FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Date: May 18 2022
Contact: Jon Ebelt, Public Information Officer, DPHHS, (406) 444-0936, (406) 461-3757, jebelt@mt.gov
Chuck Council, Communications Specialist, DPHHS, (406) 444-4391, (406) 461-8367, hcouncil@mt.gov
DPHHS Honors Emergency Medical Services Providers
Emergency medical care personnel from Superior, Billings, Red Lodge, Hamilton, and Great Falls receive awards
HELENA - The Department of Public Health and Human Services (DPHHS) honored Montana Emergency Medical Services (EMS) personnel from Superior, Billings, Red Lodge, Hamilton, and Great Falls during an awards ceremony at the Capitol Rotunda Wednesday, May 18.
The event included an address by Governor Greg Gianforte to representatives from Superior Area Ambulance, St. Vincent’s Help Flight, Red Lodge Fire and Rescue EMS Division, Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office, ten-year old Jeffery Gorton of Great Falls and family members of the late Jim DeTienne.
Governor Gianforte proclaimed May 15-21 as Emergency Medical Services Week and Wednesday, May 18, 2022 as EMS for Children Day.
DPHHS Director Adam Meier said Montana EMS workers rise to the challenge each and every day. He notes workers responded to more than 96,000 9-1-1 calls and transported more than 27,000 patients between healthcare facilities last year. “They are there to answer the emergent medical need in their community day or night,” Meier said. “EMS is the backbone element of Montana’s emergency care access system. These life-saving heroes deserve a tremendous amount of recognition for the service they provide.”
Nominated by their peers, awards were presented to:
- Volunteer EMS Provider of the Year Award, Anita Parkin, Superior Area Ambulance, Superior. This award honors a volunteer EMS provider who is exemplary in his/her quality of patient care and dedication to their community.
Anita was nominated by Karyn Thornton, PAC/Medical Director for Superior Area Ambulance.
About Anita: Anita has been an EMT for over 40 years. She is recognized as a leader and mentor in the community. She has served as an EMT, and also in the capacity of Search and Rescue leader and member, EMS training officer, dispatcher, sheriff, EMT lead instructor, and coroner. She continues to teach an EMT course and respond to EMS calls on a regular basis. She remains working in fire/EMS and is a medical unit leader and serves on a fire incident command team.
“Anita is a lady of compassion and energy,” Thornton said. “She is ingrained in this small community. We all know what an EMT in a small town does, but she does that and more. At age 73, her energy is perhaps now equal to the rest of us mere mortals.”
- Career EMS Provider of the Year Award, Stephanie Rickbeil, Paramedic, St. Vincent Help Flight, Billings. This award is for a career EMS provider who exemplifies quality of care and dedication to the community.
Stephanie was nominated by Lundy Gurchiek, NRP, Service Manager of Laurel Ambulance.
About Stephanie: Stephanie has worked as a paramedic in Montana since 1998 when she completed her paramedic education at MSU Billings. She began working in EMS in 1993 after completing her EMT training at Red Lodge Fire EMS. After completing paramedic school, she immediately began working for American Medical Response in Billings and a short time later began working as a flight paramedic for HELP Flight at St. Vincent’s Healthcare where she continues to work.
Her duties at Help Flight go beyond patient care to include overseeing their schedule, updating protocols, providing outreach education for EMS providers and law enforcement both in Yellowstone County and surrounding areas. According to coworkers “she is the glue that holds the team together.”
“Stephanie has committed her entire adult life to providing exceptional patient care to our community and its neighbors,” Gurchiek said. “EMS is a very difficult career. It’s hard on your body, long shifts, working nights, weekends and holidays. This is a career that few can do for as many years as Stephanie, and she still does it with love and compassion. She has worked hard to pass on this compassion by her continued commitment to teaching to other responders. She is a mentor and inspiration to many.”
- EMS Agency of the Year Award, Red Lodge Fire Rescue EMS Division, Red Lodge. An EMS Agency of the Year exhibits dedication to improving patient care through education, injury prevention, community awareness, medical director involvement and collaboration with surrounding EMS services.
Red Lodge Fire Rescue EMS was nominated by Gurchiek.
About Red Lodge Fire Rescue EMS: Red Lodge Fire Rescue is a combination career/volunteer service that provides both fire and EMS response to the community of Red Lodge as well as the surrounding area. They are willing to respond significant distances outside of their service area for mutual aid for surrounding services that are not able to keep up with staffing and response demands.
“They have staff that helped create ideas and pave the way for community paramedicine in our state,” Gurchiek said. “They provide amazing resources and show the rest of us what that kind of non-emergency care can do for our communities.”
- 911 Dispatcher of the Year Award, Amy Cianflone, Hamilton.
This award recognizes a 911 dispatcher who has shown exemplary performance of duties as the “first, first responder” in medical emergencies.
Amy was nominated by Lt. Zae Hudson, Ravalli County Sheriff’s Office.
About Amy: Amy has worked for the Ravalli County 911 Center for 21 years. Along with her dispatch duties, she is also an Emergency Medical Dispatch Lead Instructor/Evaluator, Team Leader, CJIN TAC, and CTO Trainer and Training Coordinator. She was instrumental in assisting with building our Emergency Medical Dispatch criteria, training program and evaluation program and our EMD policy and procedures.
“One of Amy’s major contributions was convincing our department how important it is to give 911 dispatchers an opportunity to make a difference in life and death medical emergencies before first responders get boots on the ground,” Hudson said. “During these last three years, our 911 team has made a difference in thousands of medical emergencies under the Amy’s watchful eye and excellent mentoring.”
- EMS Supporter of the Year Award, the late Jim DeTienne. This award honors an individual who has demonstrated exceptional support for EMS, EMS agencies and the broader EMS system.
Jim was nominated by Terry Mullins, EMS Trauma and Systems Section Supervisor for DPHHS.
About Jim: Jim , who passed away last December, had a 40-year EMS career. He served as EMS service manager in Sheridan and Lewis and Clark counties, state EMT training coordinator, state EMS Licensing Coordinator and state EMS and Trauma System Supervisor. He held many regional and national roles and was the President of the National Association of state EMS directors. DeTienne was instrumental in bringing high-fidelity simulation training to Montana through a grant from the Leona M. and Harry B. Helmsley Charitable Trust and in supporting legislative efforts to support community paramedicine in Montana.
“All of us at the EMS and Trauma Systems Section remember his sense of humor, the twinkle in his eye, and his dedication to rural EMS,” Mullins said. “Jim certainly left behind an amazing legacy through his steadfast service to the State of Montana.”
- The EMS Heroes Award, Jeffry Gorton, Great Falls. This award recognizes an individual whose actions contributed to saving a life and who remained calm in the face of a crisis.
Jeffery was nominated by Robin Suzor, coordinator of the Emergency Medical Services for Children Program for DPHHS.
About Jeffery Gorton: Jeffery learned how to call 911 during first-grade year at Longfellow Elementary school in Great Falls. Earlier this year he used that knowledge to call 911 when his mom, Tara, suffered an allergic reaction and experienced difficulty breathing. Following this event, Jeffery has helped teach other kids about the importance of knowing how to call 911 and knowing their home address.
“When faced with a life-saving situation, Jeffery remained calm and did what needed to get done in an emergency situation,” Suzor said. “We should all hope to respond in the same manner. He is truly an inspiration and an example for other Montana youth.”
At left is 911 Dispatcher of the Year Amy Cianflone of Hamilton. The EMS Agency of the Year Award went to Red Lodge Fire Rescue EMS (pictured below).
