Bill is an innovator and devoted clinician with a unique ability to control any situation and bring calm to both patients and coworkers. With 21 years of EMS experience, Bill has performed numerous field saves and most recently lead the development of AMR’s Critical Incident Stress Management (CISM) program for the Portland operations.

Thanks to the countless hours Bill spent researching, training and meeting with mental health professionals, CISM has greatly benefited hundreds of AMR employees experiencing stress related to a difficult patient incident. In 2015, the CISM program was recognized by JEMS magazine with the Innovators in EMS Award.

Bill’s hard work and dedication to both his patients and fellow EMS professionals are why he is being honored as a Star of Life.

Tim Lewis, Paramedic, is Medix Ambulance’s selection for our 2016 Star of Life. He has been with Medix since November 6, 2006 as an EMT and Paramedic.

Tim Lewis was born and raised in Portland, Oregon, where he lived until a 2000 move to Arkansas. While in Arkansas, he began working with adults with disabilities and volunteering with the local fire department. He soon found himself in school for his basic EMT certification, then started work for the local ambulance service. In 2006, Tim and his family relocated back to Oregon, where he began work with Medix Ambulance while completing his Paramedic degree in 2015.

Tim is very involved in his church, and began completing two mission trips to Mexico each year about seven years ago. While in Mexico, he conducts vocational training for mechanics, welding, and EMS. He is affiliated with a volunteer ambulance service in San Quintín, in Baja California, Mexico that provides education and training for EMS in the area. He has seen a great outpouring of generosity from hospitals and EMS providers with donations of equipment and training materials.

Tim has been married to his beautiful wife, Vicki, for 26 years and they have five wonderful children—three girls and two boys. Tim says, “I have been very blessed in my life to have a wonderful wife and family who love and support me as an EMS provider. With their encouragement, I have been able to serve my community and help other EMS providers in doing the same for the last 12 years.”

Robert found his calling in EMS when he began volunteering at a small rural fire department. He was immediately intrigued by the fast-paced environment, and set upon the path to becoming a Paramedic.

Now, with eight years of experience in the field, he is able to share his experience and wisdom with others. Robert is always happy to train new employees, and leads by example to instill in new team members the core values of teamwork and dedication. “I truly enjoy helping new employees become familiar with the system,” says Robert.

Robert’s wife, Jennel, who is also a Paramedic, is a source of deep inspiration for him at home and at work.

We are honored to nominate Greg Sorensen as a 2016 Star of Life for his dedication to EMS, as well as for his instruction of the art and science of prehospital medicine to numerous EMTs and Paramedics entering the field. His 32-year commitment to caring for his community is deeply commendable.

With a 10 year start in EMS, Greg began his career at Metro West Ambulance in June of 1999 and became a Field Training Officer in 2004. Greg also fills in as an Operations Supervisor, co-chairs the QI Committee, and is a member of the communication center’s QI Committee. Greg is an outstanding example of personal integrity, dedication, and compassion in EMS – qualities everyone strives for in their own EMS careers – and truly represents the gold standard of prehospital emergency care.

Greg works with various EMTs, Paramedics, and potential new hires on developing their skills in the field and teaches them the past, present, and future of EMS. Greg knows the future of EMS is built on teaching these individuals to be the best medical providers possible.

In his spare time, Greg helps facilitate volunteer projects for the needy in the community he lives in, and he helps facilitate yearly volunteer projects for Doernbecher Children’s Hospital.

These are but a few reasons why Greg Sorensen deserves the honor of being an American Ambulance Association 2016 Star of Life.

Tommy Walker began his career in EMS in St. Louis, Missouri. He has since gained almost ten years of experience as a paramedic before joining our family at Pacific West Ambulance. In Tommy’s time as a paramedic he has been a prior Stars of Life recipient, a mentor and preceptor to paramedic students, and an EMS Bike Team Captain. As a bike captain he was responsible for providing medical services for participants at a range of events as well as coordinating medical staff and care. This has given him the ability to be a great leader and a highly qualified and competent paramedic. He has continued to learn and grow his medical expertise, even completing training to become a Critical Care Paramedic, a program that educates paramedics to better understand the needs of extremely sick or injured patients during extended transports to higher levels of care. He finds that being the first line of defense for his community in their times of need gives him great pride. He is a man that truly enjoys serving and making his community proud.

Tommy brings a lighthearted but caring energy to our team and displays a passion for providing a genuine type of care to our patients. He has an infectious spirit that helped him integrate and become a valued member of our team. He is always ready to provide a helping hand, tell a joke, or be the one to run command in a time of high stress. His ability to function as a lead paramedic and be the driving force on his calls, while never missing an opportunity to make someone smile or teach someone something, has made him more than deserving of this honor.

In his free time, Tommy is an avid photographer and travels with his wife, Karly. Photography is only one of Tommy’s many talents that he is always happy to share. Tommy and his wife lead a happy life of laughter and love. They are proud to say that they actually met at the Stars of Life celebration years ago when Tommy was being honored for the first time and Karly was accompanying her cousin, who was also being honored. The pair has added to their duo by adopting three rescued Weimaraner puppies. Tommy’s days are spent working hard, serving his community and loving his small family. He is a point of pride for Pacific West Ambulance and we hope nothing but fine things for his future.

Prior to beginning his career in EMS five years ago, Don Weeks was laid off from his job manufacturing bridges, such as the Hoover Dam Bypass and the San Francisco Seismic Retro-Fit Project. Don had promised himself that if he was ever laid off he would go back to school. Don has always liked helping people and a career in EMS made sense for him.

Don started working for Bay Cities Ambulance four years ago as a part time wheel chair driver and EMT. During this time Don decided that he wanted to become a Paramedic. Don secured a full time position working on an ambulance as an EMT, while going to school. Two years later, he became a nationally registered Paramedic. Within a few months he was promoted to Senior Paramedic, the position he holds today. Don looks forward to the future when he can become a Field Training Officer and train future generations of Paramedics.

Don and his wife, Nicole, have one daughter and are expecting their second daughter this summer. Bay Cities Ambulance is proud to honor Don Weeks with the American Ambulance Association 2016 Star of Life.