News

George Beckwith
EMT
Northern Berkshire EMS

George Beckwith started his career with Northern Berkshire EMS, formally known as North Adams Ambulance back in 1989. That’s right, George has been serving the residents of Northern Berkshire County for longer than most of our current employees have been alive.

George has been an EMT for the better part of 30 years, and while in EMS you can never say “you’ve seen it all”, George has most certainly experienced more excitement, loss, trials, and tribulations than your average bear. The war stories George has accumulated over the years are unmatched. You can always find him in the bay sharing a tale from back in the day when Paramedics didn’t exist and you had to improvise with what you had on the rig.

With those years of service comes knowledge, understanding and a sense of calmness even in the most chaotic scenes. George has been a constant on the overnight shifts here at NBEMS, a shift that requires all those attributes listed above and then some. Anyone who works overnights understands, it takes a different breed of person to work those hours. Over the years George has taken many a new partner, EMTs and Paramedics alike, and shown them the ropes. George has had a hand in molding many great providers within this agency.

In his off time, you can find George in a different uniform - standing behind home plate on a baseball diamond, or the 50 yard line of the football field. George has been an umpire for the local youth, high school and college sports teams for many a year. Sports are a passion of his and when the seasons are in full swing, George will be on the go from the moment he leaves work at 8am.

Dedication, reliability, humility and a willingness to learn are core values any EMS provider should possess. George embodies all of those traits and many more that he has acquired in his 30+ year career. It is because of these attributes, George’s peers nominated him for this year’s Star of Life recognition. Thank you George for your dedicated service to Northern Berkshire EMS, our employees and the community we serve.

Kristen Hunter
EMT
Action Ambulance

Kristen Hunter is an EMT Basic that joined Action Ambulance in 1995. She has served the Greater Boston community for over 26 years with exceptional patient care. Kristen is repeatedly nominated for recognition on a clinical basis as well as from peers for her willingness to help and teach.

The past year has taken a toll on all EMT’s, however even through a pandemic Kristen has found a way to shine. Her coworkers are always writing to leadership, recognizing her willingness to help fellow employees; stocking trucks, talking through calls, picking up shifts and just being there for fellow coworkers. Her patient care has also been exceptional, Kristen strives to continuously educate herself and treat patients with respect and compassion.

During her off-time Kristen enjoys spending time with her two labs; Liberty and Justice and takes pride in her two children who are now 19 & 21. On a sunny summer day, you may find Kristen in one of her favorite spots on the beach.

Action Ambulance is proud to call Kristen Hunter our 2021 Massachusetts Star of Life.

Kevin LaPierre
Paramedic
Action Ambulance

Kevin LaPierre is a Paramedic and has been with Action Ambulance for over two years. He has had exceptional patient care in his time with us. His skills as a paramedic are passed down to his EMT coworkers as he works a paramedic/basic truck. Recently his skills were put to the test.

Split second thinking and leaning on the basics helped Kevin through a particularly tough call recently when a trailer came in contact with a bicyclist. The trainer ran over the patient, pinning them under and between the two sets of rear tires. When Kevin arrived on scene, all non-medical first responders believed the situation to be grave. Kevin went to work with the second to arrive ambulances paramedic starting and IV and attending to immediate medical needs. They called in a local, nearby forklift and were able to extricate the patient from the trailer. The patient was alert and talking on the way to the hospital despite the extensive injuries. Not only did Kevin show his skills that day, but he showed his dedication to doing everything he can for the patient.

Kevin is also a medic for the South Hadley MA fire department and enjoys spending time with his family.

Action Ambulance is proud to call Kevin LaPierre our 2021 Massachusetts Star of Life.

Patrick Ring
Paramedic
Worcester EMS

Paramedic Ring has been a Worcester EMS paramedic for five years. During his time at WEMS, he has grown tremendously as a clinician and provider. He excels as a Field Training Officer and was recently selected to join the WEMS Tactical EMS group in support of the Massachusetts State Police. Paramedic Ring has been an EMS ambassador for our region while riding in the Fallen Angels Memorial Bike Ride. Most importantly, he is a dedicated and compassionate provider always seeking ways to hone his craft and improve his care. Paramedic Ring continues to make us proud every day and we are proud to have him as one of our 2021 Stars of Life.

Ronald Gigliotti
EMS Lieutenant
Worcester EMS

EMS Lt. Gigliotti is a decades-long EMS provider and a twenty-year veteran at Worcester EMS. His passion for patient care and caring for our providers is his outstanding attribute. He continually looks for ways to make things better for our patients and providers. He has been one of the driving forces on research around assaults on EMS providers and is a published author on EMS peer support and stress. Lt. Gigliotti is always there to lend a hand to help, a shoulder to cry on or an ear to listen. He exemplifies the role of an EMS mentor. He knows and writes the science without losing the hands-on touch of a caring provider. We are grateful for all that Lt. Gigliotti does for us and the patients we serve.

Ross Griffin
EMT & Field Training Officer
Armstrong Ambulance

EMT/Field Training Officer, Ross Griffin, has been working at Armstrong for over 5 years. Ross initially took an EMT course as part of his college curriculum for UMASS Lowell where he graduated with a degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Psychology. Ross always knew he wanted to help people by interacting with them directly, and EMS was the perfect opportunity to gain experience with emergency responses.

As having a medical emergency or an ambulance transport is often a scary and confusing time for patients and family, Ross always provides a calm and competent environment to help put them at ease, provide stellar medical care and connect them with resources and help they need. Ross always explains every step along the way for treatments & transfers in order to help patients feel engaged and connected. Ross’ documentation is always detailed and complete as to promote good continuity of patient care as well as help with the billing process. When patients are settled at their destination, Ross always wishes them well and leaves them with encouragement to feel better or heal quickly. Ross always applies the “golden rule” when caring for his patients as if they were his own family members.

