On January 27th 2017, southeast Arizona’s Emergency Medical Services (EMS) community presented SEAHEC’s Assistant Director Suzanne David with the EMS on the Border Lifetime Achievement Award at SEAHEC’s 25th Annual EMS on the Border Conference. The award was presented in honor of her 25 years of exemplary service and leadership in helping emergency medical services (EMS) personnel build their capacity to respond to community needs using the latest information and technical knowledge.
For over 30 years, SEAHEC has been working with partners on both sides of the Arizona/Sonora, Mexico border to help strengthen EMS responders’ capacity and skills. Suzanne David is at the forefront of this effort. Ms. David, who is coordinator of SEAHEC’s Continuing Education Program, has provided training for rural health professionals in Southeast Arizona and northern Sonora for the past 25 years. She has traveled throughout Cochise County and beyond, conducting joint programs in partnership with the Rural Health Office/Center for Rural Health of the University of Arizona’s College of Public Health (COPH.) Offerings have included trauma and pediatric trainings for EMS personnel on both sides of the US/Mexico border. Besides offering endless hours of training, which provides required credits in Continuing Medical Education (CME) for physicians and Continuing Education (CE) for health and emergency services personnel, Ms. David has advocated tirelessly to support training and education services to local and binational healthcare agencies as well as hospitals in the Arizona/Sonora border area.
“Suzanne David has been an integral and steadfast pioneer and leader in SEAHEC’s efforts to strengthen EMS responders’ capacity and skills”, said SEAHEC Executive Director, Gail Emrick, who jointly presented the award together with SEAHEC staff and Josh Gaither MD, Associate Director for Emergency Medicine at the University of Arizona’s College of Medicine. In addition to organizing annual conferences, Suzanne has worked on creating and supporting Santa Cruz County’s binational disaster preparedness trainings in Nogales at the truck port of entry.
“Suzanne dedicated countless hours to SEAHEC, and we estimate she has been responsible for providing over 10,000 CE/CME hours to enable health care providers in our rural and border communities to keep their professional skills and licensure,” said SEAHEC Executive Director, Gail Emrick.
For this and so much more, we WANT TO SAY THANK YOU, Suzanne.