For Karina Galvez-Martinez’s North Las Vegas supervisors, she truly embodies the EMS mission of providing care to the world at a moment’s notice. Karina, who began her career as an EMT, is now a Paramedic. Her ever-increasing skills have prepared her to intervene in medical situations even while off duty.
Such was the case earlier this year when Karina was at home at about 4:30 a.m. That is when her neighbor’s husband knocked on her door for medical assistance. Karina rushed over to the house and found the neighbor’s wife not breathing and incapacitated. Finding the patient pulseless, Karina immediately started manual chest compressions, taking critical actions as the first link in the chain of patient survival.
She continued her vigorous efforts while 911 was called. Responding AMR teams were able to take over and the patient’s pulse was restored before arrival at the local hospital. There is no doubt that Karina’s actions saved her neighbor’s life.
In the four short years since Laura Lingeman joined REMSA Health, she has made important contributions to the organization and the healthcare ecosystem of northern Nevada. She was immediately identified as a provider dedicated to clinical excellence, outstanding patient and customer care, and committed to the success of her colleagues. Currently, Laura is an EMS Operations Supervisor, providing clinical and operational support for up to 60 Paramedics and EMTs.
Laura came to the organization as a field Paramedic where she worked for about 18 months. However, her passion for out-of-hospital healthcare couldn’t be contained and she grew into a Community Health Paramedic role. In that position, Laura was instrumental in developing an organization-wide High EMS User policy focused on key performance indicators and data tracking methods. In addition, she worked to expand the scope of practice to include the delivery of additional medications and the use of new monitoring technology for Community Paramedicine (CP) patients. She proactively educated field crews about the need for and use of CP and created social service resource tools for field providers to access during their shifts. Laura has also served on internal committees including the System Needs Committee which included peer-level retention and recruitment work, as well as transitioning field crews to a 40-hour work week. In 2020, she received a STARCARE award in recognition of outstanding patient care.
Having worked as an EMT and Paramedic field training officer, skills instructor, and Search and Rescue volunteer and technician, Laura’s vast mobile healthcare experience is proof of her curiosity, intellect, and energetic approach. She holds multiple EMS-related certifications, and a bachelor’s degree in International Studies with an emphasis in Global Health from the University of Utah.
Laura takes full advantage of living in northern Nevada and spends time snow skiing, rock-climbing, running, thrift shopping, and tending to her 50 house plants.
“Laura is a valued member of the organization,” says Adam Heinz, COO, REMSA Health. “She tackles projects with enthusiasm, seizes opportunities to make improvements, and is trusted by leadership, peers, and crews alike. There’s no question that out-of-hospital healthcare in our region benefits from Laura’s presence.”
William McKinley Levi, Jr. is being honored and remembered for serving as a proud EMS professional, who helped more than 1,000 students receive scholarships through his personal work as a videographer and sports columnist. Will had served the Las Vegas community for nearly twenty years in his professional and personal life. He is remembered for his smile and kind nature, both of which had an impression on coworkers and patients alike.
Will led by example. Friends describe him as someone who was always willing to teach, help, or support his fellow EMS responders in any way he could. He was a solid EMT who was skilled in his profession. His knowledge was respected, but it was his humility that was admired. Will was not a proud person who kept his expertise to himself. He was more than happy to mentor or offer advice to any of his coworkers who asked him for help.
Will’s deep sense of caring for his community was also present in his personal life. He enjoyed editing videos on sports-related events and had his own column. This side project helped many high school athletes receive financial support for a college education.
Clifford Fontaine began his career in EMS at MedicWest (formerly Southwest) Ambulance in 2002 as an EMT-Intermediate (now AEMT). He has been described as “one of the most genuine and caring individuals around,” and was well known for his smile, bear hugs, and commanding saunter. He immediately drew everyone into his presence.
Cliff is being honored and remembered for providing life-saving aid to victims of a multi-vehicle crash that happened while he was on his way home from vacation in Utah. After securing their children in their vehicle, Cliff and his wife began aiding the victims. Cliff relayed the seriousness of the incident to Utah Highway Patrol, giving fellow first responders vital information that helped them to prepare for their response. Cliff even performed CPR on a four-year-old girl while waiting for the arrival of the responders. The girl ultimately survived the accident. All this was done on Cliff’s personal time; he didn’t have to intervene, but he did. He will always be a hero and his compassion and intervention earned him a commendation from the Utah Highway Patrol.
