Tag: Sunstar Paramedics

Born in Toluca, Mexico, Maria Fernanda Villasenor Jimenez migrated to the United States in 1999 at the age of four. She has primarily resided in the Clearwater, FL area, with a brief stint in North Carolina. Although Spanish was her first language, Maria mastered English through her education in American schools and by using American rock music as an additional tool for language development.

After high school, Maria earned a Medical Assistant Certificate. She then dedicated six years to a local dermatologist’s office, where she rose to the position of clinical supervisor. Yearning for more direct patient interaction and desiring a change from the office environment, Maria enrolled in EMT school at Pinellas Technical College. She subsequently joined Sunstar Paramedics, gaining hands-on patient care experience in one of the country’s busiest EMS systems.

Maria is a potent clinician, a dedicated employee, and a loving mother to her 5-year-old son, Reagan. Her fluency in both English and Spanish is an invaluable asset in the EMS field. Her unwavering commitment to upholding the core mission, vision, and values of Sunstar in delivering compassionate care has established her as a cherished employee and community asset.

Always eager to learn and progress professionally, Maria recently graduated from the School of EMS’s Paramedic program, all while working full-time night shifts at Sunstar. She is now preparing for her National Registry Paramedic Certification, aiming to become a Paramedic with Sunstar.

Outside of her demanding professional life, Maria, as a single mom, dedicates most of her free time to raising Reagan. She holds permanent residency in the United States and is set to commence her naturalization process for U.S. citizenship by year’s end.

The leadership team at Sunstar is extremely proud of Maria’s accomplishments and excited about what the future holds both professionally and personally as she works to become a Paramedic and US Citizen.

In the dynamic and demanding world of emergency medical services, James Dalrymple stands out not just as a leader but as a beacon of dedication, humor, and rapport. As the Fleet Supervisor at Sunstar Paramedics, he’s become synonymous with reliability, sustainability, and an unwavering commitment to safety.

Every vehicle under James’s charge operates at peak performance, ensuring that when a patient’s life hangs in the balance, Sunstar Paramedics can respond without a hitch. His attention to detail means these vehicles don’t just meet the standards – they often exceed them. Moreover, his mindfulness towards the environment ensures the fleet’s operations align with broader sustainability goals, reflecting care for the community that goes beyond immediate medical needs.

But James isn’t just about the mechanics of fleet supervision. His prior service in the military has endowed him with a unique blend of discipline and teamwork, qualities he brings to Sunstar every day. It’s his camaraderie with the field crews, forged from genuine understanding and mutual respect, that truly sets him apart. His approachability, punctuated by a refreshing sense of humor, has become a cornerstone of the positive and supportive work environment at Sunstar.

In a high-pressure field, where every decision can have life-altering implications, having a leader who can inject levity, understand challenges from the ground up, and prioritize safety is invaluable. James’s ability to foster strong relationships, enhance communication, and create a workplace where laughter is as prevalent as dedication speaks volumes of his leadership style.

As we recognize James Dalrymple for his outstanding contributions, we celebrate a man who seamlessly blends the rigors of fleet management with the heart of a team player. His service, both in the military and at Sunstar Paramedics, is a testament to a life dedicated to excellence, community, and genuine human connection.

Andrew Pawlowski, who most people call “Pow Pow,” is mostly known for his ability to make friends quickly. He has a fun, caring, driven, and outgoing personality.

Andrew began his career at Sunstar Paramedics twelve years ago as an EMT. He quickly became a strong team member with both the CCT program and the ACH Critical Care Transport teams, and also achieved FTO status. He was named EMT FTO of the Year, with many other accomplishments. For the last two years, Andrew has worked as a Paramedic, and continually strives for high-quality compassionate care for his community. Andrew says, “I’m surrounded by good friends and family and I couldn’t ask for more.”

Andrew was selected as a Star of Life because of his dedication and commitment to the craft, as well as for his unwavering caring and supportive attitude that fosters the culture at Sunstar Paramedics. He is the prime example for the next generation of new hires and a model for our mission, vision, and values.

Misty began serving her community in 1996 as a volunteer Firefighter in the Hudson Valley area of New York. She became an EMT in 2000 and obtained her Paramedic certification in 2003. In 2010, Misty moved to Florida and began working for Sunstar Paramedics. Since then, she has obtained a bachelor’s degree in emergency management and has served her community as a Paramedic, Communications Center Supervisor, and most recently as the Communication Training Coordinator for Sunstar.

