We all have invisible wounds that we try to hide. Throughout our lives we will face many trials, some are easy to brush off others not so much. In my personal life and in my career I have faced mental health issues and assisted in treating them. I am currently a paramedic in Wichita, KS. When most people think about Emergency Medical Services they think we only treat gun shot wounds and heart attacks, but the truth is we treat and care for just as many people having mental health crisis, such as Anxiety attacks, Suicidal ideations or attempts, PTSD and so much more. EMS is on the front lines of the mental health crisis. I have focused my career on training other and new first responders on verbal deescalation tactics, and to educate and destigmatize mental health issues. Throughout my career I have faced my own mental health issues with anxiety, and depression. When the symptoms first arose I was unsure what to do. Thankfully I had a coworker who was able to see a difference and recommend I get help. I then started therapy and was able to get on anti-depressants, I thank that coworker everyday for noticing and helping me realize that I needed help. The truth on the matter is almost 30% of EMS providers have some type of mental health diagnosis, such as anxiety, depression, or PTSD. My goal is to assist others in getting the help they need, whether it is an EMS provider or one of my patients. I will be able to more effectively pursue this goal by continuing my education, and obtaining my Bachelors in Paramedicine. Throughout the program I will take multiple classes focusing on treating and assessing mental health patients.

When you are able to immerse yourself into another world, all of your problems seem to fall away. Some of my earliest and happiest memories are of playing Super Mario Bros 3 with my siblings. We started playing the Super Mario games very early on in life. I can recall hooking up the Nintendo Entertainment system, in our grandmas living room to just play Super Mario for hours on end. Like most siblings we did not get along very well growing up, but it seemed when we had a common enemy like Bowser or the evil sun from world two all of the little problems would fall away and we could bond and have fun together. One of my most memorable moments was with my older sister we were playing Super Mario Bros 3, and we had finally gotten to world 8 and we could not pass one of the levels. We all know that crushing moment when you are on your last lives and you are going to have to start all over, but finally on our last lives we were able to beat the level. Now I will be honest we never did get to beat the whole game, but I don't think we ever really cared, I think for us it was more about the journey and the challenges we could face together. Still to this day I will make my fiance play Super Mario Bros with me, just to feel nostalgic. It is amazing to me that one game created so many happy and influential moments in my life. With that I must say thank you to Mario, Luigi, Toad, and a special thanks and apology to Peach who we could never save.

My name is Denton Douglas, I am currently a paramedic in Wichita, KS. While working as a paramedic I am also the local outreach coordinator for my EMS service, through this roll I have been able to make an impression on peoples lives before they have to call EMS. I am also an active member of the Emergency Medical Services FEMA response team, that responds to disaster zones to provide support to local EMS agencies in times of need. Throughout my career I have also found a passion for education and educating the next generation of EMS providers, through assisting with EMS education at the local community college and becoming a preceptor for students. I first obtained my EMT certification in 2018. After obtaining my EMT I fell in love with emergency medicine. I fell in love with the idea of helping people in their greatest time of need, and being able to make a difference in peoples lives. This inspired me to obtain my Advanced EMT, finishing that certification just before the Covid-19 pandemic. I was able to work throughout Covid-19 at a rural EMS service as well as in the Emergency Department. I then decided to pursue my Paramedic license in order to better care for my patients and community. I am currently working towards my Bachelors of Paramedicine from Lindenwood University. This scholarship will assist me in pursuing my Bachelors in Paramedicine, through this degree I will obtain my Critical Care Paramedic certification. Through this certification I will learn how to treat and manage more complex medical and trauma patients. I will also learn how to manage more complex medications, perform advanced airway procedures, interpret and respond to lab values and multiple other skills. Throughout this program I will also learn about biomedical ethics, psychology, and multiple other critical skills that will assist in expanding the Emergency Medical Services.

