In a busy day for the Department of Emergency Medicine, a new division was announced followed by an awards ceremony where the department honored the 2024 Emergency Medical Services Providers of the Year.
At the first event, Samuel Keim, MD, MSc, chair of the Department of Emergency Medicine, and Joshua Gaither, MD, professor of emergency medicine, announced the approval of the new Division of Emergency Medical Services. Dr. Gaither has been appointed as chief of the new division.
“Our goal is to improve every aspect of what you do, whether that's cardiac arrest, survival, trauma care or special operations,” Dr. Gaither said at the event to an audience of EMS partners from the Tucson area. “We want to be the resource that you go to, to help make the outstanding work that you do even better. We're very fortunate we have a ton of outstanding partners.”
After the division announcement, the group switched focus to the Emergency Medical Services Providers of the Year awards ceremony, where the department recognized outstanding providers who were nominated by local partners. The ceremony is part of National EMS Week, and this year marks the first award ceremony since the COVID-19 pandemic.
The ceremony is a chance to thank and recognize EMS providers and honor specific EMTs and paramedics who went above and beyond in the last year. Winners were chosen by their
medical directors, superior officers and peers, and rewarded with a certificate of recognition and a challenge coin.
The winners announced included:
South Campus Base Hospital
Tucson Airport Authority:
Fabian Sanchez
162nd Wing Air National Guard:
Thomas Bailey
Arizona Ambulance / AMR Southern Arizona
Andrew Asleen
Tucson Campus Base Hospital
Sonoita-Elgin Fire District:
Jeffrey Binder
Rio Rico Fire District:
Karla Manjarrez
UEMS:
Ella Randolph
USAF 48th Rescue Squadron
Pararescueman SSgt. Josiah Tvrdik
Northwest Fire District
Jeramiah Enriquez
Golder Ranch Fire District
370 A Shift:
Brett Moffett, Ryan Hoffman, Ryan Kreitner, JR Colby, Kyle Milligan, Victor Campos-Cerna, Jose Cornejo
Tucson Fire Department
Frank Flores
Special Operation
Michael Schertz
EMS Degree Program
EMT Student of the Year:
Andrew Lance
EMS Degree Program Outstanding Senior:
Alec Rodarte