Laura Hooker has served as an Emergency Medical Technician in Berrien County, Michigan, for seven years, and worked for Medic 1 of Benton Harbor before joining Southwestern Michigan Community Ambulance Service (SMCAS).

Laura has established herself as a positive force in our EMS system and is one of our go-to community-outreach people, driving the cause of EMS in our area through impassioned cultural development.

Practically, Laura has helped redesign inventory control processes, including a “speed loader” program that makes sure crews have the supplies they need while also improving the efficiency of the stocking procedures.

In the field, she and her team members were recognized recently for their exemplary performance in resuscitating a prominent figure in our community.

When Laura is not providing outstanding care and service to Southwestern Michigan, she enjoys spending time with her husband, Patrick, and daughter Anna, gardening, fishing, and “glass hunting” on Lake Michigan’s sandy coastline.

While we are proud of the outstanding service all of our team members provide the people of Southwestern Michigan, we are proud to call Laura Hooker our 2018 Star of Life.

Cody was nominated for recognition through his employment at Medstar, and was selected from other Medstar candidates through a peer nomination process. The nomination stated “Cody is always looking for ways to positively represent Medstar, his fire department and first responders, and our community. He cares about the patients that he serves, and takes extra time to make sure that patients are well cared for in the hospital, as well as assisting family members during admission.”

Cody entered public service through scouting, and earned the rank of Eagle Scout. After completing his Eagle Scout Project by adding to and updating the playground at the Metamora Lions Club, he joined the Lions as an adult member.

He has been involved in EMS since 2010. He has been a full-time Paramedic with Medstar for two years, and was recently promoted to Field Training Officer. He previously served as an EMT with Lapeer County EMS for four years. Outside of his time on the ambulance, Cody is a paid-on-call firefighter/first responder for the Metamora Township Fire Department and a volunteer for community CPR and AED programs in Lapeer County with Medstar. He also assists with the Medstar Special Operations Teams, and teaches first aid and safety in local scout and church programs.

“I’m humbled to be nominated for this award by my peers, and proud to represent Medstar and the residents of Lapeer County in Lansing in D.C.,” Medlock said. “I’m grateful to work for an organization that encourages its team members to excel in compassionate clinical care as well as community involvement. I work with an incredible group of people at Medstar, and I’m proud of our service in Lapeer County.”

Cody holds two bachelors degrees from the University Of Michigan, with minors in chemistry and psychology, and is currently enrolled in a nursing education program.

“I’m not surprised that Cody was nominated by his co-workers, and I’m happy to see him receiving recognition,” said Kolby Miller, Medstar Chief Executive. “He brings to life Medstar’s organizational commitment to clinical excellence, safety, and community engagement. In addition to great clinical care, I can always count on his assistance or leadership on community projects that our Lapeer County Operations are involved in, whether its CPR and AED training, assistance with elderly residents in their homes, or connecting our community donations with residents and civic organizations who are in need of support.”

Mary was nominated for recognition through Medstar, and was selected from other candidates through a peer nomination process. The nomination stated “In an world of critics and cynics, Mary is always positive, happy, and encourages others to do the same. The time and effort that she put into the ‘smile’ program at Medstar, simply to remind people to appreciate what we have and be happy, is a great example of how she not only maintains a positive outlook, but works to share it with everyone.”

Mary has been with Medstar for three years, and is a certified Emergency Medical Dispatcher through the National Academy of Emergency Medical Dispatch (NAEMD,) and has recently completed the EMT program at Medstar.

“I can’t believe that I was chosen. I work with so many good people, in the communications center and on the road, I’m just overwhelmed,” Archie said. “I’m proud to work with the Medstar team, and serve our patients and communities. Being a part of this team and the amazing work that they do is better than anything I’ve imagined, and I look forward to coming to work for every shift.“

Mary is currently pursuing a business degree, and plans to remain in the EMS or healthcare field upon completion.

“Mary really is an inspiration to all of us. Our communications center is often a pressurized environment, but Mary maintains her positive outlook and interaction regardless of the situation,” said Kolby Miller, Medstar Chief Executive. “Her idea for the smile buttons is a great reminder that we get a lot more out of our work and personal lives if we concentrate on being happy, rather than focusing on the stressors and negatives around us. Rather than just talk about making things better for people, Mary acts…every day. I’m thankful for the opportunity to work with her.”

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.

Critical Care Paramedic Tracy Allen has spent the last decade of her life caring for other people’s loved ones. In August 2016, Tracy faced the heart-wrenching challenge of caring for members of her own EMS family.

Tracy, fellow Star of Life Honoree Theresa Hartman, and their partners responded last summer to a head-on crash involving an AMR ambulance in which two paramedics were injured. Tracy took command of the scene and provided expert care to her most critically injured colleague. Later, Tracy and Theresa volunteered to transfer their colleague from the initial receiving hospital to a higher-level trauma center.

During her teammates’ long recovery process, Tracy was a beacon at local events benefiting the two. Tracy’s colleagues say that this specific case was just one notable incident in a career marked by sacrifice, advocacy, and a commitment to quality patient care.

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.

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. 

Donald “Don” has been proudly working at Jackson Community Ambulance (JCA) as a paramedic since 2012. Since 2011, Don has also served his community by volunteering on the Columbia Township Fire Department as a paid-on call firefighter. Don’s is well known for his conscientious work ethic; something he has developed because of his very close family and five years of service at JCA.

Don is a shining example of what a paramedic at JCA should be. Don’s character and outstanding work ethic make him an easy choice for this award. Don is selfless and his supervisors know they can always rely on him to go the extra mile to get the job done.

One fall afternoon, Don was in quarters waiting for that next call to come in. Soon the tones went off and he was called to the residence of a local woman with difficulty breathing. Upon arriving, Don found the first responders working hard on a woman who was only breathing four times a minute. Don and his partner immediately began to assist with ventilations and gave the patient medications to help open her airway. After placing the patient on CPAP, she began to have purposeful movements and was transported to the hospital, where she went on to make a full recovery.

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.

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.

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.