A person trained to take care of the critically ill and injured. When you look up the definition of a paramedic this is what you will get. I believe Paramedicine is so much more than this, yes paramedics take care of the critically ill and injured, but we also have become mental health counselors, social workers, and so much more. Paramedicine is like no other career, you are able to see people on the best and worst days of their lives, you get to see people when they are most vulnerable and hopefully make everything alright. My name is Denton Douglas, I am currently a paramedic in Wichita, KS. I first obtained my EMT certification in 2018. After obtaining my EMT I fell in love with emergency medicine. I fell in love with the idea of helping people in their greatest time of need, and being able to make a difference in peoples lives. This inspired me to obtain my Advanced EMT, finishing that certification just before the Covid-19 pandemic. I was able to work throughout Covid-19 at a rural EMS service as well as in the Emergency Department. I then decided to pursue my Paramedic license in order to better care for my patients and community. I am currently working towards my Bachelors of Paramedicine from Lindenwood University. When deciding on what career field I wanted to pursue, I looked back at my life and knew I wanted to do something that I could take care of people, impact my local community and make a difference. After doing a lot of research I decided Emergency Medical Services was the way I could do all of those things and more. As I stated I obtained my EMT license then went to Paramedic school. My current goal is to complete my Bachelors in Paramedicine, through this program I will become a Critical Care Paramedic. I will learn how to manage and treat more complex medical and trauma patients, as well as manage ventilators, learn advanced airway procedures and multiple other skills. Completing this program will give me the tools to continue to serve my community and my patients more effectively. My goal everyday when I go to work is to provide the best care for my patients and the people in my community. As a paramedic I am able to impact my community one patient at a time, I strive to effect real change for the better in my community while providing the highest level of patient care. I also strive to make a larger impact when I deploy to disaster zones with the Emergency Medical Services FEMA response team. While deployed my goal is to provide high quality care and to be a patient advocate to anyone in need. Paramedicine is an ever changing field. A person who decides to pursue a career that intersects public service with emergency medicine finds themselves in a unique position to effect real change for every person they come in contact with. EMS personnel must continue to pursue higher levels of education, in order to increase the quality of care for all patients.

A person trained to take care of the critically ill and injured. When you look up the definition of a paramedic this is what you will get. I believe Paramedicine is so much more than this, yes paramedics take care of the critically ill and injured, but we also have become mental health counselors, social workers, and so much more. Paramedicine is like no other career, you are able to see people on the best and worst days of their lives, you get to see people when they are most vulnerable and hopefully make everything alright. When deciding on what career field I wanted to pursue, I looked back at my life and knew I wanted to do something that I could take care of people, impact my local community and make a difference. After doing a lot of research I decided Emergency Medical Services was the way I could do all of those things and more. I obtained my EMT license then went to Paramedic school. My current goal is to complete my Bachelors in Paramedicine, through this program I will become a Critical Care Paramedic. I will learn how to manage and treat more complex medical and trauma patients, as well as manage ventilators, learn advanced airway procedures and multiple other skills. Completing this program will give me the tools to continue to serve my community and my patients more effectively. I believe drive comes naturally when you find your true passion in life. My goal everyday when I go to work is to provide the best care for my patients and the people in my community. As a paramedic I am able to impact my community one patient at a time, I strive to effect real change for the better in my community while providing the highest level of patient care. I also strive to make a larger impact when I deploy to disaster zones with the Emergency Medical Services FEMA response team. While deployed my goal is to provide high quality care and to be a patient advocate to anyone in need. Paramedicine is an ever changing field. A person who decides to pursue a career that intersects public service with emergency medicine finds themselves in a unique position to effect real change for every person they come in contact with. EMS personnel must continue to pursue higher levels of education, in order to increase the quality of care for all patients.

