Ryan Field has been named a 2022 Star of Life for LifeNet, Inc. in Stillwater, Oklahoma.

Born in Stillwater and raised in Ponca City, Ryan grew up wanting to be a professional baseball player. After graduating from Ponca City High School, he served in the U.S. Army for four years as a Combat MOS.

“After high school, I started thinking about my career path. I had welding certifications but didn’t want to weld. I thought about college. I just felt I wasn’t disciplined enough at that time. I thought the military would help me. 9/11 had happened a few years before I graduated high school, and I wanted to be able to contribute. I also had a family background in the military, and I felt like it was my turn to serve,” he explained.

During his military career, Ryan served with the 2nd Infantry Division in South Korea for one year and the 1st Cavalry Division out of Fort Hood, Texas for three years. He also fought in Northern Baghdad from 2006-2008 with the 1st Squadron 7th US Cavalry.

“It was the Army and serving oversees that spurred my interest in fire and EMS because I saw a lot of things and went through a lot of things where I felt helpless. I started to pursue firefighting, and during EMT school I found out how much I loved the ambulance and the EMS field. I got on at LifeNet and it took off from there,” Ryan said, explaining his start in EMS.

Ryan went to fire academy at Pioneer Technology Center in Ponca City, Oklahoma, where he earned his EMT-Basic certification. He earned his Paramedic certification from Meridian Technology Center in Stillwater.

“I think the whole goal is helping people. Being the person who can respond to a 911 call in someone’s time of need is what I enjoy most about working in EMS,” Ryan said. “I’m not much for sitting around in a hospital or an office. I like being out in the field. I like being on the move and in different environments. I like the critical thinking aspect of being a Paramedic. The more critical and challenging, the more I enjoy it.”

Ryan started his career at LifeNet in 2011. Over the course of his career, Ryan has served as a Field Training Officer and as an Operations Supervisor for the company. He also serves as a Flight Medic part-time for another agency.

“I enjoy training people. I trained a lot of people in the military, and I was a welding instructor while I was going to EMT school. I knew I could impact other people by teaching and training,” Ryan said, explaining why he became an FTO. “I really looked up to my instructors and mentors and felt it would be neat to bring in the next echelon of EMTs and Paramedics like they did.”

When Ryan was selected as the Senior Operations Manager for LifeNet, it was an opportunity he could not pass up.

“The leadership position lets me combine two of my passions. Not only do I get to help hire our team and teach and educate people, but I also get to respond and assist our crews on critical calls and difficult situations,” Ryan said. “I like being able to respond to situations when one of our crews is out on the streets needing help.”

Ryan was nominated for the Star of Life honor by his peers for being an “excellent supervisor, mentor, and friend to all.”

When Ryan is not at work, he enjoys being out on the lake on his boat or playing sports. He is married to Tori, and they have three children.

Jason Castleberry has been named a 2022 Star of Life for LifeNet, Inc. in Hot Springs, Arkansas.

Jason attributes the start of his career in EMS to stories a high school friend told him, which inspired him to dedicate his life to serving others in the out-of-hospital care setting.

“When I was in high school, there was a guy who got to ride as an observer on the ambulances because his father was a police officer. He would come to school and tell my best friend and me all about what he did. After high school, my best friend and I signed up to go to nursing school. We took our classes for the first semester and didn’t like it. We remembered the stories that guy had told us, and we both transferred over to the EMT/Paramedic program,” Jason said.

Because of his age at the time, Jason could not immediately work as an EMT on an ambulance, but his instructor at Henderson State University allowed him to do Paramedic school at the same time he was working on his EMT certification.

“The instructor just kind of broke the rules and let me take both classes concurrent. I tested for my Paramedic just a few months after I tested for my EMT. That worked out better because back then you had to be 21 to drive the ambulance, and I could work as a Paramedic on the ambulance at 19 and not have to drive,” he said.

Jason started his career in EMS working for a service in Pine Bluff, Arkansas. He also worked for two EMS services in Hot Springs. He was working part-time for the services in Hot Springs when LifeNet, Inc. took over the ambulance contract for the City of Hot Springs in 2005.