Jenna Roxbury has served as a Registered Nurse (RN) for more than 10 years. She has extensive experience in Pediatrics, ranging from service in the Pediatric Oncology Bone Marrow transplant team in Phoenix, to special event staffing (to include Life is Beautiful, Electric Daisy Carnival and Burning Man), and most recently HEMS. She currently lends her talents to Mercy Air in Pahrump, primarily supporting life-saving transports to Las Vegas from a very busy critical access hospital. Her credentials include Certified Pediatric Nurse (CPN), NRP Neonatal Resuscitation Program (NRP), and she is Intra-Aortic Balloon Pump (IABP) certified. Jenna is excited to be taking her Certified Flight Registered Nurse (CFRN) exam this month as well to further her credentials.
Jenna is a true healer in nature and in profession. Her life was changed forever after receiving a diagnosis of breast cancer in 2017, which she will tell you was the best thing to ever happen to her. As an RN working in Oncology, she was now the patient instead of the care provider. Finding herself in a vulnerable, life-threatening state only deepened her empathy and compassion for the patients she continues to serve. Jenna’s drive and passion for life is noticed by all who she connects with—from patients, to peers, to community partners. She is so invested in her community that she recently accepted an offer to serve as a per diem RN at Desert View Hospital in Pahrump.
Jenna is a proud mother of two children and spends her free time as a Professional Cayoneer Guide. She visits Nepal annually to volunteer as a health care provider and to help in local orphanages.
Mercy Air is proud to recognize Jenna Roxbury as a 2019 Star of Life and Nevada Star of Life.
One day, while off duty, Anthony was driving on the freeway when he noticed traffic backed up. He looked around and noticed that a pickup truck was up on the 60 degree embankment. When Anthony reached the pickup he found a man on the floor boards.The man had no pulse and was apneic. Anthony and bystanders were able to pull the man out and away from the pickup and begin CPR. When the fire department and responding AMR ambulance showed up, Anthony continued to assist with CPR and resuscitation of the man. Thanks to Anthony’s actions, the man is alive and recovering. Anthony’s determination to become a paramedic is evident in the personal trials he dealt with during paramedic school and internship. Anthony’s mother was diagnosed with a rare cancer and his father was diagnosed with Stage III COPD. He was able to juggle paramedic school, work and taking care of both his parents. Unfortunately, while Anthony was going through his internship to be a paramedic at AMR-Las Vegas, his father passed away. Anthony persevered through all his tragedies and accomplished his dream of being a paramedic.”
Humboldt General Hospital EMS Rescue is proud to nominate Michael Cogsdill, NREMT-Paramedic for Star of Life 2014. Mike started his career at HGH EMS Rescue in 2011 as a paramedic and preceptor; in January 2013 he was promoted to the rank of Lieutenant in the Community Paramedicine Division. During the past year Mike has been on the front lines rolling out Community Paramedicine in Humboldt County. Mike is instrumental in educating physicians and other health professionals in our community about the role of Community Paramedicine. It is Mike’s reputation of dedication; competency, loyalty, honesty, and success that have given him the ability help with Community Paramedicine’s success in Humboldt County. Paramedic Lieutenant Mike Cogsdill exemplifies the professional pre-hospital provider; from his dedication to the community, his leadership by example, mentoring new employees, and as a community liaison. Mike’s EMS career goes back a number of years with many successes across the State of Nevada, but most appreciated are the ones at HGH EMS Rescue.”
Lauren’s EMS career began in 2002, when she worked as an EMT and Field Training Officer. In 2006, she became a dispatcher, serving as a supervisor.
On October 1st, Lauren and her partner, Joe, received the radio call for an active shooter from the Standby crew of the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival in Las Vegas. Community Ambulance had been contracted to supply medical services to the festival.
Lauren and Joe faced many challenges that night, including not knowing if the Community Ambulance personnel providing standby coverage would go home to their families.
Lauren and Joe worked tirelessly in those moments to bring calm to the chaos and get the needed resources to the incident and working hand in hand with our community partners. Undeniably their focus and hard work helped to save countless lives that night.
In her spare time, Lauren enjoys cooking and watching sports. She also loves animals.
