News and Updates

REMSA Health and Care Flight honored 36 employees at the Champions of Care: A Ruby and Sapphire Anniversary Event, Thursday, May 21, the organization’s annual EMS Week awards celebration. Held at the Atlantis Casino Resort Spa in Reno, the evening recognized outstanding clinicians, dispatchers, educators and support professionals who serve Washoe County and the surrounding region every day. The event also marked two milestone anniversaries: 40 years of REMSA Health and 45 years of Care Flight.

The event was part of National EMS Week (May 17–23, 2026), observed nationwide under this year’s theme “Improving Outcomes, Together.”

“Excellent patient care starts with exceptional people,” said REMSA Health President and CEO Barry Duplantis. “Our experienced frontline clinicians deliver care that patients consistently rate with high satisfaction. Those honored tonight put the patients and the community first in everything they do.”

A Year of Notable Achievements

In his remarks, REMSA Health COO Adam Heinz highlighted a year of significant organizational accomplishments, including:

• A 20-month effort resulting in an approved revised franchise agreement with the District Board of Health, ensuring ground EMS service across Washoe County well into the future.
• Successful integration of international paramedics from Australia into the Washoe County workforce.
• A coordinated medical response to the shooting at the Grand Sierra Resort and Casino.
• A $3.5 million matching gift commitment from the William N. Pennington Foundation toward a new helicopter.
• Nine consecutive reaccreditations of the regional medical/fire dispatch center.
• The addition of eight new ambulances to the fleet and a 100% National Registry first-time pass rate from the Education Division, 30% above the national average.
• The launch of Care Flight’s Blood Stewardship Program, the region’s first, already delivering life-saving blood transfusions to patients in the field.
• More than 97,000 ground ambulance responses, 250,000+ dispatch center calls and 1,700+ Care Flight transports in the past year.

Care Flight Wings Ceremony

A highlight of the evening was the Care Flight Wings ceremony, in which eight crew members officially earned the title of flight nurse or flight paramedic after completing a rigorous one-year orientation program, written examination and practical testing. Wings recipients were:

• Kelly Wright, Care Flight Nurse
• Kaely Cuthill, Care Flight Nurse
• Shawn Krause, Care Flight Nurse
• Anna Gilarski, Care Flight Nurse
• Kayla McCauley, Care Flight Paramedic
• Casey Maines, Care Flight Paramedic
• Rob Mathiowetz, Care Flight Paramedic
• Jacob Rasmus, Care Flight Paramedic

2026 Award Winners

Thirty-six awards were presented across multiple categories recognizing exceptional service, clinical excellence, community partnership and lifetime achievement. Award recipients included:

• Lifetime Achievement: Stephanie Kruse, founder of KPS3 Marketing and a steadfast community leader and REMSA Health partner for more than 35 years; and Joseph Ryan, M.D., whose career not only spans the history of modern EMS—but helped define it as part of a group of pioneers who built modern EMS.
• Pricola-Watson Award (honoring the legacy of fallen Care Flight crew members Edward Pricola and Ryan Watson): Jackson Pauroso, EMS supervisor
• Legacy Award: Scott Zettelmeyer, paramedic and search and rescue team lead
• Pillars of Professionalism Award: Cory Rabe, EMS supervisor
• Improving Outcomes, Together Award: Courtney Harrell, clinical development coordinator
• Distinguished Contribution Award: Jimmy Lao and Renown Health Crisis Care Center Code Phoenix Protocol
• Always Ready Award (community partner): Heidi Marquez, mobile outreach safety team paramedic
• Newcomer of the Year: Zuly Rivera, transport coordinator and air communications specialist
• STARCARE Award recipients: EMT Joshua Robertson; Paramedic Cody Poole; and Paramedic Rachel Burns, EMT Che Rubalcava-Cunan and EMT Matt McCourtney (joint award)
• Medal Bars: Ian Fralich and Conner Adelman (Achievement); EMT Lucas Gorelick and Paramedic John Coverdale (Commendation); Paramedic Otto Elvrum and AEMT Indy Gesselman (Meritorious)
• Clinical Excellence Awards: Jennifer Wooster (Dispatch); Scott Vizzusi (Care Flight); Matt Andreotti (Ground Operations Paramedic); Kassidy Cooley (Ground Operations AEMT)
• Provider of the Year Awards: Rachel Burns (Care Flight Ground); Chad Weiland (Care Flight Air Medic); Scott Cross, Sr. Lead Pilot, Air Methods Corporation (Aviation); David Schneider (Ground Operations Paramedic); Kevin Mortlock (Ground Operations AEMT); Ashley Leone (Dispatch); Valerie Guillen (Business Office); Alex Ross (Education); Sami Meszaros (Administrative Services); Alijah Bates (Support Services)

REMSA Health is the exclusive ground emergency medical services provider for Washoe County, serving more than 420,000 residents. Care Flight, a service of REMSA Health, provides critical care transport via ground and air ambulance across the western United States.