Recognizing the 2024 Aaa Stars of Life
Floor Speech
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Mr. BENTZ. Mr. Speaker, I rise today to recognize the members of the emergency medical services (EMS) profession who dedicate their lives to providing often lifesaving medical care and transport services to patients as well as entire communities. These health care professionals are on the frontlines of providing vital emergency 9-1-1 and interfacility ambulance services.
Every year, the dispatch of an ambulance is the first response to millions of medical emergencies. Often, the survival of a patient is enhanced by the prompt medical attention provided by paramedics and emergency medical technicians (EMTs) prior to the arrival at an emergency department. As a result of the selfless acts of these courageous and devoted professions, the lives of thousands of Americans are saved each year. While these professionals do not expect to receive recognition for their work, they deserve our outmost gratitude.
I would like to highlight a very special group of EMS professionals or ``Stars of Life'' who were honored this by the American Ambulance Association. These Stars of Life are meeting with their members of Congress this week and I strongly encourage my colleagues to take the time to chat with these exceptional individuals.
The American Ambulance Association honors each year those paramedics, emergency medical technicians, dispatchers and other ambulance service personnel who exemplify what is best about the EMS field. The American Ambulance Association has appropriately designated these individuals as ``Stars of Life''. Past Stars of Life have included paramedics and EMTs who were part of evacuation and response efforts to natural disasters, acts of terrorism and public health emergencies. Members of this year's Stars of Life program are no different and were involved with exceptional acts such as delivering and saving a baby born pulseless during transport to a hospital and extracting a patient involved in a fiery car crash and then providing critical medical care.
Of equal importance, this program also pays tribute to those ambulance service personnel whose heroic acts or community service activities may not have made the news, but were just as meaningful to the people they aided. They are truly America's health care safety net.
I am especially proud of the five Stars of Life from Oregon being recognized this year who serve Oregonians with pride. They are Aubree Arneson, Jorge Garcia, Jason Hodges, Don Marr and Joe Scott. I had the opportunity to meet with Jorge Garcia with Umpqua Valley Ambulance from Roseburg, Oregon today and can tell you he is a fIrst-class EMS professional who deeply cares about his community and his patients.
Mr. Speaker, I include in the Record the names, organizations and hometowns of the 2024 American Ambulance Association Stars of Life honorees. ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Names Company Location Display ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Frank Alba................................... American Medical Response....... Kansas City, KS Johan Alvarado............................... Air Evac Lifeteam............... Laredo, TX Aubree Arneson............................... Cal-Ore Life Flight............. Brookings, OR Adam Aronberg................................ Northwell Health System Center Norwalk, CT for EMS. Glenn Arremony............................... Hartford HealthCare EMS Network. Meriden, CT Robyn Asher.................................. Priority Ambulance, LLC......... Oak Ridge, TN Krystal Barboza.............................. Hall Ambulance Service.......... Bakersfield, CA Keone Bareng................................. Life EMS Ambulance.............. Grand Rapids, MI Henry Barsh.................................. American Medical Response....... Philadelphia, PA John Basile.................................. Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Highland, IN Service. Jason Baum................................... Falck........................... Orange, CA Alec Belau................................... Priority Ambulance, LLC......... Phoenix, AZ Antoine Berenger............................. Rural Metro Fire................ Tempe, AZ Samantha Blackwell........................... Acadian Ambulance............... Lafayette, LA Cornelius Brady.............................. VMSC Emergency Medical Services. Lansdale, PA Spencer Brittain............................. Life EMS........................ Enid, OK Gregg Bulman................................. Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance... Dorchester, IA Jade Calvin.................................. Bell Ambulance, Inc............. Waukesha, WI Jeremiah Capps............................... Superior Mobile Health.......... Converse, TX Josh Cavaness................................ EagleMed........................ Chanute, KS Emily Chandler............................... American Medical Response....... Duxbury, MA Cassandra Clark.............................. Medix Ambulance Service Inc..... Vancouver, WA Eric Constantine............................. Medic Ambulance Service Inc..... Santa Rosa, CA Jason Cooke.................................. Priority Ambulance, LLC......... Darlington, SC Bernard Cote................................. Rescue Inc...................... Newfane, VT Janiece Cox.................................. Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Valparaiso, IN Service. Brandi Crist................................. Metropolitan EMS................ Bigelow, AR Andrew Davalos............................... American Medical Response....... Rancho Cucamonga, CA Dwight Derby................................. Advanced Life Systems, Inc...... Selah, WA Michael Dobrosky............................. Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Genoa, OH Service. Dianna Drake................................. Hartford HealthCare EMS Network. Meriden, CT Nate Dutt.................................... Sanford Ambulance............... Fargo, ND Amie Ebarb................................... Southern Oklahoma Ambulance Ardmore, OK Service. Riggs Egolf.................................. American Medical Response....... Hampton, VA Yahya Elshawarbi............................. Falck........................... Orange, CA Steve Emery.................................. Priority Ambulance, LLC......... Indianapolis, IN Aidan Enders................................. Mohawk Ambulance Service........ Delanson, NY Juvencio Estrada............................. Air Evac Lifeteam............... Laredo, TX William Fisher............................... Air Evac Lifeteam............... Walnut Ridge, AR Jason Florance............................... American Medical Response....... Overbrook, KS Eric Foell................................... Regional Ambulance Service, Inc. Rutland, VT Robert Ford.................................. Lifenet Inc..................... Stillwater, OK John Frierson................................ Lifenet Inc..................... Wake Village, TX Jorge Garcia................................. Umpqua Valley Ambulance......... Roseburg, OR Hope Garrison................................ Lifenet Inc..................... Royal, AR Craig Gesterling............................. Sunstar Paramedics.............. St. Petersburg, FL Taylor Gibson................................ Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service... Rochester, MN Jacob Gilmore................................ Mohawk Ambulance Service........ Burnt Hills, NY Wayne Gooding................................ Emergent Health Partners........ Jackson, MI Jessup Grogan................................ Metropolitan EMS................ Little Rock, AR Kenneth Guzman............................... Northwell Health System Center Farmingville, NY for EMS. Diamond Hall................................. Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Oak Park, IL Service of Illinois. Morgan Halliburton........................... Pro Med Ambulance............... Maynard, AR Scotland Hamlin.............................. American Medical Response....... Orlando, FL Kayleen Harding.............................. Priority Ambulance, LLC......... Fort Washakie, WY Josh Harrington.............................. Sunstar Paramedics.............. Tampa, FL John Hathaway................................ Spirit Medical Transport, LLC... Greenville, OH Robert Hatzikonstantis....................... Armstrong Ambulance Service..... Arlington, MA William Helm, Jr............................. REMSA Health.................... Reno, NV Jason Henry.................................. Rural Metro Fire................ Mesa, AZ Kylend Hetherington.......................... Medstar Ambulance............... Auburn, MI Jon Hibbard.................................. Action Ambulance Service, Inc... Tuftonboro, NH Timothy Hinchcliff........................... Burholme Emergency Medical Philadelphia, PA Services. Jason Hodges................................. American Medical Response....... Wilsonvolle, OR Royce Hsiung................................. Lakes Region EMS................ North Branch, MN Alan Hughry.................................. Medic Ambulance Service Inc..... Vallejo, CA Kristen Hunter............................... Action Ambulance Service, Inc... Southboro, MA Heather James................................ American Medical Response....... Hogansville, GA Lillie Jamison............................... Priority Ambulance, LLC......... Nesbit, MS Steve Jaskot................................. Emergent Health Partners........ Chelsea, MI Brian Keith.................................. Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Oshkosh, WI Service. David Kingdon................................ American Medical Response....... Wailuku, HI Alissa Krisher............................... Superior Air-Ground Ambulance New London, WI Service. Daniel Laguna................................ REACH........................... North Salt Lake, UT Matthew Lambert.............................. Lifeguard Ambulance Service..... Florence, AL Carla Landrum................................ Priority Ambulance, LLC......... Buchanan, GA Miki Leslie.................................. American Medical Response....... White Swan, WA William Loftus-Rooney........................ Cataldo Ambulance Service, Inc.. Holyoke, MA George Lombardo.............................. Superior Mobile Health.......... Kirby, TX Patti Ludvig McCartney....................... Life EMS Ambulance.............. Portage, MI Eric Lumpkin................................. Priority Ambulance, LLC......... Dacula, GA Don Marr..................................... Bay City Ambulance.............. Coos Bay, OR James Martin................................. Pafford EMS..................... Tulsa, OK Maurice Matthews............................. Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Berkley, MI Service. Amanda McQuistian............................ Priority Ambulance, LLC......... Hampton, VA Alyssa Meier................................. Life Line Ambulance............. Prescott, AZ Eli Melamed.................................. Life Line Ambulance............. Prescott Valley, AZ Shelly Miller................................ Mecklenburg EMS Agency.......... Charlotte, NC Loren Mitchell............................... Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance... Waterloo, IA Michael Mitchell............................. Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Yorkville, IL Service. Kevin Moore.................................. Cataldo Ambulance Service, Inc.. Newburyport, MA Amber Munch.................................. East Baton Rouge Parish EMS..... Baton Rouge, LA Scott Munoz.................................. Missoula Emergency Services..... Frenchtown, MT Adam Mysona.................................. Falck........................... Aurora, CO Philip Neff.................................. Falck........................... La Palma, CA Shellaine Novak.............................. PatientCare EMS................. Sioux Falls, SD Stacy Omdahl................................. LifeCare EMS.................... Roseau, MN Megan Overbeck............................... Abbott EMS...................... Decatur, IL Michael Penna................................ American Medical Response....... Grand Terrace, CA Lori Peterson................................ Medstar Ambulance............... Shelby Twp, MI Jon Jakob Peterson........................... Sanford Ambulance............... Fargo, ND Emily Robillard.............................. East Baton Rouge Parish EMS..... New Roads, LA Kevin Rochford............................... American Medical Response....... Temple, TX Brian Rogers................................. Superior Air-Ground Ambulance Ontario, OH Service. Daniel Schaefer.............................. Metro-Area Ambulance Service.... Mandan, ND Madison Schatzer............................. McClain-Grady County EMS........ Moore, OK Mark Schiltz................................. Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance... Caledonia, MN Ryan Schott.................................. Mecklenburg EMS Agency.......... Charlotte, NC Joe Scott.................................... Medix Ambulance Service Inc..... Warrenton, OR Allison Sharp................................ East Baton Rouge Parish EMS..... Baton Rouge, LA Faith Shuff.................................. Priority Ambulance, LLC......... Oxford, GA Nicole Silver................................ Northwell Health System Center Staten Island, NY for EMS. Dale Simmons................................. Mercy Ambulance Service, Inc.... Savannah, GA Lance Smeal.................................. American Medical Response....... Lockport, NY Chad Smith................................... Priority Ambulance, LLC......... Mohawk, NY Robin Smith.................................. Priority Ambulance, LLC......... Nashville, TN Thomas Smith................................. EMSA............................ Claremore, OK Raquel Soto.................................. American Medical Response....... Newington, CT Jason Southard............................... American Medical Response....... Tucson, AZ Allen Steele................................. Priority Ambulance, LLC......... Darlington, SC Savannah Steele Welch........................ Acadian Ambulance............... West Monroe, LA Ambrose Stevens.............................. American Medical Response....... Redding, CA Dalton Stewart............................... Pafford EMS..................... Boyle, MS Sam Swanson.................................. Hall Ambulance Service.......... Bakersfield, CA Jessicah Sweet............................... Monticello Ambulance Service.... Monticello, AR Sam Sye...................................... Gundersen Tri-State Ambulance... Mindoro, WI Keri Taylor.................................. EMSA............................ Oklahoma City, OK Nikki Taylor................................. Metropolitan EMS................ North Little Rock, AR Heather Teague............................... Mecklenburg EMS Agency.......... Charlotte, NC Shane Terry.................................. Air Evac Lifeteam............... Snyder, TX Chris Thomason............................... Pro Med Ambulance............... El Dorado, AR Cynthia Torkelson............................ Gundersen Tri-State............. Monona, IA Richelle Treece.............................. REACT EMS....................... Shawnee, OK David Trimberger............................. Pafford EMS..................... Edmond, OK Cheryl VanSeters............................. Life EMS Ambulance.............. Grand Rapids, MI Andrew Clei Varela........................... American Medical Response....... Keyes, CA Lucie Walters................................ AirMed International............ Foley, AL Nicole Warren................................ Air Evac Lifeteam............... Osceola, AR Andrew Watson................................ EMSA............................ Oklahoma City, OK Paul Winter.................................. Hartford HealthCare EMS Network. Shelton, CT Amy Wollenburg............................... Mayo Clinic Ambulance Service... Austin, MN Haywad Yusufzai.............................. Armstrong Ambulance Service..... Arlington, MA Ronnie Zermeno............................... Pafford EMS..................... Sherwood, AR ----------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------
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