William Hehn Jr. has dedicated his career to EMS. For more than 40 years, he has advanced his training and knowledge, expanded his skillset, and pursued a variety of positions all to provide exceptional patient care and customer service.

Will joined REMSA Health in 1994. Prior to that, he worked as an AEMT in central California and attended community college. He started with REMSA Health as a Communications Specialist (CS) and Air Communications Specialist (ACS)—one of a handful of people cross-trained in both disciplines—allowing him to serve the organization where it was most needed. Working now as a full-time ACS Preceptor. Will still works as an AEMT in the field with the Ground Operations division, as well as a Critical Care Technician for Care Flight, the organization’s critical care transport service.

Throughout his tenure, Will earned his Quality Assurance Certification from the International Academy of Emergency Dispatch (IAED), maintains his National Registry License, and has worked as a medical 9-1-1 call reviewer in support of the dispatch center’s pursuit to be an Accredited Center of Excellence. He has been a Communications Lead and Preceptor and has served as the primary Communications Specialist for major regional special events including Burning Man.

Will was recognized with an Outstanding Achievement award for his role in the Communications Center during an active shooter incident at a local school in 2013, and he earned a Meritorious Award for his contributions during the Reno Air Race crash/mass casualty incident in 2011.

Will is active with the National EMS Memorial Bike Ride in which he has nominated and participated for the past 5 years. He is an avid cyclist, plays softball, and enjoys snowboarding. He raises money to benefit the family of a deceased colleague through his Fantasy Football league. Will and Jann, his wife of 35 years, have two adult children, as well as two Canadian horses, a terrier, a cat, and a flock of chickens. Will says, “Without Jann, this recognition would not have been possible.”

“Will’s commitment to serving others through his decades of EMS work is to be commended,” says Adam Heinz, COO, REMSA Health. “He has been a reliable and important part of the REMSA Health team for many years. Will performs his work with a sense of pride and wholeheartedness and he is a well-respected colleague and team member. I am thrilled that Will is being honored and celebrated for his sincere dedication to this profession.”

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.”