“I owned an asphalt seal coating company at that time. Another Paramedic friend of mine at LifeNet was named the director of the air program for LifeNet Air in Texarkana. He helped me get on there, and I was working full-time as a Flight Paramedic about a month later,” Jason said.

While working as a Flight Medic, Jason made the decision to go back to nursing school. He completed the Paramedic to nursing bridge program in Malvern, Arkansas, at what is now called Arkansas State University Three Rivers.

Jason flew for LifeNet Air 1 in Texarkana for seven years as a Flight Paramedic/Nurse, until the LifeNet Air 2 base was opened in Hot Springs. Since November of 2013, he has worked on the helicopter at the Hot Springs Base.

This year marks Jason’s twenty-fifth year working in EMS, and two words describe what he enjoys the most about his career: “helping people.”

“I like being able to make a difference in their outcomes. I enjoy trying to bring some calm to the chaos that is going on in their life,” he said.

While Jason enjoys every aspect of EMS, his favorite calls to respond to are trauma related.

“I feel like those are the calls where you have the ability to fix the patient and help them. If it’s an MI or a stroke, for the most part, you are transporting those patients. For severe trauma patients, you can actually make a significant difference in their outcome,” he said.

For others considering a career in EMS, Jason offers this advice: “Just do it. If you have any interest at all, you should dive into it and see if you like it. Involve yourself in it and see if it fits. It’s not for everyone, but the people who are really drawn to it know that it’s the career for them.”

Jason was nominated as a Star of Life by his peers and selected by a committee of former Stars of Life at LifeNet, Inc. His peers describe his exemplary dedication to serving the community, his passion for making a difference in his patients’ outcomes, and his ability to share his knowledge with the younger generation of medics as reasons why they chose him for this honor.

When Jason learned he had been named a 2022 Star of Life for the Hot Springs Division, he was both excited and surprised.

“I didn’t at all suspect it. I appreciate it very much because I know that it comes from the employees. That probably means the most knowing it’s the people that I work with that chose me for this honor,” he said.

In addition to his work on the LifeNet Air 2 helicopter, Jason also has his CPR, NRP, and TNCC Instructor Certifications and is a CFRN and FPC.

When Jason is not at work, you can usually find him at the local dirt track making laps in his IMCA Modified.

If there were a “Mr. Greenville, Texas” contest, Michael Sanchez would be an odds-on favorite to win it.

Last year, Michael’s coworkers and local first responders picked him as Hunt County Fire Association’s EMT of the Year. He has received this honor and mentorship award several times during his 17 years at AMR-Hunt County EMS. Michael consistency puts others’s needs first, and he helps to organize employee and community-wide EMS Week activities and first responder recognition ceremonies each year.

Michael and his partner were returning to the station last winter when Michael noticed a small boy walking in the rain on the side of the road. Something did not feel right, so Michael and his partner stopped to check things out. The boy had wandered off from school. He did not know where he was and could not remember his last name. Michael’s partner contacted law enforcement while Michael got the boy warmed up and gave him snacks. He was reunited with his grandmother soon, but the story does not end there. Michael noticed there was no booster seat in the car for the boy, who was still too small to ride safely without one, so he arranged for the family to receive one.

Anthony “Tony” Hernandez has worked with UT Health East Texas EMS since 2005. Tony is a Regional Director and is responsible for the largest region in the company and oversees over 100 employees.

Over the years, Tony has served in almost every role at UT Health EMS. He came to the company as a Paramedic and quickly moved to the rank of Field Training Officer where, for three years, he helped train and develop Paramedics for the company. Tony’s can-do attitude was noticed by management and he was promoted to Operations Supervisor in 2010. When a Regional Director position for Smith County became available in 2018, Tony’s attention to detail and good rapport with the operations staff made him the perfect candidate.

Tony’s passion for the job and those he works with continue to earn praise and to impress his coworkers and the first responders he works with daily. His dedication to the people he serves and the employees he oversees make him an asset to the community. UT Health East Texas EMS is proud to call Tony Hernandez its 2019 Star of Life.

