They work for Sunstar Paramedics, the county’s ambulance service.

PINELLAS COUNTY – Two Sunstar Paramedics employees have been recognized by Pinellas County for their outstanding service to the community.

Paramedic Maya Daniels was honored as Paramedic of the Year, and emergency medical technician Kyle Turner was recognized as EMT of the Year.

“Kyle and Maya exemplify the type of compassionate patient care and service to the community that Sunstar Paramedics strives to give our patients,” said John Peterson, chief operating officer of Sunstar Paramedics. “We are proud the commissioners have chosen to honor them.”

Daniels was awarded for her commitment to compassion and safety. Daniels began her career in emergency medical services after caring for her aging grandmother. She joined Sunstar Paramedics as a paramedic in 2012, and she’s remained committed to providing thoughtful and high-quality patient care throughout her career. She offers comfort and compassion during what may be the most vulnerable or fragile time in a patient’s life.

In addition to being a paramedic, Daniels works as a field training officer to train and mentor new Sunstar Paramedics employees. In this role, she trains and mentors new employees by encouraging them to make compassion a top priority while also providing top-quality patient care.

Daniels is honored for her exceptional care of a stroke patient. The patient shared a note of appreciation with Sunstar Paramedics for Daniels’ professionalism and calming demeanor during a stressful time and for taking time to explain to her condition to her very worried husband.

Turner was honored for his commitment to patients. He joined Sunstar Paramedics as an EMT in 2017, and he is consistently one of the highest-performing members of Sunstar’s basic life support program, which responds to minor calls for medical support and provides inter-facility transports. He also works as a preceptor to help newly hired EMTs learn how to perform at Sunstar Paramedics’ high standards of care.

Turner was recognized for his critical thinking skills and quick action when a patient began to have a seizure while being transported to a facility outside of Pinellas County. Turner quickly identified the patient’s change in condition and began to provide supportive care. He diverted the patient to a nearby emergency facility to receive appropriate care.

The awards were presented to at Tuesday’s (May 7) meeting of the Pinellas County Commission.

Photo courtesy of Sunstar Paramedics.

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