Lake Chelan Health EMS, Chelan firefighters receive regional life saving awards

Eddie Shilaita, left, Jacob Moore, Ray Eickmeyer, Olivia Smoke, Nina Ravenstein, Doug Pinski, and Cendie Dietrich.

Emergency Medical Services (EMS) providers from a variety of first responder agencies in Chelan and Douglas counties gathered for the annual EMS awards presentation May 29. The Greater Wenatchee EMS Council and Dr. Lance Jobe, EMS Medical Director for Chelan and Douglas Counties, presented the awards.

Emergency response members received excellence awards in recognition of their superior patient care skills, being effective advocates for patients and their families, working with peers to foster a positive work environment, and demonstrating professional interactions with patients, their families, and other medical professionals.

Cendie Dietrich, an Emergency Medical Technician with Lake Chelan Health (LCH) EMS, was awarded the 2025 EMT of the Year Award for her profound clinical excellence, superior patient care, patient and family advocacy, and professionalism in interacting with patients, their families, and other medical professionals.

In the EMS agency category awards presentations, Lake Chelan Health EMS received the 2025 Best CPR by an Advanced Life Support (ALS) Agency award. LCH EMS outperformed all other ALS EMS agencies in Chelan and Douglas Counties during high-performance CPR skills testing for both team and individual performance.

Lifesaving Awards were presented to LCH EMS members Megan Nelson, Celeste McTaggart, Brian Slater, Tanner Long, Linda Nunez, and Chelan County Fire District #7 members Sam Belsky and Tyler Rice.

Out-of-hospital cardiac arrest (OHCA) is a leading cause of death among adults in the United States. According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), approximately 300,000 OHCA events occur each year.