Pasadena, Texas, EMT Chris Nix, has served Acadian Ambulance for almost six years. Caring for the community runs in Chris’s family: both of his parents worked for a local ambulance service in his hometown in Alabama. In high school, Chris began taking college courses and played in the school band, where he was regarded as the best saxophonist in Alabama, Mississippi, and Tennessee.

Shortly after high school graduation, Chris earned his EMT certification. “After working for several different types of EMS—transport, rural, urban, and metro 911—for seven years, I wanted to branch out and see exactly how far my EMS career could take me. I wanted to work in a large EMS environment where I could learn and be exposed to some of the most advanced technologies available. That’s how I wound up in Houston nearly five years ago,” Chris says.

In addition to his position as an EMT, Chris is a preceptor, adjunct instructor at Acadian’s National EMS Academy, and high school Explorer post advisor. Chris also participates on strike teams assisting areas affected by natural disasters. Chris is considered the voice of reason and a steady hand that guides his Paramedic colleagues.

“Chris is known for two things among our Houston team: his hard work and his people skills,” says his Operations Manager, Adam Fitzhenry.

Chris has been recognized as an EMT of the Year by the City of Pasadena, and was honored for this achievement by Congressman Brian Babin (TX-36). Chris has also won Acadian’s President’s Performance Award for his dedication, commitment, and leadership.

Chris and his husband enjoy traveling, movies, food, reading and discovering new things and places.

Acadian Ambulance Paramedic Emily Wright found a career in EMS through an unconventional path that previously saw her performing with a comedy show on cruises. Emily met her future husband on the cruise and relocated to Lafayette, Louisiana, to be with him.

“I’m a native of England, and I have traveled the world, singing in various places in France, the United States and the Caribbean. I even once performed alongside Patti Smith!” says Emily.

After settling in Lafayette, Emily enrolled in Acadian’s National EMS Academy to pursue her EMT certification. Emily joined the company in July 2016 and was assigned to their Houston service area. It didn’t take long before Emily enrolled in an accelerated Paramedic program in Houston to earn that certification and advance her career.

Emily is one of the Houston area’s top preceptors for new hires. In addition to these roles, she serves as an associate quality improvement coordinator and is president of the area’s safety, health and wellness team. Emily is a recipient of Acadian’s President’s Performance Award.

Acadian Operations Manager Adam Fitzhenry describes Emily as, “dedicated, determined and possessing a very strong work ethic.”

Emily is working to earn her Critical Care Transport Paramedic certification and aspires one day to join Acadian Air Med as a Flight Paramedic.

After nearly two decades at Alumax Mill Products as both union president and a finishing operator, a family accident inspired Shon Matthews to change career paths. In 2003, Matthews was out of town when he learned his son had been injured in a serious ATV accident and taken to Arkansas Children’s Hospital. Listening to his wife and brother-in-law discuss the incident, Matthews realized communities need more people to get involved to save lives.

Shortly after, Matthews joined the Booker Bridge Volunteer Fire Department in Miller County, Arkansas as a first responder. Shortly thereafter, Matthews also became part of the first responder team at the mill where he worked full-time. Through training at the mill, Matthews met a LifeNet EMS Paramedic who told him that he was a natural fit for EMS. Matthews attended EMT school, then began working for LifeNet EMS part-time in 2007 as an EMT while continuing his education to become a Paramedic.

In March of 2009, Matthews joined LifeNet full-time, and a few years later, he was promoted to a Field Training Officer (FTO) role. He quickly proved himself an asset in that position, and in May of 2013, when one of the company’s Operations Managers was deployed overseas, Matthews was selected to temporarily fill that role for nine months.

When it was time for Matthews to return to his role as a field provider, the LifeNet Air medical helicopter in Texarkana needed coverage for a flight medic who was going out on short-term disability. Matthews was asked to fill-in as a flight medic during that time period. After his term as a flight medic ended, he was asked to help his family start a business. Matthews briefly stepped away from a full-time career in EMS. For the next six months, he worked only call-in-relief for LifeNet as a Paramedic for both the ground and air operations. Matthews eventually realized that his heart was not in the family business, and he made the decision to return to mobile healthcare full-time.