Joe’s EMS career began in 2005 in New Jersey, where he worked as an EMT. In 2006, Joe moved moved west to Las Vegas, and he received the Star of Life in 2009 while he was working at AMR. In 2011, Joe transitioned into dispatch, and he joined Community Ambulance in 2015.
On October 1st, Joe received the radio call for an active shooter from the Standby crew of the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival. Community Ambulance was contracted to supply medical services to the festival.
Joe and his partner, Lauren Taylor, faced many challenges that night, including not knowing if the Community Ambulance personnel providing standby coverage would go home to their families.
Joe and Lauren worked tirelessly in those moments to bring calm to the chaos and get the needed resources to the incident. Undeniably their focus and hard work helped to save countless lives that night.
Edgar was selected as Community Ambulance’s 2018 Star of Life because of his selfless service at the October 1st incident in Las Vegas.
Community Ambulance was the company contracted to provide medical services at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival, and after the attack, Edgar and his partner, Julian Ness, were dispatched to get the injured to the hospital.
Edgar and Julian were one of the first units to arrive outside the venue’s main medical tent, and without hesitation, they began making room for as many patients as they could.
During their first trip to the hospital they transported seven patients at once, including a female who was shot in the neck and another who was shot in the neck twice; a male who was shot in the spine and showed signs of paralysis; a female with a gunshot to her head; a female shot three times in the chest; a female shot in the leg; and a man who had been shot in the abdomen.
They returned to the incident two more times to transport additional patients.
Edgar has been part of the Southern Nevada community for 15 years and has served his community for over year and half. He chose to pursue EMS after realizing the impact that Paramedics made in his twin brother’s life, who lost his life to a brain tumor.
Undeniably, Edgar’s determination and bravery helped to save countless lives that night.
Julian was born and raised in Las Vegas, and he became an EMT in 2009. He then moved to Rhode Island, where he served as a volunteer firefighter/EMT for three years with Jamestown Rhode Island Fire Department, and he became a Paramedic in 2015.
In 2016, Julian returned to Las Vegas and joined Community Ambulance.
Community Ambulance was the company contracted to provide medical services at the Route 91 Harvest Music Festival, and after the October 1st attack last year, Julian and his partner, Edgar Bibiano, were dispatched to get the injured to the hospital.
Julian and Edgar were one of the first units to arrive outside the venue’s main medical tent, and without hesitation, they began making room for as many patients as they could.
During their first trip to the hospital, they transported seven patients at once, including a female who was shot in the neck and another who was shot in the neck twice; a male who was shot in the spine and showed signs of paralysis; a female with a gunshot to her head; a female shot three times in the chest; a female shot in the leg; and a man who had been shot in the abdomen.
They returned to the incident two more times to transport additional patients.
Julian’s determination and bravery helped to save countless lives that night.
In his free time, Julian enjoys aviation and travel, along with watching various sports, including hockey, baseball, and football.
Sheri Jones is a hero of the October 1, 2017 Route 91 shooting. Sheri was part of the initial wave of providers responding to “man down” calls. Sheri made her way toward the incident, ending up at one of the nearby hotels, where she found victim after victim, all deceased.
The radio was assigning more and more calls as reports of multiple casualties and shooters flooded the system. Although her heart was broken by the carnage she saw, Sheri remained determined to help. She set up a triage area at the hotel and began sifting through hundreds of patients. She is credited with making a difference and saving many.
In her more than 25 years of service, Sheri has progressed from EMT to CCT Paramedic & Field Training Officers. She instructs EMTs at the local community college, volunteers for long distance CCT calls, and pitches in to help with anything else that needs to be done. Always a caring voice for even the sickest of patients, she can be counted on to be an advocate for her patients as well as her partners.
Brett Dragun was among the first wave of initial responders to the Route 91 shooting in Las Vegas on October 1, 2017.
Brett loaded an ambulance full of patients and sent them to the hospital. After the initial transport, he took a supervisory role and began collaborating with fire command. Brett assisted with getting transport units to anyone that needed them, and ensured a proper response from AMR.
As the night transitioned into morning, Brett did not stop working on the incident. He began checking on crew members and making sure they were holding up alright. Brett also spent time with anyone that wanted to talk about what they had experienced in the days that followed.
In his more than eight years of service with AMR, Brett is known as an encourager, mentor, and consummate professional. He has also served on four disaster deployments where he remains the same caring individual. Brett encourages EMTs to further their education, volunteer their time for the disaster response team, or even read to elementary school students. Brett’s peers know that he is someone they can always rely on.
