Kenilworth, NJ – Overlook Medical Center, part of Atlantic Health System, celebrated the important role of EMS first responders and highlighted the accomplishments of standout members from local squads in the region at the 23rd annual Excellence in EMS Awards Celebration.
The event, which took place on May 23, at Galloping Hill Golf Course, helped mark National EMS Week.
“The brave men and women of the EMS community are in many cases the first point of contact in the continuum of patient care a person will receive in an emergency,” said Sharon Kelly MSN, RN, NEA-BC, director of Overlook’s emergency services at its Summit & Union campuses. “The care they provide has a tremendous impact on the care the patient will receive once they arrive to us at the hospital, so we are honored to celebrate the vital role they play and the EMS excellence we see in our own communities.”
Seventeen EMS personnel were given the EMT Excellence Award at the event for exceptional service. The awards were presented by colleagues, who described the winners’ accomplishments to the audience.
The award winners included:
- Stephen Mortenson – Summit Volunteer First Aid Squad
- Eric Breidenstein – Fanwood Rescue Squad
- Kymm Balinth – Garwood First Aid Squad
- Lisa Scanlon – Long Hill First Aid Squad
- Lucy Fromtling – Mountainside Rescue Squad
- Jessica Short – New Providence EMS
- Rebecca (Becky) Lugara – Scotch Plains Rescue Squad
- Andrew Shanes – Springfield First Aid Squad
- Mike Eastman – Clark Volunteer Emergency Squad
- Alexandra Valdes – Cranford First Aid Squad
- Michael Maruschak – Elizabeth Fire Department
- Christine Grobert – Chatham Emergency Squad
- Allie Deegan – Berkeley Heights Volunteer Rescue Squad
- Matthew Butterly - Warren Township Rescue Squad
- Katrina Dumapit – Watchung Rescue Squad
- Trey Ellis – Westfield Rescue Squad
- Nicholas Goley – Union Emergency Medical Unit
Overlook also presented two hospital team members with EMS Council Recognition Awards for their work collaborating with EMS personnel. The two award winners were Sergio Guzman and Diego Morales, both patient care technicians in Overlook’s emergency departments in Summit and Union Township, respectively.
In addition to the awards, the event also offered the first responders who attended an educational presentation by Ingrid Johnson, MSN, RN, nurse manager at Overlook’s Union emergency department, “Human Trafficking 101 for RNs and EMTs.” Johnson is an award-winning speaker and advocate for victims of human trafficking, sharing her story of her own daughter’s abduction and recovery.
About Atlantic Health System
Atlantic Health System is at the forefront of medicine, setting standards for quality health care in New Jersey, Pennsylvania and the New York metropolitan area. Powered by a workforce of 17,000 team members and 4,800 affiliated physicians dedicated to building healthier communities, Atlantic Health System serves more than half of the state of New Jersey including 11 counties and 4.9 million people. The system offers 400 sites of care, including six hospitals: Morristown Medical Center in Morristown, NJ, Overlook Medical Center in Summit, NJ, Newton Medical Center in Newton NJ, Chilton Medical Center in Pompton Plains, NJ, Hackettstown Medical Center in Hackettstown, NJ and Goryeb Children’s Hospital in Morristown, NJ.
In addition to the employed workforce, Atlantic Alliance, a Clinically Integrated Network represents more than 2,500 health care providers throughout northern and central NJ. This network includes 1,000 physicians and providers comprising one of the largest multi-specialty practices in New Jersey - Atlantic Medical Group, as well as members of the Atlantic Accountable Care Organization and Optimus Healthcare Partners, which work to enhance patient care delivery.
Atlantic Health System provides care for the full continuum of health needs, including 12 urgent care centers, Atlantic Rehabilitation and Atlantic Home Care and Hospice. Facilitating the connection between these services on both land and air is the transportation fleet of Atlantic Mobile Health.
Atlantic Health System leads the Healthcare Transformation Consortium, a partnership of seven regional hospitals and health systems dedicated to improving access and affordability, and is a founding member of the PIER Consortium – Partners in Innovation, Education, and Research – a streamlined clinical trial system expanding access to groundbreaking research across seven health systems in New Jersey.
Atlantic Health System has a medical school affiliation with Thomas Jefferson University and is home to the regional campus of the Sidney Kimmel Medical College at Morristown and Overlook Medical Centers and is the official health care partner of the New York Jets.