Zimmerman recognized with Maine EMS Lifetime Achievement Award
Northern Light Mayo Hospital and Northern Light Medical Transport recently celebrated paramedic William “Bill” Zimmerman for receiving a Lifetime Achievement Award from Maine EMS, a bureau of the Maine Department of Public Safety. Zimmerman was presented with the award at a ceremony held in the Hall of Flags at the Capitol Building in Augusta on May 21.
Lifetime Achievement Awards are conferred by Maine EMS to emergency medical services providers with 10 or more years of service and who have consistently performed above and beyond expectations in system development, patient care, service involvement and/or community involvement.
Zimmerman is retiring from a distinguished career in EMS in which he served Dover-Foxcroft and the surrounding communities for nearly 42 years. Since transporting his first patient in September of 1983 he has responded to tens of thousands of 911 calls and transfers. He leaves behind a legacy of skilled and compassionate care that sets a high standard for other paramedics and EMTs to follow.
LIFETIME ACHIEVEMENT AWARD — Brent Watson, RN, BSN, director of nursing for critical care, Northern Light Mayo Hospital, left, and Bill Zimmerman, paramedic, Northern Light Medical Transport/Mayo Hospital. Zimmerman was presented a Lifetime Achievement Award from Maine EMS on May 21 in the Hall of Flags at the Capitol Building in Augusta.
“I don’t think I’ve met anyone who is kinder or has a bigger heart,” says Brent Watson, RN, BSN, director of nursing for critical care, Mayo Hospital. “Bill had planned to retire a month ago and saw that there were some holes in the schedule, so he decided to stay on for a few more weeks. That speaks to his commitment. It’s hard to quantify how he has affected this community.”
According to Zimmerman, the EMS profession has changed significantly over the decades. He notes the increase in transfers that EMS professionals are now responsible for and the advancement in EMS skills and protocols. Some of his greatest memories involve the lives he’s saved and touched in the community.
“A few years ago, I delivered a baby in the ambulance on the way to Eastern Maine Medical Center in Bangor,” he says. “That particular birth is special to me because the child was born on my mother’s birthday. I stay in contact with the family to this day. Many times, we see the end of life, so it was awesome to be involved with a birth.”
Zimmerman is known to his peers as a mentor, a resource for clinical knowledge and for always having a story to share. A longtime teacher of the advanced cardiovascular life support course, he has played an important role in helping healthcare professionals sharpen their skills and training the next generation of EMTs.
“Bill has devoted his long career to helping others, and we couldn’t be more grateful,” says Marie Vienneau, BSN, MHA, FACHE, senior vice president, Northern Light Health and president, CA Dean and Mayo Hospitals. “We’ll miss his confidence, clinical ability, and experience. We wish him the best in retirement.”
Zimmerman’s Lifetime Achievement Award and other career accomplishments are being recognized during EMS Week, May 18-24. EMS Week is an annual recognition to honor the dedication of our emergency medical services providers who provide lifesaving care on the front lines. The theme for this year’s EMS Week celebration, the 51st, is “We Care. For Everyone.”
As for life after retirement, Zimmerman plans to stay busy with his family and personal and business-related projects.
“I have a daughter coming home for the summer, and we are going to do some camping,” he says. “I’ve got a little construction business, too. This fall, I think I’m finally going to go south for the winter. We’ll see what it’s like to be somewhere warmer.”