Misty was chosen for her accomplishments within the communications center. Since she was selected for the position, Misty has developed an innovative training program for the dispatchers that has raised the bar with its level of quality and professionalism. She has also led the center through several ACE re-accreditation cycles, and was the chosen leader through many EOC hurricane activations.

Outside of work, Misty, her husband, and their three-year-old son enjoy cooking, barbequing, and spending quality time with friends and family. They plan to soon drive to visit family across the country.

Paul Allen has worked for Sunstar Paramedics since May 2008. Paul began working in the communications center, and became Emergency Medical Dispatch (EMD) certified in 2012 and then a Communications Training Officer (CTO) in 2016.

As a CTO, Paul trains new hires in channel operations, emergency call taking, and medical radio control operations. Paul is also actively involved in EMD-Q, the process by which emergency and non-emergency calls are reviewed and graded to ensure protocols are followed, the right determinants are reached, and ultimately the right response was sent.

In October 2018, the Sunstar Communications Training Coordinator resigned, and Paul was among several candidates who applied to fill the position. The position was given to someone else, but that person was unable to begin work until January 2019. In the interim, Paul was asked to fill in until the new person could begin and he agreed.

Although he knew the position would only be temporary, Paul did not take his job lightly. Paul used his knowledge of EMD protocols and the Florida Public Safety Telecommunicator (PST) program to develop a new PST training program for Sunstar’s communications center personnel. Paul created PowerPoint presentations for each section of the program and helped communications center staff prepare for the PST exam by giving them review sheets and monitoring their progress through the training program.

Paul also began to revamp the communications center’s training program. Paul created an electronic system for training officers to log candidate progress for training staff to keep up with each candidate’s work. Prior to this system, it was hard for a training officer to know how far along a candidate was in the program and the candidates often lost a day of training if their primary trainer was out. In conjunction with the new Training Coordinator, Paul also began to redesign the exit testing for when a candidate finishes training. Paul developed several scenario-based tests that are now used along with the traditional 50 question exam to assess the candidate.

Although he could have very easily done the minimum amount of work necessary to get by while he filled as Training Coordinator, Paul chose to be proactive and to devote his time to developing training programs that will help new hires and serve as continuing education for current staff. All of Paul’s hard work helps to make the communications center better overall. Paul’s dedication to the office in his short time filling in for the Communications Training Coordinator embodies the meaning of teamwork and shows his dedication to both his job and the field of Emergency Medical Dispatch.

Jay has been an exemplory member of the Sunstar team since November 2012. Jay works as a full time EMT and is part of our mental health transport (MHT) team. Jay is very well rounded as he also volunteers with the Port Richey Fire Department and has a literary background as an author and publisher of multiple books, with his most recent published novel “Tower Hearts”. Jay received his EMT training at Washington ?xadHolmes Technical Center and is from Pegram, Tennessee. Jay quickly made a lasting impression and memorable impact just 5 months in his first EMS job at Sunstar. As a newly cleared EMT on the night of April 10, 2013, Jay and his partner responded to a critical call involving a 2 year old girl who’s legs were amputated by a riding lawn mower at her home in Palm Harbor, Florida. Litte did the crew know that their second-to-none care and teamwork provided that evening would save Ireland Nugent’s life and make long standing local and national headlines. The call was exceptionally emotional and highly stressful, but very well handled by Jay in being given much support, debriefings, and follow-up including a reunion by Jay and his partner with Ireland and her parents. Tragically, three months after Ireland’s call Jay would lose his partner in an off-duty motorcycle accident. Less than one year after this call and loss of his partner, Jay takes pride in seeing Ireland thrive in overcoming her challenges as a double amputee. Nothing appears to stop Ireland as she is currently three years old, mastering prosthetics and learning ballet. Ireland’s call that April evening would be a tragic situation with an unsuspecting positive outlook and for Jay, in a similar fashion with his career at Sunstar, a parallel in overcoming new and challenging situations and flourishing.”

