Cyndy Rider is a full-time paramedic with Lifenet, Inc. in Texarkana, Arkansas. As a child, she split her time between her home in Texarkana and the family farm in Garland City, Arkansas where her father was a farmer and member of the volunteer fire department. After graduating from Arkansas High, she attended Southern Arkansas University in Magnolia where she earned a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies and Mass Communication.

In 2011 she moved to Providence Village, Texas with her husband, Thomas Rider. While living in North Dallas, she felt a strong desire to leave the retail industry after more 10 years and pursue a childhood dream of becoming a paramedic/first responder. In 2013 she completed her EMT training at UT Southwestern and began working for Allegiance Ambulance in Carrollton, TX. In 2015 she returned to school to become a Licensed Paramedic. She moved back to Texarkana and began working at Lifenet the following year.

Cyndy is well-respected among her peers and co-workers for her positive and cheerful attitude, passion for her job, and exceptional care and concern for her patients. Fellow employees describe Cyndy as, “…always coming to work with a positive attitude and is constantly showing compassion for her patients as well as her coworkers. She cares about her patients and always wants to do her best!”

Cyndy thoroughly enjoys working with students as a preceptor. She takes great pride in teaching others, not only the skills necessary to become a confident and proficient paramedic, but also how to maintain a positive attitude in stressful and sometimes difficult circumstances. She is grateful for the opportunity this job has given her to have a meaningful impact on the lives of her patients and fellow employees.

In her spare time Cyndy enjoys camping, traveling, spending time with her four dogs, playing piano, and serving the members of Fairview United Methodist Church.

As Hurricane Harvey worsened, AMR Houston committed to relocate dozens of patients from one hospital to another. Jamie volunteered to serve as AMR’s liaison at the receiving hospital. Over several hours, AMR evacuated 88 patients to safety and Jamie was hailed for beautifully overseeing this operation.

As the storm raged, a hospital asked AMR to return a discharged patient to his home. Two crews tried but were unable to reach the hospital. Jamie decided to give it “one last shot” and enlisted a crew partner. In darkness, heavy rain, and high winds, they made their way through less-flooded back roads to make the transport happen.

Jamie worked day and night, staying positive and frequently checking on the well-being of the crews. Many in the area had lost everything. When Jamie’s leadership told him to go home and rest, he went home but he didn’t rest. Instead, Jamie assembled a cooking team which provided four days of fresh meals to the numerous AMR personnel working in Houston, deployed from several states.

Jamie’s selflessness during Hurricane Harvey shows why he is known for total commitment to his calling.

With typical modesty, Jamie says everything he does is part of a team effort.

From the moment of his first EMS call as a paid on-call EMT in 2004, Brandon knew this career was his calling.

Brandon came to MedStar in 2012 as a Paramedic. He moved up to Field Training Officer and eventually was selected for promotion to MedStar Mobile Integrated Healthcare (MIH) team as a Mobile Healthcare/Critical Care Paramedic in 2015.

In this role, Brandon is responsible for managing high EMS system utilizers and patients at-risk for preventable 9-1-1 calls, hospital Emergency Department visits, and in-patient admissions.

Brandon enjoys the tangible impact he has on the patients he treats. On the MIH team, that impact is not simply a 30- to 40-minute patient encounter, but helping his MIH-enrolled patients over the long term. “As a field Paramedic, I can make patients better, but as an MIH provider, I can help make them well,” he explains.

Brandon was a contributing author of the Community Paramedicine textbook and is a member of the NAEMT Community Paramedicine Curriculum Committee and the Critical Care Paramedic Advisory Committee for the International Board of Specialty Certifications.

He has also presented at national EMS conferences such as EMS Today and EMS World, and he is a member of the Adult Protective Services of Tarrant County Community Board.

Brandon recently graduated from the University of North Texas Health Science Center’s Geriatric Practice Leadership Institute, where he developed a new screening, assessment, and intervention process for fall-risk patients.

“Infectious positivity” is the best way to describe Texas Medic of the Year Alex Aste, and that trait carries over into every aspect of his job at Acadian in Houston.

