SEDALIA - Tom Yates, flight paramedic for the Sedalia Air Evac Lifeteam crew, was selected as the 2008 Regional Paramedic of the Year during the company’s regional awards banquet in St. Louis on Aug. 9. The awards banquet honored employees from the region, which includes Missouri, Iowa, Illinois and Indiana.

Yates resides in Moberly with his wife, the former Gayla Faught of Macon and daughter McCayla. Yates is a former paramedic and Director of Ambulance Services at Samaritan Hospital in Macon.

The Regional Paramedic of the Year is presented to the paramedic who works as a team player, demonstrates a desire to increase knowledge and skills, and actively pursues opportunities to promote Air Evac in the community.

“Tom started for the base when it was a new base that needed a dependable and strong individual to be in place. He filled the role and still fills it today,” explained Regional Director of Base Operations Joe Grygiel. 

“Tom knows the service area and knew what needed to be done to get the base open. He helped identify and interview new staff, made contacts and was there when anything needed to be done. He is the stabilizing person at the base and his past experience as an EMS administrator and working in the service area gave this base the opportunity to build relationships with many emergency service agencies and individuals.

Program Director Jerry Kirchhoff added, “He knows everyone well and is personable and friendly. Tom really helped get our base going when it was established. He also contributed his own resources, books, equipment, mannequins and projectors for ACLS and PALS classes in the area and has done numerous LZ classes. His steadiness and consistent skills have served to mentor other medical staff at the base and provided them with quality direction and support.  It’s an honor for me to work with Tom at the Sedalia base.”

Tom has worked for Air Evac Lifeteam since April 2004.

Air Evac Lifeteam is a membership-supported air ambulance company that provides emergency care and rapid medical transport to rural communities throughout the central U.S. The company operates 76 bases in 12 states and is accredited by the Commission on Accreditation of Medical Transport Systems. For more information about Air Evac Lifeteam services, call 1-800-793-0010, or visit www.lifeteam.net.