News

For Immediate Release

May 12, 2021 (Updated May 17)

Contact Amanda Riordan Telephone 703-615-4492 Email maa@ambulance.org Website www.massambulance.org

Massachusetts Ambulance Association Honors EMS Providers with Convoy of Champions Parade, Stars of Life Awards During EMS Week

Bedford, MA—The Massachusetts Ambulance Association will celebrate the exceptional dedication of the Commonwealth’s emergency medical services (EMS) professionals during the 46^th Annual National EMS Week. On May 18, the MAA will host the second annual Convoy of Champions ambulance parade as well as the first-ever Massachusetts Stars of Life awards ceremony to recognize specific field providers for their personal contributions to their communities.

Second Annual Convoy of Champions Parade

A parade of ambulances (“Convoy of Champions”) will depart UMass Medical Science Park in Worcester at 12:00 noon on Tuesday, May 18, with an expected arrival at Boston MedFlight in Bedford at 1:00pm. Participating ambulance providers hail from across Massachusetts and will be escorted on the highway by the Massachusetts State Police. A UMass Memorial LifeFlight air ambulance will also fly over the parade route.

Inaugural Massachusetts Stars of Life Award Ceremony

At this year’s inaugural Massachusetts Ambulance Association Stars of Life event, exemplary mobile healthcare professionals will be honored with medallions in recognition of their service. The Massachusetts Stars of Life program showcases the contributions of ambulance professionals who have gone above and beyond the call of duty in service to their communities or the EMS profession in our state. The program recognizes the dedication of these heroes while shining light on the critical role EMS plays in our health care infrastructure, especially in the face of the crucial role that mobile healthcare has provided in COVID-19 testing and vaccination.

Speakers include MAA President Dennis Cataldo, Boston MedFlight CEO Maura Hughes, and 2021 Massachusetts College of Emergency Physicians (MACEP) ER Physician of the Year Dr. Paul Biddinger of Mass General Brigham Hospital. US Senator Edward Markey and Lieutenant Governor Karyn Polito will appear via video as well to congratulate the honorees. The 2021 Massachusetts Stars of Life are:

• Chris Bargmann, Paramedic, Northern Berkshire EMS
• Todd Beaudet, EMT, Atlantic Ambulance Service
• George Beckwith, EMT, Northern Berkshire EMS
• Erica Bulshey, Advanced EMT, County Ambulance Service
• Stacy Caterina, Paramedic/MIH Paramedic, Cataldo Ambulance
• Shaun Churchill, Paramedic/Base Supervisor, Armstrong Ambulance Service
• Cassandra Cohen, EMT, Boston EMS
• Mark Davenport, EMT, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Ambulance Service
• Chris Farley, Critical Care Transport EMT, Boston MedFlight
• Ronald Gigliotti, EMS Lieutenant, Worcester EMS
• Ross Griffin, EMT/Field Training Officer, Armstrong Ambulance Service 
• Kristen Hunter, EMT, Action Ambulance Service Inc
•  Shawn Hunter, EMT B & Education Manager, Trinity EMS
• Fred Jeffries, Critical Care Transport Paramedic, Boston MedFlight
• Camron Kennedy, Paramedic, Patriot Ambulance
• Kevin LaPierre, Paramedic, Action Ambulance Service Inc
• Mackenzie Mills, EMT, Boston EMS
• Lana Poirier, Paramedic, Trinity EMS
• Shannon Regan, Paramedic/Field Training Officer, County Ambulance Service
• Patrick Ring, Paramedic, Worcester EMS
• Kevin Robischeau, Paramedic, Fallon Ambulance / Transformative Health Care
• Yianni Smiliotopoulos, Field Training Officer, Fallon Ambulance / Transformative Health Care
• Robert Tetreault, EMT, LifeLine Ambulance / Transformative Health Care
• Glen Timmons, Mobile Healthcare Paramedic, Spaulding Rehabilitation Hospital Ambulance Service
• Antonio Velazquez, EMT, Patriot Ambulance

Timeline of Events for May 18

• 11:30 - Ambulances driven by Stars of Life arrive at UMass Medical Science Park (381 Plantation Street, Worcester) for line-up and boxed lunch.
• 12:00 - Convoy of Champions leaves Worcester for Boston MedFlight
• 13:00 - Convoy of Champions arrives at Boston MedFlight hangar (150 Hanscom Dr, Bedford, MA 01730)
• 13:10 - Massachusetts Stars of Life Medallion and Pin Ceremony at the Boston MedFlight Hangar
• 14:30 – Adjournment

Media are invited to join the Convoy in Worcester and/or at the Boston MedFlight Hangar in Bedford. Interviews are available with Massachusetts Ambulance Association leaders as well as the Star of Life heroes.