Alex joined Acadian with plenty of experience. He has a bachelor of science degree in paramedicine, worked as a combat medic during two separate tours in the Italian Army, and saw action in Afghanistan on a Medevac unit.

Alex came to the United States in 2011 to continue his education and received a bachelor’s degree in human biology with a minor in chemistry from the University of California San Diego.

Unfortunately, when Alex moved to Houston with his wife, who was pursuing a law degree, his Paramedic certification was not recognized, and he was forced to start over with his EMS education.

Now Alex is at the top of his class in the Paramedic program at Alvin Community College in Houston, and he’s looking forward to graduating in August and working again as a Paramedic.

Alex always puts the customer first and provides exemplary service regardless of the situation—he already has an impressive number of commendations. He has had perfect attendance and has never been late for work since starting with Acadian in August 2016.

He also plays an integral role in the Houston Life Gift Operations. In fact, if he isn’t at school or working an extra shift, you will find him serving as a Life Gift Operator.

Acadian Texas Paramedic of the Year Alec D’Storm is always professional and comes to work ready to shine. As a role model who strives for excellence, he holds other employees to a higher standard, and that makes them strive for excellence, too. 

Alec showed his aptitude and commitment to his career early on. He graduated in the top of his class and has received a Meritorious Service Award.

Based in Bexar County, Alec has been with Acadian since 2014, and he has become one of the most well-known medics in our area.

He has a background in management and puts that knowledge and experience to work in his role at Acadian. Or should we say many roles: He is a preceptor for EMTs and Paramedics, a Safe Baby Program trainer and co-coordinator, and a PALS, ACLS, and CPR instructor. 

Alec has volunteered for many different projects, including being the face of EMS at career days at area schools and Shattered Dreams programs. He has been loaned to Acadian’s Safety Management Systems as a medic for an onsite clinic, helped to make training videos, and assists with Baptist mobile health events.

And even with this lengthy list, he’s always looking for ways to contribute more. Alec started helping with our local Explorer program recently, and he assisted with our latest acquisition, too.

Tracy Sims has held the position of lead medic for only two years now, but has been able to do so much in that short amount of time. Tracy quickly became a problem-solver and was recently promoted to Field Training Officer in November of 2016. Tracy has taken his passion for helping others and used his skills to help new employees that are struggling with becoming a lead medic in our organization. Tracy takes time to recognize weakness and has mastered the art of connecting with new employees on a personal level to explain deficiencies in a way that quickly leads to a resolution. Tracy has always led by example and never shies away from a challenge. His eagerness to provide patient care and help others has been a great example for others to follow. The impact Tracy has on his community is measured not only by those he has helped but also by all those that he has trained.

When faced with a difficult situation, some people ask why. Cindy Hitchcock asks how she can help.

An EMT and Administrative Assistant for AMR’s Hunt County operation, Cindy also works standby events and street shifts on occasion. Cindy also teaches free community CPR classes and is the primary coordinator of a school-based CPR program. Cindy is a Child Passenger Safety Technician who spends considerable time teaching parents good practices and helping obtain car seats for underprivileged families. As president of a community-based drug prevention organization, Cindy has been instrumental in building community partnerships and increasing awareness of the dangers of drug use. If all that isn’t enough, Cindy organizes holiday food drives, breast cancer research fundraisers, and summer safety programs for kids in north Texas.

Last year, Cindy was awarded Hunt County EMS Employee of the Year.

When it comes to involvement and teamwork, Acadian Ambulance Texas EMT Rhonda Dees-Lockwood, shines daily. Rhonda joined Acadian in 2011 during the Northstar acquisition, and has since been an anchor on one of the region’s dedicated 911 trucks, functioning at the EMT-Intermediate level.

Rhonda is actively involved in Acadian’s Critical Support Intervention Team, and is a Safety Committee member. Rhonda is a preceptor and a station monitor, and participates in community events while representing our organization.

Rhonda’s life outside of work demonstrates similar threads of service to others. Rhonda is actively involved in the American Red Cross, Habitat for Humanity, and Mothers Against Drunk Driving.

