the dispatch team”. Trevor and his wife Abby have four children ranging in ages from 5 to 10. LifeCare’s previous Stars of Life recipients chose our 2014 Star of Life honoree from the nominations received, and we are pleased that they have chosen Trevor as our 2014 Stars of Life.”

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.

Bridget started at LifeCare Ambulance Service in 2001, working first as a paramedic and now in the dispatch center for the past six years. Bridget also received her Instructor/Coordinator license, and has been teaching the MFR/EMR course at Kalamazoo Valley Community College (KVCC) for the past three years.

Bridget first discovered her interest in EMS while taking the Medical First Responder course as a prerequisite for her then chosen field of Physical Therapy. Bridget soon decided that EMS was her real interest and never looked back. Bridget went on to enroll in the EMT program and paramedic courses at Kellogg Community College.

Bridget’s co-workers and supervisor nominated her for a Star of Life as a result of the extra efforts she has put forth in improving LifeCare Ambulance Service’s dispatch operations. Bridget recently created and implemented LifeCare’s new dispatch training manual as well as a new training and orientation program for the dispatch team. Part of this orientation includes a presentation Bridget put together for new field staff to see during their training. Bridget has also been hard at work improving employee recruitment and retention. 

Bridget is always willing to help others, and take the lead when needed. Bridget works diligently to make sure our patients are happy with the service they receive. This means going the extra mile to make sure we have the documentation needed to get a patient’s ambulance transfer covered, or working with the hospital and facility staff to get transfers scheduled. Bridget is always looking for ways to help and LifeCare is proud to nominate her for a Star of Life Award. 

Teacher, mentor, leader; these are words to best describe Darrell Mahrle. Darrell was nominated by several of his co-workers and selected by a panel of past Stars of Life award winners at LifeCare Ambulance Service. A common theme heard in all of the nominations: Darrell is awesome with both students and new employees in his caring and thoughtful demeanor in guiding people that are developing their skills as EMS professionals.

That dedication to helping new employees doesn’t end when orientation is complete. One co-worker stated, “I have seen Darrell grow a lot as a leader over the past year. He has even gone out of his way to check in on me from time to time to see how I was progressing as a medic, and he also encouraged me as I continue to learn. There are not many people who care about how their students have done once they are sent on their way.”

Darrell obtained both his EMT and Paramedic certifications from Kellogg Community College. Hired in August of 2006, Darrell has progressed steadily from his beginning as a part time EMT to a career Paramedic. Prior to his EMS career, Darrell worked for his uncle at his veterinary clinic for three years.