A person trained to take care of the critically ill and injured. When you look up the definition of a paramedic this is what you will get. I believe Paramedicine is so much more than this, yes paramedics take care of the critically ill and injured, but we also have become mental health counselors, social workers, and so much more. Paramedicine is like no other career, you are able to see people on the best and worst days of their lives, you get to see people when they are most vulnerable and hopefully make everything alright. When deciding on what career field I wanted to pursue, I looked back at my life and knew I wanted to do something that I could take care of people, impact my local community and make a difference. After doing a lot of research I decided Emergency Medical Services was the way I could do all of those things and more. I obtained my EMT license then went to Paramedic school. My current goal is to complete my Bachelors in Paramedicine, through this program I will become a Critical Care Paramedic. I will learn how to manage and treat more complex medical and trauma patients, as well as manage ventilators, learn advanced airway procedures and multiple other skills. Completing this program will give me the tools to continue to serve my community and my patients more effectively. I believe drive comes naturally when you find your true passion in life. My goal everyday when I go to work is to provide the best care for my patients and the people in my community. As a paramedic I am able to impact my community one patient at a time, I strive to effect real change for the better in my community while providing the highest level of patient care. I also strive to make a larger impact when I deploy to disaster zones with the Emergency Medical Services FEMA response team. While deployed my goal is to provide high quality care and to be a patient advocate to anyone in need. Paramedicine is an ever changing field. A person who decides to pursue a career that intersects public service with emergency medicine finds themselves in a unique position to effect real change for every person they come in contact with. EMS personnel must continue to pursue higher levels of education, in order to increase the quality of care for all patients.

A person trained to take care of the critically ill and injured. When you look up the definition of a paramedic this is what you will get. I believe Paramedicine is so much more than this, yes paramedics take care of the critically ill and injured, but we also have become mental health counselors, social workers, and so much more. Paramedicine is like no other career, you are able to see people on the best and worst days of their lives, you get to see people when they are most vulnerable and hopefully make everything alright. When deciding on what career field I wanted to pursue, I looked back at my life and knew I wanted to do something that I could take care of people, impact my local community and make a difference. After doing a lot of research I decided Emergency Medical Services was the way I could do all of those things and more. I obtained my EMT license then went to Paramedic school. My current goal is to complete my Bachelors in Paramedicine, through this program I will become a Critical Care Paramedic. I will learn how to manage and treat more complex medical and trauma patients, as well as manage ventilators, learn advanced airway procedures and multiple other skills. Completing this program will give me the tools to continue to serve my community and my patients more effectively. I believe drive comes naturally when you find your true passion in life. My goal everyday when I go to work is to provide the best care for my patients and the people in my community. As a paramedic I am able to impact my community one patient at a time, I strive to effect real change for the better in my community while providing the highest level of patient care. I also strive to make a larger impact when I deploy to disaster zones with the Emergency Medical Services FEMA response team. While deployed my goal is to provide high quality care and to be a patient advocate to anyone in need. Paramedicine is an ever changing field. A person who decides to pursue a career that intersects public service with emergency medicine finds themselves in a unique position to effect real change for every person they come in contact with. EMS personnel must continue to pursue higher levels of education, in order to increase the quality of care for all patients.

A person trained to take care of the critically ill and injured. When you look up the definition of a paramedic this is what you will get. I believe Paramedicine is so much more than this, yes paramedics take care of the critically ill and injured, but we also have become mental health counselors, social workers, and so much more. Paramedicine is like no other career, you are able to see people on the best and worst days of their lives, you get to see people when they are most vulnerable and hopefully make everything alright. When deciding on what career field I wanted to pursue, I looked back at my life and knew I wanted to do something that I could take care of people, impact my local community and make a difference. After doing a lot of research I decided Emergency Medical Services was the way I could do all of those things and more. I obtained my EMT license then went to Paramedic school. My current goal is to complete my Bachelors in Paramedicine, through this program I will become a Critical Care Paramedic. I will learn how to manage and treat more complex medical and trauma patients, as well as manage ventilators, learn advanced airway procedures and multiple other skills. Completing this program will give me the tools to continue to serve my community and my patients more effectively.

Create your world and make it your own. When playing any game with no true end the options are limitless. One may think that when you reach the end and defeat the dragon you are done, I mean it is in the name the end, but no you are just scratching the surface of the game once you get to this point, and some players never reach this point and that is perfectly fine. Minecraft is truly one of the only games where you can create your own story and have your own adventure. One of my favorite aspects of Minecraft is the first five minutes of the game. You decide to create a new world, the green bar pops up and your world loads in. You have no idea where you are or what is over the next hill or across the ocean. Every new world is a new adventure and has it own unique challenges. Maybe this time I want to focus on red stone machines, next time I will focus on farming, this time lets trade with villagers. When a game has no true rules or limitations it opens the world up to your imagination and lets you truly express your true self.