It is this dedication to serving her community, coupled with her commitment to serving her patients, that make Rhonda a clear choice for our 2017 Acadian Ambulance Texas EMT of the Year.

Sloane Brown, Paramedic with Acadian Ambulance in Texas, found her passion for EMS when working as a lifeguard for the City of Allen. At 19, Sloane saved her first life when one of her peers became unresponsive and apneic. Sloane followed her training as a lifeguard to open the patient’s airway and provide rescue breathing until Paramedics arrived.

Sloane’s father enrolled her in the very next EMT class. After completing it, Sloane and her father attended Paramedic class together in Burnet County, then volunteered together with the local fire department.

Sloane joined Capital EMS in December 2012, then Acadian Ambulance in June 2015. Sloane works in Lampasas County, and has recently become a preceptor. In addition to working full-time, Sloane is taking a full load of college courses.

When Sloane is not studying or saving lives, she enjoys spending time with her friends and her two dogs, Stark and Diezel.

Sloane was chosen as a Star of Life as she is Acadian’s Texas Paramedic of the Year.

Elizabeth has been an EMT at MedStar for three years. Elizabeth has always had a passion for caring for people and a career in EMS has always been her dream, even as a small child. Once Elizabeth was old enough, she began working in local hospitals to gain the patient care experience necessary to apply for a position at MedStar.

Elizabeth loves helping people, and enjoys the daily excitement and fun that every shift brings! Elizabeth is currently in Paramedic school and looks forward to advancing her career with new clinical skills.

Elizabeth also acknowledges the hard moments in EMS. Elizabeth remembers her most difficult call as being a very tragic child abuse case that resulted in a child suffering a cardiac arrest, as she and her partner worked feverishly to save the child’s life.

Elizabeth was nominated by her peers to represent MedStar as a Star of Life.

Thomas joined MedStar three years ago in the fleet services department. Thomas’ fleet role is to inspect every ambulance just before it is deployed into the field to assure the vehicle is in top condition before it hits the streets of Fort Worth. Thomas joined MedStar because he was looking for meaningful work—the type of work he could be proud of whenever he sees ‘his’ units on the streets, responding to calls for help. What Thomas likes most about being part of the MedStar team is the people he gets to work with, “These are simply good people. They are fun and very understanding about the important role every member of the team plays ensuring we can put an ambulance in front of an address.”

Thomas was chosen by his peers as a Star of Life nominee, in recognition of his dedication to not only his role, but to the MedStar team.

David has been in EMS for five years and part of the MedStar team since 2015. As a child, David spent a lot of time in hospitals and knew from an early age that healthcare was the career for him. While living in Alaska, David enrolled in a paramedic program that had a clinical affiliation with MedStar and did his school internship in Fort Worth. David decided MedStar was where he wanted to be. Once David was accepted for the paramedic position, he moved to Texas, and the rest is history. 

David’s favorite aspect of EMS is helping people. It is because of David’s willingness to serve others that he was chosen by his peers as a Star of Life nominee.

Amanda Campos has faithfully served her community with distinction for more than 12 years. In February of 2010, she was named Director of Operations at Matagorda County EMS and took command of one of the finest EMS agencies in Texas.

Her dedication to the community only grew in the wake of her promotion. Amanda has volunteered hundreds of hours of her personal time to cover ambulance shifts for her teammates when they needed time off, responded to countless calls in her
command vehicle on nights and weekends, often with her family in tow, and served on numerous community service projects. She is a true public servant, a highly respected teammate, and the very definition of a leader.

These qualities came to life one busy evening in December of 2015. While on her way to the grocery store with her twin four-year-old daughters, she heard a call come in about an infant not breathing. Knowing that all ambulances had already been dispatched to calls, she responded without hesitation. While en route, Amanda radioed to dispatch and requested to have a crew member, who happened to be at the station without a partner, meet her at the patient’s address with an ambulance so that they would have transport capabilities.

