Lake Chelan Health EMS receives regional awards

CHELAN — Lake Chelan Health Emergency Medical Services received multiple honors during the annual Greater Wenatchee EMS Council awards presentation May 29 at Wenatchee Valley Fire Station No. 4 in East Wenatchee.

Cendie Dietrich, an emergency medical technician with Lake Chelan Health EMS, was named the 2025 EMT of the Year. The award recognizes clinical performance, patient care, advocacy for patients and families, collaboration with co-workers and professionalism.

Lake Chelan Health EMS also received the 2025 Best CPR by an Advanced Life Support Agency award. According to the announcement, the agency achieved the highest performance among advanced life support agencies in Chelan and Douglas counties during high-performance CPR skills testing conducted by the Greater Wenatchee EMS Council's quality improvement officer.

Several Lake Chelan Health EMS personnel were recognized with a Lifesaving Award for their role in the successful resuscitation of a patient who experienced an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest in 2025. Award recipients included Megan Nelson, Celeste McTaggart, Brian Slater, Tanner Long and Linda Nunez. Chelan County Fire District No. 7 members Sam Belsky and Tyler Rice also received the award.

The awards were presented by the Greater Wenatchee EMS Council and Dr. Lance Jobe, EMS medical director for Chelan and Douglas counties. Emergency responders from agencies throughout the region were recognized for patient care, advocacy, workplace collaboration and professional conduct.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest remains a leading cause of death in the United States. The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimates approximately 300,000 such incidents occur annually. Cardiac arrest occurs when the heart stops beating and can quickly become fatal if a normal heartbeat is not restored within minutes.

The American Heart Association reports that about 10% of people who experience an out-of-hospital cardiac arrest survive. Chelan and Douglas county EMS agencies adopted a high-performance CPR model in 2011 that emphasizes continuous chest compressions and coordinated team response. Local EMS leaders say the approach has improved cardiac arrest survival rates in the two-county region.

Lake Chelan Health EMS is encouraging residents to learn CPR and become familiar with AED use. The agency also encourages businesses and organizations to consider installing AEDs to improve access to early defibrillation during cardiac emergencies.