In June of 2016, Matthews was offered a full-time role as a flight medic on LifeNet Air, his dream job. Less than a year later, a full-time position opened for an Operations Manager role. Since August 2016, Matthews has served as full-time Operations Manager for LifeNet EMS in Texarkana, while also continuing to work as needed on the LifeNet Air medical helicopter. It is this dedication and commitment to doing whatever is needed to care for our patients and to serve the community that inspired his colleagues to nominate Matthews for the Star of Life award.

One coworker noted, “Perhaps the thing I have been most impressed by when watching Shon in action is how he is received in the community. As part of my initial training, I made rounds with Shon at three area hospitals. Shon was not only greeted warmly by the staff, but he was also known as a friend at every place we went. I have yet to repeat the experience I had with Shon with any other crew member. Shon has a natural ability to have conversations, build relationships, and represent us in the community in a way that people relate to.”

When Matthews is not working full-time in one of his many roles, he endeavors to educate the community on safety and to build the next generation of EMS professionals. In addition to teaching local first responders for LifeNet Air, Matthews also teaches BCLS, ACLS, ITLS, PEPP, and pediatric first aid. Additionally, he is an instructor in the EMT and Paramedic program at Texarkana College.

When he is not busy fulfilling his EMS duties, you will find Matthews spending time with his wife, Jennifer, and their children, Nicole and Derek. Matthews is an active member of Fairland Holiness Church where he serves as a Sunday School teacher.

AMR Paramedic Nick Long does it all and does it beautifully. Trained as both a field caregiver and as a call-taker/dispatcher, he is quick to fill empty shifts in either duty area or to come in for long distance patient transfers. Nick is an ACLS instructor, a critical incident stress debriefer and is the commander of his operation’s honor guard. As a member of AMR’s national disaster response team, Nick has been deployed for three hurricanes, including two weeks for Superstorm Sandy. In addition, Nick finds time to volunteer as a preceptor in a local college EMS training program and he contributed substantially to training 300 folks in Wichita Falls during AMR’s 2013 World CPR Challenge. Wait, there’s more! Nick is one of Wichita Falls’ court-appointed child advocates. In that role, he works with other child advocates to safeguard abused and neglected children. He helps attorneys assemble and present their cases for children assigned to him. He recently headed the planning and fundraising committee for the advocate group’s annual 5K benefit race. Nick and his wife are also active with a familyfocused children’s theater. He is an actor, director and set builder. In nominating Nick, his general manager said, “Nick is an excellent role model for those already in EMS and those who wish to join our profession.”

Darren Cowley started his emergency services career in 2009, firefighting with the Simms Fire Department in Simms, Texas. He served as Captain and Training Officer for the department. In 2011, Darren began his EMS career with LifeNet in the Texarkana division as an EMT and receiving his Paramedic certification in 2013 through Texarkana College. His peers at LifeNet describe Darren as very compassionate, honest, professional, treating patients like family. Darren strives to exhibit LifeNet’s mission, values, and vision. Darren describes himself as a Christian, giving all glory to God! Darren currently resides in Avery, Texas with his wife Angela and their seven children, Emma, Cole, William, Sylvia, Brayli, and twins Jed and Wally.”

Eldrina Coleman started her career with Acadian Ambulance as a van operator in 2011, and in 2012, she received her EMT-Basic certification from the National EMS Academy. Named as Acadian’s 2014 Texas EMTBasic of the Year, she recently took the next step in her career by enrolling in the NEMSA’s paramedic program. Eldrina works in the Austin,Texas, area, and is a member of the North Central Texas safety committee and an All Safe instructor. She is also a highly-respected preceptor for new van operators and EMTs. To give back to the Austin community, Eldrina owns and operates Humanity, a non-profit hair salon for the elderly. Housed in a nursing facility, Humanity offers complimentary hair and nail care for male and female senior citizens.”