Upon arrival, Amanda found the infant to be in full arrest with a Bay City Police officer attempting to provide respiration. Finding the infant to be apneic with poor perfusion, she began CPR and intubated while waiting for the ambulance to arrive. Her resuscitation efforts were successful, and the infant was transported to the hospital without any delay. Chaplain Chad of the Bay City Police Department followed behind the ambulance with her daughters and stayed with them as she continued to provide care. The patient is alive today thanks to Amanda’s quick actions and tireless efforts.

Amanda’s selfless commitment to the health and safety of her community is just one of many examples of the spirit of caring at Allegiance Mobile Health. On behalf of the executive leadership team, all 1,200 employees, and the countless lives she has touched during her career, we are proud to nominate Amanda Campos for the 2016 Star of Life award.

It is with great honor and pride that Friendswood Volunteer Fire Department nominates Andrew Chalk for the 2016 Stars of Life Award. Andrew is being recognized in acknowledgement of his service to the citizens of Texas through his leadership in quality pre-hospital care and community-wide emergency response. Andrew has been at the forefront in the areas of patient care, public access, medical control, disaster preparedness, public education, and training.

Andrew Chalk has served as a mentor, supporter and advocate for EMS throughout the country. Andrew has been an integral part of many recent projects that directly or indirectly contribute to patient care excellence. For example, he recently spearheaded our migration to a new PCR system that has allowed Friendswood EMS to use tablets for PCR and allows access to our CAD system while on scene. He also has maintained and updated our computer and hardware system, assisted in the design and planning of a Kawasaki mule utility response vehicle for special events, assisted in the design and planning of a special operations/command trailer, aided in protocol updates, and helped to create a successful continuing education program that both kept members informed and allowed them to develop confidence regarding their abilities to provide excellent patient care. Andrew encourages FVFD to be active within the community and assists in bimonthly free immunization clinics, community CPR training, and other safety and injury prevention activities.

After 9/11 Andrew wanted to do more for his country, so he joined the Texas 3 DMAT (Disaster Medical Assistant Team) where he has risen through the ranks to the position of Assistant Team Commander.

As you can see, Andrew Chalk’s life revolves around his support and caring for Emergency Medical Services and it is with pleasure that we nominate him as a 2016 Star of Life.

Jason Goodwin began his career with LifeNet in 2000. He started as a volunteer firefighter in 1997 with the Salem Volunteer Fire Department and the Sherwood Volunteer Fire Department in Arkansas, and the Nash Fire Department in Texas. Jason received his paramedic certification in 1998.

Jason works in the Texarkana division of LifeNet and takes on the additional responsibility of the ambulance equipment layout for the Texarkana fleet. He is highly respected for his commitment to and concern for his patients. He is the first to volunteer for a task and this is shown through his pride and love of EMS every day.

To give back to the Texarkana community, Jason works alongside his wife in the animal rescue service she started in 2013. When time allows, his hobbies include working on cars, target shooting, and playing video games.

Michael Griffith was born March 28, 1990 in Stratford, New Jersey. He relocated to Euless, Texas in 2005, where he graduated from Euless Trinity High School in 2009. Wanting to follow in his grandfather’s footsteps, Michael enlisted in the United States Army as a combat medic. There, he was put through a six week emergency medical technician class and earned national certification as an EMT.

Shortly after his arrival to his duty station at Fort Bliss, Texas, Michael was involved in a hiking accident where he fell over forty feet, breaking his back, elbows, wrists and left ankle. After a year and a half of physical therapy, perseverance, and determination, he was unable to meet the requirements to be released for active duty and was ultimately medically discharged.

Unsure what he wanted to do with the rest of his life, Michael followed his high school sweetheart to Kilgore, Texas and secured employment with East Texas Medical Center EMS in 2013. In 2014, Michael was privileged to enroll in the ETMC EMS Paramedic program. After 11 months of intense training and clinicals, all while employed full time, he earned national and state certification as a Paramedic in February of 2015.

Michael Griffith strives to be the standard bearer for EMS. He gives 100 percent in all aspects of life and his chosen career. One of Michael’s strongest virtues is his desire to improve. Although he places in our strongest group of Paramedics with regard to clinical ability, it is his consistent, intentional efforts to improve that separate him from others.

