Dana Stephenson–Paramedic of the Year

Houston Healthcare Emergency Medical Services’ Paramedic of the Year is Dana Stephenson.

An eight-year veteran in EMS, she has been a paramedic for four of those years. She said being recognized by her peers as Paramedic of the Year is truly an honor.

“I consider us a family. We work together,” she said. “I respect the people who I work with, and the fact that they recognized me, it meant a lot.”

As a healthcare professional putting in many hours, Stephenson said there are a lot of stressful days.

“You have days anywhere from taking somebody back to the nursing home and the next call you could be delivering a baby. The next call you could be working a horrible, horrible wreck,” she said. “We typically see people at their worst. We try to make it a little better for them. It’s difficult at times, but it can be very rewarding at times too, to know that you can make a difference in somebody’s life.”

Stephenson said to have someone she has helped thank her is better than any certificate or medal.

“To have somebody come up and say, ‘If it weren’t for you, my husband, my mother or my father wouldn’t be here today. You have no idea how much that means to us.’ To me there is no greater honor than to have that.”

Stephenson recalled a recent situation when a lady approached her and gave her a hug, thanking her for saving her husband’s life after suffering from a massive heart attack.

“We got him to the ER in time for him to go to the [cardiac catheterization] lab,” she said. “I think he actually coded on the table once, but they got him back.”

During those tough days, Stephenson said, “The majority of us are considered family and when we have tough calls like that, we pull together, we talk about it amongst each other and we pick each other up. That makes a world of difference.”

She said there are some really hard times, so it’s beneficial to have a good support system at home.

Dave Borghelli, Houston Healthcare Emergency Medical Services director and Emergency Management coordinator, said they have criteria of what they recommend that staff look for when choosing a member as Paramedic of the Year.

“Our folks know each other and they know who goes above and beyond,” he said.

Stephenson is a field-training officer, he said, meaning she has been selected as the best of the best to teach new recruits and to also set an example for current employees. She is also an adjunct instructor at Central Georgia Technical College with the Emergency Medical Services program.

Borghelli said the department works 24-hour shifts. They have sleeping quarters for employees, but they’re on call during that time. He noted they’re on a call more so than sleeping. He said they responded to more than 29,000 calls in 2015 and they’re already exceeding that for 2016. They have about 70 total employees.

“We’re a family,” Borghelli said. “But, there is also a little peer pressure there.” He said they support each other and also have healthy competition in achieving as much as they can.

He said not only does Stephenson dedicate her time to being a paramedic, but she also volunteers her time by educating the public to improve patient care and visiting local schools to speak to students.

Borghelli said there are so many of his staff that comes in on their day off when things come up such as helping at a community event.

“To us it’s one of the most important things,” Stephenson said. “It’s really surprising how much the general public doesn’t know.”

“To a lot of us, it’s not just a job,” she added. “We do work a lot of hours and spend a good bit of time away from our families, but we do it so the community is a little better if nothing else.”

Stephenson, who was born in Thomasville and grew up in Bleckley County, initially saw herself being a nurse. She said she will probably still pursue nursing, but she will never give up her paramedic license.

“I love it too much,” she said.

Borghelli said Stephenson is a mirror of her peers. He said he’s proud of her and that she’s a great representation of the department.

Stephenson is the daughter of Kay Stephenson and Danny and Mary Stephenson. She has one furry child, her Chihuahua, “Lilo.”

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