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About the Massachusetts Ambulance Association

The Massachusetts Ambulance Association’s membership is composed of more than 30 ambulance service providers from across the Commonwealth. MAA’s 6,000 employees provide 70% of the emergency medical services transports in Massachusetts. Together, MAA members advocate for high-quality, sustainable mobile healthcare.

About EMS Week (May 16–22, 2021)

During the 46^th Annual National EMS Week, communities will honor frontline heroes who provide emergency medical care that saves and sustains so many lives every day. The 2021 EMS Week theme is "THIS IS EMS: Caring for Our Communities." 

Kevin Robischeau
Paramedic
Transformative Healthcare

Kevin has been with our team for almost 34 years. He has displayed such dedication, and is one of our hardest workers. Kevin is always willing to pick up extra shifts and help the team however he can.

John (Yanni) Smiliotopoulos
Field Training Officer
Fallon Ambulance
Transformative Healthcare

Yanni has 8 years of experience in EMS. He has worked at Fallon for 6 years! He is a great role model for new team members and it a very valuable Field Training Officer. Previously, Yanni was a small business owner for 16 years. He also works as Head of Security at a local restaurant in Cambridge. His hobbies include cooking and drumming!

MacKenzie Mills
EMT
Boston EMS

On Sunday March 14th, while working in Ambulance 22, Boston EMS EMT Mackenzie Mills and her partner, EMT Cassandra Cohen, came upon a 3-story building in Dorchester with fire showing on the top floor. After alerting Dispatch Operations of the fire, prompting a Fire Department response, they entered the building. Without regard for their own safety, they heroically went floor to floor, ensuring all occupants safely evacuated the building. EMT Mills and EMT Cohen reflect the highest standards of EMS professionals.

Cassandra Cohen
EMT
Boston EMS

On Sunday March 14th, while working in Ambulance 22, Boston EMS EMT Cassandra Cohen and her partner, EMT Mackenzie Mills, came upon a 3-story building in Dorchester with fire showing on the top floor. After alerting Dispatch Operations of the fire, prompting a Fire Department response, they entered the building. Without regard for their own safety, they heroically went floor to floor, ensuring all occupants safely evacuated the building. EMT Cohen and EMT Mills reflect the highest standards of EMS professionals.

Shannon Regan
Paramedic & Field Training Officer
County Ambulance

Shannon began her career at County Ambulance Service in 2009 as a Basic EMT. Shannon received her Paramedic certification in 2012 and is constantly working to increase her knowledge and competency. She has attained her certification as an ACLS instructor and tactical combat casualty care. Shannon has become on of County's lead ALS field training officers.

Shannon is tenacious in her review and knowledge of the statewide treatment protocols and company policies. She is known for clinical excellence and ability to keep teamwork at the forefront when dealing with complicated calls. She also has an excellent rapport with her orientees always providing real time evaluations and feedback. She is not afraid to share her vast knowledge of emergency care at the street level as well as the hospital setting always striving to make the system better.

When not at work this happy go lucky professional can be found hiking the many trails in the Berkshires or at the beach with her son (Noah), if this wasn't enough Shannon is affectionately known as the chicken queen raising them in her off time.

County Ambulance is proud of the impact Shannon makes and call her a Star of Life!

Chris Farley
Critical Care Transport EMT
Boston Medflight

Boston MedFlight was fortunate to hire Chris in February 2020. Although he had worked in EMS in the Merrimack Valley since 2011, he clearly explained to us that he wanted to assure he had the experience and knowledge necessary before moving into critical care transport with Boston MedFlight. Chris was a standout EMT providing BLS 911 emergency services to Lawrence General Hospital prior to BMF and he has continued that performance ever since.

