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Meet local emergency medical services staff

Allina Health EMS employees, Justin Bruns and Kaylie Shaw, stand outside the Ambulance Service Center in New Ulm in February.

New Ulm locals Justin Bruns and Kaylie Shaw were both drawn to a health care career with Allina Health Emergency Medical Services (EMS).

As an emergency medical technician (EMT), Bruns assists paramedics when an ambulance is called for emergency medical care. With an EMT certification, Bruns joined Allina Health EMS almost four years ago and wouldn’t trade it for anything. “The experience I gained is awesome,” he said.

Shaw, who recently received a paramedic certification agreed. “This is a challenging field that makes you stronger as an individual and grow as a person.”

EMTs and paramedics share similar background and education in medical care and transportation for critical and emergency patients to a hospital. All EMTs must be nationally certified. EMTs have the basic knowledge and skills necessary to stabilize and safely transport patients ranging from non-emergency and routine medical transports to life-threatening emer-

gencies. EMTs perform interventions with the basic equipment typically found on an ambulance and are critical members of the response team.

Being an EMT is the first step to becoming a paramedic. Paramedics provide advanced emergency medical care for people needing critical and emergency care. This individual possesses the complex knowledge and skills necessary to provide patient care and transportation. Paramedics function as part of a comprehensive EMS response, under medical oversight.

Why choose an EMS career?

Every day is different as an EMS employee.

“Allina Health offers the training and experience I need to be highly comfortable in doing anything that is thrown my way,” Bruns said. “Allina provides training education scholarships to help make the next step up. A few of my friends at Allina have done that and it’s worked out really well.”

“Allina treats employees amazingly. I feel appreciated. They want you to take care of yourself, as well as others, and provide the tools needed to do so,” Shaw said. “I really enjoy Allina and plan on being here a long time. Where else can you work where you are proud to be there every day? You get to show up and be there for someone at the hardest part of their day or life.”

“You need to be strong-willed and able to handle situations. It’s not for everybody. You kind of have to be motivated to do it. I feel like I’m a lot better person than when I started. You experience a lot and the good definitely outweighs the bad. That’s why I am proud to work here,” Shaw said.

Consider a career with Allina Health Emergency Medical Services

If you’re interested in a career in EMS, consider joining Allina Health. To obtain a Minnesota EMT certification, applicants must first take an emergency medical technician – basic course and pass the written and practical state examinations. T

here are several schools throughout the Twin Cities and greater Minnesota areas offering courses. Please contact Catie Gramm (Catherine.Gramm@allina.com), talent acquisition specialist at Allina Health, for more details on how to start your journey and learn more about careers at New Ulm Medical Center and Allina Health at jobs.allinahealth.org.

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