Michael is a very compassionate person who was drawn to this field due to his caring nature. He always thinks of others first whether it is the patient, the patient’s family members, or first responders on the scene. Michael is willing to share his knowledge with student riders and first responders, and is able to do so in a manner that never comes across in an arrogant or negative fashion. His dedication to his profession and the ETMC EMS organization is obvious to all who are blessed to make his acquaintance.

Michael traveled a long way from New Jersey to Texas and we are pleased he decided to make the journey. Most of us will face a time in which we need emergency medical assistance. When your time comes and you look up to see Michael Griffith’s face and hear his calm, reassuring voice, you can rest easy as you are in highly capable hands!

Ramona Hanks was chosen as Acadian’s Texas EMT of the Year. Mona is one of Acadian’s original Texas pioneers, joining Acadian in 2006. She serves on the Employee Stock Ownership Plan Committee advocating employee ownership to her fellow co-workers, and is also on the Safety Committee and a member of the Critical Incident Stress/Peer-Support Team.

Mona also works with the Bridge City Fire Department, serves on the board of the Golden Triangle Special Olympics, and volunteers in her church. She has been honored as a previous winner of the Southeast Texas EMT of the Year award and has received the Acadian Pride award, the Acadian Spirit award and four Meritorious Service awards for exemplary service.

“I always wanted to be an EMT,” Mona said. “I love what I do. I’m the one who’s able to let the family know what’s going on. My goal is to better myself as a partner and to help with the whole picture—the patient, the family, and the facility.”

Bryan has lived in White Settlement, Texas, just a few miles away from MedStar’s headquarters, all his life. He is a volunteer with his hometown fire department and has been with MedStar for two years. MedStar was his first EMS position, and he plans on making EMS his life-long profession by attending paramedic school in the near future.

When asked about what he likes most about EMS, Bryan is quick to highlight his desire to help people, and to make every interaction, with every patient, the best it can be—even at some of the most challenging moments in someone’s life.

Bryan was selected for the Star of Life honor because of his incredible work ethic, dependability, commitment to excellence, and customer service.

Bryan is very excited about his trip to Washington, D.C. for two major reasons; to meet other Stars from across the country, and because this will be his first ever trip to Washington. MedStar is proud to nominate Bryan Harrell as a 2016 American Ambulance Association Star of Life.

Rick Hyatt is originally from the small town of Aurora, Texas, where he developed his personable and kind demeanor. He joined the EMS profession in 1991.

Rick’s current role at MedStar is as our medical records coordinator. In this position, Rick helps ensure that patient care reports are correctly completed, and assists MedStar field employees in learning the best way to provide a complete medical record. What he likes most about his role is the diversity. He gets to do what he loves most; EMS, education, and problem-solving for MedStar’s team members. Prior to joining the medical records team, Rick gained experience as a field paramedic and field-training officer, and has also previously worked as a schoolteacher.

Rick was selected for the Star of Life honor because of his incredible work ethic, dependability, commitment to excellence, and customer service.

He is very excited about his trip to Washington, D.C. for two reasons, to meet other Stars from across the country, and because this will be his first ever trip to Washington.

MedStar is proud to recognize Rick Hyatt as an American Ambulance Association 2016 Star of Life.

Erin Lally is Acadian’s Paramedic of the Year for Texas operations. Erin joined Acadian in 2008 and became a Paramedic in 2011. Also a Critical Care Paramedic, Erin provides a higher level of care and increases safety for critically ill and injured patients being transported from hospital to hospital. She also maintains an outstanding HSE performance record, creating a more positive work environment.

While she is an active volunteer for the Bridge City Fire Department, her long-term goal is to become a Flight Paramedic. In addition to being an outstanding clinician, Erin is a strong advocate for customer service.

Erin is invested in the success of Acadian in Texas and demonstrates this by her dedication to her patients and her involvement in her community. Erin says, “Acadian has helped me grow as a person and as a Paramedic. I love my patients, and I love my job.”