Stacy Dockery was attending the Route 91 festival in Las Vegas when gunfire began to rain down upon her. Her instincts kicked in immediately: she shielded her best friend, then went to work assisting victims on the ground.
Stacy assisted other off-duty medical personnel with bleeding control, triage, and loading patients into whatever vehicles they could find. As the incident continued to unfold, she knew that this was an extreme situation, and that she would be needed throughout the night. Stacy placed her friend in safety, then sped towards the station. She donned her uniform, complete with cowboy boots, jumped on a unit, and went to work running 911 calls. She responded to calls into the night until the situation had calmed some.
She was later featured in a New York Times video when a reporter captured her caring for a patient in the concert venue.
In Stacy’s nearly ten years with MedicWest, she has proven herself to be a dedicated CCT medic who can be relied upon to answer the call of duty.
Callen Daquiaog is a hero and teacher among heroes. However, being the humble man that he is, he would never admit it.
On October 1, 2017, he was one of the many that responded to the Route 91 shooting. He made life-saving decisions in the face of danger. At the time, no one knew when the shooting would stop, where the shooters were, or the reason they were targeting the music festival. Conflicting reports about the origin of the shots meant no scene was safe. When Callen responded to the East side of the venue, he came to Duke Ellington Way and faced the carnage head-on. He assisted two off duty EMTs, themselves shot, to load victims into his unit. He made the decision, with a full ambulance, to head to the trauma center. His military upbringing told him this was an extremely dangerous situation, but he stayed calm and treated the critical patients in his ambulance. He dropped them off quickly, hoping he would see the two EMTs again.
Callen returned to his ambulance, and once again headed toward the concert venue. He was sent to the command post where they staged for some time before reporting to a nearby smaller hospital where busloads of patients were being taken. He helped the ER triage and re-prioritize transfers out, taking six victims to an outlying hospital.
Callen’s judgement was credited by physicians and nurses, who confirmed that his decisions saved many lives. In his almost four years at MedicWest, he is known as “the calm” amidst the chaos. He can always be counted on to help, whether by responding to an event like Route 91 or teaching a new EMT. Callen was honored for valor by the agency that employs the two wounded EMTs. He designed a patch for the event, and donated the proceeds to the victims fund.
Dr. Michael Barnum is well known in the Las Vegas EMS community. In addition to his role as the assistant Emergency Room Director for Valley Hospital, he is the Medical Director for AMR Las Vegas.
Whether teaching new Paramedics at our training center, lecturing medical students, mentoring EMS students in the ER, or coordinating with Paramedics bringing patients into his hospital, Dr. Barnum is the “go-to guy” for all things EMS. Dr. Barnum maintains multiple certifications ranging from Swift Water Rescue and Vertical Rescue to Firefighter and Paramedic. He is also an Eagle Scout and a pilot.
On the night of the Route 91 shooting, Dr. Barnum rushed into work in his EMS capacity to help care for patients and reduce the burden on Las Vegas’s overstressed system. He loaded multiple patients on a bus with a fellow AMR Critical Care Paramedic, then rushed to the hospital. His actions not only made a difference on scene, but also positively impacted the receiving hospitals and trauma centers.
As with other Stars, Dr. Barnum does not consider himself a hero: instead, he was doing what needed to be done.
When Alexander Anderson heard about the catastrophic Mass Casualty Incident (MCI) in Las Vegas on October 1, he immediately reported to the station, knowing he’d be needed. Alex was assigned to a decompression unit with Dr. Michael Barnum, then they raced into action to began providing care. With his advanced skills as a Critical Care Paramedic, he was able to make a difference in many patient outcomes. As the night unfolded, neither man knew how long they would be needed to run busloads of patients to the hospitals.
Because of his tenure and outstanding record of service, his coworkers as well as hospital staff wish for Alex to be the responding Paramedic, should they ever need emergency medical care. Alex is extremely caring and always goes the extra mile for his patients.
Alex has also helped develop many Continuing Medical Education (CME) opportunities for the local operations teams. He is an integral participant in the updating of protocols for advanced response techniques like using a bus to treat and transport folks from mass causality incidents. Always humble, Alex does not consider himself a hero.
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.
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.
