Josie an EMT junkie

Josie Breshears has never performed surgery at Lincoln Hospital. Why is that significant? “Because I’ve done just about everything but that,” she laughs.

  Starting her medical career at Lincoln Hospital in the fall of 1975, Josie, a Reardan High School graduate, received her NA-C training in Long Term Care. After about a year, she moved over to Acute Care, where she was an aide and helped in Physical Therapy.

   “I’ve worked in laundry. I was the ward secretary in acute care. I’ve been an EMT for 12 years and now I’m in medical records.” Being IV certified, she helps in the lab with draws during health fairs and special events too.

   Although her experience is varied, there is a common denominator — service.

   “I like helping people, especially on the ambulance crew,” admits Josie. “As an EMT, there aren’t many outright rewards other than those who appreciate that you’re there. It makes me keep going, plus, I’m just too stubborn to quit.”

   It all started one seemingly normal day when then-director of nursing Judie Van Pevenage needed someone to help with ambulance transports during the day shift. “She asked me and I have to admit, I was intrigued. After a while, the crew encouraged me to take the EMT training course and I did. I found I liked the adrenaline rush.”

  In fact, there’s so much adrenaline pumping that EMT’s regularly forget the small stuff in life — like pants.

   “It’s nothing for us to pull up to the ambulance barn in the middle of the night and see each other pulling on clothes as fast as we can,” she laughs. “It’s a big, happy family. We know things about each other only a doctor should know.”

   After all these years, Josie says the thrill is the same. “When you get a call, your mind immediately goes to what you have to do. Then you run out of the house with your clothes on or off.”

   Actually, it saves time to put shoes on and finish buttoning in the ambulance on the way to an accident scene. “Every second counts,” she says knowingly.

   “I can still see each major trauma in my mind. Those never go away. You learn from them and keep going.”

   Josie puts in a tremendous amount of time on call — typically between 230 and 400 hours per month. “My kids put up with me being gone,” she laughs. “My husband joined the crew so he could see me and know what I was up to. He threatened to put a picture of me on the door so the kids would know who I am. They get mad sometimes, but I’m always there for them too.” In fact, daughter Marie recently joined the crew as well.

   To give her more family time, Josie took a job in medical records three years ago. “It gave me weekends off and during work hours, I can drop what I’m doing, run out on a call, and pick up where I left off when I come back.”

   All told, Josie says she’s grateful to have the support of hospital administration. “Tom, Marilynn and Cheryl especially are supportive of what I do. It makes it all the more worth it.”