Healthcare and technology are both ever changing fields normally changing together for the better. In the world of EMS you cannot open the back of an ambulance without seeing multiple new and innovative pieces of technology, from monitors, airway assist devices, point of care labs and ultrasound. EMS is advancing and utilizing new technology to better our patients in the process. EMS is also utilizing new technology in the classroom to support the next generation of first responders, through the use of virtual reality to simulate actual calls to the use of new testing software to ensure EMS students are prepared for the future. Utilizing new technology in EMS is needed to improve patient care and outcomes. For example 12 lead EKG monitoring was not widely used or available until the early 1990's. EMS was able to utilize this new form of technology to save thousands of patients yearly. End-tidal CO2 monitoring was introduced into EMS revolutionizing the ability to understand our patients at the cellular level to see if they have adequate profusion, this also changed the way EMS confirms intubations and gives real time and continuous information into tube placement. Currently EMS is changing daily with new technological advancements, such as video laryngoscopy to assist with intubations. The implementation of video laryngoscopy has been proven time and time again to improve first time intubation attempts, in turn improving patient outcomes and decreasing the amount of anoxic brain injuries during intubation attempts. The integration of IV pumps into the EMS setting has evolved the way EMS administered medications pre-hospital. The implementation of IV pumps on ambulances has decreased the chance for medication math errors and general human medication errors. IV pumps have also allowed EMS personnel to administer and monitor multiple IV medications more accurately and safely. When looking into the future of EMS the future is bright. Advancements in point of care testing, such as ultrasound and bedside lab work is evolving the way EMS treats patients in the field. The utilization of point of care ultrasound has been proven to be beneficial in trauma patients as well as medical patients. Paramedics in the field are now able to perform ultrasounds in the ambulance, in order to assess heart wall movement in cardiac arrest and return of spontaneous circulation patients, perform FAST exams on trauma patients, identify ectopic pregnancies and multiple other uses. Utilization of point of care lab work will also change the face of EMS, Paramedics will be able to obtain and interpret lab values in the field such as hemoglobin, to assist in the decision for pre-hospital blood administration, or Troponin to assist in the decision making process of hospital destinations. EMS education is also evolving to assist in the creation of the next generation of first responders. Schools across the county are utilizing new software to test students to ensure they have the knowledge they need to care for patients. Educators are also using virtual reality so students can experience real calls and make clinical decisions in real time. Pre-hospital care is always evolving for the better, our goal as EMS providers is to care for the sick and injured. EMS must continue to utilize new technology for the betterment of our patients and communities.

The most important lesson I have learned while being a first responder is you must have, the drive and dedication to work towards changing others lives for the better. My name is Denton Douglas I am currently a Paramedic in Wichita, KS. Throughout my six years in EMS I have seen the best and worst parts of humanity, but through it all I still feel a calling and a dedication to my patients. I believe EMS can and is making a difference in peoples lives. I believe the way I can make a larger difference in my local community is by attending Lindenwood University and pursuing my Bachelors in Paramedicine. Attending this program will benefit myself, and my community. As part of this program I will become a Critical Care Paramedic, this will give me further insight into critical care aspects of EMS, such as Ventilator management, advanced and difficult airway maneuvers, lab value recognition, and multiple other skills. My inspiration to pursue a career in EMS happened my senior year of high school. I was driving home from work in a rural portion of my home county. When I stumbled upon a two vehicle accident. At the time my only exposure to anything healthcare was a CPR and first aid class through my high school. So, what did I do, I got out of my car without hesitation and attempted to help the people who were injured. Once EMS arrived and care was handed over I was in amazement of these providers working seamlessly to care for multiple trauma patients. This was the moment I knew I wanted to do that as a career. Since that moment I have had multiple other inspiring moments in my career, from my first successful field save, to successful field deliveries, when my EMT or Advanced EMT students report back saying they past boards on the first try. This career continues to inspire me and my goal is to continue pursing my education in public service to better my community as a whole and hopefully inspire someone else in the process. Making a difference in my community and the communities I work in is always on the front of my mind. While working in EMS I have strived to make a positive change in every community I work in from starting new outreach programs like Stop the Bleed, and File of Life, to treating every patient I meet with the highest level of care I can provide.