Ruben made the decision to enter the medical profession at the age of 28 after the untimely death of his father. “I wanted to make sure I did all I could to help prevent that from happening to another son.” For the past 31 years, Ruben has dedicated his career to helping others and doing all he can to keep true to his mission for entering this profession. He has been a paramedic with MedStar for 16 years and he explains the best part of his job is “knowing I’ve done the very best that I could to help someone.” This is Ruben’s first trip ever to Washington, DC and he is most excited about sharing the experience with his wife and 8 year old daughter.”

It is with great honor and pride that I recommend Ms. Lisa Camp for the 2014 Stars of Life Award. Ms. Camp should be recognized due to her support of the citizens of the State of Texas and the Country through her leadership in quality pre-hospital care and community wide emergency response. When it comes to emergency medical services, Ms. Lisa Camp basically is the sage in the area. She gives much of her time to the EMS community and the Medics across the country. She has been at the forefront in the areas of patient care, public access, medical control, disaster preparedness, public education and training. Lisa Camp’s Emergency Medical Services are using cutting edge technologies to help their patients recover as fully as possible from emergencies. One of these technologies that Lisa was instrumental in setting up was the use of an I.C.E. (Induced Cooling by EMS) protocol. Lisa also noted a lag time in Cardiac patients getting into the Cardiac Catheterization Labs. Lisa attacked this challenge head on and her response was for the medics to start double-lumen IV catheters in the field, administration of Heparin, and to send 12-Lead ECGs via telemetry. Ms. Lisa Camp has served as the mentor, supporter and advocate for EMS throughout the Country. She has created a successful continuing education program that kept members informed, providing motivation and confidence regarding their abilities to provide excellent patient care. Lisa encourages FVFD to be active with the community and assists in bimonthly free immunization clinics, Community CPR training, and other safety and injury prevention activities. I was once asked “what is a hero?” I answered this “a hero is someone you strive to imitate”. Lisa Camp is my hero for all the wonderful things he does for her community and Country.”

Stanley Caballero has been employed with Acadian Ambulance for only 14 months, but during that time he has made such an impact that he was named Acadian’s 2014 Texas Paramedic of the Year. He works full-time in McKinney, Texas, and is also a mentor to new employees and critical care paramedics. Stan’s strong work ethic and compassion for others exceeds far past his day-today job duties as a paramedic. Stan is involved with a non-profit hunger relief organization called Numana, which empowers people to package meals and send them all across the world to serve the starving. Recently, he was a part of a worldrecord breaking event in Nashville, Tenn., where more than 530,000 meals were packaged for the hungry around the world in less than one hour.”

“I would recommend Marisol Puerto for this recognition.  Marisol and I were partners on Medic 98 (now M920) prior to my promotion, where I had the pleasure of witnessing, first hand, an individual that is dedicated to the EMS profession.  She has earned the respect, the admiration, and the trust of her colleagues within the HCEC family. Marisol is dedicated to continuing her education both professionally and academically. I have had the pleasure of interacting with numerous students through my background at Texas A&M University and with HCEC; I can truthfully say that over the course of those interactions, very few have impressed upon me as much as Marisol has.  She is a solid, bright, and intelligent person that has pushed herself to achieve her goals.”

“She serves so many roles for HCEC—Field Training Officer, In-Charge Paramedic, Bike Medic, Card Class Instructor, Interview Panel participant—which only a few others can lay claim to. Marisol represents HCEC Core Values extremely well and I feel she deserves to be recognized on a national level.”

Shaun Kirkdorffer exemplifies each pillar of HCEC’s Corps Values every time he comes to work. He is a trusted professional, a trusted colleague, and a trusted member of the community. Shaun is the embodiment of stewardship, working not only as a leader at HCEC but also leading community outreach through his church.

His colleagues state that Shaun is a great example of an AAA Star of Life. He is a role model employee and upstanding citizen. He represents us well both on and off duty. He currently serves us as an FTO and In Charge. He is and has been involved with outreach ministries for inner-city youth through his church. He is well known by a good majority of the citizens in our community not only for his job duties, but also for his involvement with the community.