As Ross became a more senior EMT, he started noticing areas where he could assist new EMTs. Wanting to help educate and support his colleagues, Ross became a Field Training Officer where he helps train EMTS to provide the highest level of care and compassion while improving their clinical and operational skills. Their successes are Ross’ successes.

One of Ross’ colleagues said this about him: “I have worked with Ross for the past year. In that time, Ross has shown incredible commitment towards his duties as a FTO. His patience and attention to detail has prepared many EMTs for the road ahead. He always takes time to explain how to do every aspect of the job to new EMTs whether the call is a routine transfer or a trauma alert. I was especially impressed at how Ross went the extra mile during the pandemic in ensuring that all third riders were staying safe by teaching them proper techniques for donning and doffing PPE. Ross also took it upon himself to work at both COVID testing and vaccination sites. Ross’s commitment to the betterment of the next generation of EMS coupled with his skilled patient care is truly remarkable”.

Armstrong Ambulance is proud to name Ross as our 2021 Star of Life!

Shaun Churchill
Paramedic & Base Supervisor
Armstrong Ambulance

Paramedic Shaun Churchill started his EMS career in 1991. Throughout the years, Shaun worked BLS in Lawrence before he became a medic in 1995. Once a medic, Shaun worked in the north shore area for several years prior to becoming a Field Supervisor and eventually a Director of Operations for an EMS system in that region. Shaun has been a paramedic with Armstrong since 2018, and through his field shifts and work as a Base Supervisor, makes incredible impacts in one of Armstrong’s busiest 911 systems.

One particular call which highlights Shaun’s incredible clinical skill and intense scene management happened on Thursday, August 6th, 2020. Shaun was working in Saugus, MA when he was dispatched to assist with the transport of a psychologically impaired male.

As the ambulance was staged away from the scene, the Police requested the presence of the fire department to assist with gaining entry to the residence. Immediately upon forced entry, firefighters and police officers were met with a hostile male wielding a large knife and acting erratically. As the three officers attempted to restrain the suspect with minimal use of force, they were stabbed by the male, causing potentially life- threatening injuries to all of them. Within minutes, the patient compartment of Saugus Ambulance 2 was transitioned into a mobile emergency room. Using his training and experience, Shaun was able to reassess, further treat, obtain vital signs and stabilize all three police officer victims until additional ambulances arrived. Furthermore, Shaun was able to adequately triage the victims and provide a brief report to assist ambulance staff prior to transport of the patients. Subsequently, all three stabbing victims were transported to Massachusetts General Hospital along with a fourth officer for an evaluation.

All of the officers involved eventually were discharged from Mass General Hospital with positive clinical outcomes. These outcomes can be directly connected to the high level of clinical ability, acute skill set and the utmost professionalism exhibited by Shaun. Shaun is the epitome of a dedicated Paramedic who constantly utilizes incredible skill and judgement to benefit so many within our community.

When not on duty, Shaun enjoys hiking, kayaking spending time with his kids, cooking and photography.

Armstrong Ambulance is proud to call Shaun Churchill our 2021 Star of Life!

Lana Poirier
Paramedic
Trinity EMS

Lana Poirier started at Trinity EMS in September of 2019. She began her time with Trinity EMS as an advanced EMT and quickly obtained her paramedic license. Since then, she is always striving to better herself clinically and operationally whether it’s reviewing protocols with her peers or trying to learn more about the ICS system with the supervisors. Lana is also a strong employee advocate for Trinity always taking the time to encourage and teach new EMT’s and fellow new paramedics, treating her peers as family. Since joining Trinity, Lana has been an awesome addition to the Trinity Family and is top of the list when recruiting new EMT or Paramedics to come join our team.

One of her peers said, “Lana is a dedicated provider to every patient she encounters and we are lucky to have her!”.

Another said, “Lana provides excellent patient care and strives hard to be kind and better herself and fellow employees.”

Shawn Hunter, EMT-B
Education Manager
Trinity EMS

Shawn Hunter has been an EMT-B with Trinity EMS since 2016. Quickly moving up the ranks, Shawn became the Education Manager for Trinity in 2018. Shawn works tirelessly for Trinity, getting involved in all facets of the Operations and IT department. Shawn is the lead on many new projects within Trinity, including most recently, Trinity’s efforts in battling the COVID 19 pandemic. Shawn was the point person for all things COVID, making enormous sacrifices on keeping up with the ever changing (sometimes daily) regulations in EMS and informing the entire Trinity Family. Shawn followed up with all employees who had potential exposure as well as the contact tracing. He also leapt into the COVID 19 mobile testing sites and later the COVID 19 vaccination sites. Shawn continually goes above and beyond his day to day efforts to help all members of the Trinity family. One employee said, “Shawn has showed professionalism and displayed the highest quality of care to patients, employee and employee’s families during this pandemic”. Another said, “I’ve worked with Shawn for years and he is always looking for ways to improve the lives of those around him - whether work related or helping someone through a touch call they may have had.”

The Massachusetts Department of Transportation (MassDOT) is converting all exit numbers on freeways to a milepost-based numbering system, per Federal Highway Administration (FHWA) requirement. Currently, interstates and freeways in Massachusetts utilize a sequential exit numbering method. MassDOT has committed to the implementation of mile-based with construction scheduled to begin late in the Summer of 2020. Download a flyer or read more at www.newmassexits.com.