When minutes count; Pinckneyville Ambulance Service director honored
Pinckneyville Ambulance Service director Shane Malawy was in Okawville Saturday for a very special presentation.
Illinois Sen. David Luechtefeld presented Malawy with the Illinois Department of Public Health's 2013 Emergency Medical Services "EMS Educator of the Year" Award.
The timing was perfect insomuch as this is Illinois EMS Week, a week dedicated to honoring the work of first responders.
In fact, Sen. Luechtefeld commented the work of first responders--ambulance crews, police and firefighters--mirrors the highest commitment in public service.
The annual program is coordinated by Paula Atteberry, R.N., BSN for the Division of EMS and Highway Safety at the Illinois Department of Public Health in Springfield.
Malawy received a beautiful certificate with the State of Illinois seal, a governor's proclamation, and soon, a resolution that will be a permanent part of the Illinois Senate's record.
The nomination said simply, "Rarely, do you have the privilege of knowing someone whose standards are so high and whose focus is so clear that you can say I am glad that our paths crossed in my lifetime."
His service includes:
• Director Perry County Ambulance Service and first responder
• Member of the Region 5 EMS Advisory Council
• Member of the Stroke Committee
• EMS representative on the Trauma Advisory Council
• ESDA and EMA member of the Disaster Planning Committee
• His commitment contributed to the effective implementation of the Prairie Heart Institute STAT Heart program at Pinckneyville Community Hospital and Marshall Browning Hospital, which successfully transfers heart patients from these hospitals to the critical care heart center and cath lab at Memorial Hospital of Carbondale (door-to-door) in less than 20 minutes.
• On two occasions in recent weeks Mr. Malawy has hosted programs to instruct the Perry County population as to how and why ambulance and air medical evacuations and transfers are made.
• Mr. Malawy regularly brings first responders and hospital personnel together to better their training and education and moreover to keep them accountable to their mission of taking care of the people and patients of Perry County.
• He also serves as ITLS and ACLS educator.
• Because of these things the Perry County Ambulance Service was recently named 2013 Business of the Year by the Pinckneyville Chamber of Commerce.
The nomination went on to say, "You should settle on Mr. Malawy because of not only who he is, but what he is as a person. He brings huge integrity to healthcare. As an outdoorsman his stewardship of our lands, our wildlife and our youth as a matter of health and safety education has never been equaled. He creates model citizens and stands alone in a class by himself while doing so."
Attending the presentation were longtime friends and colleagues Robert Hyman, North Egypt EMS System coordinator and Angela Boyett, cardiac supervisor at Good Samaritan Regional Health Center with whom Malawy worked at Pinckneyville Community Hospital coordinating the Prairie Heart Institute's STAT heart cath patient ambulance transfer program.