In January of 2000, Marco Villasenor moved from El Paso, TX to join Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS). Marco moved up the ranks and became a Field Training Officer and then Captain. For the last 7 years he has been a Designated Medical Officer (DMO) under the Clinical Performance Improvement group.

As a DMO, one of Marco’s key rolls is to evaluate the performance and provide CPR performance feedback for every cardiac arrest patient treated by ATCEMS. As a result of his work, Marco was awarded the Medical Directors Award in 2014, and he received a travel scholarship to the American Heart Association’s Resuscitation Science Symposium in Chicago of the same year. Through “Pit Crew” training and CPR Performance feedback, ATCEMS experienced significant improvement in compression fractions and resuscitation rates. Marco’s contributions in this initiative were instrumental in these improved performance measures. Today the DMO’s are part of the response matrix and are dispatched on high priority calls when they are closer.

Kyle Schutt is a Paramedic who has been employed with Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) since 2015. Kyle believes being a public servant is a rewarding job that requires hard work and dedication but comes with the knowledge that you have made a difference in someone’s life. Additionally, it is his belief that all members of EMS share a passion for going the extra mile for our patients, and that is what makes our profession special.

During Kyle’s three years at ATCEMS, he has received two Medical Phoenix Citation awards for confirmed cardiopulmonary arrest saves who were discharged from the hospital, and he has recently been promoted to the Medic II position. Kyle received his Paramedic certification from the University of Texas Health Science Center and his Bachelor’s in Exercise Sports Science from Texas Tech University.

Dena has been in public safety service for 23 years. She began her public safety career as a Police Dispatcher for The University of Kansas Police Department (Go Jayhawks!). During a ride-out while working at Southlake DPS for her EMT-B training, she answered the 911 call, dispatched the responding unit, and ended up transporting the patient with that unit and its crew to the hospital. Many only ever get to experience one side or the other of a 911 call; rarely both.

Dena has been a member of the Austin-Travis County EMS (ATCEMS) team since 2009 and is grateful to be employed by an agency that believes in the values of putting our patients and community first. EMS calls are received, triaged, and dispatched by ATCEMS Communications Medics, including delivery of pre-arrival treatment instructions. The Communications Medics’ role in the success of patient outcomes is considered equally as important as the treatment that the responding Field Medics provide. This is part of our “Zero-Second Response” model, in that at the moment a call for EMS assistance comes into our call center, our community is speaking to an ATCEMS Medic at the “zero-second.”

In addition to reading and taking walks along the beach, Dena loves to quilt for her grandkids, Kaden, Brooklynn, Emma, Tristan, and now baby Peyton… please no more for now, I need to get caught up!

Brendan Cluskey emigrated to the United States of America from Dublin, Ireland. Since arriving, he has dedicated himself to giving back to the nation that has so warmly welcomed him. “I feel that I owe a great debt of gratitude to America, so helping others in their times of need just feels like the right thing to do,” he says.

Since joining Austin-Travis County EMS in October of 2010, Brendan has excelled in all areas of Paramedicine and has now enthusiastically taken on the challenging role of Field Training Officer. During his time in Austin, Brendan has received many accolades and awards, most notably The Meritorious Service Award for bravery in 2014.

Brendan greatly enjoys family time with his wife, Joanne, and daughter, Isabel.

Richard is the type of Paramedic who always serves his patients and coworkers with respect, understanding, compassion, and dignity. Richard started his career with ETMC EMS in December 1991, and he is still rocking the streets to this day with the same demeanor he started with.

Not only has Richard touched the lives of countless patients, he has also gained countless friendships with the everyday folk he comes in contact with. His addictive humor makes it easy to get caught up in his stories, no matter how many times you’ve heard them.

Over the past years, Richard has had a great influence on new and seasoned EMS personnel as a Field Training Officer. Richard enjoys sharing his past experiences, whether they are good or bad, to help the crews stay safe. As he talks about the past, you will always hear him say, “It was the best of times, it was the worst of times.”

Richard has always been a great asset to his EMS family and deserves recognition for going above and beyond in an effort to make every day better for the future.