Jimmy started in EMS in 2005 and has worked as a firefighter, EMT, and Paramedic. He joined EMS in hopes to make a difference in people’s lives after his best friend died in a motor vehicle crash and EMS was too far away to help save him at the time. Jimmy joined Sunstar in 2009 and has held the position of EMT, Paramedic, Special Events Team, All Children’s Transport Team, Preceptor, F.T.O. and Assistant Supervisor. Jimmy has a passion for helping and teaching other co-workers at Sunstar and instructing others. When asked for specific incidents he recalls where he has made the biggest difference in someone’s life, he replies “I have had many critical calls and some that aren’t. Some that required the best of skill and others were just holding someone’s hand during transport, both equal in significance. I can remember a MVC that a man hit a pole and was able to tell me he was ok then went into cardiac arrest; a mother handing me an infant not breathing; gunshot wounds/ heart attacks/strokes/asthma all needing treatment and a smile.” Jimmy is also a leader in the community volunteering for numerous foundations, and ready to make a positive impact in the future of EMS as an instructor. Jimmy has volunteered for Hillsborough County Fire Rescue. On his days off, he spends his time giving back to the community through his work at the Shriner’s Hospital, Disabled Pediatric Dentistry, Masonic Cardiac Medical Research Foundation, and the MDA. Jimmy also is an instructor for Fortis Institute teaching EMT and Paramedic Courses.”

Damian’s ability to influence, innovate, engage, develop, and lead the crews who have direct patient contact makes a tremendous difference in the lives of those patients and the community that Sunstar serves.

As a clinical services coordinator, Damian’s areas of responsibility include managing our field training officer (FTO) program, clinical data analysis, and clinical education for the new EMTs and Paramedics working with Sunstar.

When Damian was promoted from a field clinician to a coordinator, he immediately became interested in data-driven improvement. While he excels in analyzing and adjusting work procedures for maximum efficiency, he also understands that appropriate change comes from meaningful reflection. Damian has been able to quantify, communicate, and elevate the quality of our patient satisfaction and engagement, clinical measures such as scene times, and many other crew-centered measures.

A primary example of Damian’s leadership that’s had immediate impact on the EMS culture is the FTO report card. This is a report of clinician-centered data and feedback that is specific to each FTO, preceptor, assistant supervisor, and mentor within the program. The information is sent back to the crews, helping to show them a clearer path for improvement and a higher quality of care.

The personalized feedback includes their safety measures on driving, clinical documentation scores, QI/operational standings, accolades, and patient engagement scores. This data-centered feedback allows the crews to see where they rank among their peers and gives them a more direct personal connection to Sunstar and its mission in the community.

The FTO report card is just one of the many initiatives that Damian has brought to the forefront. His data-analysis system supports the company’s crews and helps us strive for the everyday excellence at the core of our mission.

Josh Daly rose quickly through the ranks at Sunstar, and he has taken advantage of every opportunity the organization has offered to enhance his medical and professional practice.

His impressive professional development has been matched by his ability to influence and lead others. Josh’s achievements include being a FTO, a CME instructor, a Safety Officer, and Sunstar Paramedic’s 2017 FTO of the Year.

Josh’s leadership presence is visible every day. He comes to every class, field shift, and meeting as if it’s an interview for his next leadership role. He is an extraordinary role model to senior professionals as well as an inspiration to EMTs and Paramedics beginning their careers.

Josh shines a light through his quality of care, leadership, mentorship, and dedication to the advancement of the EMS profession.

For these reasons and more, we would like to support and celebrate Josh’s achievements as a Star of Life.

Nick is a rising star in the Sunstar organization. He is being nominated for the 2016 American Ambulance Association Stars of Life for his leadership, mentoring of new employees, and outstanding patient care.

In 2015 Nick received the prestigious Care Plus award for patient care and attained multiple recognition levels within the Sunstar STAR program. In addition, Nick assisted Paramedics Plus in opening a new operation in Sioux Falls, South Dakota. Nick was instrumental in preparing for a seamless transition in service to the community of Sioux Falls.

Sunstar is very pleased to nominate Nicholas Eberhardt for the 2016 American Ambulance Association Stars of Life.

Jeremy is an outstanding example of what is right with Sunstar. As the head of the field training officer program and employee orientation, Jeremy has done an outstanding job ensuring clinical excellence by creating innovative ways to train employees. Jeremy and team have improved Capstone testing scores to near 100% passing rates and decreased the onboarding process by 30%. In 2015, Jeremy was promoted to Clinical Services Coordinator. Prior to his promotion, Jeremy was an assistant operations supervisor.

Sunstar is very pleased to nominate Jeremy Tinter for the 2016 AAA Stars of Life.