Hollern, Marshall receive Star of Life award from American Ambulance Association
LARGO, Fla. (March 13, 2013) – Next week, the American Ambulance Association will present two Sunstar paramedics the Star of Life award, the highest national honor an Emergency Medical Service worker can receive.
Sunstar’s Megan Hollern and Larry Marshall, both of Largo, have been named for the prestigious award for 2013. The American Ambulance Association represents organizations that serve more than 75 percent of the U.S. population with emergency and nonemergency care and medical transportation services. Its Star of Life award, which this year is being given to 80 professionals nationwide, recognizes the best in the emergency medical services field.
Hollern, a Field Operations Supervisor, has worked with Sunstar since 2009. She was recognized for a call last summer, when she helped a woman who was lying on the beach after finishing a triathlon. The patient became unstable with no palpable blood pressure, but Megan quickly pre-medicated the patient and took steps to return her to a normal heartbeat.
Marshall is Training Officer for Sunstar’s Critical Care Transport Program. Larry, who began his EMS career in 1979, joined Sunstar in 1988. He has helped lead the Critical Care Program through three CAMTS accreditations, and was instrumental in the program receiving the Association of Air Medical Services Ground Transportation Provider of the Year Award in 2011.
Winners of the Star of Life award from the around the country will attend three days of education and recognition in Washington, D.C. on March 18-20. As part of the visit, they will meet with members of Florida’s congressional delegation, discussing legislative issues important to all Emergency Medical Service professionals.
“We are extremely proud that Megan and Larry have been named for this award,” said Mark Postma, Chief Operating Officer of Sunstar Paramedics. “Their dedication and skill exemplify what we strive for in serving the Pinellas County community, and it’s an honor for them to be included among the nation’s best Emergency Medical Service professionals.”
About Sunstar Paramedics:
Sunstar is the 911 ambulance transport service for all Pinellas County residents, employing 500-plus local residents, and responding to around 500 calls a day. Highly awarded and accredited, Sunstar utilizes state-of-the-art equipment and software, and (along with parent company Paramedics Plus) is an innovator of the industry’s best practices. Sunstar’s people are heavily involved in Pinellas communities, focusing largely on public safety programs for the public and for schools.
Sunstar is also a recipient of the Florida Governor’s Sterling Award, the state’s most prestigious
award recognizing “role models for organizational performance excellence.” More information is available at SunstarEMS.com.
