I have been honored to work with my team of EMS people for 7 years, since I became a volunteer in 2019. When Director Buffy Witt hired me as EMS Coordinator in January of 2023, I learned much from her about what it takes to keep an ambulance service running. I have been so proud to continue the work she began and entrusted to me, namely, building a strong, resilient EMS department for this community we both love.
During my 2.5 year tenure as HCEMS Director, the team and I have accomplished a lot. We helped 369 patients and created a robust CQI (Continuous Quality Improvement) program. We upgraded equipment, including ordering and designing a new ambulance to replace our aging Med 91 unit. We reorganized the EMS station by clearing out 40+ years of expired drugs, supplies, and outdated equipment. Some of those drugs expired before I was born!
Structurally, we implemented a shift calendar, established a new leadership framework with redundancy, and moved our medical direction to an ER physician. Administratively, we secured nearly half a million dollars in grant funds, successfully transitioned to state-level licensing, updated our billing rates, and created a patient follow-up system. We hosted professionals across the state for a consultative visit, and implemented many of their suggestions to better our system, such as passing a lodging tax to support EMS.
We were constantly learning and teaching. We certified 8 new EMTs, 8 new ambulance drivers, 3 new CPR instructors, 1 new EMS Primary Instructor, and 134 community members in CPR/Stop the Bleed/First Aid. We trained 5 EMTs to give IV therapy and elevated our Chief Paramedic with a Critical Care endorsement. We ran 2 EMT courses, in addition to holding over 150 hours of continuing education training.
While I have been disappointed in the county’s decisions and actions regarding EMS over the course of this year, I remain incredibly proud of the team, our dedication to patient care, and the good I was able to do in service of my community. I’m looking forward to my next adventure, and I trust that the team will continue their work at the high standard we’ve expected from ourselves over these past years. Much love and appreciation to each of you.
I’d also like to make sure our Team Member of the Year for 2025 gets recognized; we were unable to celebrate properly due to my medical leave. Sarah Moody has been a force of nature on our team. We commend her dedication to getting her EMT certification, which required long drives to Gunnison all through the winter. We appreciate her eagerness to sign up for shift coverage regularly, and the care she provided to 55 patients over the course of 2025 (she assisted with a full third of our 2025 call volume!). Thank you, Sarah, for all you have done and continue to do with HCEMS.

_{Katherine Heidt
Lake City}