Almost immediately after Chris completed training and orientation with Boston MedFlight, we were confronted with the COVID pandemic onslaught. Chris helped develop our COVID protection and decontamination protocols and assured all our crews were adequately trained. Not a showy guy, Chris is the quiet professional who can always be counted on to ensure quality patient care. He maintains a spotless safe driving record, cleans the trucks without anyone asking, inspects his vehicle thoroughly, writes up discrepancies and does all the daily work expected of an EMT professional. It is the things he does beyond the job description that make him a Star. He motivates his crew when the shift gets long; he assists the nurse and paramedics with restocking and decontaminating the vehicles; he provides bedside care and support for our patients, and their family members; and readily offers his time to cover open shifts or reposition vehicles for maintenance.

Few would know it, but Chris began his working life as a professional baseball player. Pitching in the Boston Red Sox, New York Yankees and St. Louis Cardinals organizations, Chris spend nearly ten years in the minor leagues before an injury led him to a second career in healthcare. And he chose his second career wisely. His friendly, unassuming demeanor exudes caring confidence that makes him popular with our patients, families and crews.

Chris is the whole package: a talented healthcare provider, a dedicated employee, a caring individual, and a friend to his coworkers. He is truly deserving of the Star of Life award and recognition.

Fred Jeffries
Critical Care Transport Paramedic
Boston Medflight

Fred Jeffries, EMT-P, came to Boston MedFlight in January 2011 as an experienced flight paramedic. Fred had spent years learning and perfecting his critical care transport skills working for helicopter air ambulance providers in Northern California.

Fred immediately adapted to his new environment and the wide scope of critical care Boston MedFlight provides to our region. After only a few years on the line as a shift paramedic, Fred volunteered to become a preceptor and eventually clinical educator for Boston MedFlight. As an educator, Fred has the tremendous responsibility to educate and orient new clinical staff. He often takes new hires from general nursing or trauma care nursing experience to critical care expertise. Additionally, through his personal interest in safety, he has taken on the role as our crew resource management trainer, understanding and teaching that essential communication link between the aviation and clinical professionals.

Many people see problem areas, but Fred is the person who sees the problem and takes action! Fred recognized a lack of familiarization and safety training for clinical staff flying in our turboprop airplane. This lack of familiarization caused a hesitance for crews to transport patients in this vehicle. Tackling the problem head on, Fred developed a training syllabus that addressed many areas of concern, taught safety procedures and included hands-on simulation, inflight to gain acceptance by the crews. His training program has been a model for our other vehicle indoctrination program.

Fred Jeffries is a talented clinician and educator, a caring healthcare professional and truly deserving of the Star of Life award and recognition.

Erica Bulshey
Advanced EMT
County Ambulance

Erica joined County Ambulance Service as a Basic EMT in 2008 after serving as a volunteer first responder with the Florida Fire Department beginning 2001. She became an Advanced EMT in 2011 and is currently studying to obtain her paramedic certification.

Erica has always been known for her willingness to help under any circumstances but has really made her mark during the pandemic. She was one of the original members of the County Ambulance COVID response team. Erica has taken a lead role on the team helping coordinate the many testing operations and most recently assisting with our vaccination site efforts.

When not at work caring for those in need or one of our many testing/vaccinations sites Erica enjoys her greatest hobby - being a "fur" mom to her three dogs (Jax, Sadie and Luna)!

We at County Ambulance are proud to call Erica a star!

Stacy Caterina
MIH Paramedic
Cataldo Ambulance

Like many in EMS, Stacy got her start after a traumatic incident. Her father,a State Police officer, was killed in a motorcycle accident. It was a Lynn Fire Rescue paramedic that suggested EMS as a career option for her. Starting as an EMT with Cataldo eleven years ago, changed her life. The recipient of a paramedic scholarship, Stacy has become a seasoned clinician who now supports other paramedics and has recently gone on to become a MIH paramedic, furthering her dedication to caring for those in need.

When she’s not in uniform as a paramedic, Stacy Caterina still uses her time to support others. One place you might find her is training local fire departments on the use of autism-friendly techniques. Raised in Lynn and living in Peabody, she has always been focused on supporting her community. In part due to her efforts, local fire rescue teams now integrate these new skills in support of the autism community. She has also raised thousands of dollars to support impoverished families in Lynn, and regularly rallies fellow EMS colleagues to support shelters, DCF and Head Start programs.

The parent of an autistic child, a full time mom raising four children and juggling a busy schedule, Stacy always has time to share her energy and enthusiasm for her patients and her community. She has had significant challenges to face, and through each she has found a way to create something of value, enriching other people’s lives in the process.